Books » Teens Social Issues

Roy is a lover of adventure movies, a budding writer, and a young man slowly coming of age without the benefit of a father. Surrounding himwhether to support him or to drag him underis the adult world of postwar Chicago, a city haunted by violence, poverty, and the redeeming power of imagination. Here are charlatans, operators, alien abductees, schoolyard nudists, and fast girls with only months to live. At the center of it all is a boy learning to navigate the compromises, disillusionments and regrets that come with the territory of living. Mixing memoir and invention, the forty-one short stories in Barry Gifford's first book for young adults bring a cityand a boy's growing consciousnessto vivid, unflinching life.

Hoping to raise money for a post-graduation trip to London, Asha Jamison and her best friend Carey decide to sell T-shirts promoting the Latte Rebellion, a club that raises awareness of mixed-race students.But seemingly overnight, their "cause" goes viral and the T-shirts become a nationwide social movement. As new chapters spring up from coast to coast, Asha realizes that her simple marketing plan has taken on a life of its ownand it's starting to ruin hers. Asha's once-stellar grades begin to slip, threatening her Ivy League dreams, while her friendship with Carey hangs by a thread. And when the peaceful underground movement spins out of control, Asha's school launches a disciplinary hearing. Facing expulsion, Asha must decide how much she's willing to risk for something she truly believes in. Praise:"A thoughtful taste of one girl's attempt at being a world-traveling, latte-drinking, singularly awesome individual in a world determined to herd her into being classified as either coffee or milk."TANITA S. DAVIS, AUTHOR OF MARE'S WAR, A CORETTA SCOTT KING HONOR BOOK "Get ready to start your own rebellion after gulping down Sarah Stevenson's deftly written, multi-layered story about growing a voice, growing apart, and most of all, growing up girl."JUSTINA CHEN, AUTHOR OFNORTH OF BEAUTIFUL "Asha is engaging and the depiction of her journeya realistic mess of vague hopes, serendipitous events, serious missteps and gutsy choicescompellingly original."KIRKUS REVIEWS

For reigning popularity queen Hamilton Best, the very idea of graduation is filled with fear. She's always been the star of Fidelity High's most exclusive clique, idolized for her perfection and her fabulous partiesyou know you're "in" when you make Hamilton's guest list. As high school draws to a close, Hamilton is about to lose everything that makes her who she is. To make matters worse, the clique is slowly coming apart at the seams. Although the hand-picked membersOlivia, Zelda, Nordica, and Shellyall have their own agendas, desires, and secrets, they do have one thing in common: they're desperate to break away from Hamilton. Yet Hamilton has the biggest and most shocking secret of all, one that only her devoted boyfriend Alex knows. If the truth got out, it would completely destroy her fragile world. And she'll do anything to keep that from happening.

The 40th anniversary editionof a groundbreaking teen classic When the grandmother who raised him dies, Davy Ross, a lonely thirteen-year-old boy, must move to Manhattan to live with his estranged mother. Between alcohol-infused lectures about her self-sacrifice and awkward visits with his distant father, Davys only comfort is his beloved dachshund Fred. Things start to look up when he and a boy from school become friends. But when their relationship takes an unexpected turn, Davy struggles to understand what happened and what it might mean. Shattering frank intelligent.Horn Book This book should be available wherever young people read.New York Times Sophisticated remarkably touching. Time magazine New York Times Best of 1969 Book List School Library Journal Best of 1969 Book List This anniversary edition features reflections from Brent Hartinger (Geography Club), Martin Wilson (What They Always Tell Us), and Kathleen T. Horning (Director of the Cooperative Childrens Book Center), with a foreword by Stacey Donovan (Dive).

