Discover eight books to inspire your teenager to spend time cosied up with a book. Each book has been chosen because it explores themes of wellbeing or topics that will provoke discussion, elicit empathy and allow teenagers a moment of reflection.
Wonder By R J Palacio (Penguin Random House)
Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life. Now, for the first time, he's being sent to a real school - and he's dreading it.
All he wants is to be accepted - but can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, underneath it all?
Mind Your Head by Juno Dawson, Gemma Correll & Olivia Hewitt. (Hot Key Books)
We all need to take care of our mental health as much as our physical health, and the first step is being able to talk about it.
This frank, factual and funny book covers topics on how to look after your mental wellbeing.
Are We All Lemmings & Snowflakes? By Holly Bourne (Usborne Publishing)
Camp Reset is a place offering a shot at “normality” for Olive, a girl on the edge, and her new friends who each have their own reasons for being there. Luckily, Olive has a plan to solve all of their problems.
But how do you fix the world when you can’t fix yourself?
All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle (Hodder & Stoughton)
A funny moving mediation on love, race, old age and friendship that will not only charm and uplift, but also remind you of the power of ordinary people to make an extraordinary difference.
The Goldfish Boy By Lisa Thompson ( Scholastic)
A life-affirming story about a boy suffering from OCD, exploring friendship, loneliness and how to find hope even when it seems impossible.
Hope by Rhian Ivory (Firefly Press)
It's the summer between school and sixth form and when Hope doesn't get into drama college, and her friends do, all her plans fall apart.
She's struggling with anger, grief for her father and a sense that her own body is against her. She meets Riley on the ferry and his texts give her someone to talk to.
But this isn't a story about a boy fixing everything. It's about trying new things, having the courage to ask for help and that when things seem to be all over, that might be just the beginning.
I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson (Walker Books)
Jude and her twin Noah were incredibly close – until a tragedy drove them apart, and now they are barely speaking.
Then Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy as well as a captivating new mentor, both of whom may just need her as much as she needs them. What the twins don't realise is that each of them has only half the story and if they can just find their way back to one another, they have a chance to remake their world.
You Are Awesome by Matthew Syed (Hachette Children Group)
This positive and empowering guide, by bestselling mindset author Matthew Syed, will help you to build resilience, fulfil your potential and become a successful, happy and awesome adult.
