I am a firm believer in freedom of choice and not censoring our youth to those types of topics. As long as the books are age-appropriate, I think discussing books with students a few times throughout the year is a good idea. Remind students to preview books, and if they are uncomfortable with the book, it may not be the best choice for them. But it the book is interesting to them, I say let them take it. Many books today discuss real-world issues that students have to face every day and many can relate to on a personal level. I can certainly understand why teachers and parents would be apprehensive about giving these books to students. This may be a good opportunity to collaborate with the social worker or school psychologist on creating resources for students who may find these topics troubling or are concerned about someone's behavior, etc. You could even create a section in the library for these resources.

Lauren