Summary
A collection of ten autobiographical stories about teenagers that have grown with dysfunctional families. Cassandra deals with her divorced parents and adjusting to her new families: Mom started living with a woman, Dad dates someone with kids. Peter deals with being a foster kid whose dad is an alcoholic and his mother abandoned him. He's been homeless on and off for years turning to crime, drugs, and alcohol to cope. Wanda grew up in Hungary and was taken care of by her loving grandmother. At six, her parents took her away and soon her mother began physically abusing her and at school she was bullied. The stress of her life resulted in her cutting herself and thinking of suicide. Maria's father died of AIDS when she was twelve. Her life became more difficult as she came to terms with being gay, dropped out of school, and considered suicide. Randy's parents are divorced. In order to deal with the pain of being sexually abused he becomes a runaway and drug addict. Ivannah is the child of immigrant parents from Vietnam. She had enough problems living in America and being from another country especially in an all-white school. Her mom began showing sign of schizophrenia and soon Ivannah was taking care of her brother and sister and being a shoulder to her father. Sajeed's parents sent him from his home in the Caribbean to live with his grandparents in Detroit when he was seven years old. It was because he looked "uncomfortable" but little did they know his "look" was becaue he had been sexually abused by his parents' friends. He became rebellious to the point someone wanted to kill him. Geri's dad died when she was two years old. Her mom raised her as a single parent and Geri family life was inconsistent. She rebelled, got arrested three times for shoplifting, drugs, and assault. Logan was raised in a strict Christian household where he received physical punishment if he stepped out of line. This made him run away and live on the streets where he became involved in drugs and violence. Aislin father is an alcoholic and physically abusive. Her mother was distant and refused to acknowledge the abuse.
Critical Evaluation
The stories told by the ten teenagers in this book are heartbreaking in their content. What makes the stories bearable is the fact that each teenager finds a way to overcome their unfortunate obstacles with the help from friends, supportive relatives, teachers, and other adults and most importantly their own desire to rise above their circumstances. Each story ends with the author giving the reader advice about how they deal with the hardships that have been part of their lives. A lot of teenagers go through the same hardships and this book shows that they are not alone.
Reader's Annotation
Ten teenagers tell their personal stories growing up in families affected by divorce, abandonment, alcoholism, abuse, or mental illness.
About the Editors
Allen Fleming has a master's degree in social work from the University of Toronto, Canada. he has several years' experience in the mental health and community development fields. Allen has served as program director for a number of youth-serving agencies.
Kate Scowen has worked with children and youth for over fifteen years. While completing her graduate degree in London, England, she volunteered with several youth-based organizations, researching street gangs and youth culture. She most recently worked with St. Stephen's Community House, a community-based social service agency in Toronto's Kensington Market.
Genre
Nonfiction, Contemporary issues
Curriculum Ties
Sociology
Booktalking Ideas
1) Which of the stories stood out to you the most and why?
2) Discuss different resources teenagers can turn to in time of need.
Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 13+
Challenge Issues
Topics such as sexual/physical abuse, alcoholism/drug use, crime.
Challenge defense ideas
-Become familiar with the topics discussed in the book.
-Refer to resources for troubled teens to accompany the book.
-Refer to the collection development policy of the library, see http://sfpl.org/pdf/about/policies/collection-development-plan.pdf
-Refer to reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly available for viewing on amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/My-Crazy-Life-Survived-Family/dp/141762566X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1292306922&sr=1-1
Why Included in Titles Selected
Wanted to include serious topics for troubled teens
No comments:
Post a Comment