Many young people are regularly subjected to questions from adults about what they want to be when they grow up. In fact, many adults seem to regard the teen years not as valuable and worth enjoying in their own right but simply as a passage to The Future, assessing every decision and activity for how it affects a young person’s adult potential. Some teens are told they can do or be anything only to become overwhelmed by the possibilities and the pressure to make the right choices. Others are discouraged from dreaming, feel they have few options, and struggle to feel optimistic about what adulthood might bring.

A number of recent nonfiction releases offer reassurance. There are books about people who felt compelled to pursue things that brought meaning to their lives with no inkling or expectation of the success that would follow. There are stories of those who overcame obstacles and took winding paths that ultimately led to satisfying work. And there are books that offer concrete guidance for things teens can try right now. Taken together, these titles are informative, hopeful, valuable road maps.

Become an App Inventor: The Official Guide From MIT App Inventor: Your Guide to Designing, Building, and Sharing Apps by Karen Lang, Selim Tezel, the MIT App Inventor Project, and the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (MITeen Press/Candlewick, Feb. 8): From step-by-step instructions to short biographies of real young people making a positive impact through their apps, this user-friendly guide will get creative juices flowing.

Cramm This Book: So You Know WTF Is Going on in the World Today by Olivia Seltzer (Philomel, Feb. 15): Led by curiosity, a tween took her concerns about current events and turned them into an online newsletter with a global reach—and several years later, this book.

Ready for Launch: An Astronaut’s Lessons for Success on Earth by Scott Kelly (Crown, April 12): A little boy who had difficulties in school grew up to become a record-holding astronaut. Here he shares his remarkable story and hard-earned insights. (Read our interview with Kelly.)

Animal Allies: 15 Amazing Women in Wildlife Research by Elizabeth Pagel-Hogan (Chicago Review Press, May 17): The sheer variety of fascinating stories included here is a testament to the many ways there are to make contributions to the study and protection of wildlife.

Don’t Sit on the Baby!, 2^nd Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Sane, Skilled, and Safe Babysitting by Halley Bondy (Zest Books, Sept. 6): Babysitting, a common first job for teens, is challenging, rewarding, and cultivates many broadly applicable skills covered by this thorough, accessible guide.

Maybe an Artist: A Graphic Memoir by Liz Montague (Random House Studio, Oct. 18): A successful young cartoonist welcomes readers along on her journey from dyslexic school child to college athlete to someone who found her voice and passion in art.

More Than Money: How Economic Inequality Affects…Everything by Hadley Dyer and Mitchell Bernard, illustrated by Paul Gill (Annick Press, Oct. 11): This comprehensive work gives readers a truly global perspective on societies, explains how their lives are affected by inequality, and motivates them to make things better.

Laura Simeon is a young readers’ editor.