Things I Have to Tell You: Poems and Writing by Teenage Girls

Franco, Betsy. 2001. THINGS I HAVE TO TELL YOU: POEMS AND WRITING BY TEENAGE GIRLS. Photographs by Nina Nickles. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick. ISBN 9780763610357.

THINGS I HAVE TO TELL YOU is a collection of poetry and prose written by girls all over the country between the ages of twelve and eighteen. This is a great book for teenage girls who might think that no one understands their problems or issues. The entries are frankly written and say things that many girls think and would like to say.

The photographs found throughout the book add a lot to the entries. They are not photographs of the authors, but of teenagers. These photographs allow the reader to be able to see themselves in the poetry and prose. Sharon Korbeck wrote in her review, “Like snapshots from personal photo albums, the images of a multicultural array of "everygirls" are harmonious complements to this outstanding collection” (2001). In her preface Nina Nickles writes, “I didn’t pose any of the girls, rather, they let me be the proverbial fly on the wall, often forgetting that I was even there” (page xii).

There are many issues covered throughout the book. Some of the entries are light hearted such as “A Bad Hair Day.” Miriam Stone writes, “The day I met you was a bad hair day. /This one piece of hair /Just wouldn’t stay!” (page 34). Other entries deal with the pressure to be perfect. Some of the more heavy topics covered in the book are physical abuse and drug use. In “My Ode to Crank” Lisa Woodward writes, “Your love for crank has grown so strong…/The drug you loved so through and through /Has no feelings back for you” (page 44). Other entries show how the writer overcame challenges in their lives.

This book is a must have for middle and high school libraries. Teenage girls face so many pressures in their lives it is important they have books like this to let them know they are not alone. Sharon Korbeck also wrote in her review, “In allowing the words of teens from across the nation to shine through, without polishing or pushing, Franco has succeeded in compiling one of the brightest collections out there today” (2001).

Reference List:

Korbeck, Sharon. “Review of Things I Have to Tell You.” School Library Journal 47, no 5 (2001): 164. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2056/ehost/detail?vid=5&hid=127&sid=9dae787e-60cb-4eb3-b658-01d78b16409c%40sessionmgr115&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=lih&AN=4422027

Bronx Masquerade

Grimes, Nikki. 2002. BRONX MASQUERADE. New York: Dial Books. ISBN 9780142501894.

BRONX MASQUERADE is the story of an English class that begins Open Mike Fridays. This is a time when students can read poetry they have written in front of the peers. Many students use this time to share their personal feelings.

Many readers will relate to the fact that students are seeing their classmates in a new light after learning more about their lives and struggles. Young adults tend to stereotype others based on past experiences. The students in Mr. Ward’s English class begin to see that even though they are different races they have more in common than they originally thought. They also re-examine the way they treat each other. On page 49, Janelle reads her poem “Inside” and shares her feelings about being overweight in her “thick casing.” Afterwards Tyrone thinks about the times he made fun of her weight for a laugh and “listening to her now, it don’t seem all that funny” (page 50).

In her review Diane Roback stated that ”… there may be too many characters for the audience to penetrate deeply” (2001). I thought this too as I was reading the book. Although the overall plot of watching students learn to love poetry and Open Mike Friday’s was easy to follow, the individual stories were hard to follow. It was neat to see the poems written from so many points of view, but it was hard to keep track of which person had told which story earlier in the book. There were two characters that were featured throughout most of the book and I feel like the reader could easily connect with them but the other characters were not developed enough.

The setting of the book in the inner city is important. One reason is that it explains many of the life experiences these students have gone through. Many of the students have lost parents and loved ones to violence. Some of the students talk about just trying to make it out of there alive.

Throughout the book there are words in other languages that aren’t translated. Most meanings can be determined through context clues but in my opinion it takes away from the story to have to try to figure out the words. I think many readers would just skip over the words they didn’t know. An example found on page 35 is, “He was a jibaro through and through. He couldn’t wait to get back to his precious mountains!”

Overall I would recommend this book to young adults. It is a good way to introduce and get them interested in poetry. “Grimes's creative, contemporary premise will hook teens, and the poems may even inspire readers to try a few of their own” (Roback 2001).

Reference List:
Roback, Diane. “Review of Bronx Masquerade.” Publishers Weekly 248, no 51 (2001): 92. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2056/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=127&sid=9dae787e-60cb-4eb3-b658-01d78b16409c%40sessionmgr115&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ% 3d%3d#db=lih&AN=5741711

What My Mother Doesn't Know

Sones, Sonya. 2001. WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN’T KNOW. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 9780689855535

This verse novel is a look at the secret thoughts of Sophie, a normal teenage girl, as she goes throughout a year in high school.

Teenage girls will be able to relate to the strong emotions written about in this book. Sophie writes about her confusion in regards to her feelings for both Dylan and her cyber friend “Chaz.” On page 97 she writes, “I could just be /enjoying this thing with Chaz /totally and completely, /without one /single /speck /of guilt,/If it weren’t for Dylan.”

