Thursday, July 28, 2011
Understanding your teen through books
Clearly I have a bias in this regard but, as far as I'm concerned, books are powerful tools and one of the few weapons in a parents' arsenal to help bridge the divide when their children become teens. In some cases, simply by reading some of the contemporary Young Adult (YA) literature, parents can learn about the reality in which their teens are growing. In other cases, books can provide a stepping stone to valuable conversations that may just arm your child for some of what he or she will encounter as a teen. Check out this article written by Karen Springen, sharing her thoughts on the best teen books for moms and daughters to read and discuss. Among her recommended titles are Cleopatra's Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter (one of my all-time favorite books!), Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, The Help by Kathryn Stockett, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard and Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin. I think this is a great and varied list but I just can't resist the urge to add a few more. There are certain books I think every teen and every parent of a teen should read - boy or girl, mom or dad. These include Exposed by Kimberly Marcus, The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney and Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. Happy reading!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This book was captivating and very disturbing. The life of an anorexic is a tragic and painful life where even an apple can be seen as an enemy in the fight to stay thin. Lia's every meal consists of her calorie counting of every item on her plate, right down to the last pea. There were times where it was hard for me to keep reading because I just could not imagine what new horrible revelations awaited. Lia is so adept at fooling her parents and those around her with different techniques that insure that when she is weighed her weight seems much higher.
ReplyDelete