Starting With "I" : Personal Essays by Teenagers (Paperback)

by Youth Communication (Author), Youth Communication (Organization) (Author), Philip Kay (Editor), Andrea Estepa (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 9 Up. These essays are impressive in their candor and poignancy. Sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, often brutally honest, the teens write about their lives and their surroundings in a series of short pieces covering family, race and culture, sexuality, violence, and basic soul searching. These selections originally appeared in a magazine called New Youth Connections?a marvelous empowering tool for young people to explore their feelings through writing?published by Youth Communication, a New York City nonprofit organization. Estepa and Kay seem to have a particular affinity toward the writings of young people and, through Youth Communication, have guided these gifted youngsters to experiment with and fine tune their skills. The result is a rich and varied collection with themes to which teens from all kinds of backgrounds will be able to relate. An inspiration to aspiring young authors and a great addition to any YA collection.?Helen Rosenberg, St. Scholastica High School, Chicago, IL
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
35 essays written by teenagers, plus writing and revision techniques.

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 199 pages
• Publisher: Persea Books (June 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 089255228X
• ISBN-13: 978-0892552283
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #119,413 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Using Starting With I in the Classroom, December 2, 1999

By	David C. Hubbs (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

As a high school English teacher, I am always pleasantly surprised by how receptive my students are to the essays in "Starting With I." This book is an excellent tool for teachers to demonstrate how powerful writing can be as a form of expression. When students learn that these essays were written by people their age, on issues that they value, they are not only anxious to read/hear more, they are also moved to write personal essays of their own. What's more, this is a powerful tool for encouraging revision and peer editing as the teen authors in the book discuss this process in a positive light. I have used this book with students in grades 9-12 and have always gotten positive results.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great in the classroom, August 20, 2007

By	S. Kay Murphy "Heretic" (Mt. Baldy, CA USA) - See all my reviews

The individuals essays are great to share with students as a way of broadening their ideas about writing personal narratives. And, let's face it, they'd rather hear from their peers, no matter how famous or revered the person is whose essay is in the textbook.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting and it gives a different perspective., January 19, 1999

By A Customer

I started reading this book in school and then I ordered it. It is a very good book, it shows things in different persepectives and it is from a teenagers view. It shows us teens that whats happening in our life isn't that uncommon. It shows the consquesnces when people chose that certain lifestyle. You should really read this.