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Most self-help books for teenagers are written by adults looking back.
Carroll High School student Aashni Shah wanted to try something different.
The rising sophomore recently published Dear Teenagers, a coming-of-age nonfiction book written from the perspective of someone still navigating adolescence herself.
“I realized that there is a lack of self-help books for teenagers from our own perspective,” Shah says.
In the book, Shah tackles many of the pressures familiar to teens today, including academics, social media, peer pressure, mental health and maintaining a social life. Rather than presenting herself as someone who has everything figured out, she writes about challenges she has faced — and, in many cases, is still facing.
That perspective is central to the book’s message: growing up can feel isolating, but many of the struggles teenagers experience are more universal than they realize.
For Shah, the project is about more than becoming a published author. She hopes Dear Teenagers can encourage other students who may be quietly dealing with stress, anxiety, or the pressure to keep up.
“As a high school student at Carroll ISD, I’ve seen firsthand that many young people struggle silently,” Shah says.
Her goal is simple: help other teenagers feel a little less alone.
“If even one student or family finds encouragement or support because they happened to read about the book,” she says, “then sharing its story will have been worthwhile.”