Let's Talk

Let’s Talk is a series of booklists and workshops designed to help start conversations between young people and the adults in their lives.  Opening dialogue around sex, consent, mental health, gender identity, sexuality, body positivity, periods, bullying and many other areas that teens navigate can be daunting and awkward for all involved.  

One of the easiest and most organic ways to raise these topics is through reading stories that explore these issues. In this way young people can begin the process of thinking and talking about complex areas like sex and consent by discussing fictional stories without having to immediately discuss their stories. By allowing discussions around emotions or situations they may relate to or be curious about while removing the embarrassment or fear that may come from divulging personal experiences you can create a safe space for all parties to explore ideas - without forcing anyone to get into personal details before they are ready to tell them or hear them!  

For this reason, our booklists are comprised mostly of fiction titles but we have also included some non-fiction guides and some memoirs to help remove the mystery and stigma of many areas. Our Let’s Talk book list is designed for ages 11-19 years and individual titles may be more suitable for different ages. Be sure to talk to one of our librarians or check out reviews of books to determine if a title is appropriate.