Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low ExpectationsAlex & Brett Harris
Multnomah, April 2008, 256 pages, $16.99,
www.waterbrookpress.com
Expectations have consequences. High ones tend to cause people to excel; low ones create abysmal performance. The 19-year-old Harris twins (who rallied Christians behind presidential candidate Mike Huckabee) call into question the moniker “teenager” (which has been around less than 70 years), because it has created an artificial category between childhood and adulthood that places approximately zero—or only negative—expectations on teens.
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is written to teens, but it’s essential reading for adults who influence them. Adults can join the Harrises as they encourage teens to choose challenge now in order to excel for the rest of their lives: “We’re all being shaped . . . The shaping and hardening happens
whether we’re intentional about it or not. Changing later isn’t impossible, but it
is extremely difficult.”
Mad: How to Deal with Your Anger and Get Respect James J. Crist, Ph.D.
Free Spirit Publishing; 2008; 160 pgs. $13.95,
www.freespirit.comAnger is a normal part of our emotional makeup, but for some students it can take control to destroy relationships and create problems at home, school and in the community.
Mad is a guide for teens, intended to be read as self-help material. Dr. Crist includes biological information, healthy ways to control and express anger, sections on relationship impact, mental health and what happens if a teen gets in trouble as a result of anger.
A helpful list of agency and Internet resources is also included. Sprinkled throughout the book are journaling ideas and thoughtful questions to be considered by the teens. Not only is the information relevant, but the graphics, quotes, and highlights appeal to the teen audience, as well. This is a worthwhile resource for those students who need a simple, straightforward guide to a difficult problem.
You Are Here: A Straight-shooting Guide to Mapping Your FutureDanny Holland
WaterBrook Press, August 2007, 179 pages, $13.99,
www.waterbrookpress.comDanny Holland is a masterful storyteller. His accounts of deep-sea canoeing off the Hawaiian coast are awe-inspiring as he charts a life course for teens (and even adults if you’re searching!).
You Are Here thoroughly and engagingly explores life from a biblical perspective, emphasizing purpose, character, attitude, focus, and faithfulness.