Ingrid Ricks's Blog - Posts Tagged "teens"
Putting My Intentions Out There
I’ve been looking forward to today for a couple of months now. It’s the day that Booklist Magazine, the official review publication of the American Library Association, is featuring a review of my memoir, Hippie Boy: A Girl’s Story.
The magazine reaches 20,000 public and school librarians across the country. OK…I definitely want to sell books. But I also feel strongly about getting Hippie Boy into the hands of teenagers across the country.
I had the incredible opportunity recently to use Hippie Boy as a guide to help at-risk teens claim their power by finding their voice and telling their stories. The challenges I faced during my coming-of-age years don’t hold a candle to the heartache and tragedy experienced by these students. But they could identify with so much in Hippie Boy that it helped them to share their stories, and in the process, realize they have the power to claim the life they want for themselves.
So my intention for Hippie Boy, today and in the weeks to come, is for librarians everywhere to understand its power in connecting with teens and realize that they need to carry at least three copies each in their libraries.
And it’s my intention for today’s Booklist Magazine review to get the ball rolling.
The magazine reaches 20,000 public and school librarians across the country. OK…I definitely want to sell books. But I also feel strongly about getting Hippie Boy into the hands of teenagers across the country.
I had the incredible opportunity recently to use Hippie Boy as a guide to help at-risk teens claim their power by finding their voice and telling their stories. The challenges I faced during my coming-of-age years don’t hold a candle to the heartache and tragedy experienced by these students. But they could identify with so much in Hippie Boy that it helped them to share their stories, and in the process, realize they have the power to claim the life they want for themselves.
So my intention for Hippie Boy, today and in the weeks to come, is for librarians everywhere to understand its power in connecting with teens and realize that they need to carry at least three copies each in their libraries.
And it’s my intention for today’s Booklist Magazine review to get the ball rolling.
The Power of Teens Claiming Their Power
If you are wondering what can happen when teens find their voice and claim their power, watch this story clip with student authors from Scriber Lake High School, an alternative high school in Edmonds, Washington. Then read their new book: We Are Absolutely Not Okay: Fourteen Stories by Teenagers Who Are Picking Up the Pieces — available as both an eBook and paperback on Amazon. All proceeds go to fund future writing/publishing programs at Scriber Lake High School.
(to see clip, visit http://www.king5.com/new-day-northwes...)
It’s hard for me to put into words how inspired I am by these students. They have dealt with the kind of heartache and tragedy that most of us can’t even fathom. They’ve experienced gang life and drug addiction, and had lost loved ones to prison. They’ve battled depression and self harm. Some have been abused and neglected by those who were supposed to protect them.
But rather than being angry and hardened, they have reclaimed their power by finding their voice, writing their stories and sharing them with the world. Now they are committed to using their personal experiences to help other teens know that they are not alone and that they have the power within themselves to make life better.
The book, which launched officially at a huge student book signing event on June 6th, is already connecting with teens and making a difference in their lives. And I know this is only the beginning of the amazing journey for these student authors. I am honored to have been involved with this amazing project.
(to see clip, visit http://www.king5.com/new-day-northwes...)
It’s hard for me to put into words how inspired I am by these students. They have dealt with the kind of heartache and tragedy that most of us can’t even fathom. They’ve experienced gang life and drug addiction, and had lost loved ones to prison. They’ve battled depression and self harm. Some have been abused and neglected by those who were supposed to protect them.
But rather than being angry and hardened, they have reclaimed their power by finding their voice, writing their stories and sharing them with the world. Now they are committed to using their personal experiences to help other teens know that they are not alone and that they have the power within themselves to make life better.
The book, which launched officially at a huge student book signing event on June 6th, is already connecting with teens and making a difference in their lives. And I know this is only the beginning of the amazing journey for these student authors. I am honored to have been involved with this amazing project.
