Better with Books: 500 Diverse Books to Ignite Empathy and Encourage Self-Acceptance in Tweens and Teens

by Melissa Hart, Sharon M. Draper (Foreword)

Featuring 500 book recommendations covering a wide range of subjects, this preteen and teen reading guide is a "go-to resource for parents, students of young adult literature, teachers, and librarians" ( School Library Journal )

Needed now more than a guide that includes 500 reading recommendations for preteens and teens with the goal of inspiring greater empathy for themselves, their peers, and the world around them.
 
As middle-school and high school students are diagnosed with anxiety and depression in increasing numbers, or dealing with other issues that can isolate them from family and friends—such as bullying, learning disabilities, racism, or homophobia—characters in books can help them feel less alone. And just as important, reading books that feature a diverse range of real-life topics helps generate openness, empathy, and compassion in all kids. Reading lists are organized around topics,

* Adoption and foster care
* Body image
* Immigration and diversity
* Learning challenges
* LGBTQIA+ youth
* Mental health
* Nature and environmentalism
* Physical disability
* Poverty and homelessness
* Race and ethnicity
* Religion and spirituality

Each chapter explores a particular issue affecting preteens and teens today and includes a list of recommended related books—all published within the last decade. Recommendations are grouped by those appropriate for middle-grade readers and those for teens. Better with Books is a valuable resource for parents, teachers, librarians, therapists, and all caregivers who recognize the power of literature to improve young readers' lives.

Genres: Nonfiction, Books About Books, Professional Development, Parenting, Education, Childrens, Reference

304 pages, Paperback

Published April 23, 2019

About the author

I'm an Oregon-based author, journalist, and instructor for the MFA in Creative Writing program at Southern New Hampshire University. My essays and articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, The Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, Real Simple, Orion, High Country News, The Rumpus, Brevity, Woman's Day, The Advocate, Parents, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Hemispheres, and numerous other publications.

I'm the author of The Media Adventurer's Handbook: Decoding Persuasion in Everyday News, Ads, and More (World Citizen Comics, 2023), Daisy Woodworm Changes the World (Jolly Fish, 2022), Better with Books: 500 Diverse Books to Ignite Empathy and Encourage Self-Acceptance in Tweens and Teens(Sasquatch, 2019), the award-winning middle-grade novel Avenging the Owl(Sky Pony, 2016), the memoir Wild Within: How Rescuing Owls Inspired a Family (Lyons, 2007), and the memoir Gringa: A Contradictory Girlhood(Seal, 2005).

I'm a contributing editor at The Writer Magazine, and I teach frequently at writing conferences, libraries, universities, and bookstores. I grew up near Los Angeles with my younger brother, who has Down syndrome. I live in Eugene with my husband and teen daughter, where I love to run and hike long-distance, cross country ski, kayak, cycle, cook, and roam the Pacific Northwest as an amateur naturalist.

Find me on Instagram and Twitter @WildMelissaHart.com, on TikTok @melissamhart , and at www.melissahart.com .

Reviews

[Jennifer G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won an advanced copy of this book. Each chapter centers on a different topic...race and ethnicity, body image, learning challenges, etc. The chapters conclude with a list of contemporary titles for preteens and teens. This is an excellent resource for parents, teachers, librarians, and counselors!

[Lacey Louwagie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I love books, and I love books about books, so this one was pretty much a shoe-in for my approval.

This book reference book is SO easy to use, with the book lists divided first into topics, and within the topics also divided by age-group. It's a librarian, teacher's, or book-lover's dream. All the featured books were published within the last 10 years, so you can feel assured of a similar "sensibility" around hot-topic issues to what kids and teens are experiencing today. My copy is full of page flags ... I think my 2021 reading project might be to actually read all the books I want to from this list!

Most of the diverse books are "own voices" or come from perspectives very close to the communities being written about. In addition to the book list, each section includes a short essay giving some perspective on that particular topic and why it is important to tweens and teens. My only complaint was I felt the book should have included books dealing with "sexuality" in general (both early relationship/sexual experiences and things like sexual assault) rather than limiting the sexuality section to a GLBTQ topic. But then, perhaps themes of sexuality are so pervasive in teen books that a separate section wasn't necessary.

