Teen Troubles

Home Up Abusive Relationships Alcohol/Drug Abuse Adoption/Foster Care Bullying Censorship Child Abuse Crime/Violence Death/Suicide Disease/Illness Divorce/Separation Eating Disorders Environment Gang Rivalry Homosexuality Politics/Religion Racial Prejudice Teen Pregnancy Teen Troubles

Teen Troubles and Trauma

TITLE & AUTHOR

SYNOPSIS

Adam & Eve & Pinch-Me*

JOHNSTON, J

15-year-old Sara Moone, abandoned at birth and shunted from one foster home to another, finds that she cannot remain aloof from her latest family.

Alone At Ninety Foot*

HOLUBITSKY, K

As if the teenage years aren't painful enough, 14-year-old Pamela Collins learns to come to terms with her mother's suicide. A gently told portrait of a shy girl's coming-of-age and acceptance of her own life's awkward struggles.

Am I Blue?

BAUER, M (ed.)

Sixteen short stories about gay adolescent experiences.

Annie's Baby: The Diary Of An  Anonymous Pregnant Teenager

SPARKS, C (ed.)

Diary of 14-year-old Annie, who writes her most private thoughts as she becomes pregnant and faces responsibilities beyond her years.

Another Way To Dance

SOUTHGATE, M

Black ballet dancer Vicki is certain she loves to dance, but can she contend with racism and doubt surrounding her talents?

Anything To Win

MIKLOWITZ, G

Cam Potter is a high school senior and captain of the football team, When his coach tells him that an athletic scholarship is available at State if he can put on thirty pounds, Cam succumbs to a program of anabolic steroids.

Bad*

FERRIS, J

Sentenced to six months in the Girls Rehabilitation Center for her participation in a convenience store robbery, Dallas acknowledges her responsibility for her actions and is insightful about how her low self-esteem and need for love has driven her to delinquency.

Balzac And The Little Chinese Seamstress

SIJIE, D

During the Cultural Revolution in China, two teenagers are sent to the countryside for "re-education". They are assigned the revolting task of carrying buckets of excrement up a hillside for the peasant farmers. When they discover a wealth of forbidden Western books, life on the hillside takes a brighter turn.

Begonia For Miss Applebaum

ZINDEL, P

Because of the impending death of their favorite teacher, two teenagers realize that it is not dying that is important, but living, and the legacy one leaves behind.

Bell Jar

PLATH, S

Autobiographical novel about a young woman on the brink of madness and suicide.

Best Little Girl In The World*

LEVENKROM, S

A revealing novel of a young girl's battle with anorexia and her triumph over it.

Beyond The Mango Tree

ZEMSER, A

While living in Liberia with her possessive, diabetic and often absent father, Sarina longs for a friend with whom to experience the world beyond her yard.

Blue Rapture*

BENNETT, J

A friend's suicide leads TJ to rethink both his motives and his actions in helping his learning-disabled but athletically gifted friend Tyrone through the college recruitment process.

Bodega Dreams

QUINONEZ, E

Powerful, darkly funny, novel that brilliantly evokes the trials of Chino, a smart, promising young man who finds himself over his head in an urban underworld of switchblades and violence.

Border

FITCH, M

When Rosa's papa and sister crossed the border from Mexico to America, a guardian spirit named Luz took care of Rosa. Now she must cross the border on her own. And when she is hurt, Luz will cross into Rosa's body, and touch - and change forever - her new family in America.

Boy Who Drank Too Much

GREENE, S

A realistic and dramatic portrayal of a young man torn by alcoholism and the conflicting demands of his father, hockey and his own values.

Breaking Rank*

RANDLE, K

17-year-old Casey has some of her preconceptions challenged when she tutors Baby, a member of the Clan, a gang-like society in her school.

Breath, Eyes, Memory

DANTICAT, E

At the age of twelve, Sophie Caco is sent from her impoverished village in Haiti to New York, to be reunited with a mother she barely remembers. There she discovers secrets that no child should ever know, and a legacy of shame that can be healed only when she returns to Haiti.

Brian's Song

BLINN, W

Two football players conquer the differences of race, personality and place of birth to support each other.

Bride Price

EMECHETA, B

A story about a Nigerian girl who is allowed to finish her education because a diploma will enhance her bride price, who then rebels against traditional marriage customs.

Brothers*

THOMPSON, J

When his idolized older brother leaves college for a mental health facility and then disappears, 17-year-old Chris follows him to the compound of an anti-government militia group and tries to rescue him.

Buffalo Tree

RAPP, A

Sura and his cell mate Coly Jo try to do their time and evade sadistic games within the Juvenile Detention. As things turn bad for Coly Jo, Sura determines to escape with body and spirit intact - if he can.

