The Courage to Be Yourself: True Stories by Teens About Cliques, Conflicts, and Overcoming Peer Pressure (Paperback)

~ Al Desetta M.A. (Editor), Educators for Social Responsibility (Editor) "Dwan Carter, 17, is proud to be African American..." (more)
Key Phrases: Puerto Rican, United States, African Americans (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up–It's a challenge to remain true to one's self in a world that encourages conformity to a narrowly prescribed norm. It is especially difficult when the individual is a teen. Here, Desetta presents 26 short essays from young people who have faced this challenge head-on and found ways to survive if not happily, at least tolerably. From a gay teen who is harassed by peers to overweight and unfashionable girls who are ridiculed because of their physical appearance; from an African-American teen who isn't black enough to an Arab American who is a target of hate after September 11, the selections cover the spectrum of being different or other. What the essays have in common is the willingness on the part of the contributors to accept that they cannot control how others view them but only how they perceive themselves. These young people demonstrate that by having the courage to be themselves, they are equipped to live without compromising their ideals. Though not all the stories have happy endings, readers who are struggling with similar issues will be comforted and perhaps inspired by the honesty and poignancy of these narratives.–Elaine Baran Black, Gwinnett County Public Library, Lawrenceville, GA
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From Booklist

Gr. 8-11. The subtitle says it all. These teens have written their own stories with all the plodding earnestness of a school report. The format consists of the essays followed by pedantic questions, e.g., "Why do you think some people pick on gays and lesbians?" That said, there is certainly some value in hearing teens of many ethnicities and orientations speaking plainly about being fat, or being from India in a school full of blond, blue-eyed folk, or being Arab after 9/11. There's even a gently funny anonymous piece by a black teen who loves musicals but would never admit to his passion for The King and I or The Sound of Music. Despites its faults, this is a useful item. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing (September 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575421852
• ISBN-13: 978-1575421858
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #299,933 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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