Finding Worthy Books for Teens
By Hollie Parry and Cheryl Caldwell

As longtime friends, we share a love of books. We are particularly interested in the young adult/teen genre and are constantly on the lookout for new authors. We have found that when looking through lists of recommended reading for teens in libraries and bookstores, many of these much-publicized titles are disappointing.

We had mistakenly assumed, like many parents would, that because books were on the suggested list, that they would be appropriate for youth to read. We found, however, that most recommended books were racy and contained swearing, lewd language and references.

We were even unable to finish several of these books ourselves — despite our experience in the world as returned missionaries, wives, and mothers. We soon realized that the best way to find a reading list we could trust for our own children and for others was to generate one together.

We know how difficult it is to teach sound values and bring children up in “truth and righteousness” in a society where media blasts immorality, deceit, and evil packaged in glitz and glamour to appear good. We know that the images portrayed in books are as powerful and lasting to the mind as those that are found in movies or magazines. Our aim is to provide a resource of books that parents can recommend to their children, without worrying about harmful content.

President Hinckley has said, “You know that your children will read. They will read books, and they will read magazines and newspapers. Cultivate within them a taste for the best … Expose them to good books.” 

Our Teen Books column will strive to recommend books that are considered “good books.” We realize that people have different tastes and interests in books. What may be a great read to us, may not always capture the attention of all readers. But we hope that this column brings some options that are wholesome, safe, and interesting as well. We welcome your comments and suggestions of books that you like. 

As a starter, here are some books that appealed to us:

The Story of My Life by Farah Ahmedi is a true story about the author, an Afghan teenage refuge living in Chicago. She starts her story by telling of her childhood, full of childish laughter and the happiness of being nestled in her large family. Her life changes drastically one day, as she steps on a hidden land mine and loses her leg. A few years later, Farah’s father and sisters are killed by a rocket and her brothers flee to Pakistan for their lives from the Taliban. 

Farah and her mother are left to hide in a damaged home without walls and no way to provide for themselves, as under the Taliban reign women are beaten if seen in the streets without a man to accompany them. Farah becomes the driving force in the survival of her heartbroken mother and herself, as she first battles their way to Pakistan and then eventually to America. 

Just when Farah feels that she has finally reached safety, she finds new challenges in living in a foreign country, learning English, and dealing with the everyday struggles of being a teenager. She finds that through the love and kindness of God-sent strangers, her life is spared and guided at every turn.

This story is astounding and heart-wrenching. Farah Ahmedi deserves credit for telling her heart-wrenching story and for remaining strong and unrelenting throughout her difficult trials. The Story of My Life takes readers into the amazing life of a young girl who wills herself to survive and triumph despite unbelievable adversity. Farah writes her story as a junior in high school with the help of Tamin Ansary.

Beauty: The Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley is a twist on the old familiar tale. Beauty’s name is a joke as she is not the glorious, beautiful woman seen in the Disney movie. She is the youngest teenage daughter of a ruined ship merchant and her given name is Honour. Honour is short and skinny, with big feet and hands, bland hair, muddy eyes, and acne. When she finds out what her real name means as a child, she declares that she would rather be called Beauty than Honour. Her amused family started calling her Beauty and her original name was forgotten.

Beauty’s family leaves the city to live in a small cottage in a country village called Blue Hill. The family’s cottage is bordered by a forest, through which the townspeople never pass. The dark, mysterious forest is said to be enchanted and occupied by a ferocious monster. It is known by everyone that one never drinks from the stream of clear water that runs from the forest.  Despite the warnings, Beauty and her magnificent horse Greatheart, drink from the forbidden stream early one morning. As nothing seemingly comes from drinking the water, Beauty returns to her home, putting the foolish tales of danger out of her mind.

Beauty’s father journeys to the city to follow up on news of one of his lost fleet. When returning home from the city he is caught in a snowstorm and takes a short cut through the deep, forbidden woods. He stumbles upon a castle and finds respite from the storm. The next morning before leaving the castle, he takes a rose from the beautiful garden to take to Beauty. It is there that he meets the angered Beast. A deal is struck between the two: the father’s life in exchange for Beauty. When the father returns to the cottage with the sad tale, Beauty insists that she will go to the castle to spare her father’s life.

This story may become one of your favorite books. The character, Beauty, has great depth and is easy to relate to. You will enjoy reading Beauty if you are a person who has ever felt inadequate next to others, if you have ever had to do something you really didn’t want to do, or if you just like a great story. Although the ending of the story is inevitable, the “retelling of the story of Beauty and the Beast” captivates readers until the last page.

Taylor Five, by Ann Halam, is the story of a girl who lives with her parents and brother on an orangutan reserve on the island of Borneo. Taylor finds out at a young age that she is one of five of the most unique teenagers in the world. She is a clone. As the story continues, she finds that if being a clone isn’t overwhelming enough, her body has the ability to produce cells and blood that can be harvested as medicine for other people. Tay feels betrayed and lost in a sea of many decisions. She is faced with searching for her own identity. Early on in the book, hostile rebel forces set the reserve on fire, separating Tay and her brother Donny from their parents.  With the help of an old orangutan, who seems to be more human than animal, the children must fight their way through the rain forest and desert to find help and rescue. On the journey Tay must discover her own identify, beyond being a clone.

Taylor Five is a story of sadness and courage. It is hard to put this book down, as the conflicts in Tay’s life seemed insurmountable.  It was also hard to predict how the book would end. You will enjoy this book if you are a reader who likes to read about science fiction mixed in with the realities of life that we all face. Taylor’s struggle with identity and constant changing of emotions can be understood by all of us who have ever had to figure out who we really are.