Buried Onions*

SOTO, G

19-year-old Eddie just wants to get by and leave his past behind, but finds himself inexorably drawn back into the violence of Fresno's mean streets.

But What About Me?

REYNOLDS, M

Erica has always been a serious student, but when her boyfriend's life starts spinning out of control, she does not anticipate the tragic consequences his behavior could have on her future.

Can't Hear You Listening

IRWIN, H

Chronicles the changing relationship between Tracy and her overprotective, famous-author mother, and Tracy's struggle to help a close friend who's experimenting with drugs.

Cat*

ANDREWS, V

Cat's mother has always told her to hide her figure and she has lived her life shrouded in secrets. When she finally demands the truth, she finds her secrets are the most shocking and dark of all four girls.

Caucasia

SENNA, D

A sensitive coming-of-age story about two sisters whose parents are an inter-racial couple, and the way the world perceives each girl as a result of her skin color.

Cay*

TAYLOR, T

A prejudiced, blind white boy is stranded on a Caribbean Island with an old black man.

Chinese Handcuffs

CRUTCHER, C

Dillion Hemingway must pick up the pieces of his own life after his brother's suicide, plus deal with girlfriend problems and peer pressure.

Chocolate War

CORMIER, R

High school politics, cruelty and conformity sparked by the annual fundraising event.

Clover

SANDERS, D

Clover Hill, who is a shrewd South Carolina orphan, is raised by her stepmother, a white woman frowned upon by Clover's black kinfolk.

Come A Stranger

VOIGT, C

After returning to a Connecticut dance camp, her former friends treat Mina differently, and she becomes aware for the first time that she is the only black girl there.

Conditions Of Love*

PENNEBAKER, R

A realistic and witty portrayal of high school freshman Sarah Morgan's struggle to survive the trauma of losing her father while coping with the pitfalls of adolescence.

Confessions Of A Teenage Baboon

ZINDEL, P

Chris Boyd, a teenage outcast, learns about life from a 30-year-old misfit.

Crazy Horse Electric Game

CRUTCHER, C

Willie, a baseball hero who is brain-damaged in an accident, runs away from home when his family and friends shun him.

Dance For Three*

PLUMMER, L

15-year-old Hannah must face some hard truths as pregnancy, and rejection by her boyfriend, propel her towards a mental breakdown.

Day They Came To Arrest The Book*

HENTOFF, N

Hilarious and strong novel on censorship of the book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from a high school curriculum.

December Stillness*

HAHN, M

Kelly's interest in a homeless Vietnam veteran ends in a tragedy while opening a door to a deeper relationship with her father, who had never come to grips with his own experiences in Vietnam.

Dibs, In Search Of Self

AXLINE, V

A disturbed child's successful struggle through therapy as he changes from a withdrawn to an outgoing person.

Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack

KERR, M

Dinky Hocker is fat, and refuses to be annoyed by either her boyfriend or her mother. Dinky Hocker does not shoot smack, she merely says so to get some attention.

Doing Time*

THOMAS, R

Each of these ten short stories focuses on a high school student's mandatory 200 hours of community service and the youth's response to the required project.

Don’t Hurt Laurie!*

ROBERTS, W

Laurie is an abused child who must choose between leaving her best friend or living a tortured life at home.

Don't Think Twice*

PENNEBAKER, R

17 years old and pregnant, Anne lives with other unwed mothers in a group home in rural Texas where she learns to be herself before giving her child up for adoption.

Don't You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey*

HADDIX, M

Tish chronicles her life in the journal she must keep for English class. When her abusive father returns home, Tish's entries are increasingly marked "Do Not Read" until she realizes silence may be dangerous.

Door Near Here*

QUARLES, H

Head of the household at 15 when her out-of-work, alcoholic mother refuses to get out of bed, Katherine wonders how long she can hold things together and keep her three siblings' teachers from becoming suspicious.

Dreamland

DESSEN, S

A young girl is trapped in a cycle of violence, love and need as she searches to find herself within an abusive relationship.

Drive-By*

EWING, L

Jimmy always warned his brother Tito that joining a gang could only lead to disaster. But now, Jimmy is dead, gunned down in front of his brother and sister, and Tito must face the consequences.

Driver's Ed*

COONEY, C

A group of driver's education students steal some highway signs as a class prank - with tragic results.

Drowning of Stephan Jones*

GREENE, B

Carla Wayland's dream of being part of the "in" crowd comes true when she starts dating popular Andy Harris. Drawn as a silent partner into his hate campaign against a gay couple who had recently moved to the next town, Carla must decide whose side she's on and what she stands for, when Andy's harassment leads to the death of one of the men.

Drummers Of Jericho

MEYER, C

Pazit Trujillo quickly realizes that people in Jericho, a small suburban town, aren't used to Jewish girls with strange names. Despite the whispers and stares, she wants to fit in, and is determined to become part of the school's marching band.