She also writes about how her parent’s fighting makes her feel. She writes, “Their shrieking whips around inside me like a tornado. And no fingers crammed in my ears, no pillows held over my head, can block it out. She also writes about being in love and how she feels when she finds out the truth about her cyber-boyfriend.

The format of this book is easy to follow. The chapters, which seem like journal entries will appeal to teenage readers. They will also appeal to reluctant readers because they are fairly short. Even though there are many different poems they fit together nicely to create a story that is easy to follow. This book is also a quick read, perfect for a rainy day. This book is set in recent times. The use of the internet to chat with others and email friends clues the reader in to this.

Teenagers that read this book might be surprised to find out that they are not the only ones with certain feelings and thoughts. In her review, Sharon Korbeck writes, “Sones's poems are glimpses through a peephole many teens may be peering through for the first time, unaware that others are seeing virtually the same new, scary, unfamiliar things…Sones's book makes these often-difficult years a little more livable by making them real, normal, and OK” (2001).

Reference List:

Korbeck, Sharon. “Review of What My Mother Doesn’t Know.” School Library Journal 47, no 10 (2001): 171.  http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2056/ehost/detail?vid=6&hid=127&sid= 9dae787e-60cb-4eb3-b658-01d78b16409c%40sessionmgr115&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc 3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=lih&AN=5318506.

Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine and the Lawless Years of Prohibition

Blumenthal, Karen. 2011. BOOTLEG: MURDER, MOONSHINE, AND THE LAWLESS YEARS OF PROHIBITION. Roaring Book Press: New York. ISBN978-1-59643-449-3.

BOOTLEG chronicles the Prohibition Era from the late 1800's to 1933 when Prohibition ended. The first part of the book shows the events that lead up to the Prohibition Amendment being passed. The reader will learn about major players in the temperance movement such as Morris Sheppard and the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. These supporters of outlawing alcohol believed that doing so would cause there to be less violence and broken families. The rest of the book describes how Prohibition affected people in the United States and how it was eventually repealed.

The book is organized in such a way that the reader can easily follow the flow of events which surrounded Prohibition. Although almost half of the book is dedicated to the time before Prohibition it allows the reader to better understand Prohibition and why some thought it was necessary. The book is also very readable for this age group. There is a glossary in the back to explain some of the terms that readers might not have encountered before. Other than the words that are specific to the era, I do not think there are many other words that the reader will have difficulty understanding.

There are many photographs found throughout the book. I think they help tell the story of Prohibition. All the photographs in the book have captions that explain the picture. A photograph on page 66 shows men dumping liquid down the sewer. The caption explains, "In a scene that was repeated many times in the 1920s, law enforcement officials pour an illegal brew into the sewer." This picture depicts, for the reader, how desperate people were for alcohol that they knew it might be dumped out but made it anyway.

At the back of the book is a list of resources for those who want more information on Prohibition, temperance and alcohol. There are also lists of resources for more information about different people and groups in the book such as Morris Sheppard, The Anti-Saloon League, and Al Capone. There is also quite an extensive bibliography of the sources used to write the book. It is organized by chapter and is easy to read and find a particular sources used for a quote or fact. "The breadth of the well-researched material makes Bootleg a substantial resource for reports; a deep bibliography and copious source notes provide ample opportunities for further study…this book is also a lively read…” (Donsky 2011).

Reference List:
Donsky, Rebecca Dash. "Review of Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition." School Library Journal 57, no 7 (2011): 111-112. http://ezproxy.twu.edu: 2056/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&hid=126& sid=35792edb-1b40-4f16-a75b-e1ee40afab75%40sessionmgr113.

Bodies from the Ice: Melting Glaciers and the Recovery of the Past

Deem, James. 2008. BODIES FROM THE ICE: MELTING GLACIERS AND THE RECOVERY OF THE PAST. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN: 978-0-329-70908-2.

BODIES FROM THE ICE is a book brings together the fields of glaciology and anthropology. It is very interesting to see how these two fields can work together to determine how old bodies are and where they originally frozen into the glacier.

BODIES FROM THE ICE has a readability suitable for the age range. Although some scientific jargon is used, most of it is explained in the text. For example on the first page, "Although the Niederjoch had been gradually retreating, or thawing..." Readers might not know what retreating means in regards to glaciers, but it is explained in an easy way that doesn't take away from the text. Another example is found in a sidebar on page 24, "The father of glaciology (the study of glaciers)..."

The text is logically organized starting with the first major discovery from a melting glacier and then moving on to details about several other important discoveries. The book ends with a chapter about the increasing melting rate of glaciers and the implications that they have on the world.

There are a lot of different types of visuals used throughout the book. "Heavily illustrated with historical memorabilia as well as photos of bodies, scenery, artifacts, and rather simplistic maps, this offers a lot to look at and learn about." (Cooper 2008). The pictures on pages 32 and 33 of the Children of the Andes really show the reader how almost perfectly bodies can be preserved in the ice. There are also side bars that give the reader more information such as the sidebar on page 10 that describes the types of glaciers.

The information found in the book is backed up by a thorough bibliography. The illustration credits are very clearly labeled as to which picture they are referring to, the same cannot be said for the bibliography. There are no references in the book and the bibliography is just an alphabetical listing of sources. It would be very hard to find a particular source used for a fact or quote in the book. There is also a list of glaciers to visit and suggested websites to get more information.

