The Menstuff® library lists pertinent books involving adolescence. See also books on mentoring, 13th generation, ritual-initiation, gangs and issues on fathers & daughters, health-testicular cancer, gangs and publications plus a slide guide on safe dating and a special card for guys and a free Know Fear bumper sticker. Photo in the upper left corner by Bill Brandt. "Dressing for the girls." Also, see Manga Books for Young Women.
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American Girl Series: Targeed for adolescent girls, many great
topics are covered from books about their bodies, to feelings,
sports, divorce, staying home, and guides to boys, friendship
troubles, surviving tricky, sticky, icky situations, and
more.
Bagdasarian, Adam, First French Kiss
and other traumas. Whether it's questioning the meaning of
life, tossing aside all scruples to scramble to the top of the
school social heap, struggling up a godforsaken mountain with
other miserable campers, or reflecting about times, love, death -
and laxatives - these finely crafted stories zero in on the
moments of comic confusion and tender transformation that make up
one boy's wild ride through childhood and adolescence. This funny
and affecting collection, with its tales of karate lessons and
romantic dreams, of BB guns and family squabbles, of growing
old, growing wise, and growing up, will touch you and have you
laughing out loud as our hero Will grapples with "what it takes to
be a man" and "what kind of man will I become?" Melanie Kroupa
Books, 2002, ISBN 0-374-32338-0 Buy
This Book!
Baker, Jean, Family Secrets, Gay
Sons: A mother's story. Written from the viewpoint
of a parent/psychologist, this book offers insights into the
developmental needs of gay and lesbian children in a way no other
book has done. School counselors, psychologists, marriage and
family counselors, teachers, school administrators, and the
parents and siblings of gays and lesbians will all learn new
levels of acceptance from reading this honest, helpful, and
encouraging book. Harrington Park Press, 1998
ISBN 1-56023-915-8 Buy
This Book!
Baker, Jean M., How
Homophobia Hurts Children: Nurturing diversity at home, at
school and in the community. This is a passionate argument for
parents, for schools and for communities to take the lead in
shattering the silence around homosexuality, a silence that gay
and lesbian youth cannot break by themselves. A plainly written,
step-by-step call to arms for making the world a safer place for
those who are 'different' and for all of us together. This is a
book that all educators, counselors, teachers, administrators, as
well as mental health professionals should read. A thoughtful,
factual account of what gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
youth suffer in our public schools and in their personal lives.
This book should be used at the university level as a part of
every teacher preparation program as well as in graduate programs
in education and counseling. It offers concrete steps for making
our homes, schools and communities safer for all children. In
words simple and direct, these brave young people have now spoken
for themselves. Is anyone out there
listening? Harrington Park Press, 2002,
ISBN 1-56023-164-5 Buy
This Book!
Bank, Melissa, The Girl's Guide to Hunting
and Fishing. Hailed by critics as the debut of a major
literary voice, this book has dazzled and delighted readers and
topped bestseller lists nationwide. Generous-hearted and wickedly
insightful, it maps the progress of Jane Rosenal as she sets out
on a personal and spirited expedition through the perilous terrain
of sex, love, and relationships, and the treacherous waters of the
workplace. With an unforgettable comic touch, the author
skillfully teases out issues of the heart, puts a new spin on the
mating dance, and captures in perfect pitch what it's like to be a
young women coming of age in America today. Every daughter should
have a copy of this one. Penguin, 1999 ISBN 0-14-029324-8
Buy
This Book!
Bass, Ellen & Kate
Kaufman, Free Your Mind: The book for Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual
Youth and Their Allies. This book speaks to the basic aspects
of the lives of gay, lesbian and bisexual youth: self-discovery,
friends and lovers, family, school, spirituality, community. Alive
with the voices of more than fifty young people, rich in accurate
information and positive practical advice, this talks about how to
come out, deal with problems, make healthy choices about
relationships and sex, connect with other gay youth and supportive
adults, and take pride and participate in the gay and lesbian
community. It also presents detailed guidance for adults who want
to make the world safer for lesbian, gay and bisexual youth.
Harper Perennial www.randomhouse.com,
1996 ISBN 0-06-0951044 Buy
This Book!
Bauerlein, Mark. The Dumbest
Generation: How the digital age stupefies young Americans and
jeopardizes our future (0r, don't trust anyone under 30). Do
the digital diversions of the young cut kids off from history,
civics, literature, fine art? Does mounting screen time dumb
them down? The author thinks "Yes." And this book was
designed to open debate for sober skepticism. It was to counter
the sanguine portraits of informed and agile teens at the keyboard
with dismaying survey results and illustrations of youth
insulation and ignorance, kids shunning books and vaunting their
digital nativity. We won't know the full intellectual impact of
text messaging, Web 2.0, Facebook and the rest for many years and
it will show up in distant measures such as the money firms spend
on writing coaches for employees, the number of students in
remedial classes, popular demand that politicians elevate their
rhetoric, and whether the vocabulary level of newspapers inches
downward or upward. This book is definitely a wake-up call. Jeremy
P. Tarcher/Penguin, 2009, ISBN 978-1-58542-712-3 
Black, Donald W., Bad Boys, Bad
Men: Confronting antisocial personality disorder.
Whether called black sheep, sociopaths, felons, con men, or
misfits, some men break all the rules. They shirk everyday
responsibilities, abuse drugs and alcohol, take up criminal
careers, and lash out at fmaily members. In the worst cases, they
commit rape, murder and other acts of extreme violence as though
they lack a conscience. What makes these men - men we all know,
whether as faces in the news or as people close to us - behave the
way they do? This book exmaines antisocial personality
disorder or ASP, the mysterious mental condition that underlies
this lifelong penchant for bad behavior. It includes case studies,
scientific data and current events to explore antsocial behavior
and to chart the history, nature and treatment of a misunderstood
disorder that affects up to seven million Americans. Citing new
evidene from genetics and neuroscience, the author argues that
this condition is tied to biological causes and that some people
are simply born bad. This book not only describes the warning
signs that predict which troubled children are more likely to
become dangerous adults, but also details progress toward
treatment for ASP. This will be an essential resource for
psychiatrists, psychologists, criminologists, victims of crime,
families of individuals afflicted with ASP and anyone else
interested in understanding antisocial behavior. Oxfrord
University Press www.oup.com 1999
Buy
this book!
Blanco, Jodee, Please Stop Laughing at
Me: One woman's inspirational story. While other kids
were daydreaming about dances, first kisses, and college, the
author was just trying to figure out how to get from homeroom to
study hall without being taunted or spit upon as she walked
through the halls. This powerful, unforgettable memoir chronicles
how one child was shunned - and even physically abused - by her
classmates from elementary school through high school. It is an
unflinching look at what it means to be the outcast, how even the
most loving parents can get it all wrong, why schools are often
unable to prevent disaster and how bullying has been misunderstood
and mishandled by the mental health community. You will be
shocked, moved, and ultimately inspired by this harrowing tale of
survival against insurmountable odds. This vivid story will open
your eyes to the harsh realities and long-term consequences of
bullying - and how all of us can make a difference in the lives of
teens today. Adams Media Corp, www.adamsmedia.com,
2003, ISBN 1-58062-836-2
Related issue: Bullying
Bouris, Karen, The First Time: What parents
& teenage girls should know about "losing your
virginity". As Ann Landers has been saying for years, the more
young people know about sex, the better their chances of staying
out of trouble. These stories illustrate how important it is for
young people to learen about the physical, emotional and social
ramifications of sex, to be able to talk about these things among
themselves and with knowledgeable and understanding adults before,
and after, the first time. This book reveals the emotional truth
about sexual initiation by sharing stories from women of all ages,
races, and walks of life. By encouraging a dialogue between
parents and teens, the book gently guides us in our understanding
of this complex experience and gives us a blueprint for healthy
sexuality. Conari Press, 1995 ISBN 0-943233-93-3 Buy
this book!
Brown, Lyn Mikel, Raising Their
Voices: The politics of girls' anger. Two
fourteen-year-old girls, fed up with the "Hooters" shirts worn by
their male classmates, design their own rooster
logo: "Cocks: Nothing to crow about."
Seventeen-year-old April Schuldt, unmarried, pregnant, and cheated
out of her election as homecoming queen by squeamish school
administrators, disrupts a pep rally with a protest that engages
the whole school. Where are spirited girls like these in the
popular accounts of teenage girlhood, that supposed wasteland of
depression, low self-esteem and passive
victimhood? This book, filled with the voices of young
girls, corrects the misperceptions that have crept into our
picture of female adolescence. Based on the author's yearlong
conversation with white junior high and middle-school girls - from
the working poor and the middle class, this book allows us to hear
how girls adopt some expectations about gender but strenously
resist others, how they use traditionally feminine means to
maintain their independence, and how they recognize and resist
pressures to ignore their own needs and wishes. Harvard University
Press, 1998 ISBN 0-674-83871-8 Buy
this book!
Cappello, Dominic and Xenia G. Becher,
Ten Talks Parents Must Have with Their Children about Drugs
& Choices. You know the need to talk to your kids
about drugs. But where do you ever start? This book
offers practical advice on how to begin and what to say - not just
about drugs, but about peer pressure, stress, health, the law, and
mixed messages in the media. It is easy to use, with family-tested
strategies for kids of all ages. You'll find excerpts from real
family talks, helpful tips from other parents, and illustrated
activities you can do with your child. It will help you keep your
kids safe in a complex world. Hypedrion, 2001,
ISBN 0-7868-8664-1 Buy
this book! Also see Talk
to Your Kids about Tough Issues.
Caron, Ann, Strong Mothers, Strong Sons: Raising
adolescent boys in the '90s. Adolescent boys face unique and
often frightening challenges in today's society, and mothers are
rightfully concerned. As their young sons become adolescent
risk-takers, mothers may feel frustrated or ineffective. The
author has written a reassuring and helpful guide that reflects
the realities of life today, giving mothers a new understanding of
their sons and confidence in themselves as parents. Many topics
related to adolescent boys are covered, including gender
differences, physical changes, the struggle for self-identity,
sexual overtones of the mother-son relationship, communicating
with sons, causes of young male violence and ways to buffer the
effects of society's macho messages, school issues, athletics and
after-school activities, concerns about sex and sexuality, and
fostering positive attitudes toward women. Henry Holt, 1994
ISBN 0-8050-2499-9 Buy
this book!
