Answers and Inspiration for Teens
A work of fiction based on actual case histories, Insatiable: The Compelling Story of Four Teens, Food and Its Power by Eve Elliot describes a quartet of girls who worry about their body image and attempt to use food to gain control over their lives. The interlinked stories deal with self-mutilation, bulimia and overeating. (Health Communications, $12.95 paper 288p ages 12-up ISBN 1-55874-818-0; Apr.) Teenagers themselves take the stage in Teen Ink 2: More Voices, More Visions edited by Stephanie H. Meyer and John Meyer. Short stories, poems and nonfiction, all published in Teen Ink magazine over the last decade, cover themes such as "Family," "Love" and "Fitting In." Black-and-white photographs and sketches (also by teens) liven up the volume. (Health Communications, $12.95 paper 366p ages 12-up ISBN 1-55874-913-6; May) Parents and teachers join with teen voices in Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul Letters: Letters of Life, Love and Learning edited by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Kimberly Kirberger. The authors of Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul, after receiving so many thank-you letters in response to the book, decided to compile many of them here. The letters begin with gratitude, but often wind up as a tool for sharing experiences, whether those of a teacher in a juvenile detention center, a 15-year-old struggling with cystic fibrosis or a vice principal of a high school who discusses a theft and the power of forgiveness. (Health Communications, $12.95 paper 325p ages 12-up ISBN 1-55874-804-0; Apr.)
Teens looking for inspiration and advice may appreciate Stay Strong: Simple Life Lessons for Teens by Terrie Williams. The author, an African-American entrepreneur with her own public relations agency (representing high-profile entertainers, athletes and corporations), shares key principles for getting what you want out of life. For instance, in explaining the importance of being honest and standing up to friends and family for what you believe in, she writes: "A wise man once said, 'If I won't lie for you, I won't lie to you.' " In her examples, she also uses quotes and stories from teenagers. (Scholastic, $15.95 240p ages 12-up ISBN 0-439-12971-0; May) Divided into sections such as "Society's Ills," "Crushed" and "Why Me?," the more than 60 poems included in Angst!: Teen Verses from the Edge edited by Karen Tom, illus. by Matt Frost, explore teens' thoughts and frustrations in their own words. From "Multiracial in a Small Town" to "The Whinings of a Middle-Class White Girl" to "Ode to Narcissus," the verses cover a wide range of viewpoints; a final chapter, "Poetry 101," defines different kinds of poetry and invites readers to try their hand at rhyme and meter. (Workman, $8.95 paper 128p ages 12-up ISBN 0-7611-2383-0; Apr.) Beginning with "Truth #1: Your body will change" and ending with "Truth #10: Adolescence is the tunnel to your future," Chérie Carter-Scott espouses 10 touchstones to help teens grin and bear it in If High School Is a Game, Here's How to Break the Rules: A Cutting Edge Guide to Becoming Yourself. She backs them up with actual experiences from teens plus quotes from famous adults who have made it to the other side. For instance, the chapter "Your inner world is your safety zone" offers "Diana's story," describing how one girl changed her looks and interests with each new boyfriend, followed by a quote from Mariah Carey about being secure within yourself. (Delacorte, $12.95 176p ages 12-up ISBN 0-385-32796-X; Apr.)
Juliana Farrell and Colleen Rush's High School: The Real Deal from GPAs to Graduation follows the rhythms of the academic year beginning with "The Top Five Myths About High School" and "Dos and Don'ts for your first day (and beyond)" right through to advice on college applications. For younger students, Middle School: The Real Deal from Cafeteria Food to Combination Locks by Juliana Farrell and Beth Mayall focuses on more practical tips for the first day of school (such as knowing when the day starts and what the bus route is) and the all-important "Who do I sit with at lunch?," suggesting that students scope out possible cafeteria partners during classes. The books' hip graphics will appeal to the computer-savvy set. (HarperTrophy/17th Street Productions, $7.95 paper each 144p ISBN 0-380-81314-9; -81313-0; Apr.)
