Is Character as Important as Grades?

Hooligans, vandals, and violent teens beware - your "pranks," and unsocial behavior may cost you admission to the college of your choice!

As we have effectively raised the bar for students, many of today's college applicants have an "A" average, music, sports, and community service experience, so colleges have now started actively seeking students who will contribute positively to the college community by looking for feedback about the students conduct and character, in addition to their transcripts and test scores. Particularly amid heightened concerns about campus safety, more than 315 schools are requesting information from guidance counselors and students themselves about law breaking, disciplinary action, and even smoking in the bathrooms.

The questions are designed to help colleges select student with character and not just brains, and most high schools are warning incoming frosh that their behavior will impact college applications. Sadly, there are other schools that refuse to provide the information. It has been estimated that of the 1.2 million American teenagers who submitted the common application to join the college graduation class of 2012, it is estimated that about 5,500 had reported records of academic or behavioral misconduct.

I am very concerned that this new procedure really puts schools in a position of now only judging what inappropriate behavior is reportable to colleges, but also creates a situation in which honest reporting costs people their jobs when parent donors are angered and the number of students from the school getting into top schools starts to decline. Counselors are probably clear that violence against another student should not be swept under the rug, but what about drinking at a dance, cheating, or MySpace bullying? Who gets to decide what is important, especially if it did not result in a suspension or expulsion?

Photo credit: wassup_Bert_2332

Labels: College, Healthline

Permalink | 2 Comments| Email Post

Post your comment

Labor Force Participation for Teens is Only 41%

I for one think it is really important for teenagers to work even a few hours a week. It builds confidence, a work ethic, and with any luck, good communication skills. In addition, teens learn how to juggle competing responsibilities and (again, with luck) time management skills. I hate to sound like an old fuddy-duddy, but learning the value of a dollar, and how to manage money earned, is also important. Obviously, many parents must not agree with me because most teens are not working.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the highest number of 16- to 19-year olds were employed in 1979 (58%) and there has been a mostly downhill trend since then. The labor force participation rate for teens last year was only 41%. One reason for the decrease may be the increasing competition for unskilled jobs as well as low wages and high pressure for college admittance.

It used to be possible to work someplace flipping burgers and put yourself through college, but now tuition is too high and families may be pressuring kids to focus on school, music, and sports in order to win scholarships instead of working. In 2006 the typical earnings of an older teen was less than $200 a week, which might not be a big help with tuition bills, and may be detrimental if the hours leave the youth tired and unable to do well in school.

Although low paying jobs have typically been a good place for teens to find work, high unemployment means older people with more education and experience may be beating teens out of those positions. Teens in high school are also limited as to where they can work (no constructive or driving), how many hours they can work on school days, and during a week, which also makes older workers more appealing.

Despite competition, teens can still find jobs in service and hospitality, sales and office occupations, as lifeguards, and at amusement parks. Teens need support and encouragement when looking for jobs. It is easy to not keep looking when getting turned down - it is hard on their self-confidence. Teens do not realize that managers might be waiting for them to call and show initiative, instead assuming if the store was interested, someone would call the teen.

Here are some steps that might help your teen get a job:

1. Talk with them about jobs they might like to do - shelve books, sell a product they love, work in an industry they hope to be a part of one day, etc...
2. Help them find possible jobs - many of which might not be advertised because managers do not want to get inundated with resumes and applications. Talk to friends, neighbors, colleagues, and walk around local malls or shopping areas with your teen encouraging them to ask for applications at the places they might like to work;
3. Help them complete the applications and build a resume of activities they have done like sports, music, dance, community services, awards received, training completed, etc... to show they stick with things;
   
4. Encourage them to call and talk to the manager a week after they submit the application;
5. If they get an interview, talk with them about the characteristics employers value - honesty, integrity, responsibility, flexibility, enthusiasm - and the types of questions they may get asked;
6. Encourage them to do their best not to be nervous and ask questions during the interview; and finally
   
7. If they do not get the position, encourage them to send a thank you card to the manager for giving them an interview or call and ask why there were not hired, so they learn something for the next interview.

Remember to be supportive and kind all the way through this process. Do not take anything for granted. This is all new to your teen and they may be very uncomfortable being "judged," or even imagining they could be a good employee.

Previous Teen Health 411 posts about teen employment: Finding that First Job; and Teens Who Work may be in Danger.

