Leslie's Journalby Allan Stratton
Young Adult
Annick Press, 2007
Summary:
Leslie’s world is crashing around her. She is in trouble at school, at home, and with her best friend Katie. Leslie's life seems to settle from chaos to wonderful when Jason, the new guy in school, asks her out. Things quickly change, however, and spin out of control as she finds out that Jason is not as nice as she thought and she must find a way to break out of the relationship.
Themes:
friendship, love, courage, independence, dating, date rape, and family.
Rationale for Use: Well written, suspenseful, and a fast paced story about love, friendship, and what it means to stand up for yourself.
Content Area Connections:
English: The book deals with journal writing. One idea would be for students to write a journal while the book is being read to express their feelings about Leslie’s situation and how they would handle the situation differently.
Possible Problems or Concerns:
Sexual overtones, violence, and date rape
~Heather Dobbs
This sounds like what some of our high school students experience. They could probably relate to what Leslie is going through in her life.
ReplyDeleteArnelle
Hi.
ReplyDeleteKristin
Relationship problems are a fact of life with teens. It is good to see a book that will help the readers see solutions to simular problems that they may experience. Bill
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of using this book with journal writing in the classroom. The students could compare their experiences with those of Leslie and write about them.
ReplyDeleteMany students can relate to relationship issues. Many times as adults we quickly dismiss these problems as crushes but forget they are very real to the students involved. This helps students see they are not alone.
ReplyDeleteRandy Johnson
I would think that a lot of adolescents would have a great deal of interest in this story. Even if they are not dealing with the exact problems that the character faces, they can see that it is normal to deal with personal issues as this age. I agree with Randy. A lot of times we dismiss students' problems quickly, but they need to see that it is ok to feel the way they do.
ReplyDelete-Bridget Mansfield
I think this is a realistic situation. Teens often look for acceptance and approval by getting involved in romantic relationships. Too often our teens are turning to other places for guidance instead of home to find a sense of belonging. Sometimes our teens end up in trouble as is the case with "Leslie." However, I am glad the author is teaching that we can get help and can get out of difficult situations too.
ReplyDeleteThis would be a good book to pair with Tears of a Tiger since it is in journal form--for the Tech Writing classroom it could be used to offer the students another choice of a book to read--girls would probably choose this one over Tears of a Tiger.----Frances Elder
ReplyDeleteJournaling seems a lost art. I journaled for a while and know the value of putting my thoughts on paper. Stuff you would never have the nerve to share with someone is clearer when you read your own words. I see how this would/could be useful to many young ladies.
ReplyDeleteTeen-age girls have many issue to deal with as they grow into young women. Many times, unfortunately, they are not able to talk to parents about their concerns. Books like this, though never a substitute for good parental advice, can help girls see that they are not alone; nor do they have problems that no one else has dealt with. Belinda Todd
ReplyDelete