Books published by publisher HCI Teens

Marni pulls. Pulls her hair, that is. Unable to deal with the mounting stress at home, in school, and with friends, Marni's compulsion to pluck out her eyebrows, eyelashes . . . even the hair from the top of her head, helped her to quiet her mind and escape the pressures of the world around her. Marni first began pulling the summer just before entering high school, and she was immediately hooked. Unfortunately, by the time she discovered that her habit was an actual disorder―trichotillomania or "trich"―it was way too late. "When I stared at the mirror and tried to recognize the girl without eyebrows, eyelashes, and bangs as myself and failed, I knew something had gone horribly wrong." Because Truth Is More Fascinating Than Fiction

This latest offering in the best-selling Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul series explores a host of challenges faced by today's teens. Within its pages teens will find portraits of life's complexities expressed from the viewpoint of their peers. Teen contributors share their thoughts and feelings on difficult issues, ranging from poor self-image to thoughts of suicide, from family discord to coping with the loss, from peer pressure to school violence. Teens ranked stress as one of their top concerns (along with child abuse and STDs). Oftentimes, the pressure can feel overwhelming, whether they involve worrying about an upcoming test, competition sports, family responsibilities, dating, or more extreme issues such as depression, suicide and school violence. The first three volumes of the Teenage Soul series and the companion journal illustrate the ongoing popularity of this series (unit sales exceed 11 million). Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul on Tough Stuff and the Spring 2001 release Teenage Soul Letters will undoubtedly follow suit as the next best-sellers in a phenomenally popular series.

A return to the award-winning Taste Berries for Teens formula that has sold almost one million copies. "I once struggled with math. Then a math teacher, Mrs. Jacobson, came along and believed in me when I couldn't. It was a taste berry action that changed my life." Danica McKellar, actress from TV's The Wonder Years and The West Wing Bettie and Jennifer Youngs are back with a new book in their award-winning series. Like the taste berry (a little fruit that convinces your taste buds that all food is delicious, no matter how bitter) these inspirational stories will encourage teens to deal with a variety of subjects that focus on being accepted and cool without compromising values. This is great inspiration, straight from one teen to another. Chapters include: Being cool-even when you feel nerdy! Love and its lessons Being a courageous human being Believing in yourself and valuing your individuality Holding your heart when you've lost a Mom or Dad

Guys Can Be Dogs . . .So consider this book the ultimate BS detector. In today's hookups without-heart society, this brutally honest guide reveals the most common lies boys tell and the truths behind them so you and your friends can separate the good guys from the bad.'Everyone else is doing it.' 'I won't show anyone these pictures.' 'If we get pregnant, we could take care of it on our own.' Lies like these get lots of girls in trouble, especially when they cast aside their doubts and make poor choices in the heat of the moment. Written by psychologist Belisa Vranich and former Seventeen magazine editor Holly Eagleson, this provocative book sets the record straight with a 'cheat sheet' on what guys lie about, why they lie, and how you can respond. By learning how to react before embarrassing or volatile situations arise, you will be more confident and more likely to enjoy healthier, honest, and more fulfilling relationships.Have You Ever Been Played?Lie #8: I can't wear a condom.Lie #2: Guys are built to cheat.Lie #17: I'll love you forever.Lie #3: You're a slut if you've had sex with lots of guys.Yes, boys lie. But now you and your friends have the anti-get-played book.

Ravenous is the eagerly anticipated sequel to Insatiable, nominated for Best Books for Young Adults 2002 (Booklist). Ravenous depicts the wide range of difficulties in growing up in America by exploring the journeys of three young women and two young men. Phoebe, the size-sixteen dreamer, finally gets a boyfriend and readers witness her euphoria and her fear during a particularly fragile time of life. Samantha, the anorexic perfectionist, faces difficult challenges with both her boyfriend and her father, and continues to struggle with an inability to eat more than lettuce and apples. Hannah, the bulimic lesbian, has a romantic awakening inviting readers to observe ways in which she holds back and ways in which she grows. Billy and Scott, two young men who appear briefly in Insatiable, play more prominent roles in Ravenous. Eating and body-image still play a part of the story, but are by no means its major focus. In Ravenous, the courageous young heroines and heroes are faced with a broader range of concerns-they face struggles with boyfriends, girlfriends, betrayal, parents, even themselves. Ravenous will be irresistible to any young person who has ever endured a night of loneliness, suffered the trauma and pain of rejection or a crushing disappointment, or despaired over the fear of never fitting in. It is both timely and timeless.

