Check out these nonfiction titles to get some perspective on how to survive being a pre-teen or teenage guy.
Bad Boy: A Memoir Walter Dean myers
Amistad, 2002 Grades 7 and up School Library Journal Review: "This superb memoir begins simply with an account of Myers's family history and his boyhood. Vivid detail makes the Harlem of the '40s come alive, from the music and children's games to the everyday struggle for survival. As Myers grows older, however, his story also grows in complexity. Soon readers are caught up in his turbulent adolescence and his slow, painful development as a writer. The author's growing awareness of racism and of his own identity as a black man make up one of the most interesting threads. Young writers will find inspiration here, while others may read the book as a straightforward account of a colorful, unforgettable childhood."
Guys Write for Guys Read: Boys' Favorite Authors write about being boys
Viking Juvenile, 2008 Grades 6-9
Booklist Review: "More than 80 guys (from Lloyd Alexander to Paul Zelinsky) contribute very short anecdotes about their boyhood. Scieszka has truly compiled a who's who of male writers, many from the YA world: Chris Crutcher reminisces about a disgusting high-school initiation rite involving raw oysters; M. T. Anderson recalls his constant worrying; Richard Peck writes of a Halloween prank gone awry; and Darren Shaw provides a "manguyifesto," asserting that guys burp and wrestle and "don't do pink." True, a few of the entries read like old guys reminiscing about the halcyon days of boyhood, which may make it difficult for some kids to connect, but fans will want to read about individual authors, and the inclusion of a bibliography for each writer will make it easy to find more books. Short entries and often lively subject matter make this a fine choice for reluctant readers. All in all, it's fun to read true stories from the lives of well-loved authors, and these fellas certainly know how to spin a yarn."
American Medical Association Boy's Guide to Becoming a Teen
Jossey-Bass, 2006 Grades 4-7
Booklist Review: "Published in conjunction with the American Medical Association, this guide addresses puberty's changes clearly, and many of the seemingly male-oriented topics covered here could also interest girls: weight-lifting, for example, and handling arguments that escalate into physical fights. Cartoon drawings of too-perfect teens illustrate, but as in Girl's Guide to Becoming a Teen(2006) by the same author, the text's approach is straightforward, accessible, and nonjudgmental, whether the topic is same-sex attraction or divorcing parents. The volume closes with an extensive resource section, including hotlines."
Got Your Back: Dealing with Friends and Enemies Ryan Basen
Essential Library, 2010
*This is one book of the Essential Health: A Guy's Guide series. Other titles are available.*
Book description, taken from Amazon.com: "Your friends are probably some of the most important people in your life. The good ones will be with you through everything-good and bad. But making and keeping friends can be difficult. What if you're not vry outgoing? Or what if you switch schools and have to make all new friends? What if you're bullied-or find yourself becoming a bully? How far should you go to fit in? Handling pressure at school or on the field. Going through a growth spurt-or not. Dealing with parents, friends, classmates, teachers, and coaches. Starting-and ending-relationships. Just trying to fit in. When did life suddenly get so intense? A Guy's Guide covers issues that preteen and teen guys deal with every day. True-to-life stories and problems pair with real advice in this series designed to tell it like it is and to help you take action. Because sometimes, everyone needs an assist."
You Hear me? Poems and Writing by Teenage boys
Candlewick, 2001 Grades 7 and up
School Library Journal Review: "Through these mostly free-verse lines, the hopes, dreams, fears, and desires of young men from different cultures and backgrounds shine through. They pull no punches with their words in these openly honest, raw, and sometimes tender selections. They talk about what you'd expect-drugs, girls, AIDS, sex, parents-sometimes in unexpected ways. For example, 12-year-old Quantedius Hall's first stanza-"Time Somebody Told Me/That I am lovely, good and real/That I am beautiful inside/If they only knew/How that would make me feel." Obviously, there's some harsh language and tough situations but they add to the believability and timeliness of the words. You Hear Me? is a fresh approach to hearing what today's youths have to say, and it's refreshing that the words came straight from them."
100 Things guys Need to know Bill zimmerman
Free Spirit Publishing, 2005 Grades 4-7
School Library Journal Review: "Zimmerman surveyed over 500 boys, ages 9 to 13, and offers their insights in this benign collection of tips for success. Organized into six sections You, Body and Mind, Family, School, Relationships, and Future these bits of wisdom generally boil down to being true to oneself and acting with personal integrity. Unfortunately, they are spooned out in platitudes, like Communication Is Important, Friends and Family Can Mix, Do What's Right for You, and Explore Your Interests. Zimmerman includes numerous quotes from his survey results and boxed items such as A Guy Like You, Take Action!, Fact, Check This Out, and Tips to beef up the once-over-lightly text with some actual details and empowering suggestions. Cartoon drawings decorate the pages, with spreads of Guy Comix illustrating the text with situational scenarios. The net effect is not unlike reading a collection of brief self-help articles from a teen magazine."
No Excuses: Kyle Maynard
Regnery Publishing, 2006
About the author, take from Amazon.com: "Kyle Maynard was born in 1986 with a rare disorder called congenital amputation. He has no forearms, shortened legs, and stands only four feet tall. Yet Kyle has learned to live a full and active life. Besides dealing with everyday challenges, he is an excellent student, has impeccable handwriting, and can type fifty words a minute. A competitor to the core, Kyle was determined to succeed as an athlete. Through hard work, the support of his family, and a coach who designed new wrestling moves like the "jawbreaker" and "buzz saw," Kyle became one of the top high school wrestlers in the state of Georgia. In 2005, he broke the world record in the modified bench press by lifting 360 pounds, three times his body weight. Kyle is the 2004 ESPY Award Winner (Best Athlete with a Disability) and a recipient of the President’s Award for the Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame. He is currently a student at the University of Georgia."
The teen's Guide to World Domination Josh Shipp
St. Martin's Griffin, 2010 Grades 8-11
About the Author from Amazon.com: "Josh Shipp is a teen-advice guru and motivational speaker and host of the TV show Jump Shipp. Josh has earned an international reputation as a leading authority on teen communication that’s “in your face, but on your side.” Abandoned and abused as a child and raised in a dozen different foster homes, Josh has taken his past of hurt and neglect, turned it around, and used it as a catalyst for helping others. Seen on MTV, CNN, NBC, FOX, and Comedy Central, and featured in the Los Angeles Times and Inc. magazine’s “30 Under 30: America’s Coolest Young Entrepreneurs,” his inspiring personal story and life-changing message has reached more than a million teens…and counting"