Crank

Title: Crank

Author: Ellen Hopkins

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Substance Abuse, Addiction, Drugs, Rape, Teen Pregnancy

Year of Publication: 2005Publisher & Location: Simon Pulse; New York

ISBN#:

• 689865198
• 978-0689865190

Target Age Level: high school, young adult

# of Pages: 537

Quality of Illustrations: none

Brief Summary: Eighth grader, Kristina Snow becomes instantly addicted to drugs after her first encounter with “the monster.” This novel is written in poem format and tells how a young girl’s life changed once she entered the fast-paced, controlling world of addiction.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book: This text uses many analogies, but also uses some explicit language. Readers should also be conscious of the graphic nature when describing the drug use and situations that the main character finds herself in.

Post Reading Activity: While reading this book, adults may want to guide a discussion to help teens understand the imagery and analogies used. It may also be helpful to facilitate discussions about peer-pressure, substance abuse, rape, teen pregnancy, and parent-teen relationships.

Beautiful Boy

Author: David Sheff

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Meth, Methamphetamines, Drug Abuse, Substance Abuse

Year of Publication: 2008

Publisher & Location: Houghton Mifflin Co

ISBN#:

• ISBN-10: 0618683356
• ISBN-13: 978-0618683352

Target Age Level: High Scool and Young Adult

# of Pages: 326

Quality of Illustrations: N/A

Brief Summary: Expanding on his New York Times Magazine article, Sheff chronicles his son's downward spiral into addiction and the impact on him and his family. A bright, capable teenager, Nic began trying mind- and mood-altering substances when he was 17. In months, use became abuse, then abuse became addiction. By the time Sheff knew of his son's condition, Nic was strung out on meth, the highly potent stimulant. While his son struggles to get clean, his second wife and two younger children are pulled helplessly into the drama. Sheff, as the parent of an addict, cycles through denial and acceptance and resistance. The author was already a journalist of considerable standing when this painful story began to unfold, and his impulse for detail serves him personally as well as professionally: there are hard, solid facts about meth and the kinds of havoc it wreaks on individuals, families and communities both urban and rural. His journey is long and harrowing, but Sheff does not spare himself or anyone else from keen professional scrutiny any more than he was himself spared the pains—and joys—of watching a loved one struggling with addiction and recovery. Real recovery creates—and can itself be—its own reward; this is an honest, hopeful book, coming at a propitious moment in the meth epidemic.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: The book does great at addressing current medical research related to meth addiction and recovery. Great for parents of children with substance abuse (particularly meth) issues.