This collection of poems, essays written by teens, and black-and-white photographs, describes the good, the bad, an
d even the ugly among our canine friends. Whether it is our dog’s cold wet noses in our faces or the shedding fur all over the furniture or even the occasional accident, we still love our four-legged friends and their unconditional love for us. Teen writers respond to poems written by the author, Joyce Sidman. They tell of their personal “dog experiences” and how they have impacted their lives.
This is an example of one of the teen essays. Written by 13 year old, Paige Herfurth Marvin.
The One Who Listens
“The relationship between dogs and teenagers is like no other. After a hard miserable day at school, a dog is waiting for you to come home. No matter what kind of mood you are in, your dog is there for you. A dog is like a journal. You can confess your deepest, darkest secrets and be confident that your dog won’t tell a single soul. A dog will slither under your bed sheets when you’re scared of the dark. A dog will sleep at the edge of your bed to watch for monsters. A dog cares and loves you as much as you love her.”
Recommended for all ages
SLB
We’ve all had that anxious feeling along with a rapid heartbeat and sweaty palms. But what if it turned into a full blown panic attack and you were essentially rendered incapacitated. In this memoir about her life as a victim of an anxiety disorder, Samantha Schutz paints a vivid picture of her challenges transitioning from high school to college. We follow the author’s eventual understanding of why she feels so different. This process is communicated through poetry. This poem taken from the book’s Prologue gives you a view into the word Samantha must endure.
If you are unfamiliar with the works of Sylvia Plath, this is a perfect book to introduce you to this awarding-winning, Massachusetts poet. Stephanie Hemphill has captured the essense of Plath in her collection of poems about the poet. The poems are either written in a Plath-like style or written in the words of the people who knew her best. Although a work of fiction, Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath chronicles the life of Sylvia Plath from her birth in Boston on October 27, 1932, through her college years spent at Smith College, and into her married life with children in England.
