I.D. Stuff That Happens to Define Us. Kate Scowen & Peter Mitchell, $12.95

I.D. offers 12 first-person accounts about life’s pivotal moments — those universal experiences from our youth that mar us, mold us and make us who we are.

SCARS. Cheryl Rainfield, $19.50

Fifteen-year-old Kendra, a budding artist, has not felt safe since she began recalling devastating memories of childhood sexual abuse — especially since she cannot remember the abuser’s identity.  She copes with her fears and pain by cutting herself, until her therapist, a concerned teacher and a loving friend join together to help her.

The Saver. Edeet Ravel, $12.95

The Saver is a powerful novel about an iron-willed but endearing teenager who must fend for herself after the death of her mother.

The road to god knows … a graphic novel. Von Allen, $15.75

The road to god knows … is the story of Marie, a teenage girl coming to grips with her mother’s schizophrenia. There’s no handbook, no guide to help her deal with what life throws at her as she struggles to grow up fast, and wrestles with poverty, loneliness and her mother’s illness.

Twitch, Jerk, Freak—Sam Carrier has been called them all. Because of his Tourette’s syndrome, Sam is in near constant motion with tics and twitches and verbal outbursts. So, of course, high school is nothing but torment. Forget friends. And home isn’t much better with his domineering stepfather reminding him that the only person who was more useless than Sam was his dead father, Jack. But then an unexpected turn of events unearths the truth about his father. And suddenly Sam doesn’t know who he is, or even where he’ll go next.

Think Again.  JonArno Lawson, illustrated by Julie Morstad, $18.95

This collection of quietly beautiful and surprisingly humorous short poems reveals first love’s uncertainties, frustrations and joys.

You Hear Me? Poems and Writing by Teenage Boys. Edited by Betsy Franco, $8.00

In a powerful collection of more than seventy uncensored poems and essays, more than fifty teenage boys from across the country explore their many-layered concerns: identity, love, envy, gratitude, sex, anger, competition, fear, hope. Here, unadorned and without the filter of adult sensibility, is the raw stuff of their lives, in their own words.

The Omnivore’s Dilemma: the Secrets Behind What You Eat, Young Reader’s Edition. Michael Pollan, $12.50

Based on the bestseller “The Omnivore’s Dilemma: a Natural History of Four Meals”, author Michael Pollan takes young readers behind the scenes of the food industry to learn the realities and the politics of how our food gets to the table.

Girls Against Girls: Why We are Mean to Each Other and How We Can Change. Bonnie Burton, $14.95

Most girls have been gossiped about, ignored, teased, taunted online, or even threatened by other girls. And if you do some real soul-searching, you may realize that you too have been the “mean girl” at times. But why do girls act this way? And what can they do about it?

Absolutely, Positively Not. David Larochelle, $11.50

Steven doesn’t know if he’ll pass his driver’s test or if he’ll ever understand his parents, but there’s one thing he knows for sure: He’s absolutely, positively NOT gay.  Right?

A funny and poignant look at the life of a boy who’s finding out what it means to be himself.

Lunch with Lenin and Other Stories. Deborah Ellis, $14.95

Deborah Ellis's first collection of short stories explores the lives of young people who have been affected directly, or indirectly, by drugs. Sometimes touching and often surprising, the stories are set against backdrops as diverse as the remote north and small town America to Moscow's Red Square and an opium farm in Afghanistan.

This is an unforgettable collection of stories that will elicit discussions about the toll drugs take on the lives of teenagers and their families.

Parrotfish. Ellen Wittlinger, $19.99 (novel, ages 14 and up)

Angela Katz-McNair has never felt quite right as a girl. Her whole life is leading up to the day she decides to become Grady, a guy. While coming out as trans-gendered feels right to Grady, he isn't prepared for the reaction he gets from everyone else … Grady's life is miserable until he finds friends in some unexpected places like the school geek, Sebastian, who explains that there is precedent in the natural world (parrotfish change gender when they need to), and Kita, a senior who might just be Grady's first love.

