Buddha in Your Backpack: Everyday Buddhism for Teens

Gr. 7-12. Most YA guide-to-life books try to be hip by using lots of soon-to-be-dated slang, but here’s a handbook to teendom that wins its hipness the hard way: by using good humor and the wisdom of a 2,500-year-old man. After introducing Siddhartha Buddha by focusing on his childhood, Metcalf outlines the four "simple" truths of Buddhism, using them as the foundation for his guidance. It’s all about learning to live with dukkha, or suffering, whether that means overprotective parents, bratty siblings, or drama-queen pals. Taking inner action to resolve your outer problems, Metcalf says, is often (but not always) the best solution because teens (like the rest of us) often find themselves in situations of powerlessness. It may sound boring, but Metcalf makes Buddhism fun and funny ("Dukkha happens") without shying away from difficult issues like drugs and sex. His refusal to condemn such supposed vices might trouble some parents, but teens will treasure it. This is the rare advice book that kids won’t be ashamed to have in their backpacks. —John Green, Booklist Review