Preteen and Teen Books: A Guide for Finding Safe Reads

I ran into my friend Sofia Simpson at a homeschool conference. She was talking with parents about the young adult books she’s written and the need to help parents find safe books for their children. Book content can spark an unnecessary interest or trigger children who’ve been exposed to pornography and other sexual content, so I asked Sofia to help us figure out which books are healthy for our children to read. I’m so grateful for her wisdom, and I’m sure you’ll find her post insightful.

In today’s digital age, parents find themselves trying to protect their children from R and X-rated content in books. Because there is no rating system in place for books, parents have no way of knowing if graphic sex, foul language, and gory violence are in the books they find or allow their preteens and teens to read.

Children as young as nine look for books in the teen sections of libraries and bookstores and are inundated with offensive content. The covers and blurbs look safe enough, but when they start reading, offensive material jumps out at them.

Children as young as nine look for books in the teen section of libraries. How do parents know if the content is offensive? Sofia Simpson tells us how in this post. Preteen and Teen Books: A Guide for Finding Safe Reads #safebooks… Share on X

Parents are desperate to find safe books for their children to read, and many think there is nowhere to turn to find these books.

What can parents do to defend their teens from this kind of content? There are several ways you can use to ensure that the books your child reads are age appropriate and aligned with your family’s values.

1. Spot Triggering Words in Blurbs

Book blurbs are designed to entice readers, but they can also offer clues about the content. Here’s how to decode them:

• Identify Keywords: Words like “spicy,” “dark,” “mature themes,” “hot,” “passionate,” “sizzling,” “tempting,” “sexy,” “sensual,” “wild,” or “violent,” can be indicators of content that might include violence, sexual situations, or harsh language.
• Consider the Tone: Sometimes, the tone of a blurb can suggest the nature of the book. If the blurb feels ominous or overly romantic, it might hint at more mature themes.
• Research the Genre: Certain genres, like contemporary young adult fiction or thrillers, are more likely to explore complex and mature topics. Being aware of the genre helps you set expectations.

2. Look up One-Star and Two-Star Reviews

Online reviews are a treasure trove of information when selecting books. While glowing five-star reviews can tell you what’s great about a book, one-star and two-star reviews often highlight concerning issues. People leave a one-star review when they find something disturbing.

• Look for Patterns: If multiple reviewers mention explicit content, inappropriate language, or violence, it’s a red flag. Even if the book has overall high ratings, consistent negative feedback on certain aspects can indicate concerning content.
• Focus on Specifics: Pay attention to reviews that provide detailed descriptions of why a reader gave a low rating. Comments like “graphic scenes,” “excessive swearing,” or “not suitable for young readers” help you identify books to avoid.
• Consider the Reviewer: Sometimes, a reviewer’s perspective gives insight into whether their concerns align with yours. For instance, if a review is from a parent who shares your values, their opinions might resonate more with you.

3. Find Websites that give Detailed Reviews

Save these websites on your phone, so you can refer to them when you’re at the bookstore or library. If one site doesn’t have the book you’re looking for, another might.

Several websites are dedicated to providing detailed reviews that cover disturbing content in books. These resources can be invaluable for making informed decisions:

• PluggedIn.com – PluggedIn offers movies, games, TV shows, YouTube channels, and book reviews that highlight concerns about language, sexual content, and violence, making it easier to identify safe reads for teens. They don’t give an opinion, just state the facts about what kind of content the books have.
• CommonSenseMedia.org– This website provides age-based ratings and reviews for movies, TV, books, games, podcasts and apps, offering a breakdown of content that parents may find inappropriate.
• Thestorysanctuary.com–This blog will not only give you a review of the book but also list language, violence, and physical intimacy warnings.
• Ratedreads.com-This is not a Christian site. Books are reviewed here that are not biblical. But you will find critical information here, however, like language, physical intimacy, and violence.
• Busymomsreadtoo.com-Most of the reviewers on this site are Christians, and they will give you all the warnings you need. Has an easy to find search tab to look up titles.
• Pristineprose.wordpress.com-This blog is also another good resource. The home page has a search tab for the title you’re looking up.
• authorbrittanywang.wixsite.com/nospiceyafantasy-This is an excellent resource for Young Adult Fantasy books. If you find a book on this website, then the book is safe to read. It will not have sex on the page, but maybe some intimacy. It gives you a physical intimacy rating on every book and gives a clear explanation of what the ratings mean.

