Books To Assist Teens Dealing with Difficult Issues

The following list of  books covers sensitive topics, and is intended  for teens to assist readers come to a better understanding of some of life’s most difficult situations.

During their adolescent years, kids face a plethora of tough challenges. Whether you’re a school counselor, teacher, school administrator, or parent of a teen,  it is important to understand the issues that today's teenagers may be dealing with on a day-to-day basis. 

The books on our list can help you better understand the dilemmas and struggles that the adolescents you work with may be facing, and provide an avenue for difficult discussions. 

Books on Sensitive Topics for Teens:

1. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

In this touching, heartbreaking love story, the two main characters learn how to deal with grief, death, and depression.

2. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Nominated for a National Book Award when it was first published, this book illustrates the silencing that sexual assault survivors face all too often.

3. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Rainbow Rowell intertwines themes of poverty and abuse in this refreshing story about young love.

4. The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore

This book is an inspiring real-life story about the plight of youth in the ghetto, and is a moving exploration of how our choices can shape us.

5. If You Feel Too Much by Jamie Tworkowski & Donald Miller

This is the story that gave birth to To Write Love on Her Arms, an internationally-recognized nonprofit dedicated to providing hope for those struggling with addiction and depression.

7. Just Keep Breathing by Reggie Dabbs & John Driver

This book is  a collection of real-life letters from individuals in tough situations and the responses written back to them by Reggie Dabbs, who is one of the most sought-after public school and event speakers in the United States over the past two decades.  Just Keep Breathing equips its readers to better help those in crisis.

If you’re interested in finding more books for teens who are dealing with difficult issues, check out the links below:

– Top 10 Books Dealing with Mental Illness–
– Take 5: Importance Books on a Difficult Topic 
— Sexual Violence in the Lives of Teens
– Take 5: Books About Suicide
– 10 Young Adult Books That Teach Teens About Difficult Issues
– The American School Counselor Association’s School Counseling Essentials Catalog

Kristine Kilgour, M.Ed., LPSC
School Counselor & Mediator
rfhscounselor@gmail.com
counselorcarryout.blogspot.com