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Advice for navigating the high school years
REVIEWS BY ANGELA LEEPER Decisions, decisions, decisions. No wonder teenagers groan so much as back to school approaches, when high school is nonstop decision-making. Three new books aim to help teens (as well as their parents and educators) realize their goals, make smart decisions and find success. Simply surviving
While the topics covered may be hard-hitting, the authors maintain a light, conversational tone, using occasional humor ("Dozing in class doesn't count as the nine hours of sleep you need"), quotes from teens "who've been there, done that," tips from experts, and plenty of charts, checklists and quizzes. Their down-to-earth advice prepares teens to make wise decisions not only during high school, but throughout young adulthood.
By Harriet S. Mosatche and Karen Unger McGraw-Hill, $14.95 208 pages ISBN 0071459286
Going to extremes
Robbins' compelling investigative journalism traces a year in the lives of several overachieving teens at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland, a public high school often touted as one of the best in the nation. These are teens who skip lunch to squeeze in one more Advanced Placement class, who continue to play competitive sports while seriously injured, and whose extreme stress leads to unnaturally thinning hair, panic attacks and eating disorders. Increasingly, the author shows, these teens are becoming the norm rather than the exception. Robbins also explores the repercussions of an overachiever culture, from a spike in suicide rates among teens, chronic sleep deprivation, and abuse of Adderall and Ritalin by non-ADD teens to rampant cheating, loss of childhood, and academic competition starting as early as preschool. She finds irony in today's hypertesting education systems that compromise the quality of education and in helicopter parents, so named for hovering over their children, who leave students so sheltered that they lack social skills and initiative. The author concludes this eye-opener with suggestions for high schools, colleges, counselors, parents and students alike on ways to break the addictive, abusive cycle of extreme perfectionism.
By Alexandra Robbins Hyperion, $24.95 352 pages ISBN 1401302017
Colorful success
This approachable, inspirational guide first asks young adults to ponder their interests, skills, favorite types of people and ideal work environment through guided questions and discovery exercises. Once teens have identified their potential dream jobs, the authors suggest ways, such as extracurricular activities and job shadowing, to gain information about these career paths. For teens with little work experience, the final section on job-search basics, interviewing and "the top 10 mistakes job hunters make—and how you can avoid them" is invaluable. Bolles and Christen hold readers' interest with quick tip and "reality check" boxes, profiles of successful 20-somethings, and websites to seek out further information. While they certainly want to see young adults find a successful job, the authors also hope that teenagers will see this guide as a tool for defining their futures.
By Richard Nelson Bolles and Carol Christen Ten Speed Press, $14.95 168 pages ISBN 1580087132
Angela Leeper is an educational consultant and freelance writer in Wake Forest, North Carolina.
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For many teens, the transition to high school may seem like a matter of survival. With a title that captures their worries, Where Should I Sit at Lunch?: The Ultimate 24/7 Guide to Surviving the High School Years provides insight and answers to commonly asked questions, including those dealing with parents, friendship, dating and sex. With information on puberty and body image, test-taking, jobs, time management and preparing for life away from home, authors Harriet S. Mosatche and Karen Unger also answer questions teens may not have thought of or may be too inhibited to ask on their own.
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Getting good grades, playing sports and participating in school clubs are all part of the high school experience. But what happens when a teenager's need to be at the top of the class becomes a perfectionist workaholism? Author Alexandra Robbins reports on the disturbing rise of overachiever culture in The Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids.
What should I major in? and What kind of job do I want? are perhaps some of the toughest decisions high school and college students will face. Richard Nelson Bolles, author of the bestseller What Color Is Your Parachute? and former director of the National Career Development Project, teams with career strategist Carol Christen to adapt Bolles' revolutionary career guide into What Color Is Your Parachute? For Teens.