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