Carter, Ally, I'd Tell You I Love You, But
Then I'd Have to Kill You. A novel. Cammie Morgan is a
student at the Gallaher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a
fairly typical all-girls achool - typical, that is, if every
school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest in
chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit
for breaking CIA codes in computer class. The Gallagher
Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses, but it's really a
school for spies. Even though Cammie is fluent in fourteen
languages and capable of killing a man seven different ways with
her bare hands, she has no idea what to do when she meets an
ordinary boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap
his phone, hack into his computer, or track him through town with
the skill of a real "pavement artist" - but can she maneuver a
relationship with someone who can never know the truth about her?
www.hyperiorteens.com,
2006, ISBN 142310004-2 
Cross, Gary, Men to Boys: The making of
modern immaturity. Adam Sandler movies, HBO's
Entourage, and such magazines as Maxim all trade in
the appeal to one character - the modern boy-man. Addicted to
video games, comic books, extreme sports, and dressing down, the
boy-man would rather devote an afternoon to Grand Theft Auto than
plan his next career move. He would rather prolong the hedonistic
pleasures of youth than embrace the self-sacrificing demands of
adulthood. When did maturity become the ultimate taboo? Men
have gone from idolizing Cary Grant to aping Hugh Grant, shunning
marriage and responsibility well into their twenties and thirties.
The author, a renowned cultural historian, identifies the boy-man
and his habits, examining the attitudes and practices of three
generations to make sense of this gradual but profound shift in
American masculinity. He matches the rise of the American boy-man
to trends in twentieth-century advertising, popular culture, and
consumerism, and he locates the roots of our present crisis in the
vague call for a new model of leadership that, ultimately, failed
to offer a better concept of maturity. He does not blame the young
or glorify the past. He finds that men of the "Greatest
Generation" might have embraced their role as providers but were
confused by the contradictions and expectations of modern
fatherhood. Their uncertainty gave birth to the Beats and men who
indulged in childhood hobbies and boyish sports. Rather than
fashion a new manhood, baby-boomers held onto their youth and,
when that was gone, embraced Viagra. Without mature role models to
emulate or rebel against, Generation X turned to cynicism and
sensual intensity, and the media fed on this longing, transforming
a life stage into a highly desirable lifestyle. Arguing that
contemporary American culture undermines both conservative ideals
of male maturity and the liberal values of community and
responsibility, the author concludes with a proposal for a modern
marriage of personal desire and ethical adulthood. Columbia
University Press, www.cup.columbia.edu,
2008, ISBN 978-0-231-14430-8 
Crump, Marguerite, Don't Sweat
It! Every Body's Answers to Questions You Don't want to Ask.
A Guide for Young People.Puberty
happens. If you're between the ages of nine and thirteen (maybe
older), it's happening to you. And you already know that change is
the name of the game. Especially when it comes to your body. Some
of the physical changes you're dealing with now (or will be soon)
aren't fun. In fact, they stink - like bad breath, sweaty armpits,
and smelly feet. If you have them, you're not alone. If you're too
embarrassed to talk about them, join the club. If you want to do
something about them, read this book. It's full of frank talk and
friendly advice that can help you take the P.U. out of puberty.
Breakouts? You can prevent them - or get help for serious
cases. Dragon breath? Open wide for a cleaner, healthier
mouth. Grimy hands? Grab a bar of soap and defend yourself
against germs and illness. B.O.? Beat it. Funky feet? Try
proper care and footwear. And what about "those parts
below"? Don't worry, this book has them covered. As you learn
to take care of yourself from head to toe, you'll also read
fascinating facts, surprising myths, and quotes from real kids.
You'll find out where to go for more information, from books to
web sites. You'll laugh, because some of these topics are actually
pretty funny. And you'll see that puberty doesn't have to be such
a pain. Free Spirit, www.freespirit.com,
2002, ISBN 1-57542-114-3 Buy
this book!
DeCrescenzo, Teresa, ed., Helping Gay
and Lesbian Youth: New policies, new programs, new
practice. Rich in insights into how gay and lesbian
adolescents develop and learn to cope with problems attendant on
growing up different. This groundbreaking work described in this
book has been done with child welfare deparments, law enforcement,
the public schools and mental health agencies in educating them to
the special needs of gay and lesbian youngsters. Harrington Park
Press, 1994 ISBN 1-56023-057-6 Buy
this book!
Diller, Lawrence, Running on
Ritalin: A physician reflects on children, society and
performance in a pill. In 1997 alone, nearly five million
people in the U.S. were prescribed Ritalin - most of them young
children diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD). Use of
this drug, which is a stimulant related to amphetamine, has
increased by 700 percent since 1990. And this phenomenon appears
to be uniquely American: 90 percent of the world's Ritalin is
used here. Is this a cause for alarm - or simply the case of an
effective treatment meeting a newly discovered
need? Important medical advance - or drug of abuse, as
some critics claim? The author has written the
definitive book about this crucial debate - evenhanded,
wide-ranging, and intimate in its knowledge of families, schools
and the pressures of our speeded-up society. As a pediatrician and
familiy therapist, he has evaluated hundreds of children,
adolescents, and adults for ADD, and he offers crucial information
and treatment options for anyone struggling with this problem.
This book also throws a spotlight on some of our most fundamental
values and goals. What does Ritalin say about the old conundrums
of nature vs. nurture, free will vs. responsibility? Is
ADD a disability that entitles us to special
treatment? If our best is not good enough, can we find
motivation and success in a pill? Is there still a
place for childhood in the performance-driven America of the late
nineties? Bantam Books, www.bantam.com
1998 ISBN 0-553-10656-2 Buy
this book!
Empfield, Maureen and Nicholas Bakalar,
Understanding Teenage Depression: A guide to
diagnosis, treatment and management. Each year, thousands of
American teenagers are diagnosed with clinical depression. If
ignored or poorly treated, it can be a devastating illness for
adolescents and their families. Drawing on her many years of
experience as a psychiatrist working with teenagers, the auto
answers the questions parents and teens have about depression,
providing detailed information on how depression is diagnosed,
identifying the different types of depression, which teenagers are
most at risk, assessing the risk of suicide, the drugs used to
treat teenage depression, what they are and how they work, when a
teenager needs to be hospitalized for depression, and the effect
of depression on other teenage problems. This book provides the
latest scientific research on this serious condition and the most
up-to-date information on its treatment. Incorporating case
studies drawn from the author's clinical practice as well as
first-person accounts from teenagers, this is a book that anyone
who's been touched by this disease - whether parents, teachers,
family members or teens themselves - will find invaluable. Henry
Holt, www.henryholt.com,
2001, ISBN 0-8050-6761-2, Buy
this book!
Eron, Leonard, Jacquelyn
Gentry & Peggy Schlegel, Reason to
Hope: A psychosocial perspective on violence
& youth. The book proceeds from the empirically based
conviction that violence is not inevitable. Current theory and
epidemiological, clinical and empirical data on violence among
youth are examined to help researchers, practitioners and
policymakers make informed decisions about prevention and
intervention. Experts in the field of violence
explore: The etiology of youth violence from
develomental and sociocultural perspectives. The experience of
violence by ethnic groups and other vulnerable populations, such
as gay and lesbian youth and youth with disabilities. The
influence of societal factors such as media, guns and gangs on
violence among youth. The most promising, empirically supported
preventive and rehabilitative interventions. The most pressing
needs for research and policy development in this area. Although
psychologists have made impressive stides over the past 50 years
in advancing our knowledge about the origins and development of
violent behavior, there is an urgent need to use and build on this
knowledge today. By identifying individual and contextual factors
influencing violence that are amenable to change, and by exploring
how these factors can actually be changed, this book lays the
groundwork for significant progress toward reducing violence among
youth. American Psychological Association, 1996
ISBN 1-55798-272-4 Buy
this book!
Espeland, Pamela, Life Lists for
Teens: Tips, steps, hints and how-tos for growing up, getting
along, learning and having fun. Most books of lists are about
facts, statistics, or trivia. This one is about you - your
feelings, experiences, body, friends, family, future, challenges,
and dreams. This is a guide to life - your life. More than 200
lists distill big topics like health and wellness, relationships,
school, service, goal-setting, and safety into easy-to-follow
tips, steps and how-tos. You can use these lists to help yourself
do or be whoever you want. A stronger person. A kinder
person. Someone who succeeds, who makes a difference in the world,
who knows how to lighten up and have fun. If you've ever made a
list, read a list, or checked off something on a list, this book
is for you. It's a ready source of guidance, encouragement and
ideas for all kinds of situations, and a place to turn for quick
advice when you need it. Free Spirit, www.freespirit.com,
2003 ISBN 1-57542-125-9 Buy
this book!
Ford, Judy, Wonderful Ways to Love a
Teen...even when it seems impossible. A handbook of tools to
guide you in the art of relating to your teenager. Even if your
relationship seems beyond repair, you can follow these inspiring
steps to help rebuild a loving bond and how to guide your teen
toward a healthy adulthood while having fun in the process. Conari
Press, 1996
Friedman, Glen, Fuck You Too: The
extras + more scrapbook. In the 18th century, European
philosophers proposed the notion of the sublime. Implicit to this
concept was the sense that nature was too overwhelming and
terrifying to contemplate and that man was powerless before it. In
the photographic arts Henri Cartier-Bresson articulated the mental
construct of the decisive moment a couple of centuires later. To
him, the essence of art was reduced to the importance of a
split-second occurrence. How the photographer functions provides a
bit of insight into his repertoire... Getting into stuff deep and
early is the rule for this photographer rather than the exception.
The bottom line is that he was there at the beginning of so much
cool stuff in so many different areas it's not funny, said Henry
Rollins. Surf-skate, punk, street, b-boy, freestyle, gandsta, hip
hop, rap and a whole lot more, he can be located at their origins.
Typically his reportage is instrumental in helping give the
activities and artists a much larger audience. His work highlights
individuals who refuse to bow down to those forces trying to limit
the thinking and ideals of others. Truth and beauty reside
wherever one is lucky to find them. He works overtime attempting
to ferret them out and present their essential characteristics in
a manner that others can learn from. This man's mission is to
distill it all down and to then serve it straight up and right at
you. Burning Flags Press, 1996, 800.992.1361 ISBN: 880985-88-8
hardbound. Buy
this book! ISBN 1-880985-50-0 Paperback Buy
this book!
Garbarino, James, Lost
Boys: Why our sons turn violent and how we can save
them. After more than a decade of increase in the urban war
zones of large cities, violence by young boys and adolescents is
on the rise in our suburbs, small towns, and rural communities.
