GEN: Reference Book review (The Teen Trip)

[Peter Milbury <pmilbury@CUSD.CHICO.K12.CA.US>]

Dear LM_NET Colleagues,

        One of the nice things about living in a university town like
Chico is that you often have a chance to meet and work with some very
interesting and talented people.  Some of them are authors, and they write
helpful books that your students contribute to. Dr. Gayle Kimball,
Professor of Women's Studies at California State University, Chico is one
such person. Her new book, The Teen Trip, is a reference work that will be
valuable to teens, parents and people who serve teens (such as educators).


Reference Book Review:

Kimball, Dr. Gayle. The Teen Trip: The Complete Resource Guide. Equality
Press, 42 Ranchita Way #5, Chico, CA 95928. 523pp. 1996. (Paper, 9.5 X
6.25 in.) ISBN 0-938795-26-0. LC# 96-083772. $16.95.

        As many school librarians will know from first hand experience,
teens are at a difficult and lonely time in their life journey. They
often feel pressure from their family, friends, classmates, teammates,
employers, teachers and others-- plus face the prospect of living and
coping in an increasingly complex, hostile world when they graduate! The
Teen Trip is an effort to share the wisdom of caring adults, teens, and
recent teens, so that their journey might be a bit easier and more enjoyable.

        This hefty resource guide (523 pages) includes the results of
Kimball's surveys and interviews with over 1,500 young people, and
combines these with expert advice from educators and others who serve
teens. Also included are many references to sources of help, such as
groups, organizations, books, and even Internet resources. The advice and
information is frank and honestly offered. The comments and quotations by
teens are well selected and edited to appropriate length.

        The Teen Trip is organized into chapters which address major
issues or challenges for teens: Body, Feelings, Sexuality, Drugs, Family,
Peers, School, Good Grades, College, Work and Money, and Community. Each
chapter is broken down into sub-topics, which include comments from other
teens and contributors, followed by references to appropriate books and
other resources. Kimball makes regular and effective use of statistics to
make her point, along with the quotations and excerpts from her survey
responses.

        For example, the chapter on School has 13 subsections, ranging
from Advice About How to Succeed and Dropouts to Social Problems and
Violence Prevention. The subtopic on Ethnicity is further broken down
into separate resources for four major ethnic groups (African-Americans,
Latinos, Asian Americans, and Native Americans), with many quotations and
references to resources for each.

        The graphics and layout of the book make it easy to read.  The
Table of Contents and Index allow one to quickly locate specific
information. An appendix includes the summary of the survey results.
Although it is paperback, the binding appears to be durable.

        Recommended for all libraries that serve teens.

------------------
N.B.  Dr. Kimball is also author of How to Survive Your Parents' Divorce:
Kids' Advice to Kids, available  from the same source. Quantity discounts
available.


Reviewed by:

Peter Milbury           Librarian, Chico High School, Chico, CA
A National Blue Ribbon School & California Distinguished School
................................................................
Co-owner of LM_NET: 6,000+ Online School Library Media Community
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 +Peter Milbury's School Library & School Librarian Web Pages+
       http://www.cusd.chico.k12.ca.us/~pmilbury/lib.html
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