Teen Parenting: True to Life Perspectives
Bechard, Margaret
Hanging on to Max
It seems like all the other teen parents have help while Sam is struggling
with the midnight feedings alone. He knows the crazy hours he’s keeping
can’t continue, but any alternative feels like giving up on his baby
Max.
Biggs, Undra E.
When You Look at Me
Tamlyn and Hassan are both struggling with the realities of parenthood
when they meet. They fall in love and their lives are forever changed.
Brooks, Martha
True Confessions of a Heartless Girl
Noreen hasn’t lived with her parents for years. At seventeen, she’s
pregnant and in need of adult support. She ends up in a small Canadian town
where she learns the value of community.
Caseley, Judith
Losing Louisa
Lacey describes what happens in her family when her older sister Louisa
becomes pregnant. Whatever choice Louisa makes, it’s clear that she’ll
never be the same.
Clarke, Kathryn Ann
The Breakable Vow
Annie and Mark are teen parents and recently married. When the baby arrives,
Mark becomes abusive. Annie wants to leave but fears for the safety of her
child.
Cole, Sheila
What Kind of Love?: The Diary of a Pregnant Teenager
From her Planned Parenthood appointment that doesn’t go as planned
to her meeting with the adoption agency, Valerie’s diary reveals her
deepest thoughts about her pregnancy.
Dessen, Sarah
Someone Like You
Halley and Scarlett have been best friends forever but everything seems
to be changing -- first Scarlett’s boyfriend is killed in a tragic
motorcycle crash and to top it off, Scarlett’s pregnant. It’s
Halley’s chance to prove just what it really means to be a best friend.
Fienberg, Anna
Borrowed Light
Life seems to move in slow motion for Callisto as her appointment with
the abortion clinic draws near.
Grant, Cynthia D.
The White Horse
Pregnant Raina escapes her mother’s drug abuse, only to find herself
living on the streets. Can a trusted teacher provide the help she needs?
Horniman, Joanne
Mahalia
Matt loves his newborn Mahalia with all his heart, but as the realities
of poverty and parenting sink in, he learns that love alone is not enough.
Hrdlitschka, Shelley
Dancing Naked
As Kia’s due date nears, she realizes that life now poses more serious
decisions for her than what to do about her latest crush.
Johnson, Angela
The First Part Last
Bobby’s life changes forever when he is left to raise his daughter
alone. The story alternates from “then”, when his girlfriend
first told him she was pregnant, to “now”, as Bobby struggles
to do right by his baby on his own.
McDonald, Janet
Chill Wind
Nineteen-year-old Aisha, a high school dropout with two young children,
worries about supporting herself and her children in New York City without
the help of welfare.
McDonald, Janet
Spellbound
Raven, a teenage mother, decides to study for a spelling bee which could
lead to a college scholarship and a better life for her and her son.
McWilliams, Kelly
Doormat
Jaime’s used to being overshadowed by her best friend Melissa, but
when Melissa finds out she’s pregnant, Jaime is forced to come out
of her shell in order to help.
Olsen, Sylvia
The Girl with a Baby
Jane draws strength from her Native American grandmother as she sets
out to raise her baby Destiny. In time, the aptly named baby transforms
the lives of everyone around her.
Oughton, Jerrie
Perfect Family
When her parents discover she is pregnant, Welcome is sent to live with
her childless aunt and uncle.
Pennebaker, Ruth
Don’t
Think Twice
It’s 1967and Anne is sent to a home for unwed pregnant girls, where
she learns how to be herself in the company of the other girls turned away
by society.
Plummer, Louise
A Dance for Three
When fifteen-year-old Hannah becomes pregnant and her rich, popular boyfriend
claims he is not responsible, she is forced to face some hard facts about
her life.
Porter, Connie Rose
Imani All Mine
Tasha’s life is surrounded by inner-city gangs and when her baby Imani
is born, she’s unable to shelter her from the violence.
Reynolds, Marilyn
Baby Help
Living with her boyfriend, their baby and his mother is a life Melissa
doesn’t question, but when her boyfriend becomes verbally and physically
abusive she realizes it’s time for things to change.
Reynolds, Marilyn
Detour for Emmy
Emmy has a seemingly perfect life until she discovers that she is pregnant.
Now the future she always saw for herself seems less clear.
Reynolds, Marilyn
Too Soon for Jeff
Jeff’s pregnant girlfriend refuses to get an abortion, insisting that
they should raise the baby together. Jeff’s plan for enjoying his
college scholarship now seems out of reach.
Sparks, Beatrice
Annie’s
Baby: The Diary of Anonymous, a Pregnant Teenager
Annie is pregnant by her abusive boyfriend. She doesn’t know what
she’s going to do once the baby arrives or even what’s really
going on with her body, but she continues to write in her diary throughout
the process.
Sweeney, Joyce
Waiting for June
Sophie is pregnant and plans to keep the identity of her baby’s father
a secret. But now, on top of her fears about being a young mother, someone
is sending her death threats.
Taylor, Michelle
What’s
Happily Ever After, Anyway?
Miranda is living the ever-after fantasy, but then she finds out she’s
pregnant and her belief in true love is long forgotten as she and her boyfriend
try to agree on what to do next.
Velásquez, Gloria
Teen Angel
Pregnant and heartbroken, Celia tries to figure out what to do next without
the support of the baby’s father.
Wild, Margaret
One Night
When Helen finds out she’s pregnant, her parents don’t want
anything to do with her and the baby’s father won’t return her
calls. She’s left relying on people she would never expect.
Williams, Lori Aurelia
Broken China
When China’s baby dies she makes sure she has a beautiful funeral
but then she has to accept a sketchy job to cover the huge bills. Soon China
is left making unthinkable choices as she struggles to make ends meet.
Woodson, Jacqueline
The Dear One
Feni’s mother offers her home to fifteen-year-old Rebecca, who is
expecting a baby. At first Feni is reluctant about sharing her room with
a stranger but with time an unforgettable friendship grows.
Zeises, Lara M.
Contents Under Pressure
Lucy idolizes her older brother Jack, but she could do without his girlfriend
Hannah. Her feelings change when she learns that Hannah is pregnant and
Jack isn’t stepping up to help.
Youth Services Division December 2005