Studies have shown that writing and journaling can have numerous positive effects on people. For tweens and teenagers specifically, journaling can provide an outlet for all the swirling thoughts and emotions they’re experiencing. It offers a safe space that is nonjudgmental. It can also help them practice their writing skills, explore their goals and dreams, and stoke their creativity. However, facing a blank page can be intimidating, and kids might feel frustrated when their journal transforms into simple, uninspired recaps of their day-to-day activities. For kids looking to reflect, create, and grow, these guided journals offer prompts to help direct their pen.
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My Smile Diary
Available from:Tweens adore Raina Telgemeier’s graphic novels that capture the ups and downs of middle school life. Girls and boys that connect with the books will love the accompanying journal. With prompts, illustrations, and space to write and draw, kids can record their hopes, anxieties, and dreams.
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Brave, Kind, and Grateful
Available from:One of the best ways to improve self-esteem and confidence is to acknowledge the good things you do. This inspirational journal from the New York Times bestselling author of Tomorrow I’ll Be Kind and Tomorrow I’ll Be Brave is perfect for tweens and teens. With essays, prompts, and beautiful artwork, this journal is a fantastic gift for any young person who wants to feel more love and gratitude in their life.
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Free to Be Me
Available from:Find your inner rainbow with the help of this colorful journal that celebrates your unique self. With information about LGBTQ+ history, writing prompts, and exercises, this journal will help teens find the confidence to be themselves.
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Becoming Me: A Work in Progress
Available from:Self-care is more important than ever, and this journal encourages teens to explore their creativity and escape reality. With inspirational quotes, positive affirmations, and plenty of space to write, doodle, and color, this uplifting journal is a must-have!
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The Fangirl’s Journal for Leveling Up
Available from:Embrace your geeky side with this fandom-inspired journal for teens. Full of prompts, lists, fandom terminology, and advice, this journal will help you explore your interests and creativity. It’s the journal that every devoted nerd needs!
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Choose Kind Journal
Available from:This journal is a companion to Wonder, Palacio’s acclaimed middle grade novel, but it can also be used on its own. Its daily activities encourage tweens to explore kindness and gratitude in age-appropriate ways, such as writing a thank-you note or drawing a picture for the mail carrier, reflecting on a time that someone comforted them and they comforted someone, or writing about something they love.
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Do You Know Who You Are?
Available from:Filled with quizzes, activities, and questions, this journal is a really fun way for tweens and teens to learn a little more about themselves. The colors and illustrations are bold and unique — for example, the activities related to being online are framed by what looks like a smartphone. The journal was created in collaboration with a child psychologist.
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I Love Science
Available from:Fans of Rachel Ignotofsky’s bestselling book Women in Science will be thrilled to explore the pages of this journal. Tweens, teens, and adults who love science will enjoy writing and drawing answers to its prompts, which encourage introspection and dreaming as big as the female scientists who came before them. You’ll also find a handy reference section to support STEM-based activities, like geometry formulas, a periodic table of elements, and star charts.
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Q&A a Day for Me
Available from:The Q&A a Day series has something for everyone. This installment is geared specifically to teens, allowing them to explore how their answers to daily questions change over a three-year period. Covering everything from friendships and family to embarrassments and hobbies, this will become a perfect time capsule to look back on as an adult. Make sure to check out the Q&A a Day for Kids too!
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Start Where You Are
Available from:This full-color journey features stunning hand-lettering, inspirational quotes, and activities to help your teen explore and appreciate who they are. Activities such as listing five things that immediately and always bring a smile to your face, chronicling your three most frequent thoughts (and what you wish they were), and writing about something you have made out of nothing will help inspire reflection and creativity. Also keep an eye for Patel’s new guided journal, My Friend Fear: Finding Magic in the Unknown.
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Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2017 and updated in 2021.