The author believes that boys everywhere really are angrier and
more violent than ever before. In light of the recent school-based
shootings, it's now clear that no matter where we live or how hard
we try as parents, chances are our children are going to school
with troubled boys (and girls, ed.) capable of getting guns and
pulling triggers. This books shows why young men and boys have
become increasingly vulnerable to violent crime and how lack of
adult supervision and support poses a real and growing threat to
our children's basic safety. For these vulnerable boys, violence
can become normal, the "right thing to do". Fortunately, parents
can spot troubled boys and take steps to protect their famlies
from violence if they know what signs to look for - lack of
connection, masking emotions, withdrawal, silence, rage, trouble
with friends, hypervigilance, cruelty toward other children and
even animals - all warning signs that every parent and peer can
recognize and report. By outlining the steps parents, teachers,
and public officials can take to keep all children safer, the
author holds out hope and solutions for turning our kids away from
violence, before it's too late. This may be the most important and
original book ever written about boys. The Free Press www.SimonSays.com
1999 Buy
this book!
Goddess, Rha and JLove Calderon,
We Got Issues! A Young Woman's Guide to a
Bold, Courageous and Empowered Life. Young women's visions,
songs, movements and battle cries have the power to shake the
ground beneath our feet. This book invites you to celebrate,
motivate, rant and rave, be still, kick and scream. With over 80
pieces from young, fierce women who are sick of the silence, this
book will make you laugh out loud, give you goosebumps, piss you
off, and make you question the world around you. Read it first and
then pass it on to your daughter. Inner Ocean, innerocean.com,
2006, ISBN 1-930722-72-9
(See "I Will
Vote" piece.)
Godfrey, Rhett with Neale S. Godfrey. The
Teen Code. How to talk to us about sex, drugs, and everything else
- Teenagers Reveal What Works Best. Believe it or not, there
are ways to talk to teenagers so they’ll listen. But first
you have to “crack the code” of how teenagers think and
talk. To find out how, 18-year-old Redtt Godfrey asked the experts
themselves: teenagers from across the country. Now he takes
parents inside the very secretive world of today’s teenager.
The frank and surprising conversations Rhett shares give parents a
clear path about what kids say works best-and what can backfire-
when talking to them about sex, drugs, privacy, alcohol,
cigarettes, school problems , family problems and self expression.
Rodale Inc, 2004, ISBN 1-57954-852-0 
Goldstein, Mark and Myrna Chandler
Goldstein, Boys into Men: Staying healthy through the teen
years. What are the most prevalent sports injuries for male
teenagers? How should a guy protect himself from injury or disease
whlie enjoying outdoor activities? Is it normal for a
teenager to feel depressed? Answers to these questions
and others often asked by adolescent boys can be found in this
straightforward guide written specifically for them. The author, a
physician who specializes in care of adolescents, provides
examples from his own practice to explain the most common ailments
of this age group, as well as to provide boys with the choices
they can make to help keep themselves healthy. Arranged topically,
each chapter covers a different aspect of mind and body. Readers
will discover what physical changes they can expect at their age,
as well as the most common physical ailments. They can also find
out what psychological changes they may be experiencing and why,
along with ways to get help for serious problems like drug and
alcohol abuse or suicidal tendencies. The many topics covered
include: nutrition, sports, injuries, sexuality, suicide, drug and
alcohol abuse, and cross cultural issues. Written with an emphasis
on wellness, advice is given on how to prevent injuries and
disease, as well as how to care for one's body through good habits
like eating well and getting enough sleep. Boys are encouraged to
take care of themselves and to develop open and honest
relationships with their physicians to help insure a happy and
healthy adolescence.Greenwood Press, 2000 www.greenwood.com
ISBN 0-313-30966-3 Buy
this book!
Gray, Mary, In Your Face: Stories from
the lives of queer youth. This valuable book is a
groundbreaking and informative collection of essays drawn from
discussions about gender and sexuality with gay, lesbian and
bisexual youth. Fifteen teens, ages 14 to 18, discuss their lives,
personal backgrounds, and visions for the future to give
researchers, parents and educators rare insight into the
experiences of being a queer youth in the U.S. today. Harrington
Park Press, 1999 ISBN 1-56023-887-9 Buy
this book!
Hafter, David, Growing Balls: Personal
power for young men. With a frightening lack of preparation
and nothing in the way of a life preserver, our culture tosses its
young males into the shark tank of adult life. It's no wonder that
so many go under, succumbing to destructive peer pressure or
substance abuse or the dead end of a premature marriage. The
author, who has spent decades counseling teenagers and
twenty-something males, offers a ray of hope in this book. Despite
the cafetious title, this is a serious piece of work. Taking on
the role of an experienced, even-tempered mentor - something
that's in woefully short supply these days - the author neither
pulls his punches nor functions as a scold. He simply gives good
advice. With any luck, both young men and their loved ones
(parents, siblings, spouses) will profit from this blunt and often
amusing book. www.growingballs.com,
2006, Xlibris ISBN: 1-4257-1543-5 
Harvey, Eric, Walk Awhile in My Shoes,
Too: Straight talk from parents and teachers to
children and students, The Walk the Talk Co. This handbook,
written for adults and children, is a powerful vehicle to open
lines of communication and establish relationships based on
empathy, values, trust and mutual respect. The Walk the Talk Co,
www.walkahile.com or
888.822.9255, 1999 Buy
this booklet!
Hersch, Patricia, A Tribe
Apart: A journey into the heart of American adolescence.
For three fascinating, disturbing years, the author journeyed
inside a world that is as familiar as our own children and yet as
alien as some exotic culture - the world of adolescence. As a
silent, attentive partner, she followed eight teenagers in the
typically American town of Reston, Virginia, listening to their
stories, observing their rituals, watching them fulfill their
dreams and enact their tragedies. What she found was that
America's teens have fashioned a fully defined culture that adults
neither see nor imagine - a culture of unprecedented freedom and
baffling complexity, a culture with rules but no structure, values
but no clear morality, codes but no consistency. Is it society
itself that has created this separate teen
community? Resigned to the attitude that adolescents simply
live in "a tribe apart," adults have pulled away, relinquishing
responsibility and supervision, allowing the unhealthy behaviors
of teens to flourish. Ultimately, this rift between adults and
teenagers robs both generations of meaningful connections, for
everyone's world is made richer and more challenging by having
adolescents in it. Ballantine, www.randomhouse.com/BB/,
1999, ISBN 0-345-43594-X Buy
this book!
Hine, Thomas, The Rise & Fall of
the American Teenager. Teenagers occupy a special place in
American life. They are envied and sold to, studied and deplored.
They seem to be growing up too fast, and always immature. They are
barbarians at the gate - and our only hope for a better world.
What, then, is this thing called "teenager" - this strong,
troubling creature caught somewhere between the rock of youth and
the hard place of adulthood? As the author reveals in this
groundbreaking work, the teenager is a social invention shaped by
the needs of the twentieth century. With intelligence, insight,
imagination and humor, he traces the culture of youth in America -
from the spiritual trials of young Puritans and the vision quests
of native Americans to the media-blitzed consumerism of
contemporary thirteen-to-nineteen-year-olds. He masterfully
examines the ways in which young people have adapted over
generations to meet - or at times to revise - the expectations and
more of their time. Here is an extraordinary story of torches
passed, a saga of sons and daughters of settlers, immigrants,
slaves and farmers coming to terms with their world and building
America as they did so. This book is a story of radical
Massachusetts factory girls; teenage coal miners supporting their
families; pistol-packing, whiskey-swilling frontier youths - and
also of teenagers, dependent young people preparing for their
lives by going to school even as they shape their culture as
arbiters of the new. Throughout our turbulent history, generations
of youths have stood at the forefront of social change -
calculating the odds, taking the risks, and learning how to
survive and thrive in the times. This remarkable contribution is a
focused study and a glorious appreciation of youth that challenges
us to confront our stereotypes, to rethink our expectations and to
consider anew the lives of those individuals - some of them living
under our roofs - who are, as always, our blessing, our bane, and
our future. Avon Books, www.avonbooks.com/bard/,
1999 ISBN 0-380-97358-8 Buy
this book!
Huegel, Kelly, GLBTQ: The survival
guide for queer & questioning teens. Are you queer or
questioning? If you are, this book is for you. Do you know
someone who might be queer or questioning? If so, this book
is for you, too. Or are you someone who just wants to learn more
about what it's like to be queer or questioning? This book is
a great place to begin. Discovering that you, or someone you love,
might be GLBTQ is a revelation. Accepting it is a process. One
thing that can help that process is information. This book can't
answer all of your questions or counter all of the misinformation,
misconceptions, myths, half-truths, and outright lies you might
have heard about being GLBTQ, but it's a start. Find insights and
findings from experts in psychology, sociology and health care.
Tips from people in national GLBTQ organizations. Strategies
and advice you can try (or share) about coming out, responding to
homophobia, dating, staying healthy and safe, exercising your
rights, life at school, building community, dealing with religion
and culture, and planning for the future. Books, organizations and
web sites you can go to when you want to know more. True stories
of teens and young adults who've experienced or witnessed the
prejudice, discrimination, harassment, and violence that are part
of everyday life for many GLBTQ teens. First-person comments
from GLBTQ teens who are happy, well-adjusted and loved and
supported for who they are, the way they are. Free Spirit
Publishing, www.freespirit.com,
2003, ISBN 1-57542-126-7 Buy
this book!
Iggulden, Gonn & Hall, The
Dangerous Book for Boys. I wish I had this book what I was a
boy. In this age of video games and cell phones, there must still
be a place for knots, tree houses, and stories of incredible
courage. The one thing that we always say about childhood is that
we seemed to have more time back then. This book will help you
recapture those Sunday afternoons and long summers - because
they're still long if you know how to look at them. For boyhood is
all about curiosity, and men and boys can enjoy stories of Scott
of the Antarctic and Joe Simpson in Touching the Void as
much as they can raid a shed for the bits to make an
electromagnet, or grow a crystal, build a go-cart, and learn how
to find north in the dark. You'll find famous battles in these
pages, insects and dinosaurs - as well as essential Shakespeare
quotes, how to cut flint heads for a bow and arrow, and
instructions on making the best paper airplace in the world. And
so much more. HarperCollins, 2007, ISBN 0-06-124358-2
Irwin, Cait, Conquering
the Beast Within: How I fought depression and won...and
how you can too, one teenager tells her inspiring story. For
anyone in the clutchers of the fightening beast that is
depression, this book can help. In vivid words and images, the
author shares her own compelling story: how she struggled with
clinical depression at age fourteen, was hospitalized, sought
therapy, found the right medication, and successfully made the
long, arduous climb back to good health. This powerful volume
shares an inspirational message with all who are waging their own
battles with depression: There is a way out. Times Books, 1999
ISBN 0-8129-3247-1 Buy
This Book!
Jacobs, Thomas, A. They Broke the
Law: You be the Judge. Ture cases of teen crime.
Fifteen-year-old Adam makes a threat in school. Olivia, 14, steals
a car. Charles, 16, is found with cocaine and a loaded gun.
