Dear Teen Me: Authors Write Letters to Their Teen Selves

by Miranda Kenneally (Editor), E. Kristin Anderson (Editor)

Other authors: E. Kristin Anderson (Contributor), Jessica Lee Anderson (Contributor), Tom Angleberger (Contributor), Sean Beaudoin (Contributor), Charles Benoit (Contributor) — 65 more, Robin Benway (Contributor), Ilsa J. Bick (Contributor), Marke Bieschke (Contributor), Joseph Bruchac (Contributor), Jessica Burkhart (Contributor), Josh A. Cagan (Contributor), Riley Carney (Contributor), Tera Lynn Childs (Contributor), Jessica Corra (Contributor), Heather Davis (Contributor), Daniel Ehrenhaft (Contributor), Laura Ellen (Contributor), Beth Fantaskey (Contributor), Caridad Ferrer (Contributor), Michael Griffo (Contributor), Janet Gurtler (Contributor), Kersten Hamilton (Contributor), Bethany Hegedus (Contributor), Geoff Herbach (Contributor), Faith Erin Hicks (Contributor), Nancy Holder (Contributor), KA Holt (Contributor), PJ Hoover (Contributor), Ellen Hopkins (Contributor), Stacey Jay (Contributor), Carrie Jones (Contributor), Mike Jung (Contributor), Stasia Ward Kehoe (Contributor), Tara Kelly (Contributor), Stephanie Kuehnert (Contributor), Cynthia Leitich-Smith (Contributor), Mary Lindsey (Contributor), Nikki Loftin (Contributor), Katherine Longshore (Contributor), Ken Lowery (Contributor), Kekla Magoon (Contributor), Mari Mancusi (Contributor), Gretchen McNeil (Contributor), Jodi Meadows (Contributor), Elizabeth Miles (Contributor), Kenneally. Miranda (Contributor), Saundra Mitchell (Contributor), Hannah Moskowitz (Contributor), Jenny Moss (Contributor), Sarah Ockler (Contributor), Lauren Oliver (Contributor), Stephanie Pellegrin (Contributor), Mitali Perkins (Contributor), Cheryl Rainfield (Contributor), Dave Roman (Contributor), Jess Rothenberg (Contributor), Jennifer Rush (Contributor), Amy Kathleen Ryan (Contributor), Tom Ryan (Contributor), Leila Sales (Contributor), Jessica Spotswood (Contributor), Erika Stalder (Contributor), Rhonda Stapleton (Contributor), Mariko Tamaki (Contributor), Don Tate (Contributor), Melissa Walker (Contributor), Tracy White (Contributor), Jo Whittemore (Contributor), Sara Zarr (Contributor), Jennifer Ziegler (Contributor)

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113	19	242,320	(3.84)	1
"How many times have you looked back on your teenage years and cringed, wishing you could offer your younger self some guidance? This book of nearly 70 letters by top young adult authors -- including bestselling writers Lauren Oliver, Ellen Hopkins, and Nancy Holder -- does just that, and today's teens will benefit." --Publisher's website.… (more)

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Showing 1-5 of 19 (next | show all)

Most of these authors I never heard of. Many appear to be recently published or about to be. But it includes Joseph Bruchac and Cynthia Letich-Smith who wrote profoundly affecting letters. Many of the letters are heartbreaking and even tragic, some are funny, but they are all hopeful. Basic message: It gets better, hang in there, kid, you'll be fine. I can see this book inspiring writing assignments for teens and adults alike. (

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Salsabrarian | Feb 2, 2016 |

I love the premise of this anthology. Well known, and not so well known, Young Adult authors write letters (including some comic strips) to their teen selves with photographs from their younger days. In their writings they remember loves won and lost, bully troubles, weight struggles, suicidal thoughts, fears of coming out, physical, mental and emotional abuse, as well as other hurts and indignities suffered by their teen selves.

Read the rest of my review at: http://shouldireaditornot.wordpress.com/2012/09/14/dear-teen-me-authors-write-le...