Durango Street

BONHAM, F

When Rufus Henry gets out of work camp for Grand Theft Auto, he has only one place to go - back to Durango Street. Almost right away, he gets on the wrong side of the Gassers, has to join the rival Moors - and starts running for his life.

Eclipse Of Moonbeam Dawson*

OKIMOTO, J

Meeting girls and going to school and hanging out with friends shouldn't be that tough. But it is if you're 15 and you're biracial and your name is Moonbeam and you live on a commune with your mother and a bunch of hippies!

Edgar Allen*

NEUFELD, J

The bitter repercussions of a white family's intended adoption of a black child.

Effect Of Gamma Rays On Man In The Moon Marigolds

ZINDEL, P

The story of Tillie, a young girl who uses science to help escape from her odd family life.

Eight Seconds*

FERRIS, J

18-year-old John must confront his own sexuality when he attends rodeo school and finds himself strangely attracted to an older boy who is smart, tough, attractive and gay.

Ellen Foster

GIBBONS, K

Ellen Foster, cast adrift after the deaths of her drunken father and misused mother, moves from one bad situation to another until she finds a real home.

Everytime A Rainbow Dies

GARCIA, C

After witnessing a rape and interceding on the victim's behalf, 16-year-old Jamaican Thulani begins to move beyond his grief over his mother's death as he builds a relationship with the Haitian girl he helped.

Extreme Elvin*

LYNCH, C

Elvin struggles with his weight problem and tries to find his place among his peers.

Face At The Edge Of The World

BUNTING, E

Haunted by the suicide of his best friend, Charlie, Jed attempts to re-create his friend's last weeks and discover why Charlie took his own life.

Face In Every Window*

NOLAN, H

JP's safe and secure world unravels when his grandmother, his family's guiding hand, dies, leaving him with a mentally challenged father and a mother who retreats into adolescence.

Falling Leaves

MAH, A

Adeline Yen Mah, the youngest daughter of an affluent Chinese family, endured a childhood of appalling emotional abuse. Her struggles reveal the harsh realities of growing up female in 20th century China.

Finding Laura Buggs

WEST, S

One perplexing clue to her past sets Sandy Meyer on an incredible and harrowing journey in search of her lost family, a pilgrimage that brings her face to face with nerve-shattering suspense, unbearable terror and the magnificent capacity of the human heart.

Finding My Voice

LEE

Korean-American high school senior Ellen Sung struggles against racism and her own family's dreams for her to find a place for herself in two very different cultures.

First Sightings. Contemporary Stories Of American Youth

LOUGHERY, J (ed.)

Twenty short stories, written by some of America's best contemporary writers.

Forged By Fire*

DRAPER, S

While his mother was serving a prison sentence for child neglect, Gerald lived with his aunt. Then, one day, his mother returns with her new husband and Angel, Gerald's little sister. As the children grow up, it becomes more and more apparent that Angel needs Gerald's protection from her father's sexual abuse. But who will protect Gerald?

Gentlehands*

KERR, M

When a newspaper story claims that Buddy's sophisticated, cultured grandfather is a former Nazi, he must decide whether to stay loyal to him in the face of mounting proof.

Gideon's People

MEYER, C

Torn between youthful rebellion and their traditional heritage, two boys from very different cultures, one Amish and one Jewish, discover how similar they really are.

Girl Goddess #9*

BLOCK, F

A collection of nine stories about pre- and post-adolescent females and their coming to grips - or not - with the world.

Girl Interrupted

KAYSEN, S

Committed to a psychiatric ward at age 18, the author spent two years on the ward for teenage girls. A contemporary classic of self-discovery, this memoir tells of her journey through a "parallel universe" of madness.

Glimmer*

WATERS, A

Sage, youngest sibling of five, and the product of an interracial marriage, has lived her life knowing that her parents separated while her mother was pregnant with her. When she goes to college, she encounters fellow students that force her to consider how she wants to define herself in terms of race and sexuality.

Go Ask Alice*

ANONYMOUS

True and painful diary of a 15-year-old girl's experience with drugs that eventually leads to her death.

Good Courage*

TOLAN, S

Ty Rainey's mom joins a religious commune called the Kingdom, but the children of the Kingdom are virtually slaves, and punishment for defying the rules is harsh. Ty knows that he must find the courage to rebel, but the price for doing so may include his freedom, his sanity, even his life.

Good Negress

VERDELLE, A

Denise Palms is transplanted from her grandmother's rural Virginia home to the chaos of big-city Detroit in 1963 to help care for the baby expected by her mother and stepfather.

Habibi

NYE, N

Liyana is uprooted from her life when her family moves to Jerusalem, where she faces many changes and must deal with the tensions between Jews and Palestinians.

