Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Weeds and Other Stories-briefly reviewed

Weeds and Other Stories by Jacqueline Pearce is a good collection of stories about high school students set in the Lower Mainland. Each story is unique and touches a variety of themes. We visit the art gallery with a girl who has cancer. We watch another girl struggle to find herself again and find the strength not to go back to her boyfriend just to have a boyfriend. A work study in a bird sanctuary helps Shayleen find confidence. One boy deals with his own drug addiction after a friend dies, another is able to confront a gang who stole his leather jacket. Another boy finds what it means to be a team player. Each story is complete in itself but could provoke more writing as each story is only a beginning. Lots of opportunity for good discussions plus the immediacy of familiar settings.

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