Monday, March 9, 2009

Literary corner: Sarah Dessen

Well, I've had teaching responsibilities today, plus my 1 year old son has been a bit ill, so there's not much time for blogging today.

BUT...I wanted to point to this author, Sarah Dessen, and her work. She's really good. She writes books about teens, aimed I suppose at teens...but really they're accessible to anyone. For example, I just finished reading this one--called "Dreamland."

Dessen's writing is smooth; her stories quickly absorb you and take you in. Her books are mainly about young, high school-age women who are trying to find their voice, find who they are...and of course in the meantime you learn a lot about what young women and men are thinking, and about the issues they face. I like especially how Dessen portrays caring parents...but parents who are mistaken if they don't let their children make the BIG choices--about who and what they're going to be when they grow up--on their own. It's an important lesson, but a hard one for parents to grasp. Of course, at the same time, teens in Dessen's books learn too that parents aren't always wrong in what they preach--far from it. But usually young people have to find that out for themselves, through trial and error.

Anyway, if you're a teen, and especially even if you're not a teen, even if your teen years came and went long ago, check out the books written by this remarkable woman. You won't be sorry.