I.D.

A collection of illustrated vignettes about “…the ways we accept and define ourselves throughout our lives, and how, for better or worse, they shape who we become.” Scowen, a long-time youth counselor and consultant, solicited and selected 12 true first-person accounts of defining moments from childhood or adolescence. The experiences run the gamut from kidnapping (“Drive”) and family violence (“Punch”) to body image (“Big Girl”) and sexual identity (“Playing House”). Each hand-lettered story is illustrated in spiky pen and broad pastel strokes by Mitchell and accompanied by a Q&A section in which each author further describes the positive or negative effect the event had on their lives. While this is an adequate gateway title for identity-seeking teens in search of comfort or guidance, its broad focus and scant list of additional resources (made up of hotlines, books and websites) mean it will be of limited use for homework or projects. A purely additional purchase for libraries looking to expand their teen self-help section. (Nonfiction. 13 & up)