From One Experience to Another

Attempting to address a common complaint among students (""I don't have anything to write about!""), husband-and-wife team Jerry and Helen Weiss have compiled 15 examples of well-known YA authors fictionalizing incidents from their own lives, each with an explanation from the author as to the story's origin. The collection, whose stories are generally formulaic and often slight, is uneven. The first, Jay Bennett's ""My Brother's Keeper,"" melodramatically conveys a teen's decision not to lie for his brother, a hit-and-run driver. The second selection focuses on a high-school student mistakenly accused of shoplifting and features a cast of stock characters and a slick resolution (the victim receives $650 in merchandise for the store's error). As the anthology progresses, the stories seem to become more developed and believable, as in two of the meatier pieces by Neal Shusterman and Avi at the end of the volume. In Judith Gorog's introduction to ""The Wedding Cake in the Middle of the Road"", she states, ""I am no good at all at making up stories on the spur of the moment...."" Unfortunately, too many stories here have that commissioned feel. Although this book may serve a purpose for teachers and budding authors, better examples of the contributors' work may be found elsewhere. No ages given. (Sept.)