Things I Have to Tell You: Poems and Writing by Teenage Girls ANNOTATION
A collection of poems, stories, and essays written by girls twelve to eighteen years of age and revealing the secrets which enabled them to overcome the challenges they faced.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
A collection of poems, stories, and essays written by girls twelve to eighteen years of age and revealing the secrets which enabled them to overcome the challenges they faced.
FROM THE CRITICS
Children's Literature
Writer and poet Betsy Franco has set out to capture the joys, sorrows, complaints and concerns of teenage girls. This compilation of over thirty poems and commentaries, each written by girls ranging in age from 14 to 18, captures the essence of what it means to be a female adolescent today. From discussions of the Women's Movement to self-esteem to sexual orientation, a variety of issues are covered. Some of the poems follow traditional verse with neat and tidy rhymes, whereas others are more unique, breaking free of conventional forms, reading more like pronouncements about the state of frustration or sadness of the writer. The expressive black-and-white photos that accompany the writing add to the strength of this anthology. This book is a great gift for any teenage girl. 2001, Candlewick Press, $15.99 and $8.99. Ages 14 up. Reviewer: Sheree Van Vreede
VOYA
Poet and anthologist Franco vividly remembers the feelings of loneliness and isolation that she experienced as a teenager. Her personal memories prompted a wish to give girls from twelve to eighteen years old a way to tell their own stories, offering their peers help in facing the pain and challenge of adolescence. In 1997, she began soliciting literary contributions from young women throughout the world. Her project, intended to help teenaged girls find an outlet for their voices, resulted in this attractive volume that is enhanced by black-and-white photographs by Nickles. Disillusionment, humor, sadness, anger, sex, suicide, and ultimately, strength are all to be found in the poems and essays in this brief book. The voices are as varied as the subjects, ranging from wistful to raunchy. In Miriam Stone's clever poem, "A Bad Hair Day," the fifteen-year-old narrator reveals the age-old certainty that life would be different if one's hair would behave. Fourteen-year-old Denishia M. Thomas writes a heart-wrenching "Letter to My Great-Grandmother," the strong elderly woman who nurtured a child nobody else wanted. The affecting stream-of-consciousness poem "My Ode to Crank" by fifteen-year-old Lisa Woodward has a power and restraint many established poets would envy. These are but three of the outstanding pieces in this amazing anthology. Recommend this title to inspire and empower other young women. Teachers considering using the book in a classroom situation should be aware of some strong language and adult themes. Photos. VOYA CODES: 5Q 3P J S (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Will appeal with pushing; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades10 to 12). 2001, Candlewick, 63p, $15.99, $8.99 Trade pb. Ages 12 to 18. Reviewer: Jamie S. Hansen
School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up-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. In a mixture of prose and poetry, the young women express their fears, dreams, relationships, and angst. There are some poetic turns of phrases here ("we put on our chatter/like red lipstick/with the same amount/of greasy enthusiasm") and some strong language. And while the poems are triumphant in their realism, the book is elevated by the inclusion of gritty, unposed black-and-white photographs. These pictures, not taken to illustrate the poems, do so in an exemplary fashion. Like snapshots from personal photo albums, the images of a multicultural array of "everygirls" are harmonious complements to this outstanding collection. A fine companion to You Hear Me?: Poems and Writing by Teenage Boys (Candlewick, 2000).-Sharon Korbeck, Waupaca Area Public Library, WI Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
These 45 pieces, most poetry but some prose, come from the hands and minds of girls across the country. They're paired with black-and-white photos that, while not posed to match the poems, often resonate quite effectively. Sixteen-year-old Theresa Hassfeld's "Escape" faces a picture of a girl with her hair floating behind her in a bathtub, like the drowned Ophelia; other images focus on body parts—sneaker-clad feet, breasts, hands. With the self-consciousness comes a brimming self-awareness: 15-year-old Idit Meltzer Agam's incantation of "feminine" words; Jessie Childress in "New Honesty," writing, "Like a plastic ball, / I toss between myself / and the various identities / I have been assigned." Melissa Parker writes, with rue and pain, "I broke my own heart so many times," in "Born at 15." There is the occasional flash of amusement—15-year-old Danya Goodman writes in "Hallway between Lunch and English," "we march together toward / the war we cannot name / but at least we are dressed for it." Sure to find its audience and to inspire other girls—and boys—to write it down. (Poetry. 12 )
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