Red The Book

I need to start today by apologizing. I haven't been blogging over here lately, and I'm sorry. Things went crazy stressful in my life a while back and I had to prioritize a few things, and unfortunately, blogging took a back seat. I'm going to try and be present more, but I'll be honest and let you know that I haven't done a lot of new reading. I've done a TON of re-reading, and just to get content up here, I may post some dishes on those books - Maybe a couple week long series of "Oldies But Goodies". And speaking of Goodies - dee is running a contest right now for the ENTIRE series of books by Scott Westerfeld - THE UGLIES. dee and her daughter Gret went to a signing of Scott's and all of the books are SIGNED! You really want to enter the contest (I do too, but she won't let me). So Click Here or scroll down to enter today! Gret did a fabulous job dishing the books, and I want to say THANK YOU, GRET for helping us out over here. And now, without further ado...

Red: The next generation of American writers - TEENAGE GIRLS - on what Fires up their lives today

Red The Book is the brainchild of editor Amy Goldwasser, "Red is a place for the freshest, most fearless young voices out there to explode the puffy pink stereotype of the American teenage girl." Sending out a call for essay's from teenage girls, (receiving roughly eight hundred) Goldwasser had but two guidelines - "...ages thirteen to eighteen, to submit a piece of personal nonfiction..." that was it. The end result is this wonderful book that I will NEVER forget.

Let me first admit that I almost didn't read RED. I'm generally not a nonfiction reader, but the premise behind the book had me so intrigued that I opened it right up and dove in. I am, after all, the mother of a small daughter, a mother that hasn't been a teenager in a several years, and a mother who will readily admit that times were vastly different when I was. What I had hoped to get out of the book was some insight into today's teenage girl, to prepare myself for some of the struggles that my own Miss Beautiful may face. I got all of that and so much more.

The essays were amazing! Often times I found myself both terrified for this young generation and inspired by them - all on the same page. These young women are talented beyond anything you can imagine. They are smart, self-aware, and they are most definitely nobodies fool.

The essays span the spectrum of what it is to be a teenage girl, with stories about cutting, being over/under weight, sex, politics, drugs, and school, these girls discussed anything and everything. They put their own name on the essays, put them out there for the world.

The authors of RED are among the bravest, most talented, extraordinary young women I know. I don't think we've heard the last from any of them, I for one, at least, hope we haven't. I expect great things from these girls, and their entire generation. BRAVA!

To learn more about the book and it's authors you can visit the Red the Book website and/or MySpace page. The authors are continuing to let us readers into their lives by blogging and more!

Take Care