Modern day teenagers are young people who are filled with a lot of uncertainties. Their parents often don’t have a clue and therefore can’t provide any guidelines. Just as well that there exists good books, to which the teenager can turn when he or she is troubled.

Underneath are some examples of books that should be on your book shelf.

7 Habits of highly effective teens, by Sean Covey

This is a step-by-step guide which helps the teen to improve his or her self-image, how to build up friendships, how to deal with pressures, how to achieve goals and how to get along with parents. The book contains cartoons, quotes, ideas and relatable real stories – no wonder it’s become a hit!

Life lists for teens, by Pamela Espeland

We all like to make lists. These help to organize one’s thoughts and clear the head. In this book, author Pamela Espeland uses lists to help the teens to think about serious (and some less serious) matters like personal growth, self-esteem and problem solving.

Chicken soup for the teenage soul

This is by far the most popular book in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. It’s a collection of short stories and articles with inspirational writing, which contain a number of options (including love, learning, tough times). The stories are short and are engaging. They have a message that is easy to find.

Life Strategies for Teens, by Jay McGraw

Indeed, this is Dr. Phil’s son! Jay displays ten laws for living life to its fullest, and he also includes exercises and activities to help drive the point home. Mind you, the ways in which all this is described seems more like general advice, instead of putting down rules to live by, like some of the other books give.

Taste berries, by Bettie Youngs, Ph.D, Ed. D

The title refers to the Richardella-dulcisica berry, which once eaten makes everything eaten after it taste sweet and delicious. This book is similar to the Chicken Soup for the Soul books., as it contains a lot of inspirational short stories. The difference is that real teenagers review each story before it is published and the author uses their comments as feedback.

Chocolate for the teen’s soul, by Kay Allenbaugh

This author also publishes ‘chocolate’ books for the teen’s dreams, heart and spirit. The series seems particularly attractive to girls, but some boys also like them. The books contains stories of inspirational, real teens.

Teens can make it happen, by Stedman Graham

In this book, the author defines success as a process and he’ll take your teenager through the steps towards this success and towards their own self-defined success.

Don’t sweat the small stuff for teens, by Richard Carlson

This book includes chapters like ‘Be okay with your bad hair day’, and is filled with advice and practical wisdom to help the teenager through challenges. It also teaches them to deal with stress and challenges of everyday life as an adolescent. It has humor and is easy to read.