Reading Rants! Out of the Ordinary Teen Booklists!

Hey! These books are about YOU and what adults think about YOU and what YOU think about yourselves. I read a lot of these books because I was trying to figure YOU out, and what kinds of things YOU like to do, how YOU talk, maybe even what YOU like to read. So I challenge YOU to read some of these books about YOU and tell me what YOU think. Are these books really representative of YOU? Or are they just YOU (teen) stereotypes? I don’t know…I guess YOU’ll have to be the judge!

What if an adult – a normal, mom-type person – asked to follow you and your family for 3 years, watching everything you did and said – even the stuff your parents knew nothing about? That’s exactly what journalist Patricia Hersch did. She wanted to know what made teens tick, so she set out on this huge research journey with six teens that took three years to complete. Hersch’s whole deal is that today’s normal (as in, not super high risk) teens are rebelling more than ever, because between the working parents and neighborhoods that are empty until 6:00 PM, they have no one to turn to except other teens – thus the title. Teens are like a tribe apart from the rest of society, a culture and group unto themselves. It’s a pretty interesting book, because the people she hangs with are just like the people you know, and Hersch herself is totally non-judgmental. When she finds out that one of the kids that she’s working with is having her first sexual experience, and another is dealing drugs, she doesn’t freak, she just records the info and lets the facts tell the story, This is a hefty book (391 pages), but totally worth your while. If and when you read this book, let me know what you think-–it’s sparking a lot of debate among parent, teacher, and librarian tribes…

Meet a cross-section of black female teens from across the country and different economic levels. There’s Latisha, who’s two older brothers are in a gang. Nicole from Vermont has a white mother and a black father and hates the term mulatto. No two girls from this book are alike, except in one aspect – all have experienced racism in one form or another. That’s what hurts when reading this slim volume – we like to think that we are past all that, but these young women are telling us what it’s like here and now. These are “voices” you will never forget.

All of these teen essays were originally published in New Youth Connections, a newspaper completely written for and by teenagers in New York City. (get it, they’re both NYC?) These essays are about subjects that are close to teen’s hearts and totally down to earth. Chris K. tells about the trauma of shopping with Mom, while Delia C. writes about how she’s come to deplore designer name brands. On a deeper note, Allen F. tries to figure out what’s up with the “N” word in the chapter on race, and Victoria L. struggles with her decision to become a vegetarian in the chapter on choices. Gotten yourself grounded? This is the perfect book to take to your room, ‘cause when you flip open the pages, it’s just like your friends talking to ya.

This is a great book for the closeted peeping toms among you, because you get the voyeuristic thrill of seeing another person’s most intimate space – their bedroom. In this collection of forty photo essays, you’ll see and read some of the most personal details of these very different teenagers’ lives. My only beef with this book is that it doesn’t give specific info about the picture itself. For example, Anne I. has a very plain room except for a HUGE wall hanging of Jim Morrison (whom I love, I’m a big Doors fan), but her essay is about being grounded all the time. I’d rather read about her obvious Morrison obsession, but maybe that’s what makes this book so good – by looking at the stuff in people’s bedrooms, it tells you everything about that person without them having to say a word.

This is a beautiful book, not just because of how it is presented, but also because its content. Next to 40 stunning black and white photographs appear painful and sometimes funny feelings, stories, and coming out experiences of teens who are not afraid to show who they are. The captions to each picture contain text that is written in the teen’s own handwriting, which makes each of their stories that much more personal and touching. Chris writes about how hard it is to be a closeted gay in a close-knit, Irish Catholic community, while Mollie poses with her obviously loving parents whom she came out to long ago. The book’s title comes from the fact that no matter how different we all are ethnically or sexually, we all share the same heart. I totally agree. With escalating violence against gays in the news, this book promotes tolerance and peace. It’s a keeper.

Sydney Lewis interviewed about 60 teens to get this collection of 40 essays that document teen life, liberty and pursuit of popularity. She divides the essays into subjects like “Outcasts”, “Faith” and “Secrets”. The essays are written in the teens’ own words, with just a short intro to each where Lewis provides brief background info and a physical description. What’s cool about Lewis is that she’s worked closely with Studs Terkel, a cultural historian who’s written books on everything from WWII to the state of America in the 80’s. With greatness like that rubbing off on her, Lewis is golden. Last, but not least, this hefty volume definitely has the coolest cover – with black and white stripes and magazine cut-out faces. Give it a look-see!

Except for the lameness of the title (hello, MOST books about teens are some sort of coming of age story) this is actually a pretty good book. Like A Tribe Apart, it documents the day to day lives of Dave and Beth, two teens from the class of ’93. However, Miller doesn’t interject as much of his opinions as Hersch did in Tribe. He basically just observes, takes in the action, and saves his shtick until the afterword. Again, this book is interesting because the fly-on-the-wall perspective. As teens, we all want to know what other teens are up to and how close they are to being like us. The good news is, by reading the books listed here, you’ll find out that you’re all normal (if definitely not all the same!).