books

Books for parents of teens

 Julie Schumacher began writing adult fiction but found that she really enjoyed writing for younger adults. Her latest novel, "Black Box," is about a teenage girl's depression. Schumacher, who teaches creative writing at the University of Minnesota, shared what she calls "five books that might get your 14- to 18-year-old to talk to you."

"Into the Wild," by Jon Krakauer: Selfish or selflessly idealistic? After graduating from college, Christopher McCandless cuts all ties with his family, gives away his savings and heads for the wilderness of Alaska. Read the book, a true story -- then sit on the couch with the family to watch the movie.

"Godless," by Pete Hautman: Hautman, a Minnesotan, tackles the subject of belief (and lack of belief) in this literary and philosophical page-turner. Jason, the main character, invents Chutengodianism, a religion whose main deity is the town's water tower. Scary, thought-provoking and funny, "Godless" refuses easy answers.

"The Handmaid's Tale," by Margaret Atwood: Atwood's classic work of "speculative fiction" portrays a future in which infertility is rampant and child-bearing women are assigned as "handmaids" to politically powerful men. Is feminism dead? This book could revive it.

"Monster," by Walter Dean Myers: The story of a 16-year-old in prison and on trial for murder. Steve Harmon, the protagonist, sees his traumatic and troubling experience as a movie script, and wrestles with the courtroom portrayal of himself as something less than human.

"Autobiography of a Face," by Lucy Grealy: To what extent are we the physical faces we present to the world? In this memoir Lucy Grealy writes straightforwardly, and often with bitter humor, about the facial deformity that caused other people to stare at her and reject her throughout most of her childhood.

KIM ODE