Whether you want to read it cover-to-cover like I did or just jump around to the types of books that interest you, this is a worthwhile compilation for anyone who loves books.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for concept and execution. Hart has done a remarkable service for librarians and teachers. She sifted through hundreds of books and read each of the 500 selected. I'm honored that My Real Name Is Hanna is included.

From School Library Journal: “This exceptionally useful text offers well-curated annotated bibliographies on subjects such as immigration, race and ethnicity, LGBTQIA+ identities, adoption, religion, and poverty, framed by brief and engaging essays on why each topic matters to readers today...this beautifully organized work should become a go-to resource for parents, students of young adult literature, teachers, and librarians.”

[Heather Durham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish this book had been around when I was young, but I am so relieved it is now, when we need it more than ever. I love the layout, with book suggestions divided into subject areas and prefaced by short essays of introduction to the topics. This not only saves hours and days of research for busy teachers, librarians, and parents, but the essays add so much to this collection. Hart’s personal stories, anecdotes, and reflections add texture and depth that make this book worth a read even aside from the book recommendations.

As Hart reports, “cognitive neuropsychologists at the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom found that reading can reduce stress levels by almost 70 percent.” 70 percent! But we booklovers don’t need statistics to tell us how books can make us feel. We know that the right book can turn a life around, even save it. This book is full of the right books. Read it, share it, and help these books reach the young people who need them.

[Kathleen Goodman · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a child and teen therapist this book is so helpful to me so I can recommend great reads for teens and tweens that address issues they are dealing with.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A librarian's dream. Such a great resource!

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. So many choices, and lots of ideas for people who are looking for that just right book for those tweens and teens in their lives.

[Conor Sales · Rating 5 out of 5]

In an era of the internet, we often feel as though we've been given access to the whole world, but in reality, we use it to find others like ourselves and find ourselves distanced from those different from us. Sustained interaction with different ideas and cultures is essential to understanding them, and Better with Books provides an overwhelming pick of reads to develop that understanding. Her research into the world of diverse literature is the most comprehensive you'll find anywhere, and you can consider the list expertly curated.

Beyond the book list, the chapters and analyses of select books are sophisticated and approachable - you truly feel you are in a conversation with a learned author who knows how to approach difficult subjects with humor and grace. But you never feel condescension or a sense that you are being talked down to; this is a voyage of discovery for you about people who have very different experiences, and Hart gently leads you through them.

This book is an important oasis in an era of divisiveness and discrimination. Every family I know will be receiving this book, and books recommended in it, for them to find protagonists that they relate to, and to discover characters that introduce something new to them.

[Kristin DeGarmo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about the different books for each topic. I was disappointed by some of the books being included multiple times in different sections. While I get that, it was kind of annoying reading about the same books multiple times. Anyway, it’s a good resource for books for teens and preteens.

[Karen Filewych · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must have for librarians and teachers of preteens and teens!

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book about a books which have contraversial topics is always a great choice even if you might don't do this usually (or ever)!! I'm still not sure what made me bought this book few years ago, but I don't feel bad about it. It took me long time to read it because of business + stress and I'm so happy that I've had an opportunity to do so. :)♡

[Victoria B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Things I liked:
- It's a book about books!
- The book's organization - each chapter was a different topic; there was a short intro to the topic before the list of books.
- Sections for "preteens" and "teens" so the reader can find age-appropriate options.
- It's a great resource for teachers and librarians when kids are looking for specific topics.
- I was introduced to a fair number of new-to-me books that looked interesting.

Things I didn't like:
- Topic intros seemed a little long.
- Some of the books she mentions are repeated in a later chapter. I wish each chapter had a unique set of books - surely there have been enough books printed in the last decade to have more options. Maybe she could've had a chapter about books that meet a variety of topics instead.

