Coming of Age: The Art of Growing Up

Product Description Accelerated Reader is a program based on the fact that students become more motivated to read if they are tested on the content of the books they have read and are rewarded for correct answers. Students read each book, individually take the test on the computer, and receive gratification when they score well. Schools using the Accelerated Reader program have seen a significant increase in reading among their students.Globally and locally, teens are confronted with a wide variety of social issues and difficult political realities. These titles are excellent for community service learning and tolerance building. From School Library Journal Grade 9 Up-The 12 stories and essays in this collection (8 fiction, 4 nonfiction) reflect experiences of young people around the world as they enter adulthood. The authors and protagonists represent a broad cross-section of countries and cultures, in peace and at war. Some selections are presented here for the first time, while others come from previously published works. The three-page glossary is made up of uncommon English words rather than translations for foreign words. The list for further reading includes classics, such as Little Women and The Good Earth, plus contemporary favorites, such as Like Water for Chocolate and Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. The index will help browsers locate material related to their interests and, although there are not enough "country" entries, it will lead researchers to pieces about specific cultures. Poor-quality black-and-white photographs of most of the authors are included; an essay, "Romania's Children of the Street," is illustrated with photos as well. This book probably won't sell itself, but YAs who come upon it will find it enlightening.Dona Weisman, Northeast Texas Library System, GarlandCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Booklist Gr. 9-12. As with other titles in the Icarus World Issues series, the editors have gathered a collection of short fiction and essays loosely related by a common theme, and what a good job they've done. There is not a weak entry in this compassionate, thought-provoking, multicultural anthology. The authors confront not only some of the more traditional coming-of-age challenges, such as sibling rivalry, divorce, and the death of a family member, but also some issues that young adult literature rarely considers, including forced marriage, Romania's street orphans and their fight to survive, and a young mother's dealing with her adopted child's serious injury. Despite the variety of settings and culturally diverse characters in these beautifully and intensely written pieces, the selections fit together as smoothly as if each were specifically written for this compilation. As a result, the reader comes away effectively persuaded by the subtle message that regardless of where or how one grows up, the emotional toll exacted is much the same. No shallow tales of teenage triumphs here; these writers aren't offering any easy answers. Jeanne Triner