Teens with the Courage to Give: Young People Who Triumphed Over Tragedy and Volunteered to Make a Difference

by Jackie Waldman, Steven A. Culbertson

Lately, troubled teens have been dominating the headlines. But there are other stories that deserve the spotlight, stories about the many teenagers who have dedicated themselves to important, socially useful volunteer work and who will lead their generation toward a more hopeful tomorrow. The fourth in Conari Press' "Call to Action" series, Teens with the Courage to Give profiles thirty amazing young people throughout the United States and Canada who overcame great personal odds to reach out and help others while healing themselves in the process. Each has founded or is linked to a nonprofit organization that is also profiled in the book, to encourage other teens to embrace volunteerism. In these inspiring pages, to name just a few of these heroic teenagers, you'll meet an amputee who runs in the Paralympics and spurs others on with his inner resolve; the son of a cancer patient who created support groups around the country for kids with sick parents; a girl who helped her mother and younger sister as they died of aids and who is now an aids awareness and prevention volunteer; and one of the students from the Littleton, Colorado, shooting who has gone on to create a teen drop-in center. Through their courageous first person stories, these teens show that they are part of the solution to what ails today's society. Includes an extensive resource guide of volunteer opportunities and a classroom/group discussion guide.

Genres: Nonfiction

218 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2000

Reviews

[Brenna]

Read it as one of the summer reading discussion books for the library job. The chapters are very short (about 3-6 pages each) so this reads quickly, making it a good choice for teens reluctant to read non-fiction. Some of the stories are more inspirational than others, but young adult readers can really see the message that they can do something the help the world/ their community/ themselves if they are willing to take a chance to do so.

[Ridgewood Public Library Youth Services]

My rating 3 out 5 stars

The chapters are very short (about 3-6 pages each) so this reads quickly, making it a good choice for teens reluctant to read non-fiction. Some of the stories are more inspirational than others, but young adult readers can really see the message that they can do something the help the world/ their community/ themselves if they are willing to take a chance to do so.
-Brenna (RPL)

[Tj Reads]

Mrs. Bohny's rating: 3 out of 5 stars