Anyone who is rearing an African American child or children today knows that making mistakes in doing so is virtually unavoidable. But, errors can be drastically minimized by employing the advice, life lessons and tactics found in Robin Henry's No Mistakes! The African American Teen Guide To Growing Up Strong, Amber Books, 160 pages. Written for today's impressionable African American teen audience and parents alike, and formatted as a workbook by Henry at the request of her own students, No Mistakes! deftly draws upon Henry's more than a decade of experience as an inner-city high school educator, providing readers with a half-dozen chapters of sound information on navigating pitfalls, growing to adulthood and succeeding in life. The author takes great care not to preach at teens or to castigate parents, but instead lovingly imparts wisdom to both readerships, from one who obviously believes in their futures and is in their corner. . According to author and High School Teacher, Robin Henry, "As an African American mother, I am tired of so much bad news and I am not having it for my son. As an African American teacher, I know that I have reached just a few. But as an African American author, I know I can reach out to you and your friends. There is nothing wrong with you or the way you are doing things. Just know that we can all improve. We can all learn to be better. After working with teens and listening to their issues, I have learned quite a bit. I suggest that you read this book. No Mistakes!: The African American Teen Guide to Growing Up Strong points out that there are too many African American teens out there making mistakes by using drugs, having sex too soon, babies making babies, and going to prison. Chapters include: Image, Communicating, Etiquette & Manners - Getting a College Scholarship and The Right Stuff for Resumes.