Chad Eastham, with his typical wit and wisdom for teens, brings much sought after advice on girls' favorite topics including dating, love, friendship, and other important stuff. Chad shines some much-needed light on these major issues for teens. Rather than let their feelings navigate them blindly through their tumultuous adolescence, Chad offers clarity, some surprising revelations, and answers to some of their biggest questions:How do I know who to dateWhen should I start dating How should I start dating Is this really loveAnd,Why do guys I like just want to be friends Packed with humor that adds to the sound advice, this book will help teens make better decisions, have healthier relationships, and be more prepared for their futures. Just a few things girls will learn include: Five things you need to know about love; Eight dumb dating things even smart people do; Ten reasons why teens are unhappy; and Ten things happy teens do. Any teen can live a happier, healthier life: they just need to hearThe Truth.

Everyone knows that we live in a "skin-is-in" society, heavily driven by media and immodesty. So how does a young Christian woman reconcile a fashionable wardrobe with maintaining her integrity Written by international professional model Rachel Lee Carter, Fashioned by Faith offers a cutting-edge approach to the concept of beauty with a Biblical foundation that will attract moms and daughters alike. Readers will love hearing about Carter's exciting story as she leads them on an engaging study that touches on a huge felt need for young women: real beauty has nothing to do with looks.

As the leader of the "preps," a group of mean-spirited high school kids, teenager Samantha Blakley enjoys belittling and teasing the less popular kids. After all, if you're not popular, you're just not cool rightBut Samantha's notion of what is cool and what is right are about to drastically change. When she suffers a terrible accident that leaves her in a coma, she suddenly wakes up in the body of Virginia Morris, the girl she has tormented for years. Now instead of a slender blonde with a stunning complexion, she's overweight, has short, red curls, and freckles. Horrified at the discovery, Samantha panics, but has no other option but to live Virginia's life until she finds a way to go back to her own body.School is a complete nightmare as Samantha suffers the wrath of her friends, the preps. But the nightmare is not over. She wakes up each morning in a different body of someone she has hurt in the past, and she must endure grueling days of their misery. Samantha soon realizes the suffering she has caused Virginia and the others. But can she ever make it right, or will she be doomed to live in torment for the rest of her lifeIf You Only Knew takes a hard look at the devastating effects of bullying and how compassion and understanding can heal a broken soul.

Using the metaphor of screenwriting, My Life, Unscripted explores relationships in every teenage girl's life-with herself, her friends and enemies, her parents, guys, and with God. Real-life scripts, screenwriting terms, and timely topics, make this an interesting read for teen girls as they delve into their own inner struggles and outward relationships. They'll also learn the importance of "scripting" their own responses BEFORE challenging life-situations arise so they are able to think about, pray about, and consider how to face these situations before the scene begins. By contrasting real-life with TV or movies, teens will understand they don't have to get caught up in the drama.

guidance from older teens, female role models, and activities from Girls Inc., this fun to read book is truly a guide to being your very best-and happiest-self. Girls Inc. (www.girlsinc.org) is a nonprofit organization that inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Through Girls Inc., girls can get together to be themselves and reach their dreams.Claire Mysko is a writer, media consultant, and the co-founder of Inside Beauty (www.insidebeauty.org), a Web site and outreach program designed to give girls a healthy fashion and beauty reality check. She has served as the assistant director of communications at Girls Inc., the executive editor of SmartGirl, and the director of the American Anorexia Bulimia Association. Claire holds a master's degree in gender studies from The New School for Social Research. For more about the author, please visit www.clairemysko.com. She lives in New York City.

Winner of the 2011 Schneider Family Teen Book Award! The Challenge: Piper has one month to get the rock band Dumb a paying gig. The Deal: If she does it, Piper will become the band's manager and get her share of the profits. The Catch: How can Piper possibly manage one egomaniacal pretty boy, one talentless piece of eye candy, one crush, one silent rocker, and one angry girl And how can she do it when she's deaf Piper can't hear Dumb's music, but with growing self-confidence, a budding romance, and a new understanding of the decision her family made to buy a cochlear implant for her deaf baby sister, she discovers her own inner rock star and what it truly means to be a flavor of Dumb.