Looking for Alaska doesn't have to mean looking for trouble. Sure, there are many challenges you'll face as you journey with students through Looking for Alaska. The biggies are: smoking, drinking, and (possible) suicide. All of these activities are considered immoral or illegal—and yet some students do these exact things.

How are you going to handle these controversial transgressions as they pop up in the book? With grace and aplomb, of course. You might want to give parents a heads-up and offer an alternative text (The Catcher in the Rye comes with its own challenges, but could be a substitute text).