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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
A motivational read with personal stories from each author.
“Hope is a decision” This collection of essays from contemporary young adult authors was an easy read and filled with stories of hope. Great read for fans of each author’s work, gives you a peek into their personal lives and their inspirational stories about hope!
These are some amazing stories. They are all incredibly diverse and unique. I fully intend on using some of these stories in my American Literature class as we explore the concept of the American Dream vs reality in modern America.
"The truth is, we never really get fixed; instead, we try to make peace, daily, with who and what we are. We learn to embrace the glorious, imperfect whole rather than punishing ourselves because of our flawed parts." -Before and After by Libba Bray
This anthology of essays and short stories all center on the theme of hope. This collection was pulled together after the 2016 election and published in February 2018, a time when many of us needed hope. I had never heard of this until @thetownieteacher recommended it on Instagram this summer. Surprise, surprise, I took much longer than the allotted time to finish reading this collection of essays.
Some of the essays were fantastic ([a:Libba Bray|2526|Libba Bray|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1206563678p2/2526.jpg], [a:Nic Stone|13525503|Nic Stone|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1473479285p2/13525503.jpg], and [a:Atia Abawi|7228730|Atia Abawi|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1475509029p2/7228730.jpg]) while others didn't quite pull me in the way I wanted them to. Regardless, this is a beautiful collection of essays centered around a topic that so often we want to write about but simply don't know how. A few of the essays I could see working into my classroom curriculum, which was the whole point of the summer reading, and some of them are too near and dear to my heart to pick apart with a room full of 12 and 13 year olds. This is a beautiful collection of essays and one that I am glad to have read, even if it did take me a solid four months to get through.
This anthology of essays and short stories all center on the theme of hope. This collection was pulled together after the 2016 election and published in February 2018, a time when many of us needed hope. I had never heard of this until @thetownieteacher recommended it on Instagram this summer. Surprise, surprise, I took much longer than the allotted time to finish reading this collection of essays.
Some of the essays were fantastic ([a:Libba Bray|2526|Libba Bray|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1206563678p2/2526.jpg], [a:Nic Stone|13525503|Nic Stone|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1473479285p2/13525503.jpg], and [a:Atia Abawi|7228730|Atia Abawi|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1475509029p2/7228730.jpg]) while others didn't quite pull me in the way I wanted them to. Regardless, this is a beautiful collection of essays centered around a topic that so often we want to write about but simply don't know how. A few of the essays I could see working into my classroom curriculum, which was the whole point of the summer reading, and some of them are too near and dear to my heart to pick apart with a room full of 12 and 13 year olds. This is a beautiful collection of essays and one that I am glad to have read, even if it did take me a solid four months to get through.
1. I am not a young adult. I am a 35 year old educator who is a middle schooler stuck in a grown up body.
2. I loved these stories and they did give me hope.
3. I now need to think about what Hope means to me.
2. I loved these stories and they did give me hope.
3. I now need to think about what Hope means to me.
Listened to these tales of hope and couldn't stop thinking of ways to include them in mini-lessons! A lovely, diverse set of stories.
BEAUTIFUL. AMAZING. I WILL REREAD OVER AND OVER AGAIN. It made me reflect on what brings me hope.
Every one of these essays was interesting, entertaining and insightful.
While I did not love every single story, I loved at least 90% of them which is more than I can say for most story collections. Some of the authors reached me on a very personal level. Nic Stone’s explanation of the power of Potter is one I can personally relate to as Harry Potter has helped me build relationships and bridge gaps in some of the most surprising situations. Jeff Zentner’s essay was reminiscent of one of my all time heroes, Elie Wiesel. Libba Bray’s bravery through a horrific ordeal was inspiring. I could go on and on. I cannot express enough how needed this book is in a time when we need hope more than ever before. Great read for teens!