Hanged Man

BLOCK, F

Laurel, whose father is dying, meets Jack in the hospital waiting room. She encounters Jack again, and their subsequent relationship brings out her own haunting. Her late father had for years sexually abused her, resulting in a terminated pregnancy and anorexia.

Harley, Like A Person

BAUER, C

Harley, an artistic teenager living with his alcoholic father and angry mother, suspects that she's adopted and begins a search to find her long lost father, and hope.

Hate You*

MCNAMEE, G

Nursing hatred for an abusive father that choked her and damaged her voice as a child, 17-year-old Alice writes songs she cannot sing, and tries to come to terms with her feelings.

Heart Of A Champion

DEUKER, C

Best friends, Seth Barham and Jimmy Winter, share a passion for baseball. While Seth struggles to accept his father's death, Jimmy seems destined to become a major league until he embarks on a self-destructive path.

Heaven

JOHNSON, A

When Marley, who is African American, learns that her itinerant uncle is really her father and her loving "parents" are her aunt and uncle, she has to come to terms with her feelings of anger, betrayal and curiosity as to who she really is.

Hello, I Lied

KERR, M

When Lang has the chance to spend the summer at the ritzy estate of retired rock star Ben Nevada, he's sure that it will be the summer of a lifetime. What he doesn't expect is that in addition to hobnobbing with the rich and famous of the rock world, he'll find himself coming out about his homosexuality.

Hero*

ROTTMAN, S

After years of abuse and neglect, Sean Parker is headed for trouble. Sent to do community service at a farm for elderly Mr. Hassler, Sean realizes that he can choose to take control of his life.

Hoops *

MYERS, W

A young man with a talent for basketball hopes that his game will be his ticket out of the ghetto.

Hope In The Unseen: An American Odyssey From The Inner City To The Ivy League

SUSKIND, R

At Ballou Senior High, a crime-infested school in Washington, D.C., honor students know that any special attention in a place this dangerous can make you a target of violence. But Cedric Jennings will not swallow his pride, and studies and strives as if his life depends on it - and it does.

Humming Whispers*

JOHNSON, A

In a poignant first-person narration, Sophy expresses her fear that at 14, the same age her sister began to hear voices, she too will become schizophrenic.

If Beale Street Could Talk

BALDWIN, J

Fonny, a talented young artist, finds himself unjustly arrested and locked in New York's infamous (prison) tombs. His girlfriend, Tish, is determined to free him, and to have his baby.

Imani All Mine

PORTER, C

Imani All Mine tracks the progress of Tasha, a young, unwed mother, as she navigates her journey to adulthood in an increasingly violent world.

Imitate The Tiger*

CHERIPKO, J

Chris Serbo looks for salvation in football and drinking, but neither will fill the emptiness inside. Not until he finds himself in danger on a lonely road does he come face-to-face with the person he has become.

Ironman

CRUTCHER, C

When Bo Brewster's angry outbursts at school cost him a spot on the football team and move him close to expulsion, he finds himself in an anger management group with hard-edged survivors like himself.

Island

PAULSEN, G

Will, who takes daily refuge on an island to get away from his problems, finally has to face Ray Bunner, the bully that is after him.

It's Not The End Of The World

BLUME, J

Karen Newman, who is stunned when her father moves out of the house, is determined to come up with a plan that will prevent her parents’ divorce.

Jade*

ANDREWS, V

Beautiful and sophisticated, Jade has every material thing she could need, and both of her parents want her. But they end up using her as a weapon in their divorce, so Jade resorts to drastic measures.

Jemmy

HASSLER, J

When Jemmy's Chippewa mother dies, and her alcoholic father forces her to quit school to care for her younger brother and sister, she knows she has nothing in life to look forward to. Then she meets Otis Chapman, a famous painter, who discovers Jemmy's artistic talent and opens up a whole new world for her.

Joy Luck Club

TAN, A

Chronicles the lives of four Chinese women, their forty-year friendship, and how the death of one member brings her daughter into the group, creating a new understanding for each.

Jumping The Nail

BUNTING, E

Suspenseful story of California teens daring one another to "jump the nail" - leap from a dangerous cliff into the ocean. Dru must find the courage to make difficult choices about her friends, love and college.

Just As Long As We're Together

BLUME, J

Stephanie’s relationship with Rachel, her best friend, changes as she tries to conceal a family problem and meets a new girl from California.

Keeping The Moon

DESSEN, S

Sent to spend the summer with an eccentric aunt, Colie, an overweight girl, expects her life as an outsider to continue. A job and new friends help her to see herself in a new light, and to appreciate the qualities she has always had.

