If there’s one thing that I’m passionate about, it’s raising my children to be open, compassionate, and well-rounded individuals. Kids today face many problems that we didn’t even have to think about while we were young. Teens, especially, have a tough time in our social media infused society, where things like body shaming and cyberbullying are at an all time high. That’s why it’s important for us to give our kids the tools to become their amazing, unique selves. Here are ten books that help teens to do just that.

1. The Teen’s Guide To World Domination

This survival guide by Josh Shipp is a must read for any teen. Josh takes a direct, and hilarious approach to dealing with teen’s issues. He divides problems into enemies like ninjas (back-stabbing friends), ghosts (negative thoughts and mistakes that cause self-doubt and hold you back), and zombies (negative people who constantly complain). Even though this book is geared towards teens, I think anyone would benefit from it. It’s that good!

2. I Am Malala

Every teen on the planet needs to read this. It’s about a fifteen-year-old who lived in Pakistan. The Taliban took over her hometown and, instead of staying silent, Malala fought for her right to go to school. She ended up being shot, point-blank, in the head and survived. And she still fought! At sixteen, Malala became the youngest nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize. This is a must-read, not only for girls, but for everyone because it is a powerful story about standing up for what is right and fighting for what you believe in.

3. Positive

This is a powerful story about bullying and really, a must read for parents and teens alike. Paige was born with HIV. In middle school, she discloses her condition to a close friend. Immediately the bullying starts. Not only was Paige bullied by her peers and classmates, but even the teachers and administration of her school. This lead to her suicide attempt at fifteen, but her story doesn’t stop there. Instead, Paige survives. Her message is one that all of us need to hear, but especially teens: be kind, not cruel; don’t stand by and let things happen, take action; and throughout it all, stay positive.

4. Citizen

This book takes a look at racism in our “post-race” society. It’s about the small innuendos, slips of the tongue, and the stereotyping that goes on in mass quantities in our world of social media and reality TV. The genius of this book is one that you’ll have to experience to truly understand, but I think Slate put it best: “[Citizen] is one of the best books I've ever wanted not to read. . . . Its genius . . . resides in that capacity to make so many different versions of American life proper to itself, to instruct us in the depth and variety of our participation in a narrative of race that we recount and reinstate, even when we speak as though it weren't there.” ―Slate

5. We Should All Be Feminists

Personally, I think every person on the planet should read this book. This book is an adaptation of Adichie’s TEDx Talk with the same name. Using her own personal experiences, Adichie explains feminism and what that means in the twenty-first century. Note: this book is not just for girls! This is a must read for ALL teens.

6. I Would But My DAMN MIND Won’t Let Me

This book is by teen confidence expert, Jacqui Letran and it is packed full with easy to understand ways that teens can improve their emotional health. I think one of the hardest things to teach our kids (certainly something that is lacking in schools) is the idea of emotional intelligence. This book helps teens understand their thought patterns, and focuses on how to create long-lasting change for the better.

7. Teens Cook

Learning to cook is extremely important for teens, not only because of the obvious independence factor, but also because learning about diet and food is essential in creating a healthy lifestyle. This book is for beginners and extremely easy to understand (It was written by teens!). I would recommend this to any parent.

8. 97 Things To Do Before You Finish High School

I like this book because it breaks things down into categories (what to do with family, friends, etc). It’s a known fact that an important part of any teen’s life is their sense of identity and self. These are things that are learned through experience. This book is packed full of ways to help a teen find out who they are and how to express themselves.

9. Be A Changemaker

I am a firm believer in teaching kids to focus beyond their immediate surroundings (friends, family, etc) and into their community and the world at large. Getting behind a cause that they believe in, is not only helpful to others, but it also builds character and self-esteem. This book is basically a “how to” guide to crafting their own movement. It goes into everything, from media to funding and it’s truly a must have for any teen.

10.

I couldn’t let this list stand without any reference to sexual education. Honestly, this book should probably be given to younger teens, even pre-teens. However, if you haven’t had an all inclusive conversation with your teen about sex and puberty, then you should start here. These books are much more informative than any sex-ed class. I would recommend you reading it and making notes of sections you wish to discuss in-depth with your teen before giving it to them. Make it casual and allow them to ask questions. Be honest, open, and calm when discussing their bodies and sex. Remember, if you’re awkward and weird, they’ll be awkward and weird about it too and probably won’t ask the questions they really want and need answers to.

This list is really just a beginning. There are a ton of great books on more specific issues like self-esteem, body image, bullying, etc. These are my top ten, however; the ones I recommend to everyone. I hope you found something on this list that resonates with you and your family. Happy reading!