Special Report: Racy Reads

Karen Foley/Mother
"I just remember thinking, ‘Oh my god!’ This is my fifth grader who's reading this!"

Move over Judy Blume! Today's teen fiction is brash, over the top, and very, very edgy.

Caitlin Foley/11 years old
"Sex and birth control and all that good stuff. "

Bethany Buck/Editor, Simon Pulse
"Today's teens have grown up with MTV, video games, TV shows like the OC. Books from today's teens need to reflect that."

For example...This book called "Rainbow Party" is about a sophomore who plans an oral sex party for her and her friends.

Or this book – "Teach Me" - the story of a teacher who has an affair with his student.

And other books... Like the best-selling Gossip Girls series... Focus on rich Manhattan teens who engage in some pretty adult like behavior.

Courtney/17 years old
Some have sex. Some do do drugs. Some drink.

And some kids love to read about them. In fact, these racy reads are flying off the bookstore shelves. With teen books up 30 percent this year alone.

Courtney/17 years old
"The author wasn't afraid to go out of the limits and say swears and talk about things that everyone's too scared to ask their parents about."

But how can parents know what their teens are reading? Unlike with TV or movies, there's no rating system for books.

Karen Foley/Mom
"I wish there was a way that you could pick up a book and open the flap and maybe there would be some kind of indicator on the inside of the book as to what kind of content it has - whether it's sexual content or drugs."

But young adult author Niki Burnham insists publishers aren't out to trick parents... And that the clues are in the packaging.

Niki Burnham/Author
"A cover might be racier or less so depending on the content."

She suggests parents check the age level - sometimes listed on the back cover or online. Books marked 14 and up are more likely to contain controversial subject matter.

Bethany Buck/Editor, Simon Pulse
"We also offer guidelines to booksellers and librarians on how to shelve books with other books that are like it. "

And finally - take a moment to read some of it yourself. This way you can make an informed decision on these racy reads.

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