Nine-year-old Philip is charged with assaulting his mother.
Joshua, 15, cuts school. Should Adam go to jail? What about
Olivia? Should Charles be locked up or put on
probation? Could counseling help Philip and his
mom? What can be done for Joshua? You've heard lots of
stories about teens in trouble with the law. But you probably
haven't been asked what you think should happen next and why. Get
ready, because that's what this book is about. Like the author, a
real-life judge in all 21 cases - you'll learn each teen's
background leading up to the crime. You'll read about the crime,
how it was committed, against whom, how the police were notified,
and the young person's reaction to getting caught. You'll be asked
to choose from a range of possible punishments and services; jail
time, probation, community service, fines or payments to the
victim, placement in foster care, and more. You'll also have the
freedom to come up with your own ideas for sentencing, as juvenile
court judges do in real courtrooms. Then, you'll find out what
really happens. And, finally, you'll discover what each teen is
doing today. Also, visit the Free Spirit web site for role-playing
ideas and scenarios related to the stories, available as free
downloads. Free Spirit, www.freespoirit.com,
2003, ISBN 1-57542-134-8 
Jukes, Mavis, The Guy Book: An owner's
manual of maintenance, safety, and operating instructions for
teens. Got questions you don't want to ask? Then look no
further for the answers: Here, at last, is the ultimate book
for every guy who needs to know about his changing body, from why
it's doing what it's doing (it's supposed to) to when it will stop
(it won't really, but it will calm down eventually) to all the
other tricky stuff that goes along with growing up. Read about
relationships (How do I ask her out?), dealing with peer pressure
(Is the pressue really coming from peers?), getting the right kind
of help (Not sure which hot line to call?), and much more. Full of
essential information and useful advice on everything from
shaving, slow dancing, and try to tie to etiquette, consent,
keeping fit, and fighting acne, this book delivers all the facts
guys ages 13 and up need to know to be healthy, stay in control,
and get ready for the future. Crown Publishers, www.randomhouse.com/teens,
2002 ISBN 0-679-89028-9 Buy
This Book!
Kammer, Jack Heroes of the Blue Sky
Rebellion: How you and other young men can claim all the
happiness in the world. Are you young and male? Do you
ever wonder why there is so much public concern and encouragement
for girls and young women, and so little for you? Have you
ever thought girls and young women get more respect and have more
fun and freedom than boys and young men do? Are you made to
feel ashamed and inferior because you're male? If so,you're
not alone. And if so, you might like this little book a lot. The
effort to abolish sexism has done girls and young women a world of
good. But the most sexist idea of all is the belief that only one
sex is harmed by sexism. It's time to put an end to sexism and
gender-based discrimination against boys and young men as well.
Adults haven't helped you like they've helped girls and young
women. It looks like you and your young male friends need to take
action - to stage a rebellion - on your own. This little book can
help you get started. blueskyrebellion.com,
Healthy Village Press, 2009, ISBN 978-0-578-03066-1 
Karres, Erika V. Shearin, Violence Proof Your Kids
Now: How to recognize the 8 warning signs and what to do
about them for parents, teachers and concerned caregivers.The
image of the Columbine crosses etched in our minds, adult America
is facing a crisis of epidemic proportion. Disaffected youth are
rapidly becoming the norm, with grades and esteem plummeting and
violence in schools escalating. An award-winning,
nationally-recognized school-violence expert shows every parent
and teacher how to identify and deal with the current youth
crisis. The author, a survivor of the 20th century's single most
violent episode, the Holocaust, chose to become an anti-violence
expert and has distilled her 30-plus years research working with
students, into recognizing the 8 tell-tale signals of a violent
child. In her words, all it would have taken to prevent the
Columbine massacre was "...one person. A teacher or guidance
counselor. Or a coach or a minister. Even just a neighbor. Just
one single human being." This book offers the 8 warning signs of
violence prone kids, and seventy-seven successful strategies to
keep our kids safe. Whether you are concerned that your child
might be violent or you want to be sure he or she isn't hanging
around potential trouble-makers, this book will help you stop
feeling helpless and take action. Read this book and learn how to
turn a violent kid around tor protect your child from an assassin
in training. Includes a simple test for parents and one for
teachers to pinpoint violence potential in kids as well as a
30-page resource guide for parents and teachers. Conari Press,
2000, ISBN 1-57324-514-3 Buy
This Book!
Karp, Marcelle & Debbie Stoller, The
Bust Guide to the New Girl Order. Both a literary magazine and
a chronicle of girl culture, Bust magazine was created in 1993.
With contributors who are funny, fierce and too smart to be
anything but feminist, Bust is the original grrl zine, written for
women who know that Glamour is garbage, Vogue is vapid, and Cosmo
is clueless., At long last, the author's are bust-ing out with
their own chick manifesto, destined to become required reading for
today's hip urban girl and her admirers. A sort of Our Bodies,
Ourselves for Generation XX, this guide brings together the gbest
and funniest writings from the front lines of feminism. Covering
everything from boys to bras, sex to Sassy, Madonna to motherhood,
the book contains ew, sharp, trenchant essays introducing classic
articles from the magazine. If you're looking for advice for your
daughter on how to attract a boy or for weight-loss tips from the
world's thinnest moderls, this is not the book to recommend. But
if you want to have her have some broad-minded fun, give her a
subscription to Bust and a copy of this book. Penguin www.penguinputnam.com
1999 Buy
this book!
Kaufman, Gershen & Lev Raphael, Stick Up for
Yourself: Every kid's guide to personal power and
positive self-esteem, Free Spirit, help4kids@freespirit.com,
1990
Kellerman, Jonathan, Savage
Spawn: Reflections on violent children. In this
powerful, disturbing book, a noted child psychologist shines a
penetrating light on antisocial youth - kids who kill without
remorse - asserting that "psychopathic tendencies begin very early
in life, as young as three, and they endure. Criticizing our quick
impulse to blame violent movies or a "morally bankrupt" society,
the author convinces us that it is the kids themselves who need to
be examined. Carefully. How do children become cold-blooded
killers? The author warns that today's aggressive bully
is tomorrow's Mafia don, cult leader, or genocidal dictator.
Violently psychopathic youths possess an overriding need for
power, control and stimulation, and all display a complete lack of
regard for the humanity of others. He examines the origins of
pschopathy and the ever-shifting debate between nurture and
nature, offering some controversial solutions to dealing with
homicidal tendencies in children. This is a provocative look at
the links between society and biology, children and violence. This
sobering message will remain with you long after the last page is
turned. Ballantine, www.randomhouse.com/BB/,
1999 ISBN 0-345-42939-7 Buy
this book!
Kipnis, Aaron, Angry Young
Men: How parents, teachers and counselors can help "bad
boys" become good men. Overall, the country's crime rates are
down from record highs but the disturbing trend of violent
behavior among youth, particularly male youth, is evident in
incidents like Littleton and Jonesboro. Substance abuse, suicide,
assault, gun carrying and homicide rates far exceed those in all
other industrial nations. So, what can be done to change this
downward spiral of self-destructive behavior? According to the
author, there are concrete steps parents, teachers and the
commuity can take to help boys at risk reverse the destructive
path they are heading down and become positive, contributing
members of society. With personal experience as a former "bad
boy", the author offers first-hand information, as well as
research and clinicial observations, to help at-risk youth and
stop the steady trend of bad behavior among your men. Jossey-Bass,
1999 www.josseybass.com
ISBN 0-7879-4604-4 Buy
this book!
Kivel, Paul, Boys Will Be Men: Raising
our sons for courage, caring and community. Young people today
face a world of ever-increasing complexity, alienation, and
violence. But our schools and other institutions seem largely
unable to provide them with the skills and understanding they need
to survive, to thrive, and to make a difference. The cycle of
violence and injustice that entraps them will not stop until boys
are raised to become powerful and loving participants in the
struggle to end it. Drawing on his decades of experience as a
social activist and his anti-violence work with men and teens, the
author helps parents and educators grapple with the complex forces
in our sons' lives, including racism, homophobia, pornography,
drugs, class, consumerism, sex , and violence. He then provides
practical tools to empower boys to take the courageous step out of
the "act like a man" box to become allies to themselves, each
other, and all those who are vulnerable to violence and injustice
in our society. The end result gives the reader a powerful vision
of raising our sons to be the critically thinking,
socially-invested men we need for a multicultural and democratic
society. It is essential reading for all parents and educators
determined to provide a positive future for boys everywhere. New
Society Publishers, www.newsociety.com,
1999, ISBN 0-86571-395-2 
Lane, Dakota, The Secret Life of It
Girls. Think about your adolescent daughter. It girl n 1. The
girl that she wants to be. She gets the guys AND the girls
because she has something beyond money, clothes, and attitude.
She's got something you either have or you don't have - and
YOU DON'T HAVE IT. (See superstar, goddess,
diva.) 2. The girl you hate and fear. She has the power to
make you into a slut or outcase, or make you crawl like a loser
wannabe/stalker /groupie. There's at least one of her in every
school, and she's never going away, so you better figure out your
place in her world, before she figures it out for you. (See
backstabber, witch, demon.) 3. The girl that completely
believes she's better than you - or maybe just acts like she does.
She's got all the power, but would be defenseless if left by her
herd. (See pathetic, insecure, manipulative.) Here, in words
and picutres, are the thoughts, the secrets, the lives of It
girls. The stories are fiction, but the feelings are real. You
might think you know these girls. She might be your daughter. But
look closer. You'll be surprised by what you find. Atheneum Books,
www.SimonSaysTEEN.com,
2007, ISBN 1-4169-1492-7 
Levine, Madeline, The Price of
Privilege: How parental pressure and material advantage are
creating a generation of disconnected and unhappy kids. In
recent years, numerous studies have shown that bright, charming,
seemingly confident and socially skilled teenagers from affluent,
loving families are experiencing epidemic rates of depressoin,
substance abuse, and anxiety disorders - rates higher than in any
other socioeconomic group of American adolescents. Materialism,
pressure to achieve, perfectionism and disconnection are combining
to create a perfect storm that is devastating children of
privilege and their parents alike. In this eye-opening,
provocative, and essential book, a clinical psychologist explodes
one child-rearing myth after another. With empathy and candor, she
identifies toxic cultural influences and well-intentioned, but
misguided, parenting practices that are detrimental to a child's
healthy self-develiopment. Her thoughful, practical advice
provides solutions that will enable parents to help their
emotionally troubled "star" child cultivate an authentic sense of
self. www.thepriceofprivilege.com,
Harper, www.harpercollins.com,
2006, ISBN 978-0-06-059585-2 
Littman, Jonathan, The Beautiful
Game: Sixteen girls and the soccer season that changed
everything. Once nobody noticed Santa Rosa's Thunder. They
were a ragtag team of girls who wanted to play soccer, and no one
took them seriously. Their male coach expected little from his
"ladies" and their mediocre performance convinced them he was
right. Then a kind of miracle happened. Emiria Salzmann, Thunder's
new coach, a top player herself, knew what it took to win -
discipline, relentless drills, thigh-burning sprints, and an
inspired passing game. The girls hated it, but their coach never
let up. Tough and determined, she showed them what it felt like to
be winners - and they loved it. As the momentum grew with a string
of victories, the girls thrived on the competition, believing they
had the right stuff to become champions. They were
right! With spirits soaring, Thunder won its league on the
last day of the season and headed for the state cup, emerging not
just as powerful athletes but as strong, confident, emotionally
healthy human beings - champions in the game of soccer, and in the
game of life. Perennial, www.harpercollins.com
2000 ISBN 0-380-80860-9 Buy
This Book!