NOTE: Be sure to follow my blog via e-mail to have a chance to win your own copy of the book. See blog for details. (

)

ShouldIReadIt | Sep 26, 2014 |

Dear Teen Me edited by E. Kristen Anderson is a collection of letters written by young adult authors to their teenage selves.

I suppose the point of such an exercise is to show struggling teenagers that things will get better. But it makes me wonder if there might be a disjoint between the audience and the messenger, especially when the people writing are now successful or famous.

On its most basic level these are little pep talks. They talk of an embarrassing event, or unfounded but universal fears of adolescence. The message over and over is "I went through that too and look at me now!"

What I'd like to see an an anthology like this written by adults who aren't famous. It would be nice to see the views from other adult walks of life, career paths, and what not. (

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pussreboots | May 26, 2014 |

Opinion: The popularity makes sense because it's non-fiction. I wouldn't think most teens browse this section so it's more likely to be suggested via a friend. The quality is amazing. Of course it is because it's stories from multiple award winning authors. Editing is spot on with merging the stories in a way that keeps the reader drawn in, while still having light moments mixed in with the heavy ones.
Review: I love this book. The writing is great (as are the drawings). The collection makes sense and it doesn't clump topics together. I also appreciate how some letters are simple and don't contain deeply touching messages other than you're awesome.

kacieg | Apr 22, 2014 |

I checked out this book to read the Sara Zarr letter. Each letter is short and easy to read. Enjoyable, not life alterting but I enjoyed the ones I read. (

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ReginaR | Aug 3, 2013 |

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Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Kenneally, Miranda	Editor	primary author	all editions	confirmed
Anderson, E. Kristin	Editor	main author	all editions	confirmed
Anderson, E. Kristin	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Anderson, Jessica Lee	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Angleberger, Tom	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Beaudoin, Sean	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Benoit, Charles	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Benway, Robin	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Bick, Ilsa J.	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Bieschke, Marke	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Bruchac, Joseph	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Burkhart, Jessica	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Cagan, Josh A.	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Carney, Riley	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Childs, Tera Lynn	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Corra, Jessica	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Davis, Heather	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Ehrenhaft, Daniel	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Ellen, Laura	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Fantaskey, Beth	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Ferrer, Caridad	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Griffo, Michael	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Gurtler, Janet	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Hamilton, Kersten	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Hegedus, Bethany	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Herbach, Geoff	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Hicks, Faith Erin	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Holder, Nancy	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Holt, KA	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Hoover, PJ	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Hopkins, Ellen	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Jay, Stacey	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Jones, Carrie	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Jung, Mike	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Kehoe, Stasia Ward	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Kelly, Tara	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Kuehnert, Stephanie	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Leitich-Smith, Cynthia	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Lindsey, Mary	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Loftin, Nikki	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Longshore, Katherine	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Lowery, Ken	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Magoon, Kekla	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Mancusi, Mari	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
McNeil, Gretchen	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Meadows, Jodi	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Miles, Elizabeth	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Miranda, Kenneally.	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Mitchell, Saundra	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Moskowitz, Hannah	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Moss, Jenny	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Ockler, Sarah	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Oliver, Lauren	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Pellegrin, Stephanie	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Perkins, Mitali	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Rainfield, Cheryl	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Roman, Dave	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Rothenberg, Jess	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Rush, Jennifer	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Ryan, Amy Kathleen	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Ryan, Tom	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Sales, Leila	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Spotswood, Jessica	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Stalder, Erika	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Stapleton, Rhonda	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Tamaki, Mariko	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Tate, Don	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Walker, Melissa	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
White, Tracy	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Whittemore, Jo	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Zarr, Sara	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed
Ziegler, Jennifer	Contributor	secondary author	all editions	confirmed

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Dear Teen Me: Authors Write Letters to Their Teen Selves

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▾Book descriptions

"How many times have you looked back on your teenage years and cringed, wishing you could offer your younger self some guidance? This book of nearly 70 letters by top young adult authors -- including bestselling writers Lauren Oliver, Ellen Hopkins, and Nancy Holder -- does just that, and today's teens will benefit." --Publisher's website.

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