Photo credit: zesmerelda

Labels: Employment, Healthline, Teen Development

Permalink | 1 Comments| Email Post

Post your comment

A Global Perspective on Teen Sex Habits

There is some good news about teen sex habits. The Journal of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine published a study and editorial suggesting that teenage sexual activity does not always have serious short-term and long-term health-compromising consequences, particularly in countries that are strongly accepting of teenage contraceptive use and are insuring adolescent access to contraception and sex education. Lest you are wondering, the authors were NOT talking about the United States.

The study reports data collected in 2002 from 33,943 adolescents from 24 European and North American countries, the majority of whom are protected against pregnancy (about 82%). The percentage of 15-year-olds who reported having had sexual intercourse ranged from 14% in Croatia to 38% in England, with boys reporting more sexual activity than girls. Condoms were the most popular contraceptive method and use varied between 53% in Sweden to 89% in Greece. Bummer for them though, condoms have a first-year failure rate of about 15% for teenagers when used alone, but on the bright side, they do help protect against sexually transmitted infections.

Contraceptive pills were the second most common contraception method used and ranged from 3% in Croatia to 48% in Flemish Belgium and the Netherlands. Dual use - using condoms and the pill - which is the best way to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection was only reported by 29% of teens in Canada - GO CANADA!

These results leave a lot of room for improvement though and suggest that there is still a high proportion of poorly protected and unprotected sexual activity going on and we can do a better job developing policies that encourage contraceptive use among sexually active youth.

Photo credit: sylvar

Labels: Healthline, Sexuality, Teen Health

Permalink | 2 Comments| Email Post

Post your comment

What Puts Teens Online at Risk?

I know parents want to do all they can to protect their teens from predators online. A study published last year in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine suggested that teens who converse with strangers online, particularly about sex, are more likely to fall prey to online harassment than teens who share their personal information on the Web. Another risk factor is acting aggressively - harassing others online, making rude or mean comments, or intentionally embarrassing others increases the risk of being victimized.

The study analyzed data from 1,497 American children between the ages of 10 and 117 who had completed a telephone survey. About half of the youth were female and 3/4s were white. Most came from well-educated households with high annual incomes. The interviews asked the youth how many of the following nine behaviors they had engaged in:

• putting personal information online;
• sending personal information online;
• harassing or embarrassing someone;
• make rude or nasty comments;
• meeting someone online;
• having people known only online on a buddy list;
• talking about sex with someone known only online;
• purposely visiting an X-rated Web site; and
• downloading images from a file-sharing program.

More than one out of four of the youth interviewed reported engaging in four or more of these behaviors, and these youth were 11 times more likely to have been victimized than youth who reported none of those behaviors.

Parents need to know who their kids are talking to online and what they are doing in the online world. The authors of the study suggest parents visit their children's MySpace account, keep computers in public areas of the home, and know how to check the Internet use of your children. If you are not talking about Internet safety, you should.

Photo credit: bionicteaching

Labels: Healthline, Online/Internet Safety, Teen Health

Permalink | 0 Comments| Email Post

Post your comment

Study says DNA Flaw May Raise Risk for Autism

Autism is definitely a hot topic right now. I found another recent study that I wanted to mention while we were on the subject. Results from a study released online by the New England Journal of Medicine are based on the most comprehensive DNA scan ever performed in families of autistic children. It found that a rare genetic flaw that deletes Chromosome 16 near or during conception may sharply increase the risk that a child will develop autism.

The study involved dozens of researchers from several institutions who concluded that the genetic alteration turned up in less than 1% of about 1,500 children with the disorder, compared to one in 10,000 in normally developing people. This suggests a link between the alteration and autism, although it will take more research to determine which precise alterations lead to autism or other neurological problems, but it is a start.

Photo Credit: lesliemiperry

Labels: Healthline, Mental Health

Permalink | 0 Comments| Email Post

Post your comment

One in 150 children in the United States has Autism

I do not know about you, but that statistic from the Department of Education about autism really surprised me. I was also surprised that the number of students with autism keeps getting higher, in spite of the fact that the mercury-based vaccine preservative, thimerosal hasn't been used since 2001. I, like many other people, thought that it might be the preservative used in childhood vaccines (and some flu shots) that was causing autism, but according to the study published in the Journal Archives of General Psychiatry, that might not be the case.

Of course, since they do not know what does cause autism, no one can say for sure. One study in California does not "prove" anything, but it does suggest we need to keep doing research on possible cause of autism. Autism is characterized by impaired social interaction and communicating skills, as well as different responses to sights and sounds. It can be minor or severe, usually begins before the age of three and is more likely to occur in boys. There is no cure, but early therapy can lessen the severity. The advocacy group, Autism Speaks and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention both provide lots of great information and resources about autism.

Photo credit: LiveU4

Labels: Health Care, Healthline, Mental Health

Permalink | 0 Comments| Email Post

Post your comment

California Ranks 48th in Country for the Number of College-Bound High School Grads

The National Center for Higher Education Management Systems reports that less than 44% of California's high school graduates attend college within a year compared to nearly 70% in states like New York. This suggests that schools and families are not helping children expect to go to college, or providing the support they need to get there.

CA Senate Bill 890 seeks to reverse that trend by increasing the focus on college for student starting in the sixth grade. From what I gather, it would require schools to give all pupils enrolled in grades 6 to 9 and their parent or legal guardian the opportunity to sign a "Save Me a Spot in College" pledge. In addition, participating school districts would be required to provide college information and college preparation events. The bill would provide that a pupil who signs a pledge declares a commitment to prepare for college, finish high school, and enroll in college and commits, among other things, to meet all graduation requirements, take college preparatory coursework, complete and file a free application for federal student aid, and submit his or her grade point average to the Student Aid Commission by March 2 of his or her senior year.

A pupil who signs the pledge and is certified by his or her school district as having fulfilled the requirements of the pledge would be pre-approved to receive, upon completion of high school enrollment at a community college, a fee waiver under the California Community College Board of Governor's fee waiver program for two or more years of enrollment at a California community college. The bill would encourage the California Community Colleges, the University of California, the California State University, independent colleges and universities, the California Student Opportunity and Access Program, the Student Aid Commission, and other nonprofit, business, or other community organizations to provide support services as needed in coordination with local school districts.

This sounds great, but I think sixth grade is a little late for introducing the concept of college, and the focus seems to be on what the student can do versus what schools can do. Children need to grow up believing that college follows high school and have mentors with college degrees to help them believe they can make it to college. This generation does not have the luxury of choosing to attend college. Without a college degree, it is nearly impossible to raise a family, particularly in the urban areas of our state. I do not think the proposed bill goes nearly far enough to help every child expect to attend college.

I am re-posting this because I want to add a very concrete suggestion for parent education. In schools with large numbers of parents who may not have attended college, parent education should provide information, brochures and suggestions for parents who want to make sure their child goes to college.

In elementary school, parents can attend community days at colleges, take their kids to college campuses, which frequently have museums, art shows, planetariums, exhibit halls, and arts performances. Parents need to use the words "when you go to college," with kids from the minute they are born, and talk abaout young adulthood as the time when children will be in college. During high school parents need to know that they have to register their children to take the PSAT test and understand what counseling services the high school provides, and where to get more.

Children can pledge to go to college, but it will take a lot of effort from parents and schools to help turn that dream into a reality. We can all help!

Photo Credit: stevecadman

Labels: Healthline, Mental Health, Parenting

Permalink | 3 Comments| Email Post

Post your comment

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year 2007

Below are the top ten words of 2007 according to the thousands of people who participated in the Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year contest for 2007. Several of these words are not even in dictionaries yet, but they will be, soon. This years best word, "woot," first became popular in competitive online gaming and hacker circles

• Woot - an expression of joy or triumph, similar to use of the word "yay"
• Facebook - to upload a photograph, create an event entry, to get on facebook, look someone up on facebook, or add someone to your ist of friends on facebook
• Conundrum - a riddle whose answer is or involves a pun; a difficult problem
• Quixotic - foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals; marked by rash lofty or romantic ideas
• Blamestorm - sitting around in a group discussing why a deadline was missed or project failed and who was responsible
• Sardoodledom - mechanically contrived plot structure and stereotyped or unrealistic characterization in drama
• Apathetic - having or showing little interest, feeling, emotion, or concern
• Pecksniffian - smooth, greasy, and plastic hypocrisy (Seth Pecksniff was a character by Dickens)
• Hypocrite - a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion, or who acts contrary to his or her stated beliefs or feelings
• Charlatan - a quack, someone who makes a showy pretense of knowledge or ability

This is where my children step up and say, "Mom, you are such an egghead!" But hey, words are cool and I will get the last laugh when an English teacher gives either of them an extra point on a test for knowing what the word of the year is!