Kim/Kimi

IRWIN, H

Despite a warm relationship with her mother, stepfather and half brother, 16-year-old Kim feels the need to find answers about the Japanese American father she never knew.

Kissing Doorknobs*

HESSER, T

Tara is bright and funny, but is also troubled with quirky behaviors she knows are irrational, but can't control - like kissing doorknobs. A funny and compelling story about obsessive-compulsive behavior, and how it affects relationships.

Language Of Goldfish

O'NEAL, Z

Carrie Stokes, a sensitive artist and talented mathematician who is suffering a mental breakdown. As Carrie retreats little by little into her head, a kaleidoscope of shifting emotions come tumbling out.

Leaving Fishers*

HADIX, M

After joining her new friends in the religious group called Fishers of Men, Dorry finds herself immersed in a cult from which she must struggle to extricate herself.

Leaving Home

ROCMAN, H (ed.)

Fifteen distinguished authors explore personal journeys of young people.

Lefty Carmichael Has A Fit

TREMBATH, D

When Lefty Carmichael learns he has epilepsy, he believes he can handle the possibility of unexpected seizures. But can his family, his friends and his girlfriend?

Leroy And The Old Man*

BUTTERWORTH, W

The wolves are one of Chicago's toughest gangs, and LeRoy had the bad luck to witness a murder they had committed. Now the Wolves are convinced that LeRoy squealed on them - and they won't be satisfied until they get revenge.

Life For A Life

HILL, E

Story of the unlikely bond between an African-American father and the teenager who killed his son, a tale of violent self-destruction reclaimed by the inexhaustible power of love and forgiveness.

Life In The Fat Lane

BENNETT, C

16-year-old Lara, beautiful, thin, smart and popular, begins to gain weight due to a metabolic disorder. She learns first-hand what it means to be overweight in a society obsessed with appearances.

Like Sisters On The Homefront*

WILLIAMS-GARCIA, R

When 14-year-old Gayle becomes pregnant a second time, her mother sends her to Georgia to live with her Uncle Luther. Strong-willed and impulsive, Gayle eventually makes friends with her pious cousin Constance, but develops a true affinity for Luther's stubborn, spirited grandmother.

Lisa, Bright And Dark*

NEUFELD, J

Three teenage friends help Lisa to cope with the mental illness her parents and teachers refuse to acknowledge.

Living Up The Street

SOTO, G

The author describes with warmth and wry reality his experiences growing up as a Mexican American in Fresno, California, during the late 1950's and early 1960's.

Looking For Alibrandi

MARCHETTA, M

17-year-old Josie Alibrandi worries about all the things girls worry about during their last year of high school, but she has the added complication of being illegitimate - and coming face-to-face with her father for the first time in her life.

Lottery Rose*

HUNT, I

A young boy, victimized by child abuse, overcomes his mistrust of the world.

Love Is A Missing Person

KERR, M

Suzy watches everybody around her falling in and out of love, and how it changes them as a result. Some of them change for the better because of love, some worse.

Making Up Megaboy

WALTER, V

When 13-year-old Robbie shoots an old man in a liquor store, everyone who knows the quiet, withdrawn youth struggles to understand this act of seemingly random violence.

Marchlands

KUBAN, K

Set on a 1,000-acre sheep ranch in the vast landscape of Wyoming, the story concerns one pivotal year in the life of 15-year-old Sophie Behr. She is a young woman searching for the truth about her family's past, even as she seeks to define her own future with the child she is carrying.

Max The Mighty*

PHILBRICK, R

Grieving over the loss of his best friend, Max Kane befriends a lonely girl nicknamed "Worm", who needs a friend to protect her from her stepfather.

Maze

HOBBS, W

Runaway Rick Walter finds himself in the middle of a k western landscape of canyons and deserts.

Midget*

BOWLER, T

A physically handicapped boy, who has suffered years of abuse at the hands of his older brother, discovers that he has amazing but terrifying mental powers.

Miracle's Boys

WOODSON, J

Lafayette's close friendship with his older brother Charlie changes after Charlie is released from the correctional facility and returns a hostile stranger.

Missing Girls

METZGER, L

When her father has to go away for a year, Carrie moves in with her grandmother, becomes friends with a withdrawn classmate, and comes to terms with her mother's death.

Missing Pieces*

MAZER, N

Jessie's father walked out on his family when she was just a baby. Why should she care about him when it's clear he never cared about her? Yet after years of anxiety, Jessie needs to know more about him, and so, despite her mother's objections, she decides to track her father down.

Misty*

ANDREWS, V

Misty faces the trials of her devious, divorced parents and the terrors of a deep secret. When she meets three other girls in therapy, also children of divorce, she learns that she's not alone - and not alone in sharing secrets.

Monsters

MYERS, W

16-year-old Steve Harmon, on trial as an accomplice to a murder, records his trial in the form of a film script as he tries to sort out who he is and what is real.

