Most educators, parents, adults would agree that this is a really hard time to be a teenager. When my own children were teens I kept reminding myself that they were at the chrysalis stage, in process of becoming beautiful butterflies and that everything, particularly in their brains was in the mush of reconstituting itself.

Today’s poster is a mass of books about puberty and being a teen that I’ve come across and used as a parent and librarian in a variety of setting that I think covers some of what is important in these years. Generally I’ve found entering various libraries that the puberty section tends to be a bit dated and under-nourished, depending on the school / librarian / community’s appetite for exposure to the books that discuss these crucial matters. Because, as the titles of two recent books state “Everything you wanted to know … and Shouldn’t Learn on TikTok / and Shouldn’t be Googling“. Of course that’s the missing link – just because something is not in the library or on the bookshelf doesn’t mean it’s not of interest or being “researched”. Many of these topics are also covered in great memoirs or realistic fiction, but I’ve focused on nonfiction in this poster.

Also there are different ages at which different topics are more pertinent / relevant and community tolerances differ. Unfortunately not all teens are served with the books they need, so if that’s your context you may want to suggest certain books to the children or families who may need access to a more diverse world-view.

Some of the topics I personally think are important to cover, in no particular order:

• Puberty and body changes – for all genders, and in general as it’s important to understand all bodies and have empathy for each other
• Sex and sexuality and very importantly consent, sexually transmitted diseases and rape
• How the teenage brain is changing and differs from children / adults
• Body image, obesity, eating disorders,
• Sport and exercise
• The importance of sleep
• Feelings and in particular anxiety
• Neuro-divergence
• Cultural aspects of puberty, gender and sexuality
• Masculinity -toxic masculinity, femininity and gender expectations and discrimination
• Social media, its impact and fallout
• Pornography
• Parenting guides on how to talk or keep quiet and just push books with the right information towards their children (I particularly like the series of “30 days of sex talks by Dina Alexander” (for ages 3-7; 8-12 and 12+) and what’s going on with their teen.

I’m sure there are things I’ve forgotten or left out, I’ve tried to keep things within the last 3-4 years. Feel free to comment with your suggestions.

By Nadine Bailey – middle school teacher librarian, currently living and working in Dubai, formerly in Beijing China, Singapore and a bunch of other cities around the world. Passionate about our students seeing themselves and their worlds in literature and developing curiosity and a passion for reading and learning.

The views, opinions, and thoughts expressed in this blog post are solely my own and do not reflect the positions, policies, or opinions of any current or former employer. Any references or examples provided are intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as endorsements or official statements from any organization I have been associated with.