Looking for Alaska

This book is on many school reading lists; teachers interested in adding it to their curriculum can find a thorough discussion guide on the publisher's Web site. Teachers and parents can use Green's novel as a way to talk about big issues, such as loss and growing up, or explore the book's literary language or unusual structure to talk about the art of writing. See our own "Families Can Talk About" section for additional ideas.

Even though the main characters often behave badly, readers will respond to the realistic teens here who come together to face a devastating loss. Also, every adult is warm, caring, and intelligent: The parents, the teachers, the local cop -- even the requisite rigid disciplinarian who enforces the rules at school is not clueless, has a sense of humor, and cares deeply about the students.  

Most of the teen characters have lost their virginity, and there are some descriptions of heavy kissing, oral sex, groping, references to masturbation, erections, making out, watching pornography, etc. In a YouTube video, author John Green defends the book's frank sex scene, calling it  "wholly unerotic," especially in contrast to the book's next more intimate (but less graphic) encounter.

Fast food restaurants, sodas.