Moonlight Man*

FOX, P

Catherine's parents were divorced when she was a toddler, and her contact with her father over the years has been erratic. Subsequently she has a somewhat romantic picture of the man who is her father. Over the course of a summer holiday spent with him in Nova Scotia, Catherine comes face to face with his alcoholism.

Mr. And Mrs. Bo Jo Jones

HEAD, A

A teen-age girl tells about her "marriage of necessity" to Bo Jo Jones, especially the problems and difficulties encountered during their first critical year.

Much Ado About Prom Night*

MCCANTS, W

Just when pre-prom traumas are abounding, Luna Point High's popular new Peer Counseling Network is threatened with a shutdown. The school newspaper editor derided PCN from the beginning and questioned the qualifications of the student counselors. Now some school board members believe that the network is advocating sexual activity to counselees and, consequently, are calling for a halt to the program.

My Darling, My Hamburger*

ZINDEL, P

A popular young adult book that deals frankly and sympathetically with the growing pains of today's teenagers.

My Louisiana Sky

HOLT, K

Tiger Ann Parker desperately wants to escape from her rural town of Saitter, Louisiana - and the struggles of living with a mentally disabled mother, a "slow" father, and classmates who taunt her. But before she leaves to spend the summer with her aunt in Baton Rouge, the sudden revelation of a dark family secret prompts Tiger to make a decision that will ultimately change her life.

My Sister From The Black Lagoon

FOX, L

Lorna comes of age in the shadows of a family torn apart by her sister's mental illness.

My Sweet Audrina*

ANDREWS, V

Audrina Adare knew her father could not love her as he loved her sister. Her sister was so special, so perfect - and dead. Then she comes face to face with a dangerous, terrifying secret. Haunting story of love and deceit, innocence and betrayal, and the suffocating power of parental love.

Name Me Nobody*

YAMANAKA, L

An awkward Hawaiian teenager searches for self and place as a scorned outsider in her high school.

Necessary Roughness

LEE, M

The move from LA to a small town in Minnesota is a cultural shock for Chan Kim, an Asian teen who must learn to deal with intolerance as well as the anxiety of adolescence and a problematic relationship with his father.

Necking With Louise*

BOOK, R

16-year-old Eric Anderson comes of age in these humorous short stories of a likable adolescent's day-to-day trials, including death, racial prejudice and love's cruel disappointments.

Needles: A Memoir Of Growing Up With Diabetes

DOMINICK, A

Dominick tells her story about how she and her sister grew up with diabetes, and the emotional and physical challenges she faced after her sister’s tragic death.

Night Kites

KERR, M

17-year-old Erick's comfortable and well-ordered life begins to fall apart when he is forced to keep two secrets: the identity of his new girlfriend and the nature of his brother's debilitating disease.

Nine Man Tree

PECK, R

Yoolee Tharp tries to protect his mother and his sister from his abusive father and from an unspeakable horror stalking the swamplands.

No Kidding

BROOKS, B

In a 21st century society where both alcoholism and its treatment have become institutionalized, 14-year-old Sam is allowed to decide the fate of his family after his mother is released from an alcohol rehabilitation center.

No Easy Answers, Short Stories About Teenagers Making Tough Choices*

GALLO, D (ed.)

Sixteen original short stories involving moral and ethical issues. Individuals face the consequences of their actions and consider what it means to "do the right thing".

No More Saturday Nights

KLEIN, N

Tim Weber's dream of escaping his small-town home is dashed when a casual affair results in an unwanted pregnancy. Tim goes to court and wins custody of the child. Now in college, he tries to balance diapers, daycare and dating.

One Fat Summer

LIPSYTE, R

Bobby Marks, fat and miserable, takes a strenuous summer job, loses weight and gains respect.

Only Alien On The Planet*

RANDLE, K

Ginny never thought she would fall for someone like Smitty, a child abuse victim. Eventually, Smitty lets Ginny into his troubled, hidden world and they begin the gradual process of healing - together.

Ordinary People

GUEST, J

An incisive, unsparing look at family politics among a father, a mother and a son in the wake of a family tragedy.

Out Of Control

MAZER, N

Taunted by three boys, Valerie stands up to them and finds herself the victim of their unwanted attentions.

Painting The Black

DEUKER, C

Ryan Ward, just beginning to feel the magic of baseball, is faced with a heartbreaking dilemma when he must choose between his love of the game and his integrity.

Past Forgiving*

MIKLOWITZ, G

Alexandra loves Cliff, although at times the darker side of his personality scares her. As Cliff's verbal and physical abuse grow, Alex puts up with it - until he rapes her and she wakes up to the realization that there are limits that can't be broken, even where love is involved.