The Opposite of Music. Janet Ruth Young, $10.50 (for ages 13 and up)

At first Billy's father just seemed distant, as if he had something on his mind. Then he stopped listening to music, saying it hurt his ears. After a while he stopped eating and sleeping. And after that he just stopped. Stopped being Billy's father and his friend and became someone else — someone who was depressed and withdrawn and wouldn't respond to treatments.

The Opposite of Music is a powerful and realistic debut novel about the lengths a family will go to in order to save one of their own and the strength it takes to learn how to ask for help.

Apart. R.P. MacIntyre & Wendy MacIntyre, $9.95 (novel, ages 13 and up)

Jessica, a serious, bookish sixteen-year-old from New Brunswick, places a Personals ad in the newspaper. She is looking for her father, a drug-dealing philanderer who has recently taken off with the local hairdresser, leaving her mother distraught, and Jessica shouldering the responsibility for her autistic younger brother, Timmy. Seventeen-year-old Sween -- a pool-playing, authority-defying drop-out -- responds to the ad. Over time they establish an intense but long-distance relationship in which they provide each other with advice and support. Eventually Sween travels east to help Jess stop her father from putting Timmy in an institution. The resulting encounter is a surprise to them both as they find reality at odds with the images they have of each other.

Cleavage: Breakaway Fiction for Real Girls. Edited by Deb Loughead & Joyce Shipley, $12.95

A brash new collection of fifteen original stories about girls who stand against convention, and girls who wish they could. In turn hilarious, edgy, comforting, intense, the collection is about holding back and letting loose, about sex and glamour and common sense. Here are heroes that strike a chord and make us think.

Kira-Kira. Cynthia Kadohata, $8.99

Glittering. That's how Katie Takeshima's sister, Lynn, makes everything seem. The sky is kira-kira because its color is deep but see-through at the same time. The sea is kira-kira for the same reason. And so are people's eyes. When Katie and her family move from a Japanese community in Iowa to the Deep South of Georgia, it's Lynn who explains to her why people stop them on the street to stare. And it's Lynn who, with her special way of viewing the world, teaches Katie to look beyond tomorrow. But when Lynn becomes desperately ill, and the whole family begins to fall apart, it is up to Katie to find a way to remind them all that there is always something glittering -- kira-kira -- in the future.

Angel's Choice. Lauren Baratz-Logsted, $8.99

In one night Angel Hansen's life changes forever: She has sex for the first time. Not that she remembers the act itself - not the pain or the pleasure. But she is left with something that will never let her forget it: an unplanned pregnancy. Angel must make a choice. Abortion? Adoption? Keep it? None of these choices are easy and none of them are perfect. But there is one thing Angel is sure of. Whatever choice she makes, it must be the right one for her. Braced with that knowledge, Angel faces the toughest decision of her life.

Get Real. Betty Hicks, $22.95

Thirteen year-old Dez is unusually neat. Her mom and dad are casual and messy. They like “back-to-the earth stuff”, the Grateful Dead and swamps. Dez likes elegant food and grand pianos. How can she even be related to them? And how can Dez help her best friend, Jil, who’s adopted and who will stop at nothing in order to meet her birth mom? What is it, exactly, that makes a parent “real,” anyway? Get Real is about wanting a parent who is very different from the one you have. It’s about discovering, “Who am I?”

This Side of the Sky. Marie-Francine Hébert, $9.95 (ages 14 and up)

Mona and her kid sister, Bird, hide in the woods each day because it's far better than being home. Bird may be eight, but her mind's only five, and Mona has to baby-sit her most of the time. They don't have many friends, but Mona and Bird have always had each other and the hideout of the hidden lake to run to when they needed to escape from mothers and fathers and teachers and bullies and the friends they want and the friends who need their help. But then Mona and Bird witness something terrible in the woods, and suddenly life changes forever.

