Teen writers might well draw inspiration from this collection of stories, poems and short essays, which have been culled from past volumes of the high-school section of Hanging Loose Magazine. Many of the alumni now have successful college and writing careers, and diversity is one of this volume’s strong points. The teen contributors, who represent a variety of backgrounds, write about everything from losing friends and family to Hollywood hypocrisy, displaying many different emotions. They are often serious, occasionally funny and almost always insightful, though the quality of the work, as in any anthology, runs the gamut. Where this book loses steam is in the organization: There are seven sections, but no evident or cohesive theme that ties a chapter’s content together, despite their titles. As a result, readers may have to do some digging to find the type of writing that most appeals to them. Serendipity, however, might encourage some young writers to submit their own work. (Anthology. YA)
Pub Date: July 15, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-934909-06-5
Page Count: 280
Publisher: Hanging Loose Press
Review Posted Online: June 2, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
American citizens have been held hostage in the Middle East at least since 1979, when our embassy in Teheran was seized by a mob; Lawson's history of the US government's response in the 80's makes a sad tale of hypocrisy, incompetence, and corruption. He shows how, after the hostage crisis cost Carter his political career, Reagan allowed a series of profitable arms-for-hostages deals to go through—while publicly condemning the idea—to finance his ``pet anti-communist project.'' The ensuing revelations, investigations, and trials are covered here in some detail. In an epilogue, Lawson notes that a new group of hostages were taken when Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait in 1990. A thematic introduction by Arthur L. Liman, an attorney involved in the Senate Iran-contra investigation, sums it up: Reagan's advisors, acting from ``disrespect, bordering on contempt'' for the Constitution, established a ``secret government within the Government'' for specifically illegal purposes. B&w photos; adequate bibliography; long chronology; excellent notes; chart listing hostages taken in the 80's; index. (Nonfiction. YA)
Pub Date: April 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-531-11009-5
Page Count: 128
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1991
An entry in the ``Venture'' series that, in its comprehensive treatment of options, will be equally helpful to teens and to their parents. Approaching custody primarily from a legal standpoint, free-lancer Terkel outlines types of divorce (default, contested, uncontested, etc.) and gives a particularly informative overview of custody arrangements: sole, joint, joint legal but not physical, dove-nesting (the parents move about), split (taking turns at sole custody). Case studies give the information immediacy; emotional concerns are addressed in descriptions of support programs (e.g., Banana Splits) and of what court is like. Occasionally, disjointedness creates confusion: a section on court investigation doesn't say under what circumstances inquiry occurs, and sample questionnaires from such investigations are plopped at the end without comment, leaving kids to struggle with how to answer provocative questions and ignoring opportunities for self-evaluation and insight. Nonetheless, a balanced, valuable reference source, sympathetically presented. Bibliography; resources; index. (Nonfiction. 14+)
Pub Date: April 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-531-12521-1
Page Count: 128
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1991
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