Teen Ink: What Matters

After publishing four successful books in the groundbreaking Teen Ink series, this fifth-and possibly best-installment takes a close and compelling look at what's really important to today's teens. Partnering with the worldwide Laws of Life Essay Contest, a program of the John Templeton Foundation, this collection offers a unique tapestry of teen expression. Many of the haunting questions of all time are tackled by voices that sing with hope and the reality of being a teenager in the 21st Century.

With eloquent prose, insightful poetry, art and photography, these teens present timeless values through their own experiences and explore principles such as, "It's better to give than to receive," "If at first you don't succeed . . ." and "Honesty is the best policy." In Teen Ink: What Matters, you'll find fresh and honest interpretations of these and other ideals that we all try to live by. In addition, teen authors and artists journey into waters filled with forgiveness, generosity, courage, love and bravery through personal expressions about tough challenges, family, friends and everyday events.

Young people from as far away as China and Ukraine reveal fascinating insights in this selection from over 88,000 submissions to the Laws of Life Essay Contest. Teen Ink: What Matters is an uplifting book of hope, reflection and inspiration that will resonate with teens.

A collection of stories and poems by teenage writers, arranged in such categories as "Challenging matters," "Family matters," and "World matters."

Through poetry, stories and photography, teens reveal what matters most in their lives.

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-For this volume, readers were queried about what is important to them. Their responses are subdivided under such topics as heroes, family, self, and the world. Some selections are better written than others, but all adhere to the purpose of the book, which is to allow teens to express their values, priorities, goals, and fears. In "Locked Up," a young man incarcerated for murder writes about turning his life around. In "Both Father and Mother," a 17-year-old shares the joy and sadness he experiences as he raises his younger brother and sister. "Brotherly Advice" is a tribute by an adolescent girl to her brother as he leaves for college. The collection includes pieces by young people from Afghanistan and the former Czechoslovakia. Instructions on how to submit student writing or start local writing contests are included. This title is sure to be popular with fans of the series and useful for teachers looking for strong examples of student writing.-Julie Webb, Shelby County High School, Shelbyville, KY Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

John and Stephanie H. Meyer are founders of The Young Authors Foundation, which publishes Teen Ink magazine. All royalties from Teen Ink books are donated to this nonprofit foundation to further reading, writing and publishing opportunities for teenagers. Stephanie Meyer, editor of the book and magazine, holds a masters' degrees in education and social work. John Meyer, publisher of the magazine, holds an M.B.A. and has published two successful business magazines.

John and Stephanie H. Meyer are founders of The Young Authors Foundation, which publishes Teen Ink magazine. All royalties from Teen Ink books are donated to this nonprofit foundation to further reading, writing and publishing opportunities for teenagers. Stephanie Meyer, editor of the book and magazine, holds a masters' degrees in education and social work. John Meyer, publisher of the magazine, holds an M.B.A. and has published two successful business magazines.

Peggy Veljkovic directs the Laws of Life Essay Contest at the John Templeton Foundation. A former teacher of languages with a master's degree in French, she has spent considerable time living and teaching in other cultures and is convinced that when it comes to values, young people all over the world are speaking the same language.