The Struggle to Be Strong: True Stories by Teens About Overcoming Tough Times (Updated Edition)

by Al Desetta (Editor), Sybil Wolin Ph.D. (Editor)

Overview

Through thirty first-person teen narratives, including new stories on social media and gender identity, readers learn about seven resiliencies everyone needs to survive and thrive.

Otis deals with the real-life consequences of online aggression; Artiqua dates a boy of another race despite her family’s opposition. Charlene is raising her brothers and sisters because their mother is addicted to drugs; Craig is gay and worried about coming out.

All of these teens have had more than their share of troubles. And all have the resiliency needed to face their troubles, live through them, and move forward with courage, confidence, and hope.

In thirty first-person narratives, teen writers share how they’ve overcome obstacles in their lives. As teens read, they discover they’re not alone in facing life’s difficulties. They learn about seven resiliencies everyone needs to survive and thrive in even the toughest times:

• insight
• independence
• relationships
• initiative
• creativity
• humor
• morality 

In this updated edition, new stories feature topics such as social media, gender identity, and drug addiction. A “Think About It” section at the end of each story offers questions for personal reflection or discussion. Vivid, articulate, and candid, these stories will motivate readers of all ages to build the skills and strengths they need to triumph over adversity.

The corresponding leader’s guide, A Leader's Guide to The Struggle to Be Strong updated edition, provides activities, exercises, and questions to invite teens to go deeper into the stories and issues of The Struggle to Be Strong.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781631984600
Publisher:	Free Spirit Publishing
Publication date:	08/26/2019
Edition description:	Updated Edition
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	1,103,568
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Al Desetta, M.A., was an editor at Youth Communication, a New York–based nonprofit organization that teaches writing, journalism, and leadership skills to inner-city teens, from 1985 until 2002. He is currently a freelance editor.

Sybil Wolin, Ph.D., is a developmental psychologist and was codirector of Project Resilience from 1987 to 2000. She lives on the Chesapeake Bay with her husband.

Table of Contents

A Message to You 1

Introduction 3

"Think About It"-and Maybe Write About It 7

The Resiliencies 9

Insight Asking Tough Questions 10

I Don't Know What the Word Mommy Means Youniqiue Symone 12

Beauty Is More Than Skin Deep Danielle Wilson 16

Controlling My Temper Christopher A. Bogle 21

The Answer Was Me Eliott Castro 25

Color Me Different Jamal K. Greene 29

Independence Being Your Own Person 34

I Was a Beauty School Sucker Tonya Leslie 36

My Weight Is No Burden Charlene Johnson 40

Losing My Friends to Weed Jamel A. Salter 44

Out, Without a Doubt Xavier Reyes 48

I'm Black, He's Puerto Rican … So What? Artiqua S. Steed 55

Relationships Connecting with People who Matter 60

Not a Girl at All Anonymous 62

She's My Sister (Not Foster) Tamara Ballard 66

Bonding Through Cooking Aurora Breville 70

A Love Too Strong Tamecka Crawford 77

Learning to Forgive Christopher A. Bogle 81

Initiative Taking Charge 86

It Takes Work to Flirt Danny Gong 88

My Struggle with Weed Xavier Reyes 93

College Can Be Hell Tamecka Crawford 96

Poetry Brought Out the Performer in Me Shaniqua Sockwell 101

How I Graduated Angi Baptiste 106

Creativity Using Imagination 110

How Writing Helps Me Terry-Ann Da Costa 112

Why I Live in a Fantasy World Cassandra Thadal 115

Walking Out the Anger Tamara Ballard 120

Humor Finding What's Funny 124

My Hair Is Blue-But I'm Not a Freak! Lenny Jones 126

How to Survive Shopping with Mom Chris Kanarick 130

Morality Doing the Right Thing 134

A Mother to My Mother's Children Charlene Johnson 136

No One Spoke Up for Irma Ana Angélica Pines 141

I Was a Cyberbully Otis Hampton 147

Soldier Girl Max Morán 150

How I Made Peace with the Past Paula Byrd 155

The Seven Resiliencies-A Summary 161

About Youth Communication 165

About Project Resilience 167

About the Contributors 169

Glossary 171

Guide to Topics 172

About the Editors 175

Editorial Reviews

Engaging, empowering testimony to today’s teens struggling to make something of themselves.

Voice of Youth Advocates

An important resource.

Youthworker

This slim but mighty volume is a beacon of hope and good sense for young people and their counselors.

Martin E.P. Seligman

Enduringly important.

Midwest Book Review

When I feel like whining about my hard life, I instead page through The Struggle to Be Strong. After a few paragraphs, I’ve usually gotten some much-needed perspective from Danielle, Jamel, Xavier, or one of the book’s other young writers.

The Philadelphia Inquirer - Ronnie Polaneczky

The Struggle to Be Strong is wonderful—and so needed, as my experience is that adults are talking about youth resilience with other adults, but not nearly enough with kids themselves. This book is the best: Kids to kids.

Nan Henderson