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!
Reality Bites!
Columbine by Dave Cullen
2009
06.15
06.15
Columbine. A word that has become synonymous with terror, pain and sadness. So what compelled me to read and review a book about the worst school shooting America has ever known? Well, for much the same reason that most adults who work with teens want to read it: to try and understand WHY. Author Dave Cullen, a journalist who covered the shooting for Slate.com, has been researching the horrific events at Columbine High School for the last ten years. His fascinating findings are detailed in this groundbreaking book, which debunks several of the myths surrounding the shooting and provides a chilling portrait of Eric Harris, who Cullen states was the ringleader in this deadly gang of two. In clear, accessible prose, Cullen takes readers through the terrifying time line of the shooting and the events leading up to it. He presents detailed descriptions of the killers Harris and Klebold, the tragically slain victims & their families, and most poignantly, the injured survivors, some of who persevered against incredibly debilitating injuries. Based on hundreds of interviews with eye-witnesses, families, police and health professionals, Cullen challenges the false media perception of the so-called “Trench Coat Mafia,” the martyrdom of victim Cassie Bernall, and the notion that the two boys who coldly planned this apocalyptic event were themselves loners and targets of bullies. He also suggests that all the evidence points to this incident being less a school shooting than a failed bombing attempt, and should be categorized as such. Particularly absorbing is Cullen’s psychological portrait of Eric Harris, who emerges as a “textbook psychopath” with the ability to lie so well he completely convinced both his parents and his therapist that he was on the road to responsible citizenship after committing a spate of petty crimes. I highly recommend this title for high school students AND their parents. Far from being a titillating tabloid text, this meticulously researched and sensitive tome works to further our understanding of a terrible event and underlines the fact that we are all responsible for each other and for monitoring the warning signs that can lead to such a fatal tragedy as Columbine.
The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner’s Semester at America’s Holiest University by Kevin Roose
2009
02.10
02.10
When Brown University student Kevin Roose told his parents he wanted to attend Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University for a semester, they were obviously shaken. After all, they had raised him to be a good liberal with solid Democratic values—where had they gone wrong?! Then Kevin explained that he wanted to enroll undercover in order to write a book about what it was really like inside the cloistered world of Christian college, and they relaxed…a little. The result of Roose’s anti-secular semester sojourn is this enlightening, balanced and highly entertaining book, where he shares his experiences with dating Liberty girls (“Hand holding and hugging are the only official displays of physical affection allowed at Liberty…and hugging only for a three-second maximum”), taking Liberty science classes (one professor provides physical dimensions for Noah’s ark and explains how the animals were in a state of hibernation so they didn’t need as much food), and checking out Every Man’s Battle meetings, “Liberty’s on-campus support group for pornography addicts and chronic masturbators.” But while some aspects of Christian collage were exactly what he expected, Roose was also surprised by how honest, kind, and funny his dorm mates were, and how much they struggled with the strict rules of Christianity that they professed to completely agree with. Although he was deeply troubled by the rampant homophobia that existed on campus and the anti-evolutionary stance taken by the faculty (some of whom are highly respected and published scientists) he was also deeply touched by the sincerity of these same students and faculty when it came to praying and helping one another through difficult times. Roose also really loved singing in the church choir, waking up on Sunday mornings without a hangover, and the surprisingly lack of pressure when it came to asking out Liberty girls. As someone who graduated from a (slightly) less strict Christian college than Liberty, and who no longer follows that spiritual path but still has friends who do, I really appreciated Roose’s tone, which was always open-minded and respectful and never condescending or patronizing. You can read more about Roose’s evangelical experience on his blog and website.
A Tribe Apart: A Journey into the Heart of American Adolescence by Patricia Hersch
2007
05.03
05.03
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…
Sugar in the Raw: Voices of Young Black Girls in America by Rebecca Carroll
2007
05.03
05.03
Starting with “I”: Personal Essay by Teenagers by Youth Communication, edited by Andrea Epstein and Philip Kay
2007
05.03
05.03
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.
In My Room: Teenagers in their Bedrooms by Adrienne Salinger
2007
05.03
05.03
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.
The Shared Heart: Portraits and Stories celebrating lesbian, gay and bisexual young people by Photographs by Adam Mastoon
2007
05.03
05.03
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.