Popular YA Titles for Recovery
From Binge to Blackout by ISBN: 0451219090Publication Date: 2006-08-01Throughout his college years, Toren Volkmann partied like there was no tomorrow, having what was supposed to be the time of his life. Like so many parents, his mother, Chris, overlooked Toren's growing alcohol problem. But when he graduated, Toren realized he'd become a full-blown alcoholic. And he was not alone. Considered a rite of passage, teenage drinking has skyrocketed to epidemic proportions, fostering a generation of young adults whose lives are already beginning to come apart under the strain. This book, written from the viewpoints of both mother and son, is a riveting, enlightening, and heartbreakingly true story of a family that was able to confront the fear, pain, and denial that threatened to destroy them--and survive the epidemic of teenage drinking that's putting America's future at risk.
Crank by ISBN: 0689865198Publication Date: 2004-10-01Kristina Georgia Snow is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. But on a trip to visit her absentee father, Kristina disappears and Bree takes her place. Bree is the exact opposite of Kristina -- she's fearless. Through a boy, Bree meets the monster: crank. And what begins as a wild, ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul -- her life.
Glass by ISBN: 1416940901Publication Date: 2007-08-21Crank. Glass. Ice. Crystal. Whatever you call it, it's all the same: a monster. And once it's got hold of you, this monster will never let you go. Kristina thinks she can control it. Now with a baby to care for, she's determined to be the one deciding when and how much, the one calling the shots. But the monster is too strong, and before she knows it, Kristina is back in its grips. She needs the monster to keep going, to face the pressures of day-to-day life. She needs it to feel alive. Once again the monster takes over Kristina's life and she will do anything for it, including giving up the one person who gives her the unconditional love she craves -- her baby. The sequel to Crank, this is the continuing story of Kristina and her descent back to hell. Told in verse, it's a harrowing and disturbing look at addiction and the damage that it inflicts.
Smack by ISBN: 0380732238Publication Date: 1999-05-01Gemma:"My parents are incompetent. They haven't got a clue..." Tar: "I know it sounds stupid, but it was like the flowers had come out for Gemma..." Lily: "They did everything they could to pin me down...my mum, my dad, school..." Rob:"We stood for a while breathing big long breaths of air. It was cold and pure...You could feel it inside you, doing you good." How do these teens come to run away from home? To be users? Addicts? As their stories intertwine and build, SMACK never lets up the pace. It is a book about people, families--real and those constructed by young people with no one to turn to but each other. SMACK is a book about a drug and the hold it can have. Written directly for its audience of young people and unflinching in its honesty, SMACK is the teen book of the year.
Go Ask Alice by ISBN: 1416914633Publication Date: 2006-01-01A teen plunges into a downward spiral of addiction in this classic cautionary tale. January 24th After you've had it, there isn't even life without drugs.... It started when she was served a soft drink laced with LSD in a dangerous party game. Within months, she was hooked, trapped in a downward spiral that took her from her comfortable home and loving family to the mean streets of an unforgiving city. It was a journey that would rob her of her innocence, her youth -- and ultimately her life. Read her diary. Enter her world. You will never forget her. For thirty-five years, the acclaimed, bestselling first-person account of a teenage girl's harrowing decent into the nightmarish world of drugs has left an indelible mark on generations of teen readers. As powerful -- and as timely -- today as ever, Go Ask Alice remains the definitive book on the horrors of addiction.
Teens/Young Adults Book Lists on the Internet
FROM LIBRARIES
Substance Abuse: A Resource Guide For Young Adults (New York Public Library)
A list of resources and book suggestions to help teens to overcome addiction. Includes programs that are offered in New York and a list of iPhone apps beneficial for young adults in recovery.
Library Guides: Addiction/Disorders in teen Novels (Newton Free Library)
A list of recommended, award-winning titles on the theme of addiction/disorders with sections for both alcoholism and drug abuse. The drug abuse section is divided into books that deal with recovery, Native Americans & alcoholism, parental drinking, drunk driving, and teen drinking. The drug abuse section list is divided into nonfiction, steroids, and drug use.
Young Adult Resources on the Science of Addiction (University of Washington Alcohol & Drug Abuse Institute)
Info brief from July 2013 with a list of young adult resources for addiction: individual books, fiction and non-fiction; links to collections recommended for teens and young adults; a list of websites for reference information and resources, journal/magazine articles, and additional online literature; lists of and and links to online videos, data & statistics, feature films, and teaching aids.
Just Say No: Books on Substance Abuse (Mill Valley Public Library)
Online reading list of young adult books that deal with the issue of substance abuse.
FROM BOOKSTORES
Amazon- Teen & Young Adult: Personal Health: Drug & Alcohol Abuse
As of writing, this Amazon subcategory contains over 800 works of both fiction and nonfiction, including paperback, hardcover and kindle editions. Browsers can also view a list of bestsellers in this subcategory.
Barnes and Noble - Teen Fiction: Substance Abuse
A Substance Abuse subsection under Teen Fiction on the Barnes & Noble website.
Alibris- Best Selling Children's Fiction> Social Issues> Drugs, Alcohol, Substance Abuse Books
A list of children's books on substance abuse.
Powell's- Drugs, Alcohol, Substance Abuse List
A list of young adult fiction about substance abuse from the famous Portland-based bookstore.
OTHER: LIBGUIDES, BLOGS
Bibliotherapy Books for Children and Young Adults (Auraria Library)
LibGuide for Bibliotherapy Books for Children and Young Adults from an academic library in Denver, CO. Two sections of this lib guide deal with drug abuse and alcoholism
Contemporary YA Fiction Featuring Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n Roll (Edgy Stuff) Book List
A blog post by two librarians that provides a list of contemporary YA fiction on social issues facing teenagers, among which is substance abuse.
Scholarly YA Titles for Recovery
Addictive Behaviour in Children and Young Adults The Struggle for Freedom by ISBN: 0863158730Publication Date: 2012Addiction is one of the most critical problems of our modern world, affecting children as much as adults. We face not only a widespread dependency on illicit substances, but also addictions to food, beverages, cigarettes and alcohol, as well as electronic gadgetry, online social networks, and entertainment media within a culture of violence, along with excessive and unhealthy sexual practices. This book explores the overall health consequences of addictive behaviour in children and young people, as well as its underlying causes. Drawing on anthroposophical insights, the author sees the child holistically as body, soul and spirit on a developmental journey from newborn to adult. He examines specific addictions through case histories taken from his clinical practice, and offers a tried and tested method to understand and manage each individual child or young person who succumbs to such dependencies. This book will be of value to parents, teachers and health professionals who work with children and adolescents; to young people and adults caught up in unhealthy addictive behaviour; and to all those who wish to understand better their own human nature.
Drug Information for Teens by ISBN: 0780813588Publication Date: 2016-01-07Health tips about drug use, abuse, and addiction, the physical and mental health effects of drugs and chemicals that are commonly abused, and the types of treatment available.