4. Follow Instagram Clean Book Reviewers and Bookstagrammers

There are hundreds of Bookstagrammers on Instagram who do nothing but review clean books (books without sex on the page). Follow them and fill your algorithm with good options for your teen to read. I’ve personally checked out all these pages and they are dedicated to finding clean and safe books to read.

• @Darcyschock_writes
• @Britts.bookish.best
• @Wallflower_m_reads
• @Heather.loves.books
• @Areadingmama12
• @Thesqueakycleanreader
• @Pristineprose_reads
• @Closeddoorromance
• @Skipthespice
• @shelvedthoughts
• @Sweet.cleanreads
• @Christianbooksandcoffee
• @Christianshelves
• @Christian_fiction.recs
• @Melissas_bookshelf
• @Kylies.reading.corner
• @Heathers.clean.reads
• @Clean.books.for.you.2
• @Clean.heart.romance.recs
• @Faith.n.cleanbooks
• @Justkissesromanceandsweetreads
• @Thebookwormgirl_Bethany
• @_thecleanbooknook
• @Tawnisbookshelf
• @sofiasimpsonauthor

Find Facebook Groups that Promote Clean Content

The following groups are places you can go to ask questions in the group about certain books. Let’s say you didn’t find any reviews on a specific book. Go to these Facebook groups and ask if anyone has read the book. Or ask for good recommendations for the specific topics your teen enjoys reading. Let the group know what age and gender your child is and ask for recommendations.

• Christian Books-Authors and Readers
• Just Kisses Romance and Sweet Reads
• Sweet Clean Romance for Readers
• Fans of Enclave Publishing
• Hold the Spice! This Book Group is Nice!
• Avid Readers of Christian Fiction
• Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy
• Clean Fiction Magazine
• Clean RomCom Readers
• Sweet and Clean Reader Group
• Sweet Romance Reader Review Group
• Sweet Romance
• Sweet Romance Corner
• Sofia Simpson 4

Follow the Safe Publishers and Clean Indy (Self Published) Authors

This is a powerful tool in a parent’s toolbox for finding safe books. Join their newsletters for new releases you know will be safe for your teen to read. That way, you’ll be on the front lines waiting for great books for your teen to enjoy.

Publishers:

• Any Christian Publisher, like Tyndale, Thomas Nelson, Zondervan
• Enclave Publishing-Speculative and Christian Fiction
• Quill and Flame-Sweet and Clean Teen romances
• Mountain Brook Fire Publishing-Clean Books with a Christian worldview
• Monster Ivy Publishing-Clean books with an edge. Pg 13 or less.
• Expanse Books-Clean Speculative Fiction with a Christian worldview

Indy Authors:

• Me! Sofia Simpson-Christian Fantasy www.sofiasimpson.com
• E.A. Hendryx-Science Fantasy https://www.eahcreative.com/ea-hendryx-writing/
• Judy Corry-Sweet Romance https://subscribepage.com/judycorry
• C.F.E. Black-Clean Fantasy. https://cfeblack.com
• Sarah K.L. Wilson-Clean Fantasy https://sarahklwilson.myflodesk.com/w8jk5onqac
• Candice Yamnitz-Christian Fantasy https://candiceyamnitz.com

Conclusion

Honestly, in today’s day and age you need to be proactive to find safe books for your preteens and teens. With the right strategies, you can navigate the literary landscape with more confidence and less fear. By analyzing blurbs for triggering words, using one-star and two-star reviews to uncover potential issues, leveraging online resources, utilizing Instagram and Facebook for Clean Reviewers, finding publishers you can trust, you can ensure the books your child reads are both enjoyable and appropriate for their age. It’s about finding stories that inspire, educate, and resonate with young readers…without the negative content.

As a Young Adult Christian Fantasy Author, I am dedicated to providing safe content for teens to read. It’s why I began writing in 2012. I was a public teen librarian and the books coming into my section horrified me. I have begun a social media campaign to force publishers to rate their books of sexual content, language, and violence. Find on Instagram and Facebook: Books Need Ratings and join my fight to protect our children by providing these ratings. Books today are not a safe place for our children. We need to fight back demanding ratings. I’ve written letters to my state senators and governor asking for a change. I want to have enough social media presence and high enough numbers to attract national attention. But I need your help. Follow Books Need Ratings on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/booksneedratings/ and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/booksneedratings to join my fight for ratings on books. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at sofia@sofiasimpson.com or find me at www.sofiasimpson.com or on Instagram or Facebook. I’d be happy to answer any questions. Please note, I’m not trying to ban or censor books, I’m just asking for books to have ratings for sexual content, language and violence.