Photo Credit: procsilas

Labels: Parenting, Teen Development

Permalink | 0 Comments| Email Post

Post your comment

Thank You - Grand Rounds 4.17

Thanks to A. Fernandez at Sharpbrains for hosting Grand Rounds this week. I loved the theme of what we would like the next president to know and the opportunity to write Ms. Clinton a letter about teen health.

Photo Credit: web_guy94301

Labels: Grand Rounds, Teen Health

Permalink | 2 Comments| Email Post

Post your comment

Preteen PMS - What is a Parent To Do?

Recently I have had several conversations with parents who are just at their wits end with preteens who seem to be experiencing PMS symptoms before they are actually having periods. Their 11- and 12-year old daughters are having headaches or extremely emotional (e.g., getting tearful, angry, sad, or irritated - the bite your head off kind of irritated) on a regular basis.

That is the key - "on a regular basis." Many people may not know that for about a year before preteens actually start having periods their hormones are cycling. This gives all the emotional and physical feelings of menstruation without the evidence (or relief) of the actual period. On top of that, preteens may just not understand why they are having emotions that feel completely intense and uncontrollable.

Parents can help. It is time to have a longer chat about PMS and menstruation, prepare a period pack they can keep with them, and I suggest you print an annual calendar and keep track of the headache and uber-emotional days with little dots - or colors - to help your daughter see the "pattern" and start understanding how her cycle works.

Coping strategies my own daughters liked included chocolate, the one-use heating pads that you wrap around your belly, and you can even try Midol (if there is no contraindication to diuretic use) even if they are not having a period. For the parent, when your daughter bites your head off - stop, shake your head, laugh if you can, and yell "get the chocolate" - you are not going to win!

Photo Credit: mamamusings

Labels: Healthline, Parenting, Preteens

Permalink | 0 Comments| Email Post

Post your comment

Meals Matter from the Dairy Council of California

By 2030, the American Hospital Association estimates that more than 37 million midlife adults will be managing more than one chronic condition such as obesity or diabetes. The Dairy Council of California is providing a three-week self-directed Nutrition and Fitness Challenge at their website Meals Matter to help people achieve nutrition and fitness goals faster. Once you sign up you will receive a weekly email that guides you through the steps to achieving your goals.

As steps in the process, you will learn

• Your Body Mass Index (BMI) and calorie needs
• Assess your current activity level using online tools
• Find out about your food personality and even keep track of your food
• Track your progress and make adjustments to your food and activity logs
• Pus, get expert tips and a great resource page

During the three weeks you will be able to assess your current eating and set goals based on food preferences and health priorities with some very cool online tools. You and your teens can learn more about how to balance your exercise and eating, and find recipes that meet your goals. How fun is that! Start today (you must register by 1/14/08) and good luck! You can find this information at www.mealsmatter.org.

Photo credit: bookish in north park

Labels: Healthline, Obesity, Parenting

Permalink | 0 Comments| Email Post

Post your comment

Dear Ms. President

Congratulations on your election. While you are waiting to take office on 1.20.09 I would appreciate you thinking about how you plan to help teenagers in the United States be healthier, happier, and more successful. While you are thinking about them, please remember that there are parents who love those teens, feel responsible for them, and are trying to give them the skills they will need to be successful adults.

To be healthy in our world today, teens face some serious obstacles. The success of our country has opened up the world of opportunity to some youth, but in many cases we cannot guarantee their basic needs. More and more youth are experiencing eating disorders, depression, anxiety and trouble maintaining a positive self-esteem. They need preventive health care, immunizations, nutritious meals, plenty of sleep, health education that includes wellness, safe & effective schools, healthy communities, exercise, non-toxic water, air and food, opportunities to serve others, meaningful work, and to have fun. Teens also need access to health care, providers they trust and see on a regular basis, as well as communication skills to avoid abusive relationships.

All the while they are exposed to an average of eight hours a day of media that portrays success as possible only for thin, white, wealthy, heterosexual, well-educated, but not outspoken, alcohol drinking, drug-using, smoking, sexual people, leaving about 99% of "real" teens striving to attain impossible realities. On top of all that, they are constantly vulnerable to a level of peer pressure and scrutiny never experienced by any previous generation.