Peeling The Onion*

ORR, W

Anna is 17 when a car accident alters her life. Thrust into a world of pain, fear and disassociation from the layers that made up who she used to be - her looks, her friends, her karate prowess - Anna slowly comes to see who she really is.

Peter

WALKER, K

Peter, a typical 15-year-old boy, enjoys riding his dirt bike and wants to become a photographer. In his neighborhood, a boy is only considered a man if he talks tough, seeks out danger, and gets girls. If he is at all different, he is labeled a "poof." Peter finds himself confused and repelled, and his confusion and horror increase when he is attracted to a gay friend of his older brother.

Petey

MIKAELSEN, B

Petey, born with cerebral palsy, and misdiagnosed as retarded, has spent sixty years in institutions. When Trevor Ladd rescues him from a group of snow throwing bullies, Petey is compelled to overcome his physical difficulties to become Trevor's friend.

Phoenix Rising

GRANT, C

Helen's death at 18 from cancer shatters the lives of her parents and siblings, especially younger sister Jessie who tries to cope with her feelings of pain and confusion by reading pages from Helen's diary.

Pigman And Me

ZINDEL, P

A tender yet fast-paced and funny biography revealing a sensitive boy struggling to overcome the cruelties of life with humor and a little bit of help from the wise "pigman".

Pigman's Legacy

ZINDEL, P

In this sequal to Pigman, Lorraine and John are forced to face the death of the old man they had befriended.

Place To Call Home

KOLLER, J

15-year-old biracial Anna tries to care for her 5-year-old sister and infant brother when her alcoholic mother disappears yet again. Anna discovers her mother's car in a nearby lake - evidence of her suicide.

Raging Quiet

JORDAN, S

Suspicious of 16-year-old Marnie, a newcomer to their village, the residents accuse her of witchcraft when she discovers that the village madman is not crazy but deaf and she begins to communicate with him through hand gestures.

Rats Saw God

THOMAS, R

Having gone from top student to a bummed out and drugged out high school senior, Steve York is one step away from flunking out. As he writes a 100-page graduate paper, he begins to understand where he is and where he wants to go.

Revolutions Of The Heart

QUALEY, M

Cory’s 17th year is marked by her mother’s sudden death, the return of her hothead brother, her love for and romance with a Native American boy, and the eruption of bigotry in her small Wisconsin town.

Rite Of Passage

WRIGHT, R

Johnny, a gifted 15-year-old, runs away from home when he discovers that he's really a foster child and that the faceless city bureaucracy is moving him to a new family. Suddenly alone on the streets, hungry and lost, he survives with a brutal gang, fights the leader for dominance, and helps mug a man in the park.

Rumble Fish

HINTON, S

Rusty James's lack of direction, his longing for the days of street gangs, and his blind drive to be like his brother, eat away at his world until it comes apart in an explosive chain of events.

Rundown*

CADNUM, M

In a quest for attention from her family, 17-year-old Jennifer Thayer reports a crime that never happened, claiming that she is the victim of a rapist. As her lie continues, Jennifer faces the hard reality that she knows the truth.

Safe At Second*

JOHNSON, S

Baseball player Todd Bannister, Paulie Lockwood's best friend, has it all until a line drive to his head causes him to lose an eye. Now everything is different, and the two friends must chart a new future for their lives.

Sarah T: Portrait Of A Teen-Age Alcoholic*

WAGNER, R

 

Shocking and moving portrait of a teenage alcoholic.

Say Goodnight, Gracie*

DEAVER, J

Jimmy and Morgan, both 17, have been best friends since birth. Jimmy is killed by a drunken driver, and Morgan is left to deal with the grief accompanying a senseless tragedy.

Second To The Right*

HAUTZIG, D

Leslie Hiller, a bright, attractive and talented teenager, finds her quest for perfection may just kill her when she begins to diet and just can't seem to stop.

Secret Of Two Brothers*

HERNANDEZ, I

Beaver has just returned to his West Dallas barrio after serving time in prison for a crime he did not commit. During Beaver's absence, his younger brother, Cande, abused by his father, had to fend for himself. The two brothers are successful in avoiding their father and in becoming a family again. However, when Cande is involved in a car accident, the abuse and the brothers' living situation, is discovered.

Shadow People*

MCDONALD, J

In this chilling story, a troubled Gabriel finds himself involved with three other teenagers in a series of increasingly violent acts.

Silver

MAZER, N

Sarabeth Silver dreads going to a snobby school where all the girls are rich and pretty. But she soon learns that looks aren't everything when her friends confide their problems.

Somebody's Baby*

KAGAN, E

When teenager Jenny Jaffe becomes pregnant, she and Will McDonald, father of her unborn child, plan to elope. Her parents put a stop to their plans, and Jenny is sent to a Catholic Home for Girls in California to have her baby and give it up for adoption. Three decades pass, and the child, Claudia, now grown with her her own child, decides to find her birth parents.