Written from Mona's perspective, this translation of a Governor General's Literary Award-nominee and winner of the PRIX DU LIVRE M. CHRISTIE explores themes of racism, sexual abuse, low self-esteem and the pain all these inflict on those who deserve it least.

Due to more mature content, this book is recommended for children 14 and up.

High School football star Austin Reid is a likable guy. lately though, he doesn't like his life or anything else … and he can't seem to figure out why. (Depression)

Olive Barstow was dead. She'd been hit by a car…while riding her bicycle weeks ago. That was about all Martha knew. (Grief and Loss)

Life's been tough for Ray since her father died…then Ray gets the chance she's always wanted…to spend the summer with her grandma, an elder and healer in a northern Ontario community. Helping Grandma…Ray learns a new way of life…and to understand herself better. (Grief and Loss)

Squeezing the rock in his clenched fist made Reef Kennedy feel powerful. And angry. It was easy, then, to look down from the overpass and choose an anonymous target. (Anger)

Fourteen year old Sylvie Marchione's life has been turned upside down…one minute Sylvie's mother is her old self, and the next minute she can't even remember her daughter's name. (Alzheimer's)

Willie is a top athlete…then a freak accident robs him of his once-amazing physical talents…" (Special Needs)

Sixteen-year-old Dylan is living on the streets…what he can't figure out is; what did he do to deserve this life?

Our Stories, Our Songs: African Children Talk about AIDS. Deborah Ellis, $17.95

In Sub-Saharan Africa, there are more than 11.5 million orphans. The AIDS pandemic has claimed their parents, their aunts, and their uncles. What is life like for these children? Who do they care for, and who cares for them? Come and meet them. They might surprise you.

To be respected, girls need to know how they want to be treated, treat themselves that way, and let others know (respectfully, of course) to do the same. This smart, savvy book helps teen girls get respect and hold on to it no matter what.

The Teen Guide to Global Action: How to Connect with Others (Near and Far) to Create Social Change. Barbara Lewis, $16.95

Kids everywhere are deciding they can’t wait to become adults to change the world. They’re acting right now to fight hunger and poverty, promote health and human rights, save the environment, and work for peace. Their stories prove that young people can make a difference on a global scale. This book includes real-life stories to inspire young readers, plus a rich and varied menu of opportunities for service, fast facts, hands-on activities, user-friendly tools, and up-to-date resources kids can use to put their own volunteer spirit into practice. It also spotlights young people from the past whose efforts led to significant positive change. Upbeat, practical, and highly motivating, this book has the power to rouse young readers everywhere.

In Love and In Danger: a Teen’s Guide to Breaking Free of Abusive Relationships. Barrie Levy, $16.95

This book is for teenagers and parents of teens who have questions about abusive dating relationships. In Love and In Danger helps teens understand abusive dating situations, decide how to deal with them and learn how to get help. Providing useful information, practical advice and revealing interviews with teens, this newly revised edition includes a new afterword for parents and a resource sections with information on books, websites and organizations teens can turn to for help.

101 Ways to Dance. Kathy Stinson, $9.95 (ages 13 and up)

In this risqué collection, award-winning author for young people Kathy Stinson offers characters and plotlines that reflect the many ways teens learn about lust and love. From the first stirrings of same-sex desire on a lakeside beach to troubling paternity questions around a teen pregnancy, Stinson's stories reflect both the sweetness and the scariness of teenage sexuality. Offers many opportunities for discussion, and also a great choice for reluctant readers. A must-have for all junior high and high school libraries.

First Crossing: Stories about Teen Immigrants. Edited by Donald Gallo, $11.50

Here are ten unique short stories that reflect the difficulties teen immigrants face in trying to please family and fit in with their new surroundings.

