STAY STRONG

Teenagers seeking guidance for life can find it written in terms they can understand in this appealing, up-to-date advice book. Although the author primarily targets African-American teenagers, young people of every background might enjoy and benefit from it. A successful public-relations agent for celebrities, Williams sprinkles her ten chapters dealing with issues such as honesty, manners, and proper speech with real-life stories and quotations from teenagers and adults. She includes a “rap” on each subject written by Shanita Hunt, and enhances her prose with anecdotes about many of the famous black entertainers, rap stars, and sports heroes she knows, features sure to attract many teens. Speaking directly to the reader with an informal style using personal pronouns, Williams can sometimes come across as preachy, but she is never condescending. Because the format is broken up into sidebars and “real stories,” scattered quotes, and lists, it looks accessible—a necessity if any teenager is actually going to read it. (Nonfiction. 12-14)