Drugs

When kids ask for books about Drugs, what are they asking for? Books they can relate to, that explore themes of drug abuse, addiction, selling, parents who are addicted, etc. Here you go for some of the top books I recommend. 

Fiction:

Booth, Coe. Bronxwood

Booth, Coe. Tyrell

Brooks, Kevin. Candy

Burgess, Melvin. Smack

Davis, Deborah. Not Like You

Devine, Eric. Tap Out

Farmer, Nancy. House of the Scorpion

Flake, Sharon. Begging for Change

Flake, Sharon. Money Hungry

Frost, Helen. Keesha’s House

Gaetz, Dayle. No Problem

Hardrick, Jackie. Imani in Never Say Goodbye

Harmon, Michael and John “Red” Shea. A Kid From Southie

Hopkins, Ellen. Crank

Hopkins, Ellen. Glass

James, Brian. Pure Sunshine

Kern, Peggy. No Way Out (Bluford High)

McCaffrey, Kate. In Ecstasy

Moore, Patrick. Tweaked: A Crystal Meth Memoir

Mowry, Jess. Way Past Cool

Murray, Jay. Bottled Up

Myers, Walter Dean. The Beast

Myers, Walter Dean. Dope Sick

Nolan, Han. Born Blue

Nolan, Han. Pregnant Pause

Philbrook, Roderick. Last Book in the Universe

Quinonez, Ernesto. Bodega Dreams

Quinonez, Ernesto. Chango’s Fire

Reed, Amy. Clean

Scott, Mindi. Freefall

Souljah, Sister. Coldest Winter Ever

Tervalon, Jervey. Understand This

Van Diepen, Allison. Street Pharm

Volponi, Paul. Rooftop

Memoir:

Baca, Jimmy Santiago. A Place to Stand

Bergman, Luke. Getting Ghost: Two Young Lives and the Struggle for a Soul of an American City

Beah, Ishmael. A Long Way Gone

Bowden, Mark. Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the World’s Greatest Outlaw

Brown, Cupcake. A Piece of Cake

Carey, Percy. Sentences: the Life of M.F. Grimm

Charles, Ray. Brother Ray

Communication, Youth. the High that Couldn’t Last: Teens and Drugs, from Experimentation to Addiction

Doyle, Paul. Hot Shots and Heavy Hits Tales of an Undercover Drug Agent

Faison, Azie. Game Over

Farrell, Richard. What’s Left of Us: A Memoir of Addiction

Frey, James. A Million Little Pieces

Fontaine, Claire and Mia. Come Back: A Mother and Daughter’s Journey Through Hell and Back

Glodoski, Ron. How to Be a Succesful Criminal: the Real Deal on Crime, Drugs and Easy Money

Henderson, Jeff. Cooked

Hunter, Cynthia. Diary of a Crack Addict’s Wife

Jiang-Stein, Deborah. Even Tough Girls Wear Tutus: Inside the World of a Woman Born in Prison. When Stein was 12, she discovered a secret—she was born in prison addicted to heroin. (SLJ Review)

Jones, Marilyn D. From College to Crack and Visa- Versa

Novak, Brandon. Dreamseller

Patterson, James & Hall Friedman. Med Head. My Knock-Down, Drag-Out Drugged-Out Battle with my Brain

Pearson, Felicia “Snoop” and David Ritz. Grace After Midnight: A Memoir.

Reding, Nick. Methland. the Death and Life of an American Small Town

Rodriquez, Luis. Always Running

Salant, James. Leaving Dirty Jersey: A Crystal Meth Memoir.

Scott, Sterling. Weeds of Society

Shantz-Hilkes, Chloe. Hooked. When Addiction Hits Home

heff, David. Beautiful Boy. A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction

Sheff, Nic. Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines

Taylor, Clark.  The House that Crack Built

Valdes, Jorge L. Coming Clean

Williams, Terry. the Cocaine Kids: the Inside Story of a Teenage Drug Ring

Zailckas, Koren. Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood