No Easy Answers: Short Stories About Teenagers Making Tough Choices (Laurel-Leaf Books) Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
This anthology features stories about individuals who find themselves in situations that test their strength of character. They are called upon to make moral choices, face the consequences of their actions, and consider what it means to "do the right thing. " From computer blackmail, peer pressure, and gang violence to drug use, unwanted pregnancy, guilt and atonement, these characters face decisions that may affect the rest of their lives. There are many tough choices; there are no easy answers.From the Hardcover edition.
Lexile Measure: 0790 (What's this?)
Series: Laurel-Leaf Books
Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Laurel Leaf; Reprint edition (January 12, 1999)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0440413052
ISBN-13: 978-0440413059
Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.9 x 6.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #283,810 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #162 in Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Short Stories #165 in Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Social & Family Issues > Values & Virtues #463 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Short Story Collections
Age Range: 12 and up
Grade Level: 7 and up
As an eighth grade teacher I am always interested in good short stories that are appropriate for young adults. I enjoy reading to my students and No Easy Answers proved to be one of the most powerful collections of short stories that I have ever read. My students loved it, and many of them chose to read it on their own. These stories are not only well written and representative of the diveristy of our country, but also pertinent to the tough issues--teenage pregnancy, first love, lonliness, parent-child relationships and homosexuality--that are confronting our children today. If you are a parent, teen, or teacher who is looking for a book that makes you think and confront these types of issues then this is definately the book for you. I highly recommend it.
Given the recent trend toward violence with teenagers, this book provides a powerful discussion piece in the middle school classroom. The stories in this collection all have characters who face difficult moral delimmas. This can spark many classroom activities where students determine the best course of action. This gets young adults talking about character, taking responsiblity, and choosing the right path. Furthermore, the high interest level of the stories hook even the most reluctant of readers! It was hard for anyone in the room to put down.
This collection of short stories does indeed bring to light various moral dilemmas. However, the content is highly inappropriate for middle school students because of the graphic references to voyeurism, "penile enlargement", and other sexual content. There is no doubt that kids at this age may be exposed to some of this- but not to the extent of the descriptions in these stories. The stories will make students very uncomfortable and not because of the dilemmas so much as these references; parents will definitely oppose this as well. My suggestion is read the book first before selecting it for this age group.
I read this book in less than a day. The stories were really realistic, and they're things that real teenagers face in everyday life. All the stories are by different authors, and I liked how they put a mini-bio after each of the stories to tell about that author's most famous books that had won the most prizes, etc. It helped, because if there was a story I really liked, then I could get the book with the longer version (most of the stories came from a book the author had written). It was an awesome book.
The very first short story in this collection concerned a female teacher who is caught skinny-dipping. It mentions breast enlargement, penile implants, "woodies", jockstraps, etc. One passage reads, "Or when the guys are all in the shower, naked and white, standing under the spray and steam, vague, like ghosts, that really is beautiful." Further along, it reads, "The pair rose up in waist-deep water, arms wrapped about each other, and kissed deeply. "Good God!" Bobby breathed. "Her boyfriend is... is... is a friggin' woman," Lance murmured." Granted, the story eventually mentions decision-making, finding the right kind of friends, and understanding people's right to privacy; however, this is definitely not the quality of material that I would ask my students to read aloud and discuss in class. The subject matter could have been very useful for character education without the sensationalistic appeal to teenage hormones.
This book is fantastic. OUr school library got it and I thought that I would give it a try. It was amazing. The stories are great and you just don't want to put it down. You have to read this!
The book is pretty good, but it is NOT appropriate for a school setting. I purchased it in hopes that it would have real world short stories that my high school students could better relate to, but it only had a few that I could share with my kids. It is a very good read, but just deals with the real world, which we aren't necessarily encouraged to teach.
This book is a great book about teens dealing with tough issues. It touches on many issuse that teens deal with every day, such as teen pregnancy, drug use and abuse, not knowing how to handle. The fact that it is written as a group of short stories makes it that much more appealing to a younger audience.If you are looking for a book that deals with tough issues in an appealing manner than I would highly recommmend this book to you.
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