Back to Family Guide Homepage

Middle & High School Years (Ages 12-17)

Finding themselves in life and in books

As children progress through middle school and high school, books are still an important entry point for conversations, but the substance of these conversations changes immensely. We understand that in this stage of parenting, communication can be difficult at times, but once again, a good book with a great, relatable character can help. Two-thirds of parents of teens (63%) agree, and believe it is important for their child to read books with characters who are similar to them and their experiences. What’s more, the majority of parents of teens (86%) believe that books can create opportunities for them to have conversations with their child, and most parents of teens (69%) have used a book to help their child with something they are experiencing.

At this age, kids place a greater importance on friendship and begin to develop their own sense of identity that is separate from their family. This time presents an opportunity for parents to support their teens and their newfound priorities with books. According to the research, parents of teens (ages 12-17) continue to use books to help their kids:

Parents of 12–17-year-olds use children’s book to help their child. Top ways include exploring their interests (43%), understanding feelings and emotions (39%) and getting ready for a new experience or event (30%).

It’s worth recognizing that being a teen today is challenging; there is evidence that teens are struggling and their mental health is suffering. With the uncertainty presented by the world today, books remain an invaluable tool.

Frequent readers report being less nervous or anxious, sad or depressed, and lonely than infrequent readers.
Teens who read more report having better mental health.
54% of teens say a book has helped them with their feelings or emotions including confidence (28%) and happiness (24%).

For parents, books can be used to help their child for any number of reasons, and they know that books have helped their children and themselves get through difficult times. Half of parents of teens (56%) say that there have been moments when a book helped their child get through a difficult time, and 71% of parents overall say a book has helped them get through a difficult time as well. Similar to parents, teens recognize that there have been moments when books have helped them get through a difficult time (52%).

 

Parents of children across all ages, when surveyed, agree that a book can help readers develop positive feelings and qualities (92%). And for teens ages 12-17, books offer even more, including opportunities for introspection–half of teens (54%) say a book has helped them with their feelings, including confidence (28%), happiness (24%), and feeling thankful (21%).

54% of teens say a book has helped them with their feelings or emotions including confidence (28%) and happiness (24%).

This is encouraging, especially when considering that among surveyed participants, parents would most like their child to develop qualities including:

Parents say they would most like their child to develop a variety of skills including self-confidence (53%), responsibility (51%) and resilience (23%, up from 13% in 2018).

Continued reading

The Scholastic Mental Health Resources site offers curated resources to help students, families, and educators address mental health challenges, build resilience, develop empathy, and cultivate emotional intelligence.

The Scholastic Parents Team compiled a list of books that help teens navigate bullying.

A few great titles to add to your shelves: