Organized by subgenres and popular themes, this guide provides librarians, teachers, counselors, and other education professionals a wide range of suggested reading from the "realistic-problem novel" subset of modern young adult literature.
The fact that adolescents are captivated by books about protagonists facing the same fundamental challenges as them has been well established. While many forms of literature can potentially help young adults navigate though their development and establish their identities, contemporary realistic-problem fiction has a unique ability to engage and benefit the reader. The plights of the characters in these novels are strikingly similar to the real problems and issues that the teen reader is typically experiencing, making these books especially appealing and powerful.

This guide provides an effective road map for librarians, teachers, and other professionals working to guide teens through life by introducing them to books that discuss real-world problems and issues. This Is My Life: A Guide to Realistic Fiction for Teens focuses on stories set in contemporary times, with emphasis on works published in the past decade, however, this guide also includes classics and older benchmark titles. The readings suggested range from lighthearted, humorous novels to books with dark or serious themes.