Life Freaks Me Out and Then I Deal With It: Reassuring Secrets from a Former Teenager. K.L. Hong, $13.95

This thoughtful, very personal book explores the turbulent and exhilarating situations teens face every day. Reflections on sexuality, substance use, friendships, self-esteem and family are grounded in an honest and passionate argument for the importance of finding your own values and truths in life – now and always.

Bait. Alex Sanchez, $9.99 (novel, 12 and up)

When a guy in his class looks at him funny, Diego punches him in the face, and ends up on probation. At first he wants nothing to do with his probation officer. But as Diego starts to open up, he begins to realize that Mr. Vidas is the first person in his life who ever really wanted to listen to him. With Vidas's help, Diego begins to make real progress in controlling his anger. But only if Diego can find the courage to trust Vidas with the darkest secrets from his past will he be able to heal completely.

Kayak. Debbie Spring, $12.95 (novel)

Living life in a wheelchair makes Teresa feel trapped. She spends her whole year looking forward to her family’s summer vacations on Georgian Bay, where she spends as much time as possible in her kayak. On the water, Teresa is brave, strong and unstoppable.

Ellen’s Book of Life. Joan Givner, $12.95

During the most difficult summer of her life, Ellen finally begins the search for her birth mother. The results are surprising, moving and often very funny, turning life upside down in more ways than one.

He Forgot to Say Goodbye. Benjamin Alire Sáenz, $11.99

How do you cope when your father walks away?

LAID. Young People’s Experiences with Sex in an Easy-Access Culture. Shannon Boodram, $19.95

LAID offers more than 40 personal narratives—from young women and men—about everything involving sex and being sexual. Need-to-know facts and Q&A’s accompany each chapter, providing food for thought on the many important and often maligned or misunderstood topics this book addresses.

Marni. Marni Bates, $9.95

Marni pulls. Her hair, that is. Struggling with the stress disorder trichotillomania, Marni’s compulsion to yank out her eyebrows, eyelashes — even the hair from the top of her head — makes surviving high school no easy feat.

Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet. Sherri Smith, $20.99

Ana Shen has what her social studies teacher calls a “marvelously biracial, multicultural family” but what Ana simply calls a Chinese American father and an African American mother. And on eighth-grade graduation day, that’s a recipe for disaster. Both sets of grandparents are in town to celebrate, and Ana is tired of feeling caught between her grandparents and wishes she knew whose side she was supposed to be on. But when they all sit down for their hot, sour, salty, and sweet meal, Ana comes to understand how each of these different flavors, like family, fit perfectly together.

Red: Teenage Girls in America Write On What Fires Up Their Lives Today. Edited by Amy Goldwasser, $14.50

58 girls—ranging in age from thirteen to nineteen, and writing from across the spectrum of geographic, socioeconomic, racial, and religious upbringings—share essays about everything from politics to pop culture; from post-Katrina New Orleans to Johnny Depp; from the loneliness of losing a best friend to the loathing or pride they feel about their bodies. The authors of Red are brave and honest documentarians of their own lives. These girls are the best shades of red (not pink): a little bit angry, a lot passionate.

Virgin Sex for Girls: a No-Regrets Guide to Safe and Healthy Sex. Darcy Luadzers, $17.95

Don’t just let sex happen. Be ready for it. Losing your virginity is a taboo subject in many families and schools, which means you could be lacking the real sex education and guidance that will help you decide if you are truly physically and emotionally ready — and how to say no if you aren't. Get the real story on:

• Why some girls have sex, and reasons you might not be ready
• Avoiding situations that could leave you feeling sad, scared, or embarrassed
• Date rape and sexual assault—what it is and how to prevent it
• Sex for the first time—who, what, when, why, and how
• How to develop a sexual voice to make the best choice for you

Virgin Sex for Girls features more than 40 true stories from teens and adults about their first experiences — the physical, emotional, and social consequences of having (and not having) sex. This girl's guide to safe and healthy sex uncovers the real truths on how to have sex without getting hurt — the first time and every time.

