Such a Pretty Face: Short Stories About Beauty [Hardcover]

Ann Angel (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2007 | Grade Level: 2 and up

With stories by acclaimed and exciting new YA writers:

Louise Hawes
J. James Keels
Ron Koertge
Chris Lynch
Norma Fox Mazer
Lauren Myracle
Jamie Pittel
Anita Riggio
Mary Ann Rodman
Ellen Wittlinger
Jacqueline Woodson
Tim Wynne-Jones

A stellar line-up of young adult writers examines our relationship with beauty in stories that haunt, amuse, stir, and fascinate.

A beauty queen with a chin-hair problem, an aspiring model who would rather take pictures than be in them, a boy in love with the gorgeous nurse he’s never seen, a girl named Beauty who feels like anything but—the teenagers in these dozen stories feel the power of beauty, whether it’s to trap, save, torment, or comfort. In an era when image seems to have triumphed over virtue and reason, this timely, discussion-provoking collection asks young readers to think about what is truly beautiful.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Wild, funny, and thought-provoking, this anthology's stories, contributed by well-known authors for teens, challenge readers to reconsider their notions of beauty. Several stories are fantasies. In Lauren Myracle's hilarious "Bad Hair Day," a homecoming queen sprouts a stubborn, vine-like chin whisker just before her crowning ceremony. Many realistic characters echo Jamie Pittel's narrator, who pierces her nose, dyes her hair blue, and wonders about "the difference between who you really are and who you're supposed to be, like, according to your family." Ellen Wittlinger's beautiful narrator chooses to become a photographer's assistant rather than the model her mother wants to her to be. Several stories, including Mary Ann Rodman's "Farang," set in Thailand, confront racism and cultural ideals of beauty. Each story shows a universal ache for self-acceptance. Jacqueline Woodson's pre-teen narrator talks about a "longing to be-long. Not to my friends or my block, but to me." When teens talk about beauty, they talk about their lives; this strong anthology, which includes a reader's guide, is a great place to begin the wide-reaching discussion. Engberg, Gillian

About the Author

Ann Angel is the author of six author biographies and works of criticism. She graduated from Vermont College’s MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program and currently teaches writing at the college level. She lives in Wisconsin.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 268 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (May 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081091607X
• ISBN-13: 978-0810916074
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,234,997 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ann Angel is a writer of young adult fiction and nonfiction with books that include Such A Pretty Face: Short Stories about Beauty (Abrams, 2007), Robert Cormier: Writer of the Chocolate War (Enslow, 2007). A biography of Amy Tan, Weaver of Asian American Tales was released by Enslow in 2009, and a student's guide to Sandra Cisneros should follow shortly. Angel's biography of Janis Joplin, titled Under the Influence, will be published by Abrams in 2010.

Works in progress include young adult novels, and another collection of short stories. This collection responds to issues of contemporary teen sexuality.

Ann often speaks to middle graders and high schoolers as well as adults about writing and revision.

"When I'm not pushing a deadline, I'm teaching graduates students in writing at Mount Mary College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin or working with some of the greatest local writers through SCBWI-Wisconsin. You can also find me hanging out with my husband Jeff and whichever of our four twenty-somethings happens to be wandering around the house. You can read more about my years as one of nine kids growing up in Wisconsin on my website."

Contact:
Website: www.annangelwriter.com
E-Mail: [e-mail]