Someone Like You*

DESSEN, S

Quiet Halley and popular Scarlet strive for a new balance in their friendship junior year when Scarlett's boyfriend dies in a motorcycle accident and Scarlett discovers that she is pregnant, and really needs her best friend.

Speak

ANDERSON, L

Melinda enters high school as an outcast - silent, angry and traumatized by rape. Her black humor and honest depiction of the high school experience will resonate with many teens.

Star*

ANDREWS, V

Star doesn't believe the other girls in her therapy group could ever understand her. They come from a world of wealth and privilege. But as she unfolds her story, a life fraught with neglect, she finds they all share a common need to be loved, and to trust one another.

Stonecold*

HAUTMAN, P

When Denn joins a poker game in his neighborhood, he puts everything at stake - his family, his friends, his girlfriend. A look at the world of high-stakes gambling and how one teenager tries to fit in.

Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Sister Went Crazy

SONES, S

Cookie's short first-person poems reveal her unraveling world and concern for her own sanity when her older sister is institutionalized after a mental breakdown.

Striking Out*

WEAVER, W

Since the death of his older brother, Billy Baggs has had a distant relationship with his father, but life on their farm in northern Minnesota begins to change when he starts playing baseball.

Sudden Silence

BUNTING, E

Jesse Harmon knows he will never forget the night his brother, Bry, was killed by a hit-and-run driver. Striving to ease his grief, Jesse and Bry's girlfriend, Chloe, begin a search for the driver - and uncover other truths just as difficult and disturbing.

Switch*

MCCOLLEY, K

17-year-old Ken, an epileptic who lives in the shadow of his older half-brother, meets a drifter who settles into a vacant lot in his small town and leads him into a world of deception, crime, and revenge.

Taking Sides*

SOTO, G

Lincoln Mendoza, an aspiring basketball player, must come to terms with divided loyalties when he moves from the Hispanic inner city to a white, suburban neighborhood.

Taking Terri Mueller*

MAZER, N

14-year-old Terri remembers only life with her father, but then she discovers that he kidnapped her from her mother after a divorce and that her mother is still alive.

Tears Of A Tiger

DRAPER, S

Andy is an African-American teenager whose life derails when, after a long evening of drinking, the car he drives crashes, killing his best friend. His guilt and despair lead him to turn away from family, friends and his plans for the future.

Teen Ink: Our Voices, Our Visions

MEYER, J & MEYER, S (comp.)

Compelling collection of honest writing from teens for teens on all areas of teenage life.

Telling*

REYNOLDS, M

After being sexually abused by the father of the children she is baby sitting, Cassie faces a difficult journey before she finds the strength and insight to deal with the problem.

Tenderness*

CORMIER, R

The lives of two troubled teens dramatically intersect in this psychological thriller as teenage serial killer Eric Poole and runaway Lori Cranston embark on a journey that will either save of destroy them.

Tent*

PAULSEN, G

Although dismayed and embarrassed when his father takes him on the road to get rich preaching the word of God, 14-year-old Steven finds he is caught up in the money and the things it can buy.

Tex

HINTON, S

A year in the life of a poor high school student in Oklahoma struggling to come to terms with an absent father, a tense older brother and a new girlfriend.

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

CHBOSKY, S

Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it, Charlie is navigating through the strange worlds of love, drugs, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", and dealing with the loss of a good friend and his favorite aunt.

They Cage The Animals At Night

BURCH, J

Gripping autobiographical account of a child whose mother abandoned him at the age of eight.

Tiger Eyes

BLUME, J

After Davey's father is killed in a hold-up, she and her mother and younger brother visit relatives in New Mexico. Here Davey is befriended by a young man who helps her find the strength to carry on and conquer her fears.

Till Death Do Us Part*

MCDANIEL, L

Diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, 18-year-old April faces an uncertain future with her fiancée. Mark, a race car driver with cystic fibrosis, suffers a terrible accident and this forces April to make a difficult decision

Time For Dancing*

HURWIN, D

Juliana is dark and serious, close to her family and recently dumped by her beloved boyfriend Jack; Samantha is blonde and outrageous, playing the romantic field and angered by her own family's dissolution. It's the summer before their senior year, and the two girls, longtime best friends, take turns narrating the events that unfold when Julie discovers that she has cancer.

Timon's Tide*

BUTLER, C

Haunted by the thought that he may have been responsible for his older brother Timon's death six years earlier, 16-year-old Daniel struggles to come to terms with his own self-doubts, his new stepfamily, and the sudden reappearance of Timon in his life.

Tribute To Another Dead Rock *

POWELL, R