Things I wish would be added:
- I wish she would've had a chapter about books that help you deal with death/terminal illness. I know several of the books she mentioned had death of a family member or friend included, but I mean as a main focus - heart attack, stroke, breast cancer, terminal disease in an infant, organ transplants, heart defect - something that would help kids deal with situations like this in their own lives. I feel like the physical disability chapter lacked more of those (similar to The Fault in Our Stars, which was recommended).
- I didn't see any books in the religion section about Christian tweens/teens who successfully navigate middle school or high school without compromising their beliefs. Many kids feel it's not as cool to be Christian and it's difficult to stand by what you believe with all the temptations available or people pressuring you to do the wrong thing. I know several kids who would appreciate recommendations of books that would meet this need.

Mistakes
Pg. 78 - The title of Jordan Sonnenblick's book is actually "After Ever After" not "Ever After Ever."

[Anneke Alnatour · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are always looking for book recommendations, especially for more diverse books. The girls really got interested that some of their favourites were on the list (Front Desk for B, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon for L), and we have tried quite some books since, and haven't been disappointed so far!

I really enjoyed the fact that there is a difference made between tween and teen books, as I cannot see my girls reading teen books yet, but the books they have read from the tween list were wonderfully appropriate.

Recommended!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very useful collection development aid. It was nice to see that we already had a lot of the books listed in the various chapters, and I was able to add even more to a future book order list. I can see that this book will become less useful as time goes on because the bulk of it is lists of recommended books that deal with the various diversity topics included in the book, and those lists will become dated and incomplete. I really liked how each chapter had two lists, one for tweens and one for teens, making this especially helpful for middle school librarians.

[Patb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great complication of books for preteens and teens to read to help them develop empathy. I like the way they lists were broken down into categories and then into the age groups. This would be a wonderful resource for any middle school/high school librarian or a teen librarian. This would also be a great book for parents who want to share excellent books with their kids. Could have great discussions.

[Marcie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource for middle grade and young adult teachers and librarians and parents and caregivers as well. Wish I had used the categories as goodreads shelves.

Adoption and foster care
Body image
Immigration
Learning challenges
LGBTQIA+ youth
Mental health
Nature and environmentalism
Physical disability
Poverty and homelessness
Race and ethnicity
Religion and spirituality

[Mary DeMocker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is genius. I love that it describes so many novels -- 500! -- and that they're all recently published; young people can really relate to them and the real-world problems the characters face. This is a powerful resources for libraries, parents, counselors, and educators, including religious educators.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a teacher, this was such an amazing resource to stumble upon! I added so many books to my To Read list and found some of my favorites on some lists, too. Overall, the lists and blurbs in each section led me to find many high-quality books that address so many of life’s big challenges. I hope my readers can connect with or learn to have empathy through these books!

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book discussing different topics that important for Teens/Tweens, each topic includes a list of books on the topic for tweens and for teens. A great resource for a librarian or teacher who works with tweens/teens.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good resource. There were books that I hadn't heard of, and a few that I had heard of, but this books' synopsis convinced me to read. This would be a nice start for a diversity audit for a library YA collection.

[Amber Kuehler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book would be an awesome gift for a new upper elementary or middle school reading teacher! The book recommendations are spot on and I love that they move away from the basic genres and focus on more important themes!

[Rea Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good resource. Nicely curated book lists by age and topic.

I'm going to keep this handy for those "do you have a book about..." questions.

[sophia ! · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks, Papa, for picking this out for me at the library! 😘

[Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really excellent resource for anyone who has a tween or teen in their life. I do wish she had included older books as well.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome resource for anyone needing to find books featuring diverse characters. I'm using it to find books featuring characters on the Autism spectrum for the teen collection.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good after reading it when it came in for the collection I went and bought it immediately so I can just keep in my office and handy for whenever I need it

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: mentions of bullying, family separation, mental health. That covers the essay sections. Also trigger warnings for basically anything you can think of in the descriptions of the 500 books this mentions.

3.5 stars.

I read this for work and I've come out the other side with a list of dozens of books I'd never heard of to chase down and read that sounded fantastic, so reading it was definitely a positive experience. I also appreciated that the vast majority of the books in here were published between 2013 and 2018, because so often books like this get hung up on recommending old school YA like Judy Blume or The Summer of My German Soldier. This was very current - I think the oldest book I saw mentioned was from 2009.

