Falling Hard: 100 Love Poems by Teenagers

Falling Hard: 100 Love Poems by Teenagers edited by Betsy Franco (Candlewick) ISBN: 978-0-7636-437-7

Summary

The book is a collection of poems about love written by teenagers.  The concept of love is defined widely here.  There are poems about sex, poems about crushes, poems about wanting to have someone to love, one poem may or may not be a love poem to a rhinoceros (though that poem's imagery is so surreal it may just be a metaphor).

Critical Evaluation

As one might expect with a book of poems written by teenagers the quality and technical skill varies wildly.  Some poems contain profound imagery, simply because -- as anyone who's ever been a teenager knows -- humans rarely feel so emotional or romantic as they do as teens.  This keen hunger for love and knowledge of love often leads to clear-eyed observations:

And you come with
daisies hidden in your jacket
pocket so there are petals falling
and smelling of your cigarettes and
you, an excuse, tried to mumble but
all I remembered was the clumsy
way your shirt collar was tucked (p. 27)

But it also leads to experiments that either don't quite work or which get by on their charming naivete  (something that rings true of teenage romance -- it's a series of experiments with things that don't work): "His eyes are endless in a deep pool of beauty / And I want to put on my swimsuit and swim around / in them"   (p. 38).  Another: "Your hair is a chicken salad / your forehead, an apple, extra fancy / your nose, a flat steak / your ears, a paper plate of a stegosaurus" (p. 39).  What makes the collection fresh is the undaunted nature of the authors to express what they feel and do it any way they can without regard for conventions.  At its worst the book falls into cliche, at its best it's a fresh expression of experience.

Reader’s Annotation

No one understands the teen experience of love like other teens in love.  The poems in this book are all written by teens -- you will connect or be inspired to write your own poems.

Information about the author

The author notes that the authors are 

a diverse group of poets.  As far as I know, from within the United States, they were African-American, Asian-American, Latino/a, American Indian, and Iranian-American, and from outside the country, they were British, Australian, Macedonian, and Canadian.  They were straight, gay, lesbian, transgender, and bi.  They were autistic.  They were aspiring writers, and they were teenagers who had written only one poem, ever. (Franco, introduction).

Genre

Poetry

Curriculum Ties

This book is included in the California Department of Education's database of Recommended Literature: http://www3.cde.ca.gov/reclitlist/displaytitle.aspx?pid=40992

Because the book is included on the recommended reading list, it will likely meet the standards of section 3.0 Literary Response and Analysis of the California English Language Arts Content Standards -- Curriculum Frameworks.  This section reads, "Students read and respond to historically or culturally significant works of literature that reflect and enhance their studies of history and social science. They conduct indepth analyses of recurrent patterns and themes. The selections in Recommended Literature, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve illustrate the quality and complexity of the materials to be read by students" (p. 67).  It could also be used to encourage students to write poetry.

Booktalking Ideas

1) For a romantic experience try reading "Kitchen Stranger" by Johaina Crisomoto.
2) For a more lighthearted experience read "Look at My Feet" by Seph Kramer.

Reading Level/Interest Age

9th grade and up.

Challenge Issues

Strong language and poems about gay relationships.

I would openly greet any patron who presented a challenge to the work, giving them ample time to detail their complaint.  I would listen attentively.  To respond to these challenges I would have some reviews of the work on hand.   I would be prepared to explain that as a public institution libraries "cannot limit access on the basis of age or other characteristics" (ALA, 1999).  I would have copies of the library's collection policy on hand.  I would be prepared to politely discuss that parents can control what their children are exposed to by coming to the library with them and examining books they check out.  If the Teen Advisory Group had written reviews of the book I'd have them handy.  While it may be of little comfort to certain parents, I would also be prepared to discuss my staunch support of intellectual freedom and abhorrence of censorship.  As a last resort, I would be sure to keep copies or a reconsideration form on hand.

I would discuss this particular book's presence on the California Department of Education's recommended reading list. 

Why did you include this book in the titles you selected?

I appreciated that it was written by teens.

References

American Library Association. (1999). Strategies and tips for dealing with challenges to library materials. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/challengeslibrarymaterials/copingwithchallenges/strategiestips



Franco, B. (ed.) (2008). Falling hard: 100 love poems by teenagers. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick.