I don’t know about you, but whenever I’m dealing with a challenge or situation where I feel I need more support, my first step is always to turn to a book. I believe in the power of stories to help readers better understand difficult issues, get insight into how to face them, and most of all, realize that they’re not alone. It’s that belief that led me to create the Louder Than Words series of teen-authored memoirs dealing with serious issues.

In this same vein, The Inspire USA Foundation, which created the youth mental health site ReachOut.com, has just released a list of recommended YA fiction dealing with the serious issues that many teens today face. Their goal? To promote positive mental health and build awareness of ReachOut.com as a resource for teen and young adult readers of popular YA fiction.

And for teens wanting to virtually connect with others struggling with the same challenges, Inspire USA is hosting a series of live author chats on Ustream through May (Mental Health Awareness Month), hosted by the fabulous YA author and Readergirlz Diva Melissa Walker.

And without further ado…here is the list of recommended reads, organized by topic!

• Bullying: Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2010)
• Depression: It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini (Hyperion, 2006)
• Eating Disorders: Skin by Adrienne Maria Vrettos (Simon & Schuster, 2006)
• Helping A Friend: Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher (HarperTeen, 2003)
• Manic Depression/Bipolar Disorder: Nobel Genes by Rune Michaels (Atheneum, 2010)
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Ball Don’t Lie by Matt de la Pena (Delacorte, 2005)
• Schizophrenia: A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler (Flux, 2010)
• Self Harm: Cut by Patricia McCormick (Front Street, 2000)
• Suicide: Hold Still by Nina LaCour (Dutton, 2009)
• Abuse: The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin (Penguin Group USA/Dial, 2006)

It’s gift-giving season, and I often get asked by parents of girls and young women if I have any recommendations for magazines or books that have a positive, empowering message. So I thought I’d do a little Smart Girls Know holiday round-up to draw attention to some of my favorite media for girls. (Let me know if I’ve missed anything by adding yours in the comments!) Here goes:

Ages 13-18

• Teen Voices: A magazine that supports and educates teen girls to amplify their voices and create social change through media. Teen Voices is the only alternative print magazine created by and for teen girls in the country.
• Kiki Magazine: Kiki isn’t about gossip, dating, instructions on how to kiss, or tips on getting sexy abs. Instead, the mag uses the college fashion design curriculum as a starting point to encourage girls to explore other disciplines (business, geography, fine art, craft, history, world culture, even math). The magazine is designed to be interactive so that each reader can transform every issue into her own creativity journal.
• Teen Ink Magazine: A national teen magazine, book series, and website devoted entirely to teenage writing, art, photos and forums. The magazine offers some of the most thoughtful and creative work generated by teens and has the largest distribution of any publication of its kind.
• Louder Than Words series: This first-ever series of teen authored memoirs presents true, powerful stories written by current teens through unique prose, journal entries, and poetry. (Edited by Deborah Reber)
• by Deborah Reber: Strategies to help teens find balance and stress-relief despite their overbooked, overwhelming lives, including tips on time management, support systems, self-help therapy, exercise, nutrition, and much more.
• by Deborah Reber: Teens can discover what they really want to know about career choices through 50 inspiring “Day in the life” profiles, along with a ton of sidebars, lists, helpful tips, and words of wisdom from women in the workforce. Women profiled include Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes, Senator Barbara Boxer, CosmoGirl editor-in-chief Susan Schulz, and NPR radio host Melissa Block.
• by Becca Werthheim: 18-year-old author Becca Wertheim realizes that being a teen isn’t always easy, but that’s one of the reasons why it’s so important to make the most of the teenage years, and enjoy each and every day. She helps readers discover how to live a life full of confidence, success, and happiness. With an entertaining and heartfelt teenage perspective, Becca offers motivation, empowerment, and inspiration to teens.
• by Claire Mysko: Published in collaboration with Girls’ Inc, this book offers advice on not-so-easy topics, including how to deal with stereotypes and cliques, figure out the best way to balance school and a social life, navigate the crushes and dating world, and find a place in your family.
• by Courtney Macavinta and Andrea Vander Pluym: This smart book helps teen girls get respect and hold on to it no matter what, covering topics like body image, family, friends, the media, school, relationships, and rumors, sexual harassment, date rape, sex, drugs, and alcohol.
• by Heather M. Gray and Samantha Phillips: This straight-talking guide—a veritable Our Bodies, Ourselves for teens—helps girls make up their own minds about what kind of people they want to be while exploring beauty and the media; body image, ethnicity and self-esteem; eating disorders and healthy nutrition; sexual anatomy, safe sex and more.
• by Carrie Silver-Stock: Our secrets help us, hurt us, and sometimes even haunt us beyond high school. By revealing the personal stories, struggles, and secrets of other teen girls, Carrie Silver-Stock shows how to deal with everyday stresses by being self-reliant, not silent, and how to get real about what matters.

Ages 8-13

• New Moon Magazine: An inspiring and empowering 100% ad-free magazine created by girls for girls, featuring an all-girl editorial board made up of girls ages 8-12 that drives the content you’ll find inside and edits the magazine. NOTE: Smart Girls Know has partnered with New Moon to offer you a $10 discount off the regular subscription price. Click here to take advantage of this offer!
• by Deborah Reber: Each of these books (School, Challenges, and Friends) deal with the challenges today’s teens face, and feature 50 true stories written by teens, plus weird facts, cool graphics, fun advice, and quizzes.
• by editors of American Girl: Provides commonsense solutions to 40 scenarios, quick-fix ideas, and preventive measures to avoid the situation next time.
• by Valorie Schaefer: This bestselling guide answers all the questions growing girls have about their bodies – from hair care to healthy eating, bad breath to bra buying, pimples to periods. It offers guidance about basic hygiene and health without addressing issues of sexuality.

All Ages

• Pigtail Pals: Pigtail Pals offers empowering apparel and products for girls to “redefine girls” and show the world just how smart, daring, and adventurous girls can be. NOTE: These awesome products are made by Smart Girls Know friend Melissa Wardy, and she’s offering a 15% off special for shoppers who act fast. To get the discount, enter the code ptp15 at checkout!