Good Morning! Here’s the Monday Morning Blog?
Did you get a chance to touch base with that teen or young adult in your life last week? Check in with them and see what they want for Christmas. They are a hard group to shop for. Hey teens and young adults! Ideas are always needed and welcomed for those adults in your life.
December’s Theme – Holiday Traditions
Sometime adults work hard to make memories for their families. One way that they do it is to create holiday traditions, like making a favorite cookie or watching a certain movie. As a teenager, these events may seem rather boring as they would rather be with their friends or interacting with them on their phones. The holidays can be hard time for teens, so adults may need to rethink their traditions and make them more engaging for their teens.
Book Reviews I blogged about this year
I reviewed twelve different books over the course of the past year, those books were
Blended by Sharon Draper
Death of Innocence by Mamie Till-Mobley and Christopher Benson
Ordinary Light by Tracy K. Smith
House Rules by Jodi Picoult
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella
This is My America by Kim Johnson
Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes
Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez
Shawn’s Way by Selma P. Verde
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand
If any of these titles sound intriguing, click the title above and you will be taken to my blog for a book review of it. They were all good reads, but if I pick my three favorites to recommend as great gift ideas for your teens, they would be Death of innocence, This is my America and Finding Audrey. Please see a mini description of each one below.
Death of Innocence
This is the story of Emmett Till, a black teenager who was the victim of a racial hate crime. His mom Mamie tells his story and her journey in dealing with her son’s death which occurred at the beginning of the civil rights movement. I reviewed this book during Black History Month, but it is a story to share with your teens about how making judgements based on someone’s race can have serious consequences.
This Is My America
This was the book I reviewed in July when we celebrate America as a melting pot of cultures and races. But many people see that freedom differently. in her debut novel, Kim Johnson gives us a look at America from the view of a Black American teenager. Tracy Beaumont tells the story of her family who is dealing with her father being on death row and then her brother becomes wrongly accused of murder. Both of these cases show some of the racial inequalities found in our justice system.
Finding Audrey
Many novels tell the story of the bullying event itself, either from the perspective of the target or the one who bullies. Finding Audrey is different because it shows us what happens after the bullying is found out about and the impact that it has on the target. Her story is inspirational because in the aftermath, she is left to deal with anxiety and is able to work through with the help of a new friend. I reviewed this book in June when I featured bullying as my monthly topic.
Dealing with being treated a certain way because of the color of your skin or being bullied because you are struggling with mental illness are issues that teens face and are forced to deal with. Teens relate to their peers better than they do adults. So. being able to read a book and see how a teen faced an issue may help another teen deal with the same issue.
Teens can be hard to buy gifts for. Hopefully one of my suggestions above can help you to find a great read for your teen or young adult. Let me know what gifts you found in the comments below.
Another Great Gift Idea for Teen Readers
Both of the books in The Way Series focus on high school and the challenges teens can face. Book one, The Hard Way, focuses on peer pressure and making choices with the approval of peers being a factor. Book two, Shawn’s Way, shows a freshman in high school navigating his way through being the target of a bully. Check out the books tab of my website for more information and how to purchase your own copies, Selma P. Verde – Books
Have you donated any gifts this year?
Toys for Tots and many other organizations are looking for donated gifts to give to people who can’t afford to give gifts to their children for Christmas. As they are always looking for gifts for kids, there is a bigger demand for gifts for teens and young adults. Please keep that in mind and maybe add a gift for a teen to your list and place it in a box of one of the many causes collecting them. Or, you can donate a gift virtually through the Toys for Tots link above.
Have a great week!