Livingstone, Bob, Redemption of the
Shattered: A teenager's healing journey through sandtray
therapy. In this book, the author describes in dream-like
sequences his personal therapeutic experience while undergoing
Sandtray Therapy to address the loss of his father during
adolescence. He vividly describes the isolated world of a
traumatized teenager who wishes to be closer to his family but
instead acts out in angry and self-defeating ways. He takes the
reader through the processing and re-processing of feelings until
the good and the bad are finally integrated. His suspenseful
journey of self-discovery will allow readers to know that they are
not alone and encourage them to face their own traumas.
Self-published. See www.boblivingstone.com
for ordering information, 2002. ISBN 1-59113-085-9
MacGregor, Cynthia, The Divorce Helpbook
for Teens. As if life wasn't already hard enough...now you're
dealing with your parents' divorce, too. You know that there
aren't any easy answers on how to get through it all, but this
book is going to give you some ideas about how to handle the tough
questions you now have (and maybe even some of you haven't thought
of yet): Why do parents get divorced? How will the
divorce change our lives? What can I do to feel less
depressed? Who can I talk to about my problems? What's
going to happen next? How do you tell absent parents that
they don't visit enough? How do you say "no" to a parent who
wants you to carry messages to, or spy on, your other
parent? What is there to talk about when you visit a parent
who's moved away? And much more. Impact Publishers, www.impactpublishers.com,
2005, ISBN 1-886230-57-9 
Madaras, Lynda, What's Happening to My Body Book for
Boys: A growing up guide for parnents and sons. How
can you help your son through the awkward, often painful,
transition to young manhood? For many adolescents and adults,
the author has become the authoritative source of honest,
sensitive, comprehensive information about the emotional and
physical experience of puberty. Written in a comfortable,
non-judgemental tone suitable for nine to fifteen year olds, and
laced throughout with anecdotes and real-life experiences, the
book covers the body's changing size and shape, the growth spurt,
reproductive organs, perspiration, pimples, voice changes, beards,
puberty in girls and more. There is also crucial information on
AIDS, STDs and birth control appropriate for this age. Another
addition is a new chapter with advice on how to handle urges,
guilt and the yearning for privacy. Newmarket Press, 1988
ISBN 0-937858-99-4
Madaras, Lynda, What's Happening to My Body Book for
Girls: A growing up guide for parents and daughters. How
can you help a young girl handle her transition to
womanhood? "Once they hit puberty, they get an
attitude. There's just no talking to them." Many parents have this
experience. They feel they're losing their daughterr, just when
their daughters need them most. How can parents - and teachers,
too - help each other through this awkward, often painful
period? For many adolescents and adults, the author has
become the authoritative source for honest, sensitive,
comprehensive information about the emotional and physical
experience of puberty. Written in a comfortable, non-judgemental
tone suitble for nine to fifteen year olds, and laced throughout
with anecdotes and real-life experiences, the book covers the
body's changing size and shape, breasts, the reproductive organs,
the menstrual cycle, public hair, puberty in boys, and more. There
is also crucial information on AIDS, STDs and birth control
appropriate for this age. Another addition is a new chapter with
advice on how to handle urges, guilt and the yearning for privacy.
Newmarket Press, 1988 ISBN 0-937858-98-6 Buy
This Book!
McIntyre, Tom, The Behavior
Survival Guide for Kids: How to make good choices and stay
out of trouble. Some kids get in trouble a lot. Every day is a
struggle for them. They can't seem to make good choices, no matter
how hard they try. Does this sound like you? If it does, you
know that behavior problems are no fun. Neither is being labeled
BD, ED, EBD, or SED. But maybe you just don't know how else to
act. That's true for many kids with behavior challenges. This book
is full of ideas that have worked for other kids, and they can
work for you. For Grown-ups: There's something for you, too.
Visit the Free Spirit Web site for an extensive list of resources
for parents and teachers, available as a free download. Free
Spirit Publishing, www.freespirit.com,
2003, ISBN 1-57542-132-1 
Metcalf, Franz, Buddha in Your
Backpack: Everyday Buddhism for teens. Probably all the
jumbled stuff of your daily life - school books, CDs, cell phone,
maybe that thing you've been looking for everywhere and just can't
find. Why not add Buddha to the mix? This book, that is. It
gives you Buddham's life - did you know he rebelled against the
system? Everyday Buddhism - a new way for you to deal with
friends, family, food, school, sex, all of it. Your own path -
ways to move forward. It's not about joining a religion - it's
about being happier. Make room for Buddha in Your Backpack.
Seastone, www.ulyssespress.com,
2003, ISBN 1-56975-321-0 Buy
This Book!
Meyer, Stephanie H. & John Meyer, Teen Ink
2: More Voices, More Visions, Written by Teens. Let's get
one thing straight. This is no sequel. Sequels, for the most part,
take a tried-and-true idea and repackage it. But this is so much
more. It displays a brand-new world, a vivid landscape of teen
expressions, as imaginative and diverse as the individuals who
created the pieces you'll find between its covers. The best part
about the series is that a unique vision is created with every
piece, each one brought to life by teen writers, artists and
photographers, who see their world in astonishing ways. The book
is divided into sections including: Family, Friends,
Challenges, Love, Imagination, School Days, Fitting In,
Milestones, and Memories. In the Challenges section alone, there
are pieces on sexual abuse, alcoholism, eating disorders,
depression, imprisonment, illness of a parent and divorce. This
book illustrates the depth of teenage talent, emotion and
imagination. This collection of prose and poetry represents the
honest and compelling moments that define their lives. The stories
are well-crafted and filled with feelings derived from real-life
events - emotions not of the surface, but of the soul. These
pieces will stick with you - at times even leaving you in tears,
or having you ponder their not-so-obvious conclusions. You may
think about your own life, and remember times when you had similar
reactions, also perhaps wondering how you would make it to the
next day. Teenagers seek out books that speak to them in unique
and meaningful ways. Over the past twelve years, millions of
teenagers have found a voice in the pages of Teen Ink
Magazine. Now, many more will be introduced to Teen Ink as
a forum for their deepest concerns and dreams. They will see that
the difficulties of life are not only universal, but conquerable,
and they will understand that in a world of seemingly never-ending
obstacles, they are never as alone as they thought. Health
Communications, www.hcibooks.com,
2001 ISBN 1-55874-913-6 Buy
This Book!
Murdock, Catherine Gilbert, Dairy
Queen: A novel. When you don't talk, there's a lot of
stuff that ends up not getting said. Harsh words indeed, from
Brian Nelson of all people. But, D.J. can't help admitting, maybe
he's right. When you don't talk, there's a lot of stuff that
ends up not getting said. Stuff like why her best friend,
Amber, isn't so friendly anymore. Or why her little brother,
Curtis, never opens his mouth. Why her mom has two jobs and a big
secret. Why her college-football-star brothers won't even call
home. Why her dad would go ballistic if she tried out for the high
school football team herself. And why Brian is so, so out of her
league. When you don't talk, there's a lot of stuff that ends
up not getting said. Welcome to the summer that
fifteen-year-old D.L. Schwenk of Red Bend, Wisconsin, learns to
talk, and ends up having an awful lot of stuff to say.
A great read and not what any city girl could imagine she
would really enjoy reading. But we think this is a story that all
adolescent girls will really get. Houghton Mifflin, www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com
2006, ISBN 0-618-68307-0
Murphy, James, Coping with Teen
Suicide. If you are thinking of taking your own life, think
twice. Once you are dead, you don't get a second change. While you
are alive you always have an opportunity to change how you feel,
but - to state the obvious - if you are dead, you can't change
anything. This book is about you, the stresses you face, and how
you can cope with stress to overcome depressions or thoughts of
suicide. This book will help you evaluate whether or not you are
depressed, on a path to suicide, or at the door of suicide. This
book will also guide you in identifying and solving problems so
you can learn how to lead a fulfilling and happy life. If you have
been depressed or have had suicidal thoughts in the past, now is a
good time to explore some of the things that have contributed to
those thoughts and make a plan to avoid the negative influences on
your life. And, if you think a friend or relative may be suicidal,
this book will provide the information you need to help them solve
problems, change their feelings, seek help if needed, and stay
alive.Rosen Publishing Group, 1999 ISBN 0-8239-2824-1
Buy
This Book!
Nelson, Pam, Cool Women: The thinking girl's guide
to the hippest women in history. This book is not about
heroine worshop - on the contrary, it's about taking our heroines
down from their pedestals where we can get a good, hard look at
them. Because only there, at eye level, can we see what's truly
inspiring, even stratling, about their stories - that they're not
all that different from our own. Because with the exception of a
few fictional characters, what made each of these women glorious
was not her flawlessness, but her humanity. Look into the eyes of
their pictures - the courage that stares back at you is not about
fearless ness, it's about fears that have been overcome, mistakes
that have been made, and lives that have been lived from the sheer
adventure of it. So, sure, this book is about great stories from
the past, but more importantly it's about stories still to come.
It aims for that moment of recognition that Eureka that comes when
a girl or woman finds the story that sings to her. That instant is
about more than inspiration, or even transformation, that instant
is about takeoff. Girl Press, 1998 ISBN 0-9659754-0-1
Buy
This Book!
Nielsen, Linda,
Adolescence: A contemporary view, 3rd edition.