Virgin Sex for Guys: a No-Regrets Guide to Safe and Healthy Sex. Darcy Luadzers, $17.95

Be safe, not sorry. Even guys have second thoughts about having sex. Whether you are concerned about getting a STD, your religious values, or what your partner will say about you afterwards, Virgin Sex for Guys teaches you the physical, emotional, and social consequences of having (and not having) sex. This guy’s guide to safe and healthy sex uncovers the real truths on how to have sex without getting hurt — the first time and every time. Get the real story on:

• Sex for the first time—who, what, when, why, and how
• How to treat a girl right before, during, and after your relationship
• Preparing for sex—all about pregnancy, STDs, and your emotions
• Same-sex sex—how to know if you are gay or bisexual
• What to do when you or your girlfriend is not ready for sex

This is the real talk about sex, beyond the talk from your mom and dad, or the talk your friends gave you. It's the truth from a real, live sex therapist who wrote this book for YOU.

Maus: a Survivor’s Tale. Volume I, My Father Bleeds History. Art Spiegelman, $15.95

Maus: a Survivor’s Tale. Volume II, And Here My Troubles Began. Art Spiegelman, $15.95

This is the story of Vladek Spiegelman, a Jewish survivor of Hitler’s Europe, and his son, a cartoonist coming to terms with his father’s story. Maus approaches the unspeakable through the diminutive. Its form, the cartoon (the Nazis are cats, the Jews mice), shocks us out of any lingering sense of familiarity and succeeds in “drawing us closer to the bleak heart of the Holocaust” (The New York Times).

Maus is a haunting tale within a tale. Vladek’s harrowing story of survival is woven into the author’s account of his tortured relationship with his aging father. Against the backdrop of guilt brought by survival, they stage a normal life of small arguments and unhappy visits. This astonishing retelling of our century’s grisliest news is a story of survival, not only of Vladek but of the children who survive even the survivors. Maus studies the bloody pawprints of history and tracks its meaning for all of us.

Race: a History Beyond Black and White. Marc Aronson, $21.99 (ages 12 and up)

Historian Marc Aronson traces the history of racial prejudice in Western culture back to ancient Sumer and beyond. He shows us Greeks dividing the world into the civilized and the barbarian; medieval men writing about the traits of monstrous men and Enlightenment scientists scrapping all those mythologies and to come up with a new one: charts that spell out the traits of human races.

Aronson's journey of discovery yields many surprising discoveries. Illustrated with over one hundred images, this is a dynamic, thought-provoking work.

Doing It Right: Making Smart, Safe and Satisfying Choices about Sex. Bronwen Pardes, $17.99

The more you know, the easier it is to make safe — and smart — decisions about sex.

girlSpoken: from pen, brush and tongue. Jessica Hein, Heather Holland & Carol Kauppi, $19.95

This is a vibrant collection of personal stories, poetry and artwork form girls and young women across Canada who give voice to the challenges they face daily and the struggle to find a sense of self. Intimate, honest and moving, girlSpoken speaks for a generation.

Fire in the Heart: a Spiritual Guide for Teens. Deepak Chopra, $11.50

Spiritual guru Deepak Chopra imparts inspirational life lessons to teens through the parables of a mysterious wise man named Baba.

Wild Orchid. Beverley Brenna, $12.95

Taylor Jane Simon is 18 years old and spending the summer with her mother in Prince Albert National Park. Taylor would just as soon stay at home in Saskatoon, but because she has Asperger's Syndrome, she can't stay on her own. For Taylor, whose life experience has been seriously limited, this means facing the test of meeting new people who work in the park's nature center — and facing it alone. What she discovers will change her life forever. A courageous wit attends Taylor's gradual emergence as her own person, and the reader will find the exploration of Taylor's mind a revealing and heartwarming encounter.

Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak. Deborah Ellis, $12.95

This book is about the children of the war-torn Middle East. Deborah Ellis, author of the enormously popular Breadwinner trilogy, turns her attention from the children of Afghanistan to the children of Israel and Palestine, presenting their stories based on interviews done in the winter of 2002 while in Israel and Palestine. This simple and telling book allows children everywhere to see those caught in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as children just like themselves, but who are living far more difficult, dangerous lives. The book does not take sides, but it does present an unblinking portrait of how victimized these children are by the endless struggle that the adults around them seem unable or unwilling to resolve. The text includes brief background information, black-and-white photographs taken by the author, a map, a glossary and suggestions for further reading.

The Little Black Book for Girlz: a Book on Healthy Sexuality. By Youth, for Youth (St. Stephen’s Community House), $9.95

The Little Black Book for Girlz is a book on healthy sexuality written by girls for girls. A diverse group of urban teens went looking for information about sexuality. They collected stories, poetry, interviews, art and more from other youth and health care workers. The result is an honest, factual look at the physical and emotional issues young women face — a powerful presentation of real-life examples and life-saving info.

The Little Black Book for Guys: Guys Talk about Sex. By Youth for Youth (St. Stephen’s Community House), $9.95

A survival guide to being a guy. Lots of guys talk the big talk, but what’s really going on with sex? That’s what a group of young men sat down to figure out for The Little Black Book for Guys. To get behind the hype, they talked to other teens and collected stories, poems, essays, and art about personal experiences. They also interviewed health professionals to get the facts they need to make healthy choices. The result is a revealing collection of personal thoughts and need-to-know information. Topics include:

• Puberty • Wet dreams • Masturbation • Penis size • Dating • Safer sex and birth control
• Sexually Transmitted Infections / AIDS

Written, illustrated, and designed by youth, and carefully vetted by doctors, The Little Black Book for Guys is more than a book about sex. It’s a snapshot of being a guy at the beginning of the 21st century.

Contains frank descriptions of sexuality and coarse language.

My Kind of Sad: What It's Like to be Young and Depressed. Kate Scowen, $12.95

Depression has always afflicted humankind. Yet adolescent depression has only been medically recognized in the past two decades. Daily teen life is tumultuous even at the best of times. So how are you supposed to tell general worries from something more serious?

Research Ate My Brain: the Panic-Proof Guide to Surviving Homework. Toronto Public Library, Illustrated by Martha Newbigging, $9.95

For those too young to have ever flipped through an encyclopedia, or for anyone who has had a million web hits in response to their request for information, here is the research survival guide they've been looking for. This handy handbook shows students how to master the vast and complex resources that are available. Each chapter breaks the research process down into bite-sized pieces: how to access invaluable library materials (books, journals, newspapers, databases, audio and video); secrets to successful surfing online; how to identify and source reliable research sites; best bets on fact gathering; and, most importantly, evaluating and organizing all that information.

Feed Your Head: Some Excellent Stuff on Being Yourself. Earl Hipp, $17.50

One of the best books around for "normalizing" the ups and downs of adolescence. The voices of teens 13 to 19 speak clearly about everything from freindships, to sex, to parents and more ...

Help for the Hard Times: Getting Through Loss. Earl Hipp, $17.50

Teens speak about death, divorce, moving, the end of friendships and how loss and grieving affected their lives.

College students reveal the secrets to getting along with your roommate:

• Dealing with conflict
• Successful sharing
• Maintaining privacy
• And much more …

Real questions from pre-teens and teens and the answers - all drawn from the award-winning website www.teenagehealthfreak.org

Eleven original works that explore the possibilities of embracing diversity in a world still rife with bigotry and racism. The stories are troubled, funny, sad and fierce and they are all full of hope and honesty.

An essential guide to preventing violence and building inner strength for teenagers, parents and educators. This powerful program provides adolescents with the body-language and verbal skills they need to deal with peer pressure, de-escalate violence and build self-esteem.