In The Seven Worst Things Good Parents Do, therapists John and Linda Friel gave parents an easy-to-understand guide to overcome the seven worst mistakes even good parents make while raising children. Now they've written a book for teens based on the same formula: it includes the seven worst things even smart-and outwardly successful-teens do, and shows teens how they can change these behaviors and assure their success in life as they grow towards adulthood.This book was written expressly for teenagers as a unique roadmap into adulthood. It was designed to stimulate the brain as well as the heart because teenagers who listen to both can eventually negotiate adolescence successfully. It will appeal to teenagers who like to think, wonder, question and challenge, as well as to teenagers who feel that they haven't quite figured out this "life" thing.The Friels show teens the seven things they need to do in order to overcome common roadblocks they face or will face. These are:Become competent-don't expect to have self-esteem without becoming competentMaster your feelings-don't let your feelings run the showBreak the silence-don't silently scream instead of making yourself knownGet healthy power-don't avoid learning about powerFace the serious stuff-don't hide the really important things you're experiencingFind an identity-don't avoid the struggle to find yourselfLearn to stake out the extremes-don't live only in the extremes.Written in clear, straightforward language and including many interesting and colorful story interludes, this book is an easy-to-use, powerful tool for all teens.

In The Seven Worst Things Good Parents Do, therapists John and Linda Friel gave parents an easy-to-understand guide to overcome the seven worst mistakes even good parents make while raising children. Now they've written a book for teens based on the same formula: it includes the seven worst things even smart-and outwardly successful-teens do, and shows teens how they can change these behaviors and assure their success in life as they grow towards adulthood. This book was written expressly for teenagers as a unique roadmap into adulthood. It was designed to stimulate the brain as well as the heart because teenagers who listen to both can eventually negotiate adolescence successfully. It will appeal to teenagers who like to think, wonder, question and challenge, as well as to teenagers who feel that they haven't quite figured out this "life" thing. The Friels show teens the seven things they need to do in order to overcome common roadblocks they face or will face. These are: Become competent-don't expect to have self-esteem without becoming competent Master your feelings-don't let your feelings run the show Break the silence-don't silently scream instead of making yourself known Get healthy power-don't avoid learning about power Face the serious stuff-don't hide the really important things you're experiencing Find an identity-don't avoid the struggle to find yourself Learn to stake out the extremes-don't live only in the extremes. Written in clear, straightforward language and including many interesting and colorful story interludes, this book is an easy-to-use, powerful tool for all teens.

At age fourteen, Taylor LeBaron was nearly 300 pounds. He had difficulty just getting to the mailbox without becoming short of breath. A chubby kid from birth who was prone to obesity, Taylor allowed his weight to skyrocket through mindless 'whatever' eating and his sedentary techie lifestyle. But a membership to the Y, a keen imagination, and an indomitable spirit changed all that.Approaching proper eating and weight loss as he would a new video game, Taylor made fitness into a fun challenge with his creation of THE ULTIMATE FITNESS GAME (UFG)—a method of tracking calories, avoiding pitfalls, overcoming obstacles, and working out by following hard-andfast rules that literally helped him shed half of his body weight in a matter of a year and a half. Cutting Myself in Half is Taylor's motivational strategy guide to THE ULTIMATE FITNESS GAME.Taylor shows kids who are currently where he was that weight loss and fitness are within reach . . . one workout, one calorie, one 'byte' at a time.