They're Back!
Everyone's favorite aardvark returns to celebrate a quarter-century of success in Arthur's Nose: 25th Anniversary Limited Edition by Marc Brown. As a prologue to this first story in which Arthur starred, Brown shows the evolution of his drawings of Arthur from 1976 to the present, along with a sidebar of "Fun Facts" (e.g., "D.W. has an imaginary friend named Nadine"), followed by a photo gallery of Brown's family with some pretty clear correlations between the author's relatives and Arthur's. Aspiring writers and artists also get a peek at the original manuscript and sketches for Arthur's Nose.(Little, Brown, $15.95 40p ages 4-8 ISBN 0-316-11884-2; Apr.) For story hour, Little House in the Big Woods: Special Read-Aloud Edition by Laura Ingalls Wilder, illus. by Garth Williams, expands its trim size (to 8 ½ x 10 7/8") and type size—but retains the classic charcoal drawings and the famous tale of Laura and her pioneer family living in the Big Woods of Wisconsin. (HarperCollins, $19.95 256p ages 5-9 ISBN 0-06-029647-X; Apr.) The bears in Michael Hague's The Teddy Bears' Picnic are back for Teddy Bears' Mother Goose. Some of the rhymes are changed accordingly, as in "Hush-a-bye, teddy..." and "There was an old bear who lived in a shoe...," and Hague draws most of the bears as children. (Holt, $15.95 64p ages 3-8 ISBN 0-8050-3821-3; Apr.) Originally published in 1966, Mother Mother I Feel Sick Send for the Doctor Quick Quick Quick by Remy Charlip and Burton Supree, has been re-illustrated by Charlip, with silhouette paper cut-outs against a background of Victorian wallpaper. This visual treatment gives the story—about a beach ball—shaped boy with a stomach ache—a nostalgic look sophisticated enough to lure modern readers. As the doctor removes each item from the boy's stomach (a parasol, a bicycle, etc.), they appear in full color on the opposite spread, and the boy gradually returns to his natural size and shape. (Tricycle, $15.95 48p ages 4-7 ISBN 1-58246-043-4; Apr.) Joining the recent reissue of And My Mean Old Mother Will Be Sorry, Blackboard Bear by Martha Alexander, I Sure Am Glad to See You, Blackboard Bear (1969) shows the boy once again enlisting the services of his ursine friend when the world seems to be ganging up on him. (Candlewick, $10.99 40p ages 3-6 ISBN 0-7636-0669-3; Apr.) N.M. Bodecker's illustrations are as quaint and witty as ever in Miss Jaster's Garden, first published in 1972. After Miss Jaster mistakenly scatters flower seeds over Hedgie the hedgehog's quills, he begins to sprout and bloom, then dances out of the garden. Miss Jaster calls for the constable to help her recover her stolen flowers. (Golden, $14.99 32p ages 4-8 ISBN 0-307-41181-8; May)
Happy Mother's Day
A dozen poems pay homage to mothers as well as abuelitas (grandmothers) in Love to Mamá: A Tribute to Mothers edited by Pat Mora, illus. by Paula S. Barragán M. "Las abuelitas" by Virgil Suárez conjures images of life in Cuba with metaphors that link gourds, piñatas and maracas. Francisco X. Alarcón's "My Grandma Is Like a Flowering Cactus/Mi abuelita es como un nopal en flor," set off as bilingual bookends to a festive-bright illustration of grandmother and grandson, offers readers an opportunity to hear the exquisite rhymes in their original language. The artwork, computer-enhanced images of cut-paper collage with thick black outlines, plays up the verdant greens of lush oceanside settings and Cuban landscapes while also conveying the warmth between the generations. (Lee & Low, $16.96 32p ages 5-up ISBN 1-58430-019-1; Apr.)
