Horn Book (Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2011)

This anthology celebrates the creative work of noteworthy high school writers. Originally published in Hanging Loose magazine, the one-hundred-thirty-plus poems and stories provide a forum for young adults to discover their voices and share their perspectives on various issues relevant to adolescents. A few teachers also discuss how they approach working with high-school-aged writers.

Kirkus Reviews (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Teen writers might well draw inspiration from this collection of stories, poems and short essays, which have been culled from past volumes of the high-school section of Hanging Loose Magazine . Many of the alumni now have successful college and writing careers, and diversity is one of this volume's strong points. The teen contributors, who represent a variety of backgrounds, write about everything from losing friends and family to Hollywood hypocrisy, displaying many different emotions. They are often serious, occasionally funny and almost always insightful, though the quality of the work, as in any anthology, runs the gamut. Where this book loses steam is in the organization: There are seven sections, but no evident or cohesive theme that ties a chapter's content together, despite their titles. As a result, readers may have to do some digging to find the type of writing that most appeals to them. Serendipity, however, might encourage some young writers to submit their own work. (Anthology. YA)

School Library Journal (Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

Gr 9 Up-This is the fourth collection of high school writing published by Hanging Loose , a literary magazine long known for showcasing teens alongside adult writers. This diverse anthology consists of both poetry and prose, masterfully written by 73 young adults. From Jessica Berenblum&9;s &4;While Jake Sleeps,&4; an expressive sketch of one intimate scene, to P. Alexandria Jones&9;s metaphoric &4;Unrequited Fajita,&4; the works are of the highest caliber. An introduction by poet X. J. Kennedy and afterwords by three poets/teachers and an accomplished former Hanging Loose teen poet bookend the collection. They all speak about teens, but mostly about the process of teaching creative writing to young adults. This choice of audience, coupled with the book&9;s self-published look, makes the collection ripe for the picking by educators, but less appealing to teens themselves. For a collection of young writing with more shelf appeal, but equal quality, try Naomi Shihab Nye&9;s Time You Let Me In: 25 Poets Under 25 (HarperCollins, 2010). Otherwise, share When We Were Countries with the next teacher who wants a model of excellent teen writing for the classroom. Jill Heritage Maza, Greenwich High School, CT