This is a textbook. Why is it here. Because it is one of the best
books on adolescence out there. In a world of shody or minimal
research on men and a time when major authors consistantly
mis-quote or totally mis-represent findings for their own
political cause, this book is extremely well researched (over
1,600 sources approaches with over 80% published since 1990), with
quick references (one chapter alone has 170 references) drawing
the reader's attention to the better designed studies with the
most representative samples. However, no matter how extensive and
current the research, a book doesn't serve well unless it's read
and understood. Again a high score. The author uses an informal
writing style with the goal to engage readers in material that
they otherwise might consider "too dry and boring" while at the
same time it entertains and engages the reader with practical
applications and examples from life. It's sections on
single-parent and blended families are particularly outstanding
and comprehensive coverage is given to race, gender and economic
issues. Other issues continuing from the previous edition include
date rape, incest, gay and lesbian youth, obesity, physical
fitness, adolescent athletes, steriods, religion, teenagers with
chronic or fatal illness, death and dying, shy teens, interracial
dating, abortion, STDS, eating disorders. Many new topics such as
ADD, sexual harassment, parents mental health, hostile
attributions, troubled peer relationships, poverty, mothers and
teenage sons and fathers and teenage daughters are but a small
portion of new information. This might be a good book to "go back
to school on" if you have or work with an adolescent or soon-to-be
adolescent. Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1996 www.wfu.edu\~nielsen
or nielsen@wfu.edu ISBN
0-15-500995-8 Buy
This Book!
Noll, Kathy with Dr. Jay Carter, Taking the
Bully by the Horns. In a recent Midwestern study, 76.8% of the
students said they had been bullied. And 14% of those who were
bullied said they experienced severe (bad) reactions to the abuse.
It's time to take those bullies by the horns. This self-help book
explores different ways children and teenagers are bullied (both
mentally and physically), how the bully becomes a bully, how the
victim becomes a victim (sometimes there's a fine line between the
two!), and what can be done about it. It offers tips and gives
examples on how to handle bullies without becoming one of them.
The stories and examples in this book are based on actual
interviews with children and should be required reading in all
schools as part of every child's education. For elementary through
junior high school. www.kathynoll.com,
Unicorn Press, EMail,
ISBN 0-937994-11-1 
Odes,
Rebecca, Esther Drill, Heather McDonald, The Looks Book: A
whole new approach to beauty, body image and style. From the
founders of gurl.com. Maybe looks
aren't everything. But beauty is a major obsession. In a world
where we're bombarded by images of "perfect" looking celebrities,
we're all in danger of feeling bad about how we look. Pressure to
live up to unrealistic ideals can zap the fun out of fashion and
beauty, and bring on a nasty case of low self-esteem. This book
helps girls get a grip on what's really going on, get creative
with their personal style, and get in touch with their own idea of
beauty. Why do looks matter so much? Did people always spend
so much time and energy worrying about how they looked? How
can we stop making ourselves miserable because we don't look the
way we want to? Was thin always in? This book
answers all of these questions and more, giving girls and women a
healthy perspective - along with the tools to take control of
their self-image. Imparting life-changing lessons with lots of
humor, his bold and colorful book shows girls and women how to
define beauty for themselves. Penguin Books, www.penguinputnam.com,
2002 ISBN 0-14-202311-9 Buy
This Book!
Owens, Robert Jr., Queer Kids: The
challenges and promise of lesbian, gay and bisexual youth.
This book is a lens of clarity that will help the average straight
adult - and maybe even the average gay adult - see things from a
kid's point of view. Its detail-oriented, well-wrought chapters
will provide you with literally hundreds of stories of young
people who are trying to define themselves sexually and
emotionally in a soceity of criss-crossing judgment, stereotyping,
anger, and expectation. Aimed at three target groups - counselors,
parents, and youth - this book introduces you to a variety of
interesting kids, offers you a look at the process of coming out,
and helps you grasp the experience of queer identification.
Harrington Park Press, 1998 ISBN 1-56023-929-8 Buy
This Book!
Paschal, Angelia M, Voices of
African-American Teen Fathers. This book is an insightful look
at adolescent pregnancy and parenthood through the eyes of fathers
aged 14 to 19. This unique book features candid interviews with
thirty teens who talk about "doing what I got to do" - handling
their responsibilities as best they can given their perceptions,
limitations, and life experiences. Teens talk about how and why
they became fathers, how they handle being a parent, their
perceptions of fatherhood, the relationships they have with their
parents and the mothers of their children, and how they deal with
the everyday struggles, demands, and concerns they face. Haworth
Press, www.haworthpress.com,
2006, ISBN 0-7890-2738-0 
Patton, Cindy, Fatal Advice: How safe-sex education
went wrong. The American public responded to the first cases
of AIDS with fear and panic. Both policy makers and activists
were concerned not only with stopping the spread of the disease,
but also with guiding the public's response toward those already
infected. This is an examination of how the nation attempted, with
mixed results, to negotiate the fears and concerns brought on by
the epidemic. A leading writer on the cultural politics of AIDS,
she guides us through the thicker of mass-media productions,
policy and public health enterprises, and activists projects as
they sprang up to meet the challenge on the epidemic, shaping the
nation's notion of what safe-sex is and who ought to know what
about it. There is the official story, and then there is another,
involving local groups and AIDS activists. Going back to
early government and activist attempts to spread information, she
traces a slow separation between official advice and that provided
by those on the front lines in the battle against aids. She shows
how American anxieties about teen sex played into the nation's
inadequate education and protection of its young people and
chronicles the media's attempts to encourage compassion without
broaching the touchy subject of sex or disrupting the notion that
AIDS was a disease of social and sexual outcasts. Her
overview of the relationship between shifting medical perceptions
and safe-sex advice reveals why radical safe-sex educators
eventually turned to sexually explicit, including pornographic,
representations to spread their message - and why even these
extreme tactics could not overcome the misguided national teaching
on AIDS. She closes with a stirring manifesto, an urgent cal to
action for all those who do not want to see the hard lessons of
AIDS education and activism wasted, or, with these lessons,
the loss of so many more lives. Duke University Press, 1996
ISBN 0-8223-1747-8 Buy
this book!
PFLAG, Be Your
Self: Q&A for gay, lesbian and bisexual
youth. The world can be a tough place for a teenager. You're
in one of the most confusing times of your life. For one thing,
your body is changing more than it will at any other time. And
your hormones, hard at work changing your body, can be playing
around with your moods. You may feel great one day and miserable
the next, for no clear reason. The rules are changing. You're
expected to act more and more like an adult. You may have new
adult responsibilities like volunteer work or a part-time job, but
you might not be given adult rights, like coming home at whatever
time you want. Your relationship with your parents is changing.
You're becoming more independent, and they're having to accept
that you're not their little girl or boy any more. That's not easy
for either of you. And, all of a sudden, something you didn't
think about a few years ago - sex - might feel like the most
important thing in the world. If you're a gay, lesbian or bisexual
teenager - or if you think you might be gay or wonder if you are -
it's even more confusing, because probably no one ever prepared
you for that. When you were younger, your parents and relatives
may have teased you about liking girls if you're a guy, or guys if
you're a girl. Maybe they talked about "when you grow up and start
dating" or "when you fall in love and get married." But
they probably never talked about when you grow up and fall in love
with another guy, or about marrying a woman just like you. TV,
movies, and magazines all mostly show men with women. The music
you hear is about falling in love with the other sex. If you're a
guy, your friends are probably talkng about girls, and if you're a
girl, they're talking about guys. All of that makes things hard if
you're gay, because you don't have much that relates to you. This
booklet was written to try to help you - to answer some of your
questions, to suggest books you can read and people to whom you
can talk - and to help you understand. PFLAG (Parents, Families
and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), 1101 14th Street, NW Ste
1030, Washington, DC 20005 202.638.4200, www.pflag.org
or info@pflag.org 1999
Pipher, Mary, Reviving Ophelia: Saving the selves of
adolescent girls. Why are more American adolescent girls prey
to depression, eating disorders, addictions and suicide attemps
than ever before? According to the author, a clinical
psychologist who has treated girls for more than twenty years, we
live in a look-obsessed, media-saturated, "girl-poisoning"
culture. Despite the advances of feminism, escalating levels of
sexism and violence - from undervalued intelligence to sexual
harassment in elementary school - cause girls to stifle their
creative spirit and natural impulses, which, ultimately, destroys
their self-esteem. Yet girls often blame themselves or their
families for this "problem with no name" instead of looking at the
world around them. Here, for the first time, are girls' unmuted
voices from the front lines of adolescence, personal and painfully
honest. By laying bare their harsh day-to-day reality, this book
issues a call to arms and offers parents compassion, strength, and
strageties with which to revive these Ophelias' lost sense of
self. While misstating
the self-esteem issue, it is still an important book for father's
to read! And share appropriate parts with your
adolescent daughter. Ballantine, 1995 ISBN 0-345-39282-5
Buy
this Book!
Pogany, Susan Browning, Sex Smart: 501 reasons to hold off
on sex. When it comes to teen sex, teenagers and their parents
often don't see eye to eye. Parents may skirt the subject of sex
with dread and anxiety, while teens wonder what all the alarm is
about. When parents do talk to their kids about not having sex,
teenagers may act like they're tired of hearing the same old
lectures. Yet teens are still nervous about getting in over their
heads when it comes to sex and relationships. How can parents and
teenagers come closer to understanding each other's point of
view? Teenagers see sex as part of their independence, their
times and their rights. When adults urge them to wait, their first
thought may be, "What do they know about my life, my generation,
and my relationships? Why shouldn't kids our age be
enjoying sex? We see it on TV, in the movies, in ads -
Everywhere! We're nearly grown up. We can handle it. So
what's the big deal? This book is designed for teenagers who
aren't afraid to learn about the realities of teen sex and to read
what other young people have to say about their experiences. The
book was created to help teens understand what their parents are
trying to tell them when they say, "Sex IS a big
deal." This book is for parents who don't want to be
confused or silent about sex any longer. It can help them advise
their kids about a host of sexual issues. Fairview Press,
www.press.fairview.org
1998 ISBN 1-57749-043-6 Buy
this book!
Pollack, William, Real Boys: Rescuing
our sons from the myths of boyhood. A culmination of more than
two decades of research at Harvard Medical School this book
explores this generation's "silent crisis"; why so many boys are
sad, lonely, and confused although they may appear tough, cheerful
and confident. The author challenges conventional expectations
about manhood and masculinity that encourage parents to treat boys
as little men, raising them through a toughening process that
drives their true emotions underground. Only when we understand
what boys are really experiencing can parents and teachers help
them develop more self-confidence and the emotional savvy they
need to deal with issues such as depression and violence, drugs
and alcohol, sexuality and love. Owl Books, 1999
ISBN 0-8050-6183-5 Buy
this book!
Ponton, Lynn, The Romance of Risk: Why teenagers do the
things they do. This book takes readers inside the minds of
fifteen troubled adolescents to provide a compelling look at
today's teenage experience. Included in the case studies are Jill,
a 13-year-old thrill-seeking runaway; Hannah, a privileged
daughter of suburbia who suffers from anorexia; and Joe, a high
school senior with a serious drinking problem. The author proposes
that teenage "acting out" can be understood in terms of "risk
taking" and that by redirecting this natural impulse into healthy
channels parents can minimize the dangers inherent in today's teen
culture and help their children develop into stable adults.
