Bibliography Franco, Betsy. 2008. Falling Hard: 100 Love Poems by Teenagers. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763634377 Review & Critical Analysis This collection of one hundred poems, edited by Betsy Franco, expresses love in its varying emotions, forms, and actions through the eyes of teenage poets. These poets, from all over the world are listed only by name and age. Franco collected the poems mostly via e-mail from a diverse group of teenage writers with a contemporary and refreshing perspective. Each poem is unique and engaging in a different way. Some poems are written with rhyme, others in free verse, still others in a form all their own. The subjects range from new love to heartbreak and every nuance of love in between. LGBTQ+ love is represented, as well. The authors do a wonderful job of using words and meaning to paint vivid pictures of what it is to be a teenager in (or out) of love today. The poems are very appealing and the theme is familiar to readers young and old. Due to the content and language of this book, readership is suggested for high school age and above. Reading the poems truly creates a sense of what it is like to be a teenager today. The poems range from serious to comical, stimulating the reader’s senses and connecting to the personal events and emotions experienced through love. This book definitely gives the reader a better idea and a clearer picture of what love feels like, looks like, and sounds like from a teen perspective. This collection features the poetry of one hundred teenagers from across the world. These teens come from diverse backgrounds with diverse experiences. Some are aspiring writers while others have never written before! Each poem is incredibly personal giving the reader a sense of the person who wrote it. Even with the diversity of authorship and emotion, each poem is consistently good. The quality of the writing of these young people is incredible! This book highlights a very talented group of young writers in a way that allows the reader to connect to the emotions they experience and feel in a meaningful way. Franco includes a table of contents, as well as an introduction, guiding the reader through the poems. She also includes credits and acknowledgements for this title. The poems themselves are arranged in the format each author submitted and featured in no particular order, allowing the reader to experience love from different perspectives and in different ways throughout the course of the book. Overall, this is an incredible collection of poetry written by teenagers about a topic that is familiar to all readers. The poems are unique, creative, and thought-provoking. This title will bring back memories and pull at your heartstrings one hundred times over! Spotlight Poem Love is Like the sweetness of honey falling from a bee hive. You have to be careful not to get stung. HECTOR JASSO, age 16 This poem, found on page 78, is short and sweet, but is vivid in its imagery. Readers can hear and feel the multiple meanings and relate to its clear message of the duality of love. To introduce this poem, I would read it aloud to the class. I would then have students pair up and discuss the effect the simplistic, yet vivid imagery has on the reader. As a follow-up activity, I would have students find other poems that depict emotions simplistically, yet vividly, or create their own poem to describe an emotion, be it love or otherwise, to include in their poetry journals.
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AuthoRMy name is Mrs. Scott and I'm a secondary Media Resource Specialist (librarian) in Texas. This blog was created as part of my graduate coursework at Texas Woman's University. All reviews and opinions are my own. Archives
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