Books for Teen

I work at a bookstore which focuses on spiritual themes and philosophy, and I'm trying to create a reading list for teens that deals with concepts of self care, spirituality, mindfulness, etc. Any ideas? Thanks!!

I always thought teenagers read books targeting adult readers, and children read books about teenagers, and babies get read books about children. Not much help am I
:pinch:
I don't have kids so I'm hopeless on this question, and for me it was Zen Karate by Randall Bassett which started my interest in spiritual stuff (and a Catholic upbringing, and Star Wars etc), but that was a long time ago. At that age they are just starting growing into that growth spurt which will go onto define them so much in ongoing terms as an adult, so I'd be more focused on practical skills and knowledge rather then asking questions about myself when I haven't even really had time to become myself yet.

Do you mean teenagers with problems beyond their control perhaps, like psychology for kids type of thing etc?

Definitely that sort of thing, but mainly I'm thinking books that are very accessible for younger people. Not too esoteric, not focused on any single tradition (but perhaps shying away from anything traditionally religious in favor of "reasoned mindfulness"). Things that you read between the ages of 13-early 20's that really helped you get through problems; books that offer new perspectives - really anything that might be beneficial for teens over a wide range. These don't have to be books written just for teens, though that is of course fine too, but mainly just really good books that teens might benefit from.

Dan Millman's book Peaceful Warrior is a nice possibility for instance, as is Marcus Aurelius's meditations, but the latter of these is a little harder to 'sell' in some circumstances, and the former addresses things from a very male perspective - I'd like to escape the gender-specific confines.

Thanks for replying!

honestly i feel that teenagers should be given adult stuff - especially american teenagers, we have stupidly low expectations of kids in america, and they usually live up to them lol

theres a lot of work out there that doesnt market itself as spiritual but is

dune series for one - not overtly spiritual but herbert delves perceptively into the religious and psychological and sociological in a compelling way

hemmingway - Old Man and the Sea shook me, and even made me grow up a little bit
in a way, more than any other book that i canthink of, actually

i always recommend castaneda - the sophistication of his framework is second to none and i am convinced there is some truth to his claims of having been the apprentice of a sorcerer for the simple fact that i dont believe he was smart enough to comeup with all of that on his own
he is plenty easy enough for a teenager to follow and he will introduce them to ideas that are really psychologically empowering

nietzsche is fun even when you dont understand everything and jung is brutal to read but if you can do it he will help you find new eyes

dt suzuki

lol louis l'amoure matter of fact - hiis genre was the american western and theres never any proselytizing or outright moralizing but he really makes you take an honest look at what it means to have courage and to do what you know is right - or not
he was quite an impressive man and his writing was powerful imo

i dont really like to be too new agey but since you mention millman i would add deepak chopra "return of merlin" and stuart wilde "the quickening"

but i think that kind of writing should be balanced out with something like "a brief history of time"
or anything with a real science basis
sagan or neil degrass tyson i guess although i have t read them - im sure theyre great as ive seen both of them talk a lot abd i love what they have to say


anything mircea eliade

again i know some of this is a little more adult than you had in mind

but i read a lot of these authors as a teen and i know that its possible

jung maybe not lol i can barely read him now but the others yeah definitely

Personally I agree... but I also think there's value in finding works that feature teens - Sophie's World is on my list for instance. I put Small Gods by Terry Pratchett on my list haha, but mostly I'm looking for more specific introductions. DUNE is great, but the stuff I put on this list needs to focus on pure philosophy or spirituality.

I really want introductory work on philosophy specifically geared for girls - any ideas there?

EDIT: my goal is to sneakily direct teens interested in woowoo and new age stuff (or traditional religion) toward real depositories of philosophical thought.

Locksley wrote: I work at a bookstore which focuses on spiritual themes and philosophy, and I'm trying to create a reading list for teens that deals with concepts of self care, spirituality, mindfulness, etc. Any ideas? Thanks!!

Merlin Adventure Series by TA Barron (Including all of his other works)
Warriors by Erin Hunter
Golden Compass by ......I forget the Author....Hrmmm
Narnia Book Series
Dune

All of these are what helped me on my Jedi Path as a Teen and gave me a Spiritual/Philosophical outlook on life when I had no other influences. (My parents were keenly against religion)

I recommend all of them highly.

The first few philosophical books I read—which helped me start my path—were:

The Tao of Jeet Kune Do
Everyday Tao
Zen in the Martial Arts
The Secret of Shambhala: In Search of the Eleventh Insight

Mind you, these seem specialized, but even if you aren't a martial artist, a Taoist, or haven't read the 9th and 10th Insights, these books were very important to my development, and they opened many doors for me spiritually. I hope this helps you with your list, Locksley