Challenging traditional views of adolescence and offering a
constructive new model for understanding teen behavior, this book
is essential for parents concerned about their children's
well-being in this age of drug abuse, rampant violence and AIDS.
Perseus Books, www.perseusbooks.com
1997 ISBN 0-465-07076-0 Buy
this book!
Prothrow-Stith, Deborah with Michaele Weissman, Deadly
Consequences: How violence is destroying our teenage
population and a plan to begin solving the problem. Young
Americans are killing one another in unprecedented numbers.
Newspapers and television report a daily barrage of tragedies -
young men dead, crippled, their lives destroyed. A concealed gun
or knife has become as common an accessory as a pocket comb. In no
other country do teens kill one another for such trivial reasons -
a jacket, a pair of sneakers, a misconstrued glance. This book
provides a way to comprehend the epidemic of violence that is
decimating a generation of young men, especially young black men
living in poverty, and offers concrete strategies to stem its
tide. Saturated by distorted media images of violence, lacking
nonviolent male role models, filled with rage and self-hatred, and
surrounded by the brutal tactics of gangs and drug dealers, ghetto
kids are learning before they even reach double digits to carry
weapons - and to use them to settle even the most trivial of
disputes. This book introduces an antiviolence curriculum that has
been used successfully in more than three hundred schools and
suggests similar programs be initiated in schools throughout the
country. HarperPerennial, 1993 ISBNB 0-06-092402-0 Buy
this book!
Richardson, Justin & Mark A.
Schuster, Everything You Never Wanted Your Kids to Know About
Sex (but were afriad they'd ask) The secrets to surviving your
child's sexual development from birth to the teens. If you've ever
tried to tell your six-year-old how babies are made or your
fourteen-year-old how condoms work, you know that grappling with
telling your kids about sex can be a sweat-drenched exercise. But
it doesn't have to be. This book is a one-of-a-kind survival guide
that will help you stay sane through every stage of your child's
sexual development. After interviewing scores of parents and
analyzing decades of scientific research, two nationally
respected, Harvard-trained physicians share their expertise in
this brilliantly insightful, practical and hilarious book that has
fast become the leading resource for parents of toddlers to teens.
Three Rivers Press, www.crownpulishging.com,
2003, ISBN 1-4000-5128-2 
Roberts, Gail, You and Your Family: A survival guide for
adolescence, Free Spirit, 1990
Robinson, Bryan, Teenage Fathers. Someone once told the
author that teen fathers are biological necessities, but social
accidents. He decided that was an unfair thing to say, so he wrote
this book, which discusses teen pregnancy from the guy's point of
view. His research shows that the majority of boys really do want
to help with the baby. They want to be part of the process in any
way they can. The desire is there. They don't know how. And, yes,
many teen fathers still leave because they know they will be
looked at as the bad guy. But more and more teens fathers are
getting involved in the process. There are about 1.1 million
teenage pregnancies each year and about 500,000 have teenage
fathers (the other half are fathered by men in their twenties). We
need to educate our teenagers. Give them information about chldren
and being a parent - the demands children make emotionally -
explain management in a family, what family life is and what a
nurturing environment is. This book helps to do that. Lexington
Books, 1990 ISBN 0-669-14587-4 Buy
This Book!
Sachs, Steven L, Street Gang
Awareness: A resource guide for parents and
professionals. What do blue bandannas, champagne glasses, Los
Angeles King Starter jackets, and automobile air fresheners have
in common? Unfortunately, very few parents or educators
would recognize these as gang signs. From the inner cities to the
wealthiest suburbs, street gangs are a deadly problem in America -
and they are growing rapidly. This book demystifies gang behavior
by exposing its secret system of signs and symbols. It not only
helps readers determine if a child is involved in a gang, but also
offers a range of practical, effective strategies to help protect
children and communities from this terrifying menace. Fairview
Press, 1997 (See Facts
on Street Gangs.)
Salt, J.S., Always Accept Me for Who I
Am: Instructions from teenagers to raising the perfect
parent. These truly wise parenting tips from the experts
themselves, teenagers ages 13-18, are reminders that kids - no
matter how grown up they seem - really just want guidance and
support from their parents. These meaningful suggestions are sure
to touch your heart, tickle your funny bone, and remind you that
you can give your kids the most important gift of all, your love.
Three Rivers Press, www.randomhouse.com
1999 ISBN 0-609-80395-6 Buy
This Book!
Shalit, Wendy, Good Girl
Revolution: Young rebels with self-esteem and high
standards. In Seattle and Pittsburgh, teenage girls protest
against companies that sell sleazy clothing. Online, a
nineteen-year-old describes her struggles with her mother, who she
feels is pressuring her to lose her virginity. In a small town
outside Philadelphia, an eleventh-grade girl, upset over a "dirty
book" read aloud in English class, takes her case to the school
board. Drawing on numerous studies and interviews, the author
makes the case that today's virulent "bad girl" ideal truly
oppresses young women. She reveals how the media, peers, and even
parents can undermine girls' quests for their authentic selves,
and explains what it means to break from the herd mentality and
choose integrity over popularity. Written with sincerity and
upbeat humor, this book rescues the good girl from the realm of
mythology and old manners guides to show that today's version is
the real rebel. Society may perceive the good girl as demure, but
the author demonstrates that she is in fact the opposite. The new
female role models are not "people pleasing" or repressed; they
are out-spoken and reclaiming their individuality. www.goodgirlrevolution.com,
Ballantine Books, www.ballantinebooks.com
2008 ISBN 978-0-8129-7536-9 
Sikes, Gini, 8 Ball Chicks: A
year in the violent world of girl gangs. Carrying razor blades
in their mouths and guns in their pockets, and ferciously guarding
their home turf, girl gang bangers are frequently as violent and
dangerous as their male counterparts. The author, a veteran
journlist, spent almost two years in Los Angeles, San Antonio and
Milwaukee, following three girl gangs and exploring their lives.
In doing so, she reveals the fear and desperate desire for safety
and status that drive girls into gangs in the first place - and
the dreams and ambitions that occasionally help them to escape the
catch-22 of their existence. Shocking, poignant, and deeply
affecting, this book is unlike any book yet written. Anchor Books
www.anchorbooks.com 1998
ISBN 0-385-47432-6 Buy
this book!
Silcott, Mireille, Rave America: New
school dancescapes. American raves have gone from parites
involving a few hundred people to commercially sponsored festivals
drawings tens of thousands. This is the first book devoted to this
massive phenomenon. Through hundreds of interviews with DJs,
recording artists, producers, promoters, drug lords, club
celebrities and nightworld casualties, the author explores the
deepest recesses of America's electronic dance culture uncovering
secrets and stories never before seen in print. This book begins
with a whirlwind tour of American club culture in the 70s and 80s,
then plunges into the diverse sounds, sights and histories of some
of America's most vital rave territories: the deafening walls of
sound of DJ Frankie Bone's earliest New York Storm raves; the
acid-fueled dreams of San Francisco's hippiefied Full Moon beach
parties; Florida's DJ Icey and his factions of teenage
breakdancers on Ecstasy; the dark Satanic techno rituals of the
Midwest's Drop Bass Network; and the 12-hour
post-AIDS "muscle raves" of cross-country gay circuit
parties. This book winds its way through the dreams and nightmares
of a pre-millennial country after dark. ECW Press, 1999,
www.ecw.ca/press,
ISBN 1-55022-383-6 Buy
this book!
Simmons, Rachel, Odd Girl Speaks
Out: Girls write about bullies, cliques, popularity and
jealousy. After the astonishing success of the bestselling
Odd Girl Out, the author invited girls to describe their
own experiences of being bullied or bullying other girls. The
letters, essays, and poems in this book are culled from hundreds
of submissions by girls across North America. She offers advice
throughout the book, giving girls both voice to their feelings and
help for the future. Harvest Original, www.HarcourtBooks.com,
2004, ISBN 0-15-602815-8 
Smith, David B., Sex,
the Ring & the Eucharist: Reflections on life, ministry
& fighting in the inner-city. Father Dave is a man who is
as unconventional as he is remarkable. He is the only Australian
in Holy Orders to have ever boxed professionally to help raise
money to keep his ministry going. He is Sydney's 'Fighting
Father', who combines his regular work as a Parish Priest with a
ministry to street kids, heroin addicts and other undesirables
from the underside of Australian society. This book is a series of
snapshots from Father Dave's life. The book, like the author, is
hard-hitting and straight talking. The language will shock some.
Others will be put off by Dave's criticism of the established
church and the legal system that is, at points, quite savage. And
yet, there is a pervading sense of faith and hope running through
this book that is inescapable and infectious. www.fatherdave.org,
Hippo Books, 2003, ISBN 0-9751630-0-0
(See Fighting Father Dave's monthly column here.)
Sommers, Christina Hoff, The War Against
Boys: How misguided feminism is harming our young men.
It's a bad time to be a boy in America. As the century drew to a
close, the defining event for American girls was the triumph of
the U.S. women's soccer team. For boys, the symbolic event was the
mass killing at Columbine High School. It would seem that boys in
our society are greatly at risk. Yet the best-known studies and
the academic experts say that it's girls who are suffering from a
decline in self-esteem. It's girls, they say, who need extra help
in school and elsewhere in a society that favors boys. The problem
with boys is that they are boys, say the experts. We need to
change their nature. We have to make them more like...girls. These
arguments don't hold up to scrutiny, says the author in this
provocative, fascinating book. She analyzes the work of the
leading academic experts and finds it lacking in scientific rigor.
There is no girl crisis, says the author. Girls are outperforming
boys academically, and girls' self-esteem is no different from
boys. Boys lag behind girls in reading and writing ability, and
they are less likely to go to college. The "girl crisis" has been
seized upon by some feminists and has been suffused with sexual
politics. Under the guise of helping girls, many schools have
adopted policies that penalize boys, often for simply being
masculine. The author says that boys do need help, but not the
sort they've been getting. They need help catching up with girls
academically. They need love, discipline, respect, and moral
guidance. They desperately need understanding. They do not need to
be rescued from masculinity. Simon & Schuster www.SimonSays.com
2000, ISBN 0-684-84956-9 Buy
this book!
Stocker, Todd, Infinite Playlist: How
to have conversations (not conflict) with your kids about
music. Your daughter listens to the radio on the Internet.
Your son has iPod buds permanently attached to his ears. You've
heard your youngest innocently sing lyrics that make you gasp.
