3 Must-Read SEL Books for Teens!

[NateKosnich]

Content Warning: This article will list books that contain racism, violence, self-harm, eating disorders, and depression. 

1.) The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas

What list of YA SEL books would be complete without The Hate You Give? Written in 2017, this novel follows Starr Carter—a 16-year-old black girl from a poor neighborhood attending a rich, white private school. Starr’s world, already surrounded by violence, comes to a screeching halt when Khalil, a young black teenager, is shot and killed in front of her by a white police officer. As the only witness to the murder, Starr is forced to speak out against the media’s unfavorable depiction of Khalil as a violent thug, putting her right in the middle of her two very separate worlds. The Hate You Give pulls no punches in terms of racism, poverty, identity, and justice.

How does this book promote social-emotional learning in teenagers? Well, for one, The Hate You Give is a harrowing, yet all too realistic depiction of the inequalities that people of color face on a daily basis. Students who are from a place of privilege should develop empathy for the underprivileged after reading this novel—and understand the consequences that underprivileged people face just for being born in a certain place. Reading The Hate You Give will inspire advocates for change. Teenagers will enjoy dissecting the themes of the novel themselves, as the book offers a mature and realistic depiction of being a teenager.

Thomas, A. (2017). The Hate You Give. HarperCollins.

Buy it here!

2.) Wintergirls by Laurie-Halse Anderson

At this point, we’ve come to understand that Laurie Halse Anderson will bring some hard-hitting YA fiction to the table; Wintergirls is no exception. Written in 2009, this book follows 18-year-old Lia, a Wintergirl—not quite dead, yet not fully alive, frozen by anorexia and self-harm. After hearing the news that her ex-best friend, Cassie, has died due to complications with bulimia, Lia spirals even harder, further separating herself from her family, further pulling her away from the living world. Haunted by the death of Cassie, Lia is running out of options in this book that details grief, relationships with friends and families, and guilt.

Wintergirls really touches on 5 areas of SEL: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Young readers might relate to Lia’s story, and if they don’t, then they will empathize with her struggle. Eating disorders have a besmirched stigma attached to them, but so many young people develop some sort of eating disorder at some point in their life. This book is a stark reminder that humans are not defined by their mental health struggles; we are all intricate, complex beings with emotions and feelings. Wintergirls explicitly deals with Lia’s growth as an individual, and young people should read about adversity, as they deal with adversity in everyday life.

Anderson, L.H. (2009). Wintergirls. Penguin Books (2010 Reprint).

Buy it here!

3.) Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

Written in 2018, Darius the Great is Not Okay has picked up some serious hardware, winning the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, the Heartland Booksellers Award for Young Adult/Middle Grade, and the Middle East Book Award for Youth Literature, along with other awards and nominations. The book follows Darius, an Iranian/American teenager with clinical depression who struggles to fit in with his peers. After learning that his grandmother in Iran has a brain tumor, Darius and his family travel to her country to connect with her before she dies. On this healing journey of self-discovery, making friends, and dealing with depression, Darius is forced to come into his own in a brand-new setting.

First, I would like to highlight the importance of literature that fights against xenophobia, especially as it seems like a huge point of contention in recent years. Young people should be exposed to many different cultures to understand and appreciate the nuances of different cultures. Darius the Great is Not Okay also encourages children to talk to their parents about their mental health struggles, reinforcing the idea that asking for help does not make you weak or small. This book is a great support for teens who are on a journey of self-discovery, all while touching on loss and difficulty in making friends—sounds like a perfect fit for young adult readers.

Khorram, A. (2018). Darius the Great is Not Okay. Dial Books.

Buy it here!