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.