Better with Books 500 Diverse Books to Ignite Empathy and Encourage Self-Acceptance in Tweens and Teens

Featuring 500 diverse book recommendations covering a wide range of subjects, this preteen and teen reading guide is a “go-to resource for parents, students of young adult literature, teachers, and librarians” (School Library Journal).

Needed now more than ever: a guide that includes 500 reading recommendations for preteens and teens with the goal of inspiring greater empathy for themselves, their peers, and the world around them.
 
As young people are diagnosed with anxiety and depression in increasing numbers, or dealing with other issues that can isolate them from family and friends—such as bullying, learning disabilities, racism, or homophobia—characters in books can help them feel less alone. And just as important, reading books that feature a diverse range of real-life topics helps generate openness, empathy, and compassion in all kids. Reading lists are organized around topics, including:

• Adoption and foster care
• Body image
• Immigration
• Learning challenges
• LGBTQIA+ youth
• Mental health
• Nature and environmentalism
• Physical disability
• Poverty and homelessness
• Race and ethnicity
• Religion and spirituality

Each chapter explores a particular issue affecting preteens and teens today and includes a list of recommended related books—all published within the last decade. Recommendations are grouped by age: those appropriate for middle-grade readers and those for teens. Better with Books is a valuable resource for parents, teachers, librarians, therapists, and all caregivers who recognize the power of literature to improve young readers’ lives.

Melissa Hart is contributing editor for The Writer Magazine and creative writing teacher for Southern New Hampshire University's MFA program. She holds a BA in literature from U.C. Santa Barbara's College of Creative Studies and an MFA in creative writing from Goddard College in Vermont. She's the author of the award-winning middle-grade novel Avenging the Owl and two memoirs--Wild Within: How Rescuing Owls Inspired a Family and Gringa: A Contradictory Girlhood. She's based in Eugene, Oregon, and travels frequently around the U.S. with her husband and 12-year-old daughter. www.melissahart.com.