But I do have four criticisms of this book:
1. Almost every book in here is a contemporary story. And, like, sure, that's where you find the majority of diverse representation. But I'm not entirely sure why genre fiction was almost entirely excluded (I think there were half a dozen dystopian books mentioned and one fantasy book) when you're trying to do something as comprehensive as this was.
2. It's very VERY American. And I get it - the author is American, she's writing about what she knows. There were...three? Four??...Australian YA books that I noticed, but I don't think I saw any UK YA in here, let alone Canadian, New Zealand or translated from elsewhere in the world. And frankly, that's slightly disappointing to me because there are so many amazing YA books that can ignite empathy and self-acceptance in American teens, but they don't get the chance to do it because they're not given big marketing strategies.
3. There weren't a lot of joyful stories in here. I get that Hart was trying to round up as many diverse stories as she could, but I reached the point where if I read one more blurb about a kid escaping from abuse or whose parents were manufacturing meth or whose sister had died of a heroin overdose, I was going to scream. Diverse kids don't just need to see themselves represented in fiction, they need to see themselves in JOYFUL stories. And white, straight, able-bodied, neurotypical kids need to realise that diverse kids can be the protagonists of joyful stories too.
4.Own Voices. Hart mentions the Own Voices movement in one of the introductory essays, but there's no indication of which books are Own Voices and which aren't. And, like, I understand that that information isn't always easy to find. I understand that particularly in the chapters on, say, homelessness or religion, it's harder than usual to find out if it's an Own Voices story. But even if it had been mentioned which stories were Own Voices where she'd been able to find out that information, it would have been helpful.

So on the whole, I'm glad I read this and it's given me plenty of ideas. But it could have been even more useful than it currently is.

(Also, I would have loved to see Indigenous and First Nations stories as a separate chapter rather than mixed in with stories about race and ethnicity...)

[Paul Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a teacher-librarian at a middle school I am always looking for books that will meet the needs and interests of a wide variety of young people, and books that I hope will help them see themselves represented or see the lives and perspectives of others and develop deeper empathy for different people. I usually go several places online or visit different bookstores in person to see what's out there for different kids, but I've never seen a book written with the purpose of helping the reader find books that meet the different needs of different young people and help them with both self-acceptance and empathy toward others...UNTIL NOW...because that's what Melissa Hart's awesome book "BETTER WITH BOOKS" is and I highly recommend it to librarians, teachers, parents, and anyone looking for titles and synopsis of many books with themes connected to the following different areas that the author explores: Adoption & Foster Care, Body Image, Immigration, Learning Challenges, LGBTQIA+, Mental Health, Nature & Environmentalism, Physical Disability, Poverty & Homelessness, Race & Ethnicity, and Religion & Spirituality. I got the chance to meet Melissa Hart at a couple different book events and she is a wonderful person who I greatly thank for putting together this important booklist and the heartfelt writing that goes along with it in every chapter. I hope she creates another one as time goes on and more excellent books for young people are written. Meanwhile, I am going to make sure my school library has many of the titles she recommends.

[John Hannam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oregon author Melissa Hart has compiled a spectacular resource for parents, teachers, and kids. This book provides reading recommendations for tweens/teens, their parents, and classroom teachers. The topics spread a wide berth of challenging topics; racism, body image, and disabilities. I've read some of her recommendations and found some new books to dive into as well.

As a parent, this book truly helped me identify books to introduce my kids to. I can read alongside them and we can discuss these challenging topics together. Being challenged to think outside our small little space in the world, while growing empathy for others and ourselves is a wonderful way to move the world in a positive direction.

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This reference of books for tween and teenage readers offers a variety of books on different topics pertaining to this age group. Each chapter is dedicated to a specific subject- such as bullying, friendship, family issues, etc.-that is further broken up into sections of books for each age group. Many of the recommended titles are fairly recent, so many of them will be familiar to readers up to date in children's and YA books. The overall book is nicely organized and easy to use, which is helpful if you're looking for books on a particular topic. Great for anyone to use who wants their young readers to have a broader perspective on a unique variety of subjects.