Shining On: 11 Star Authors' Illuminating Stories
Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that, while there's nothing graphic, there are lots of sexual references, including a homosexual teen, French-kissing, and a boy who keeps asking a girl to "touch it."
Families who read this book could discuss the trials and tribulations of their own growing up. Are there any stories here that especially resonate with you? Do you recognize any of your friends in the stories? Teens may need some help with the British words, and may be inspired to try writing their own story of adolescent challenges.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Matt Berman
This collection was first published in the U. K., and most of the authors are British. Lois Lowry contributes an introduction that attempts to draw a common theme from these disparate stories, and, disappointingly, she only includes an excerpt from one of her novels rather than a new story.
There are many first-rate authors represented here: Meg Cabot, Anne Fine, Melvin Burgess, Meg Rosoff, among others. And the stories are all, well, fine. There's not one that's really terrible, but not one that will knock your socks off either, which, given the pedigree of the writers, is surprising.
Meg Cabot's comes closest -- it's a lighthearted take on an image-obsessed girl falling for a geek. (It's also where most of the notes in the Content Advisories come from.) Most of the rest are deadly serious, and sometimes preachy. The blind girl teaches a lesson to the boy who asks her out on a dare; the disfigured girl discovers her boyfriend likes her anyway. There's even a wildly out-of-place entry about a girl dealing rather too easily with some pesky ghosts.
These stories are reasonably enjoyable and pass the time pleasantly, for the most part. But these authors can do, and have done, better.
From The Book
We are not totally stupid, by the way. We read the tabloids often enough to know that between a mother giving a lecture of the fanatical nervous breakdown variety to her kids and Grievous Bodily Harm there is a very fine line indeed. The Sun, for instance, seems to specialize in stories along the lines of Formerly average mum bludgeons family with stern lecture and tire iron, then makes cup of tea. We three kids were doing the eye contact and respectful hangdog-look thing, maintaining that pathetic silence that makes mothers feel guilty eventually, when they're done shouting. But we had to give the old girl credit, this time she showed no sign of flagging.
-- from "Resigned" by Meg Rosoff
Plot Summary:
A collection of 11 short stories from some of today's top novelists for young adults. The mostly British authors touch on topics such as coping with blindness and disfigurement, coming out to one's parents, liking someone who's not cool, discovering grandparents were once young, and even, in one story, dealing with ghosts.
Includes an introduction by Lois Lowry, and brief bios of the authors. A portion of the money generated from the sale of this book will benefit CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation and Children's Oncology Group, partners in the search for a cure for childhood cancer.
Related Books:
Other Books by Lois Lowry:
All About Sam
Anastasia at Your Service
Anastasia Has the Answers
Anastasia Krupnik
The Giver
Number the Stars
See You Around, Sam!
Gathering Blue
The Silent Boy
Looking Back: A Book of Memories
Messenger
Gossamer
More YA Short Stories about Growing Up:
Leaving Home, Hazel Rochman & Darlene Z. McCampbell, eds.
First Sightings: Stories of American Youth, John Loughery, ed.
Zebra and Other Stories by Chaim Potok
Talk to Me: Stories and a Novella by Carol Dines
All That Remains by Bruce Brooks
Guys Write for Guys Read by Jon Scieszka
Related Web sites:
Author's Site
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| CS | adults | kids | ||
Sexual ContentA boy who keeps asking a girl to "touch it." References to "dykes," tongue-kissing, bras, an unbuttoned blouse while kissing, sex appeal, parents having sex, PMS and periods, "boobs" and "boob jobs." A gay teen comes out to his family. |
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ViolenceA girl is disfigured in a terrorist bombing. |
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LanguageOne "Christ." |
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Social Behavior |
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CommercialismSnack food, soft-drink, and chain-store brands. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoReferences to alcohol, "getting high," teen drinking; an adult smokes a pipe. |
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