"The Twinkie Bin" is the story of a teenage girl struggling to survive an unhappy and destructive home life as well as the pressures inherent in growing up. The main character desperately wants to be a successful, good kid. But there are so many issues, and there is too much pain. Without supportive adults in her life, she is unsure of what to do. She turns to alcohol.
Her drinking sends her out of control, spiraling down a path of self-destruction. She winds up in an adolescent drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. She is unable to open up to the counselors there. Her life becomes increasingly unhappy rather than better. Depressed and suicidal, she is transferred to a mental hospital. She hits hard when she lands in The Twinkie Bin - a pivotal event in her young life. "The Twinkie Bin" is a powerful and heart-wrenching adolescent survival story. It courageously addresses teen issues such as drinking, depression and parental conflict. The novel takes the reader on an emotional journey through an honest account of teen angst. "The Twinkie Bin" is a poetic memoir with a message of hope.

The At Issue series includes a wide range of opinion on a single controversial issue. Each volume includes both primary and secondary sources from a variety of perspectives -- eyewitnesses, scientific journals, government officials and many others. Extensive bibliographies and annotated lists of relevant organizations to contact offer a gateway to further research.

I write for healing and inspiration, My book is about growing up in Los Angeles, California. My book is about the trials, heartaches, and tribulations that teenagers are faced with. I also include poetry as a way to lift my spirit. My book consists of short easy essays targeted at the young Chicano minds that need God in there lives to help them get through difficult times. I also write about my personal bout with the disease of alcoholism, what I used to be like and what God has called me to do which is to write, inspire, and motivate. My book "The Chicano Bible" is a fusion of my volunteer work throughout Southern California, preventing self-destructive behavior among children and youth in a gang alternatives program called Barrio Arte. I founded Barrio Arte in Oceanside, California after having survived the cancerous and often deadly "barrio" warfare that I saw in Los Angeles. My book is a compilation of short stories, poetry, pictures, and God's illumination, strength, hope, and power.

Sara, a mischievous but caring young girl, sets out to cure her aunt of the smoking habit. Each day of the week during her aunt's visit, Sara interrupts her aunt while smoking and delivers a message, in a humorous way, about how harmful the habit is. But her aunt is tricky too, as a surprise present arrives on Sara's birthday, which turns out to be the best present ever.

Wildest Colts Make the Best Horses, The Defending the Development of Spirited Young People By John Breeding ISBN: 9781847470775 First Published: 2003 This Edition: 2007 Pages: 306 Key Themes: parenting, education, self-help, medication, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) This is a self-help book like you've never seen before. It says we do need help and details many helpful strategies. It underscores that drugs are not helpful. I envision parent support groups being formed around this book in concerned communities across America. - Moira Dolan, MD, parent & medical researcher. John Breeding is a parent who has continued to be fascinated with his children as he and they continue to grow up. His wisdom comes from his delight, which makes him a revolutionary. - Brad Blanton, author of 'Radical History: How to Transform Your Life by Telling the Truth' Description What to do when your child is labelled a problem by the schools. The truth about Ritalin, ADHD and other 'disruptive behavioral disorders'. powerful message and strong support for adults who want to encourage the spirited development of our children. The book calls for a halt to the epidemic drugging of young people for so-called ADHD and other alleged mental illnesses. This book shows us how to counsel our children and insists we must not forsake the great gift of viewing them with the 'eyes of delight ' John is a clear, strong advocate for young people and a great ally to parents wanting support to repond to their children in a positive way. About the Author John Breeding PhD is a counselling psychologist from Austin, Texas USA. John is director of 'Texans For Safe Education', a citizen's group dedicated to challenging the ever-increasing role of psychiatry, especially psychiatric drugs, in schools. He is also active on other challenges of psychiatric oppression, and is a steering committee member of the Coalition for the Abolition of Electroshock in Texas (CAEST), whose website is www.endofshock.com . His personal website, www.wildestcolts.com, is a great resource on parenting, psychology and psychiatry. Dr. Texas. He is the author of three Chipmunka books, 'The Wildest Colts Make the Best Horses', 'The Necessity of Madness and 'Eyes Wide Open'. He has written several other books on a variety of subjects. John is the father of two teenagers, Eric and Vanessa

By Suzannah Knight

ISBN: 978 1 84747 007 2
Published: 2007
Pages: 158
Key Themes: self-harm, drug abuse, eating disorders, sectioning, mental health services, schizo-affective disorder, bipolar disorder, manic depression, alcoholism, the occult

Description

After a year travelling around the World Suzannah comes back to England to start university. Things start to go wrong as she is tempted into experimenting with drugs. She drops out of university and during her first spell of mania and depression starts to believe in black magic. This is the start of a long and winding journey for Suzannah as she loses all her friends and former lifestyle and leads a dubious existence - self harming and trichotillomania plague and her psyche as she battles with an eating disorder.

Suzannah is eventually sectioned and finds herself in a secure unit battling psychosis. She will not admit to herself she has a problem and refuses to take medication. Lonely and cast adrift she tries to forge a career for herself, but she can't escape the taboo of being labelled 'mental'. Some time later she finds herself in the slums of Darlington, in poverty, and a chronic alcoholic. Overcoming her demons and fighting her schizo-affective disorder Suzannah takes life by the balls and gets herself back to university to finally finish her degree only to once again fall into mental illness, bad relationships and brushes with the law.

With four different diagnoses along the journey and various different forms of medication Suzannah denies her mental illness for a long time and therefore the psychiatrists were unable to help. She loses all her friends through mental illness and any form of normal life until she confronts the problem.

