Skate

Reach for this book if your teenager is struggling with feelings of being overlooked by the systems meant to protect them or if they are navigating a difficult home life. It is a raw, deeply resonant story about Ian, a high schooler who decides to take his younger brother away from their neglectful mother to find their long-lost father in Washington State. It explores the heavy burdens of responsibility, poverty, and the fierce bond between siblings in the face of adult failure. While the story deals with harsh realities like homelessness and parental substance abuse, it is ultimately a testament to resilience and self-reliance. It is most appropriate for mature middle schoolers and high schoolers who appreciate gritty, realistic fiction. Parents might choose this book to open a dialogue about justice, what it means to be a man, and the importance of finding one's own path when the map provided by adults is broken.