The lives of teens and tweens are marked by changes and transitions some physical, some mental, some emotional. Sometimes as parents, guardians, or loved ones, we don’t know what to say or what to do to help them. But we can be there for them, we can listen to their interests, and we can help them find a safe escape from reality. As an avid reader, I still enjoy getting lost in stories like these ones (though to warn you, not all of these books are fiction, but they are all good).
Throwaway Girls by Andrea Contos (Kids Can Press, 2020) is a thriller about one girl’s quest to find her missing best friend. But as Caroline searches, she learns the harsh truth about the “throwaway girls” or the young women who are missing who are not daughters of the rich. Young women that the police won’t even look for. This book is fabulously written. For ages 14 to 18.
Swallow’s Dance by Wendy Orr (Pajama Press, 2018) is about a young girl who is just on the cusp of womanhood when the goddess causes a violent earthquake that shatters her home and family. However, the earthquakes don’t stop and Leira is forced to flee across the sea, but there is no refuge waiting for her on the other side. And so, as she cares for her injured mother and elderly nurse, she has to learn to rely on the strength within her to survive. For ages 9 to 12.
Being You: The Body Image Book for Boys by Charlotte Markey, Daniel Hart, Douglas N. Zacher and illustrated by DanTheScribbler (Cambridge University Press, 2022) is a fantastic book for the preteen in your life. It goes over what body image is and how it impacts boys, talks about puberty, the importance of physical activity, eating well (and how to spot and avoid food fads) and how to learn to love your body. It also has quizzes, stories from older boys, facts from experts and more. If the young man in your life is worried about how much fat or muscle he has than this book is for him. For ages 12 and up.
Trapped in Terror Bay: Solving the Mystery of the Lost Franklin Expedition by Sigmund Brouwer (Kid Can Press, 2022) is a gripping tale about the Franklin Expedition. A third of the book is an imagined narrative from Captain Francis Crozier’s perspective, while another is based on the historical facts of those left behind in Britain and the final third explains the historical to modern day quest for answers using both scientific methods and the oral traditions of the Inuit. For ages 12 to 16.
Heads Up: Changing Minds On Mental Health by Melanie Siebert and illustrated by Belle Wuthrich (Orca Publishers, 2020) is an easy-to-read textbook about mental health. This book includes real stories abut teens living with mental illnesses, explains what common diagnoses actually mean and covers different types of treatments (historical and modern) in an attempt to destigmatize mental illness. If you are concerned that your teen might be struggling mentally and emotionally, or if you think they might know someone who is, this is a good book for them to read. For ages 12 and up.
I hope you and your teen or tween find a new favourite book in these reads whether it’s fiction or non-fiction.
