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Description:
The Tough Being a Teen Jam focuses on the hard choices and difficult situations today’s teens often face. Tackling issues like teen pregnancy, bullying, and the quest to get into college, these novels show teens that they’re not alone.
Featuring the books:
The Skin I'm In by Sharon G. Flake
Award-winning author Sharon G. Flake crafts a remarkable story of one girl’s struggle to accept herself. Maleeka Madison is a dark-skinned African-American girl. She feels uncomfortable and wishes she had lighter skin. When her teacher, Miss Saunders, who suffers from a rare skin condition, shows that there is more to people than the color of their skin, Maleeka learns to appreciate and accept who she truly is. Sisi Aisha Johnson’s gripping narration makes this story come alive.
"Young teens will appreciate Flake's authenticity and perhaps realize how to learn from Maleeka's struggle for security and self-assurance."—School Library Journal
The First Part Last by Angela Johnson
Two-time Coretta Scott King Award winner Angela Johnson gives us a rare glimpse into the life of a uniquely troubled teen. Bobby didn’t plan to be raising a baby girl alone at the age of 16—but parties and hopes of college have been replaced by diapers and long nights awake. As the confused teen attempts to understand the loss of his true love and deal with new fatherhood, he matures into an admirable young man.
"Johnson makes poetry with the simplest words in short, spare sentences that teens will read again and again."—Booklist
Hip-Hop High School by Alan Lawrence Sitomer
Selected as Teacher of the Year in the State of California, Alan Lawrence Sitomer is an English teacher in an inner-city high school in Los Angeles and a professor at Loyola Marymount University. When Theresa’s family and teachers challenge her to perform better in school, she turns to hip-hop music for inspiration. With the help of a new friend, she makes a pact to ace the SATs and get into college.
"Although Sitomer explores the realities and challenges of urban African American adolescence, he strikes a fair balance between serious issues and more lighthearted fare, writing in a smart, conversational voice loaded with wit, rhythm, and energy."—Booklist