Reference List:
Cooper, Ilene. "Reivew of Bodies from the Ice: Melting Glaciers and the Recovery of the Past." Booklist 105, no 7 (2008): 61. http://ezproxy.twu.edu: 2056/ehost /pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&hid=126&sid= 35792edb-1b40-4f16-a75b-e1ee40afab75%40sessionmgr113.

33 Things Every Girl Should Know

Bolden, Tonya. 1998. 33 THINGS EVERY GIRL SHOULD KNOW. New York: Crown Publishers. ISBN: 0-329-09027-5.

33 THINGS is a great book for young girls to read. The stories will help them see that that each of these girls has gone through the sometimes awful teenage years and made it through to the other side. 

This book has a great diversity of formats and is very readable for this age range. On page 8 it states, "And it's a mix - short stories, essays, a comic strip, two comix, a letter, a speech, an interview, a 'public-service announcement,' poems and more..." Each entry is fairly short in length lending this book to be great for this age range because they have such a short attention span. Struggling readers will enjoy this book as well because of the shortness of the entries. 

The writing styles are quite varied throughout the book. This was an aspect I enjoyed about the book. The reader doesn't have to like every entry, but there are enough entries that the reader is bound to connect with many of the stories. Although the styles differ, there seems to be a main theme running throughout the book to encourage young girls to know themselves and be true to themselves. "The topics covered vary greatly and include dealing with one's sexual orientation, overcoming and triumphing despite physical handicaps, combating the pervasive "thin is beautiful" culture, dealing with insensitive people, and just finding oneself." (Steinberg 1998).

The visuals found in the book emphasize the main ideas of the different entries. "Say what you DON'T WANT" by Deborah Tannen encourages girls to speak up especially in situations involving boys. The visual at the end of the entry is a speech bubble that states, "make it clear" (pgs 63-67). Another example is the many pictures included in "Imagine..." by Gretchen Rosenkranz. Gretchen was born with spina bifida and her parents were told she would never walk. She has competed in many wheelchair games and won medals in swimming events. The pictures accompanying her story show her learning to walk with a walker, competing in wheelchair races and participating in P.E. class. The pictures help the reader to better understand her story.

Information about each of the contributors can be found at the back of the book. Readers will enjoy finding out more information about the people who wrote this book.

Reference List:
Steinberg, Renee. "Review of 33 Things Every Girl Should Know: Stories, Songs, Poems & Smart Talk." School Library Journal 44, no 5 (1998): 150. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2056/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&hid=126 &sid=35792edb-1b40-4f16-a75b-e1ee40afab75%40sessionmgr113.

Little Brother

Doctorow, Cory. 2008. LITTLE BROTHER. New York: TOR Teen Book. ISBN: 978-0-7653-1985-2\

LITTLE BROTHER is set in the not too distant future in San Francisco. Marcus and his friends have ditched school to play Harajuku F'uii Madness when a terrorist attacks the city. When found in the vicinity of the attack they get detained by the Department of Homeland Security. Marcus is released after being imprisoned for several days. After he is free he is determined to uncover the illegal behavior of the DHS.

Marcus is a very believable character. He is a teenager who has typical problems such as fighting with his friends, getting in trouble at school and developing a relationship with a girl friend. In his review of the book, Chris Shoemaker writes that “Marcus is a wonderfully developed character: hyperaware of his surroundings, trying to redress past wrongs, and rebelling against authority” (2008). The other characters are not as well developed as Marcus but are still believable.

Teens will be able to relate to Marcus trying to figure out his problems on his own. He doesn’t feel like his mom or dad will understand or accept him if they knew his true feelings and his actions. Marcus finally breaks down and shares what is going on with his mom. “I took a deep breath…and I told her everything. Everything. Well, most of it.” (page 251).

The theme of this book seems to be finding the strength to stand up for your beliefs. Marcus knows he wants to uncover the unjustness of the Department of Homeland Security’s treatment of its prisoners and the tracking of everyone in the city. He just isn’t sure how he can do that without getting himself arrested. At times during the story he doubts himself and his motives, but he always comes back around to the unfair treatment by the DHS.

There is quite a bit of technology jargon used in the book, but it was not overwhelming even for a non-techie like me. Doctorow explains everything in very simple terms so the reader does not lose their focus on the story. It was very interesting to read how Marcus used the Xbox to bypass government security on the Internet. “Teen espionage fans will appreciate the numerous gadgets made from everyday materials” (Shoemaker 2008).

Invasion of privacy is also a big part of the book. After the terrorist attacks the DHS starts tracking peoples every movement. Where they use their debit card, what bus they get on, what traffic lights and toll booths they pass and even more.

This book will really make the reader think about what could happen in the future as the government tries to keep America safe from further terrorist attacks.

Reference List:
Shoemaker, Chris. “Review of Little Brother.” School Library Journal 54, no 5 (2008): 121. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2056/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&hid=113&sid=a92428dd-9a2b-449e-b306-7683bd04afca%40sessionmgr110 (accessed November 1, 2011).