Harbor Press, 2007, 240 pp., $14.95, www.harborpress.com
Adolescent psychologist Michael Bradley chronicles the broken, yet heroic, lives of ordinary students he’s encountered as a school, family, and adolescent counselor. Each story offers a window into the true longings of typical teenagers. You may find it difficult to read more than one chapter in a single sitting as Bradley’s writing style and quotes from students evoke deep, raw emotions within the reader’s soul.
You’ll reconsider your approach to ministry after reading just the first chapter about a normal 14-year-old from a loving family who declares, “I need to be more than I am … I never realized how much I hate being plain and ordinary.” As students wrestle with the painful struggle of identity formation, they eventually become heroes for Bradley when they discover their true identities. This is one of the top three books I’ve read on teenagers in the last 10 years.
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Review by: Mark W. Cannister, Professor of Youth Ministries at Gordon College, Wenham, Massachusetts.