Times are changing. With iTunes and MP3s readily available online,
our teens are encountering new musical influences every day. How
can we help our kids make God-honoring decisions when it comes to
their playlists? Don't get swept up in a playlist war. Let
the author teach you how to have conversations, not conflict, with
your kids about music. Realizing that one-size-doesn't-fit-all, he
offers guidelines to help you and your teens decide what music is
acceptable and healthy. Born out of a deal he made with his son,
his practical tips foster open conversations and valuable
discussion with your teen. An accessible and quick read, this book
features notes from the author's son, who provides a young music
lover's perspective and demonstrates how conversation is not only
possible, but also fun. Kregel Publications, 2010,
ISBN 978-0-8254-3656-7 
Strasser, Todd, Give a Boy a Gun. Bang! Gunshots echo
through the gym. Two heavily armed students, Gary and Brendan,
hold their classmates hostage at a high school dance. Their
targets: the football players and teachers who have tormented
them. Their weapons: semiautomatic rifles stolen from a
neighbor. Their motive: Revenge. In thhis book, the
interweaving voices of students, teachers, friends and the gunmen
themselves re-create the harrowing crisis at Middletown High and
the reasons behind Gary and Brendan's rampage. Mirroring the
voices of each page are facts about guns and school violence that
offer a blistering counterpoint to a tragedy that rings dreadfully
true to life. A stunning work of fiction taken straight from
today's headlines, this book is a stirring wake-up call to stop
the violence and explore the role of guns in the lives of
teenagers. The author has been concerned with problems of teenage
stress and violence. With the recent rash of shootings in schools,
he feels compelled to address these issues, as well as how the
availability of guns can affect the emotional decisions of teens.
Simon & Schuster, www.SimonSays.com,
2000, ISBN 0-689-81112-8 Buy
this book!
Stuecker, Ric with Suze Rutherford
Reviving the Wonder: 72 activities that touch the inner
spirit of youth. This creative and imaginative manual offers
anyone working with adolescents practical methods for youth to
discover their authenticity, to grow into healthy adults, and to
be welcomed into the adult community. It offers adult mentors an
opportunity to use their own creativity in designing meaningful
and heartfelt experiences through which young people can discover
their authentic selves, explore their unique characteristics and
growing men and women, and become wonderful adults. The book not
only provides creative ideas to work with children, but also
inspires the read to really do them. National Training Associates,
www.nta-yes.com or info@nta-yes.com
or 800.624.1120 2000 ISBN 0-9636531-6-4
Tanenbaum, Leora, Slut! Growing up female with a bad
reputation. This is a groundbreaking account of the lives of
young women who stand up to the destructive power of name-calling
- written by one of the rising young talents of journalism today.
This book seamlessly weaves together three narative
threads: powerful oral histories from an impressive and
diverse group of girls and women who tell us their stories and how
they finally overcame sexual labelling; the author's own
fascinating story; and her cogent analysis of the underlying
problem of sexual stereotyping. A girl may be labeled a slut or ho
for any number of reasons, including expressions of sexuality, but
also for nonsexual expressions of independennce or openness, or
because she was raped. The author herself was labeled a slut in
high school. The confessional article she wrote about the
experience caused a sensation after it was published in
Seventeen (it was ranked the No. 1 story for that issue in
a readers' poll) and led her to write this book. Seven Stories
Press, www.sevenstories.com
Hard Bound 1999 ISBN 1-888363-94-0 Buy
This Book! Soft Bound Perennial, www.harpercollins.com,
2000,, ISBN 0-06-095740-9 Buy
This Book!
Twenge, Jean M., Generation Me: Why
today's young Americans are more confident, assertive, entitled -
and more miserable than ever before. Called "The Entitlement
Generation" or Gen Y, they are storming into schools,
colleges, and businesses all over the country. In this provacative
new book, a headline-making psychologist and social commentator
explores why the young people she calls "Generation Me" - those
born in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s - are tolerant, confident,
open-minded, and ambitious but also cynical, depressed, lonely and
anxious. Free Press, www.simonsays.com,
2006, ISBN 0-7432-7698-1 
Waldman, Jackie, Teens with the Courage to
Give: Young people who triumphed over tragedy and volunteered
to make a difference. How you can make a difference in the
world today. Meet an amputee running in the Paralympics and
spurring others on with his inner resolve; a cancer patient's son
creating support groups around the country for kids with sick
parents; a girl who helped her mother and younger sister as they
died of AIDS and is now an AIDS awareness and prevention
volunteer; and one of the students from the Littleton, Colorado,
shooting who has gone on to create a teen drop-in center. The
author profiles thirty amazing teens and invites you to go with
them on their increadible journeys of self-discovery. Let these
teens share their pain and their healing with you. They want you
to experience what they have learned - when you help others you
help yourself. As Tessa Thompson, one of the teens profiled, says,
"The courage to give is the fuel to live." Conari Press, 2000
ISBN 1-57324-504-6 Buy
This Book!
Walkerdine, Valerie, Daddy's
Girl: Young girls and popular culture. When she's
itty, bitty and blond, wearing ribbons and curls and an aura of
money, she's adorable and vulnerable, the tiny, innocent heart of
our culture. But when the little girl comes from the working
class, she's something else. Just what, and why so little is said
about it, are the questions the author asks in this book, a book
about how we see young girls, how they see themselves, and how
popular culture mediates the view. The author's challenge to
certain feminist conceptions of today's problems is both
refreshingly iconoclastic and worth considering. She provides a
provocative historical analysis of the portrayal of girls. She
also offers her view of the implications of television, where
young girls, primarily working-class girls, dress up like adult
women rock stars and gyrate provacatively while they sing pop
songs full of sexual innuendos. Harvard University Press,
1998
Wallace, Jean, What Every 18-Year-Old Needs to Know about
California Law, University of Texas Press, 1994
Werner-Wilson, Ronald Jay, Developmental Systemic Family
Therapy with Adolescents. Family therapists seem to find
working with adolescents to be a frustrating experience.
Understanding adolescent development and appropriate interventions
will enhance any family therapist's effectiveness. This book
integrates research and theory about adolescent development with
different approaches to family therapy. By matching the adolescent
client's developmental stage and particular issues with the most
effective therapeutic approach, this book enables family
therapists to tailor their treatment plan to meet each family's
unique needs. Haworth Clinical Practice Press, www.haworthpress.com
2001 ISBN 0-7890-1205-7 Buy
This Book!
Weston, Carol, Girltalk: All the stuff your sister
never told you. No soapboxes, no sermons, no nonsense. This
book is the up-to-date down-to-earth source book for teen girls,
ages eleven to eighteen. Now completely updated for the 1990's, it
includes more than one hundred letters from teens and the full
scoop on body, friendship, love, sex, family, money, education,
smoking/drinking/drugs, quizzes and more. A valuable book for
adolescent girls and their fathersshould have their own copy, too.
Harper Perennial www.harpercollins.com
1992, ISBN 0-06-096618-1
White, Emily, Fast Girls: Teenage
tribes and the myth of the slut. The American high school is a
tribal place - and often a cruel one. Divisions are drawn between
jocks, cheerleaders, nerds, drama geeks, goths. But there is one
person who exists outside of the cliques, who is never welcomed
into any group. She is the girl with the reputation, the one boys
are drawn to and other girls avoid. Many people remember her from
their high school days - some can even recall her name - but few
have thought about her significance: Why is she such a
universal figure? Has she done the things of which she is
accused? How is her reputation created in the first
place? She is the high school slut, and this book explores
her experience and her legacy. In this brilliant fusion of
reportage, criticism, and memoir, the author provides an in-depth
look at the girls who were labeled high school sluts and the
culture that perpetuates the myth. She began this project by
placing a query in a syndicated newspaper column - "Are you now or
were you the slut of your high school class?" - and by setting up
an 800 number in her home to talk with girls who were branded as
sluts. Through interviews, e-mails, and other exchanges with more
than one hundred girls and women across the country, she
identifies the common threads in their life stories and
deconstructs the archetype of the slut, revealing how it reflects
our society's attitudes toward sex, women, and the outsider. She
seamlessly combines her own research with congent analysis of
feminist thought and a critical examination of popular films and
music, resulting in a book that not only explains the
preconditions of the slut - what qualities lead a girl to be
targeted, which communities most often target her - but also tells
us why our culture needs her. With remarkable empathy and
understanding for her subjects, the author opens a window on the
tribal world of teenagers and the lasting effects of adolescent
ostracism. Incisive and affecting, provocative and haunting, this
book marks the debut of an important new voice for feminism. Simon
& Schuster, www.simonsays.com,
2002 ISBN 0-684-86740-0 Buy
This Book!
Wolf, Naomi,
Promiscuities: The secret struggle for womanhood. In
this provacative and highly personal book, the author explores a
subject that has long been taboo in our society: women's sexual
coming-of-age. It brazenly exposes the truths behind the
conflicting messages directed at young women during and after the
sexual revolution. Drawing on surprising examples from the ancient
and recent past, along with vivid recollections of her own youth,
the author shows how our "Liberated" culture still fears and
distorts female passion. She also shares fascinating true stories
that illustrate the fantasies and sometimes overwhelming realities
women pass through on their way toward erotic and emotional
discovery. A landmakr book, it is a call to women of all ages to
reclaim and celebrate their sexuality. Fawcett Culumbine www.randomhouse.com
1998 ISBN 0-449-90764-3 Buy
This Book!
Zarr, Sara, Story of a Girl.
A novel. "I was thirteen when my dad caught me with
Tommy Webber in the back of Tommy's Buick, parked next to the old
Chart House down in Montara at eleven o'clock on a Tuesday night.
Tommy was severteen and the supposed friend of my brother, Darren.
I didn't love him. I'm not sure I even liked him." In a moment,
Deanna Lambert's teenage life is changed foreveer. Struggling to
overcome the lasting repercussions and the stifling role of
"school slut,", Deanna longs to escape a life defined by her past.
With subtle grace, complicated wisdom, and stricking emotion, the
book reminds us of our human capacity for resilience, epiphany and
redemption. Little, Brown and Company, 2007, www.lb-teens.com,
ISBN 0-316-01453-2 
Zimmerman, Bill, 100 Things Guys Need to
Know. Wonder what other guys are thinking, feeling, worried
about, mad about, glad about, and trying to figure out? Want
the lowdown on growing up, getting along, school, family, friends
and being yourself - whatever that means? Read this book.
It's full of things guys need to know. Who says? Guys do. The
author surveyed more than 500 boys ages 9-13 about what it's like
to grow up today. The six sections in this book, You, Body and
Mind, Family, School, Relationships and Future - are based on
topics they brought up. Free Spirit Publishing, www.freespirit.com,
2005, ISBN 1-57542-167-4
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