Remarkably and with great character Suzannah's book ends on a high note as she falls in love and marries the man of her dreams to live happily ever after with her son Domini. It is through her own determination and the support of loved ones that Suzannah has changed her life. She will never be totally rid of her illness but with sensible management she has succeeded in finding euilibrium. This is a fascinating and empowering story which should be a great positive influence to those who find themselves in a similar situation to Suzannah.

"I found Lindsay's story of Amber very moving, wanting to continue so I could see what happens next. Amber is a character you hope for, pray for and want to rescue. If you have children of your own, you will feel for this child."-Kimberly Cicetti, Life Coach

"In an age where teens face similar struggles as those of Amber and Alicia it is important that they are able to find solace in a novel such as "Amber Shades of Grey."-Sarah Bagley, High School Teacher

Living in a happy, loving home didn't last long for Amber Jacobs and her sister Alicia. At the tender age of four, Amber's father abandons the family, leaving her mother in a deep depression that leads to alcohol and drug abuse.

Amber's misery escalates from that point, and by the time she is five years old, she has taken over the duties of a mother. With their mother's frequent absences, followed by late-night, drunken arrivals, Amber and Alicia grow up not knowing what real love is. When their mother disappears five years later, the girls get a brief reprieve after being placed in a foster home with two very loving people.

But after their mother undergoes rehabilitation, the girls are returned to her. Now Amber and Alicia must wait-the dreaded wait for the monumental "something" to happen that will force their mother back to the bottle and set Amber and Alicia's lives on end yet again .

"We were all used to Mom being away. I hated when Mom went away. To be horribly truthful, it wasn't that I missed her a whole lot but it was the fact my dad would take full advantage of the situation. He would sort of pay me back for all the things I had done wrong in my life. Over half the time Mom went away, she'd come back to me either in the hospital or with some injury I couldn't explain that well."

Rachel Wright has never been a typical teenage girl. Since she moved from Fort Madison with her parents and five siblings, everything has turned from bad to worse. Drugs, alcohol, and gang run-ins can't make her forget her hidden, deadly past.

Even if she could leave the past behind, her crazy, abusive father won't let her, and Rachel has done a good job of keeping her secrets. But Rachel and her family soon realize that they're not the only ones in town with dark secrets.

This book is about five students who have abnormal experiences after visiting a party where they were served a mixture of drugs. Aliens from another galaxy find the students unconscious and takes them to the creator of the universe.

A frank, streetwise "Our Bodies, Ourselves" for young men and women, this guide answers the questions young people are asking--about sexuality, drugs, alcohol, fitness and nutrition, and much more.

One of the Sisters' classmates, Michelle, has started hanging out with a new group of friends. They're older and the girls know that they're into drugs. When they find Michelle in the toilets being sick, the Sisters don't know what to do. Michelle admits that she's tried some stuff and is really frightened. The Sisters do their best to help, but who can they tell? This book is part of the very popular series Siti's Sisters, featuring Siti and her group of friends, who are so close they call themselves The Sisters. This is a short, low-level chapter book, with an easy-to-read, fast-moving narrative and is part of Set 3, which is suitable for ages 12+, since some of the stories touch on more grown-up topics such as friends who take drugs and going to parties. The issues presented are, as always in this series, relevant and appealing to girls of this age. The Sisters are here!

* Villanueva's debut is a beautiful #ownvoices middle-grade novel. Tough topics are addressed, but warmth and humor... bring lightness to Sab's story. This immersive novel bursts with life. -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review When superstitious Sab sees a giant black butterfly, an omen of death, she knows that she's doomed! According to legend, she has one week before her fate catches up with her -- on her 11th birthday. With her time running out, all she wants is to celebrate her birthday with her entire family. But her sister, Ate Nadine, stopped speaking to their father one year ago, and Sab doesn't even know why.If Sab's going to get Ate Nadine and their father to reconcile, she'll have to overcome her fears -- of her sister's anger, of leaving the bubble of her sheltered community, of her upcoming doom -- and figure out the cause of their rift.So Sab and her best friend Pepper start spying on Nadine and digging into their family's past to determine why, exactly, Nadine won't speak to their father. But Sab's adventures across Manila reveal truths about her family more difficult -- and dangerous -- than she ever anticipated.Was the Butterfly right? Perhaps Sab is doomed after all!

This book looks at some fothe reasons why people have addictions. This books is meant to be ready with children and is aimed at helping to open up first discussions about the subject. The superb A First Look At series consists of a number of reassuring picturebooks that give advice and promote interaction between children, parents, and teachers on a wide variety of personal, social and emotional issues Charmingly clear illustrations give readers immediate access to complex situations and feelings Notes for parents and teachers at the back of the book provide valuable advice for how to share this book with your child or class. Written by a trained psychotherapist, journalist and parent, and illustrated by an experienced children's book artist, this title is part of an acclaimed and successful series of picture-book non-fiction for Early Years. Books in the series give advice and promote interaction between children, parents, and teachers on a wide variety of personal, social and emotional issues. They are excellent tools for teachers to use during classroom discussions.

Sometimes maybe you need an experience. The experience can be a person or it can be a drug. The experience opens a door that was there all the time but you never saw it. Or maybe it blasts you into outer space.

Violet's mum hasn't been herself for a while. A few too many glasses of wine in the evening. Mornings when she can't get out of bed. Now Violet's the one looking after her little brother and looking out for empty bottles in Mum's bag. But it's just another little blip. Mum will be fine again soon. She has to be ... How long do blips last for? Bestselling author Eve Ainsworth tackles the difficult subject of alcohol addiction in this stark, honest and deeply moving novella. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 13+