Parents worry about providing enough stability, teaching values, educational attainment, health, risk, driving, college, sexuality, and employment, all the while striving to make ends meet among rising prices of health care, housing, food, gas, automobiles, clothing, and entertainment. We struggle with our own priorities, balancing work, family and personal life without role models and proven approaches to parenting. Research tells us that the way to protect our children is to know where they are and who they are with, monitor their Internet use, share meals as a family, provide teens with music, community service and sports-related activities after school, along with plenty of unstructured time with us, extended family and other adults.

Ms. President, even those of us blessed with resources, good jobs, insurance, great community schools and libraries, homes, cars, and a support system are struggling to raise our teens. We need affordable housing, health care, education, transportation, and a sense of connection to other parents. We need to believe that the sacrifices we make for our children will help them grow and mature into successful adults who can be financially secure and happy.

Can you help teens or parents feel secure about the health and future of our families? We are here for you, and understand the stress of your job, but would really appreciate anything you can do to help us. Good luck!

Photo Credit: katmere

Labels: Healthline, Parenting, Teen Health

Permalink | 0 Comments| Email Post

Post your comment

A Quart of Mucus Every Day

Can I just say that how the nose works is really amazing? I set off to find out why my nose runs in the morning when I ride my bike to work, even if I do not have a cold or allergies, and found out some cool stuff.

First, here is a gross, but interesting body fact for every preteen - our bodies make about a quart of mucus each day.

The purpose of the mucus is to keep the respiratory tract clean and moist. It does not usually make your nose run, it just drains into your throat and you swallow it.

However, when you go outside into the cold weather, your nose tries to warm the cold air, dilating tiny blood vessels under the mucus-secreting glands, increasing the blood supply to your nose, which increases the amount of mucus produced - how cool is that?

Since only so much mucus can drain into your throat to be swallowed, the rest comes out your nose - which is why your nose drips on cold days. OK, call me silly, but I think this is a really interesting factoid! Thanks for letting me share it with you.

Photo credit: jeffK

Labels: Health Fact, Healthline, Preteens

Permalink | 1 Comments| Email Post

Post your comment

Obesity Rising Among Asian Children

Obesity (having a BMI above the 95th percentile) is associated with other health problems including heart disease, strokes and Type 2 Diabetes, making obesity a serious concern for most parents. Until recently, Asian children were the least likely to be obese, but a recent announcement from the Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research and Training (AANCART) suggests Asian Americans have the fastest growing rate of overweight and obese children.

So much so in fact, that the First 5 California program has launched an awareness campaign directed at the Asian American community, which may be less physically active, more home-oriented, and more screen-oriented than other groups. Schools may not be focused on P.E., and kids may be enrolled in after school enrichment programs that are not active, making for long periods of time when kids and teens are sedentary instead of being physically active.

Another concern is that Asian American teens seem to consume more fast food than their white counterparts according to the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS, 2005), which reported that 43% of Asian teens eat fast food daily. Obesity is an issue for everyone, and making healthy activity and eating choices young may prevent illness later in life. It is never too young to start teaching kids about nutrition and making physical activity a part of your family life.

Photo credit: wEnDaLicious

Labels: Healthline, Obesity, Parenting

Permalink | 0 Comments| Email Post

Post your comment

Thank You - Grand Rounds 4.16

Thank you Trent McBride at Pathtalk.org for hosting Grand Rounds this week and including my post about the post holiday blues. I have to admit that taking down our holiday decorations during the stormy weekend required some motivational energy. Mostly we all wanted to make cookies and curl up with a good book.

Welcome to 2008! Thanks for an interesting Grand Rounds!

Photo credit: web_guy94301

Labels: Grand Rounds, Healthline

Permalink | 0 Comments| Email Post

Post your comment

Your Kids and Investing

There is something about the New Year that encourages people to take stock of their financial standing and think about their futures - maybe it is having to do the taxes! There was an interesting article this month in the Costco Connection by Jim Cramer, the host of "Mad Money" on CNBC and "Real Money," a radio program. In it he suggested that "investing in stocks will make your children much larger profits than if they had kept their money in the bank," which surprised me, but I am a little risk-avoidant.

The other thing that surprised me was that the article suggested teaching children how to invest was more important than teaching them to stay out of debt or budget. Mr. Cramer suggests that starting a bank account is good, and that kids will love the concept of interest, or free money, but that the message will be stronger if the profits are large enough to really impress them. Investing in stocks will also let kids learn about losing money, which sounds a little painful to me, but is a lesson we all learn sooner or later.

I do agree that starting young provides a valuable lesson in investing and that kids, now than ever before, need to be financially savvy. Mr. Cramer suggests the key to getting stocks to come alive for children is to get them involved with something they know and can get excited about. Have them identify a brand or company they are familiar with and buy even one share of that stock, and help your children chart the earnings or loses of that stock, over time. He also suggests family members give stock instead of savings bonds to kids for holidays.

If you are interested in learning more about teaching kids about money, there are many commercial web sites out there, and one I found from PBS that includes a lot of great advice. Good luck!

Photo Credit: Digital Sextant

Labels: Financial Education, Healthline, Parenting, Preteens, Teen Development

Permalink | 0 Comments| Email Post

Post your comment

Unwanted and Teen Pregnancy in the Media

Have you seen the movie "Juno?" It is a great movie about teenage pregnancy, but I have to admit, it pretty much normalizes teen pregnancy, continues the myth that it is "the girl's problem," and presents a year of Juno's life as just a blip - the result of one sexual act - and at the end everything pretty much goes back to the way it was and everyone moves on,which is not quite accurate, but I guess realism is not why we go to the movies.

I loved the character of Juno. She is bright, self-assured, sarcastic, and definitely dances to the beat of her own drum. The movie allows us to "peek" into her thoughts about what to do when she realizes she is pregnant, her decision, and the consequences of that decision in her rural town. She has to make difficult decisions with the support of her best friend, dad and step mom. I will not ruin the movie for you, but it is a good one to see with your teens - lots of opportunity for conversation will follow, trust me.

Another very interesting, but more mature movie about another type of unwanted pregnancy is "Waitress," which may be a little too mature for some teens. The heroine in this story also is young, lives in a rural place, makes amazing pies, is stuck in a very emotional abusive and unhappy marriage, finds herself pregnant, has an affair with her doctor during the very unwelcome pregnancy, and then ... there is a surprise ending! Sorry, but you should see it yourself, I promise.

Our reality is that one million teenagers in the United States become pregnant each year, 40% abort the pregnancy, and only 3% give the baby up for adoption, although much of the young adult literature focuses on keeping the baby and adoption. Abortion is not much fun to write about I guess, in spite of it being the decision made by half of the teenagers who find themselves pregnant.

Photo credit: numberstumper

Labels: Abortion, Media, Pregnancy, Teen Health

Permalink | 4 Comments| Email Post

Post your comment

Literature for Transgender Youth

There may be up to 3 million transgender people in the United States (according to the National Center for Transgender Equality) which suggests that there are youth in every community who defy gender norms. It is universal, and although the 21st century is probably the most tolerant time in history, there are still youth who need the support of adults when questioning their gender identity because they are bullied at school or not accepted at home. Transgender youth tend to be invisible and may not know where to find support and resources.

Luckily, there are some great books that high school teachers can keep in their classrooms and libraries that will help questioning youth understand they are not alone.

Here is a list of five of them:

• Freak Show (2007) by James St. James, Dutton. A story about a teenage drag queen at an uptight private academy who wants to be not only accepted, but homecoming queen!
• Parrotfish (2007) by Ellen Wittlinger, SImon & Shuster. Did you know parrotfish can change gender? This is an idea that appeals to awkward Angela who wants to be accepted as Grady, and finds support in some unlikely places.
• Luna (2006) by Julie Anne Peters, Little Brown. Luna is a great story about Liam who transforms himself into Luna every night with the help of his sister's clothes and make-up, but wants to stop hiding.
• Choir Boy (2005) by Charlie Anders, Soft Skull Press. Berry loves to sing and when puberty threatens to change his voice, this young man decides castration or hormones may be the answer.
• Morgan in the Mirror (2004) by C.C. Saint-Clair, BookMakers Ink. Morgan is a trans man who decides to make a full transition to female.

Teachers are frequently seen as "safe" and therefore the adults that students first come to with questions about their gender or sexuality, and the best thing teachers can do is know about some of these books and resources to point the kids to. Libraries may not be able to include these books because of local politics, but classrooms can usually keep books under the radar. I have to warn you though, these books, along with books about homosexuality may never be officially checked out, but will disappear quickly, so check your stock frequently and be prepared to replace them on a regular basis.

Photo Credit: Franco Folini

Labels: Book Review, GLBT, Sexuality, Teen Development

Permalink | 0 Comments| Email Post

Post your comment