Book Review: You Hear Me? Poems and Writing by Teenage Boys edited by Betsy Franco

Bibliography:
Franco, Betsy, editor. (2000). You Hear Me? Poems and Writing by Teenage Boys. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.


Summary:
This compilation of poems is written by teenage boys. The book consists of 73 poems and/or writings by teenage boys. Each poem or writing has a unique feel and pattern. The authors are listed with their age at the end of each contribution. Some authors have multiple writings in the book. Franco begins the book with background on how this anthology came about. Most writings are titled, but a few are untitled. 


Critical Analysis:
This poetry book is filled with emotion. The poets are open, sharing their innermost thoughts with the world. The book is full of courage, sadness, heartfelt confessions, inspirations and honest anger. Each poem is one of a kind, like no others in the book. Franco prefaces the book with how this anthology came about. Before reading the poems, it was great to read the background.

With one poem, the fate of a poet is told after the text (Me, pgs. 37-38). The heartbreaking confession of this young poet's death made me stop and think about the lives these boys are living now, twelve years after publication. This really brings the fact that the poems are real stories, real feelings, real people, to light. Keeping the words, abbreviations and capitalization as the poet wrote them was also an important aspect of each poem. I believe the open and honest poems by teen boys helps make poetry attainable by other boys. Poetry is an outlet for expression, and this anthology truly shows how teenagers can use it.

With minimal experience with young adult poetry, You Hear Me? was not the fun, bouncy poetry I am used to hearing/reading. It was almost dark with emotion. I shared several poems with my own teenage brother who enjoyed them. I feel that this anthology would be a definite "must" in any high school classroom hoping to promote poetry to young boys. My only warning for the book is that it contains some very mature content and language.


Awards:
ALA Best Books for Young Adults 2001
ALA Quick Picks for Young Adults 2001
Booklist Top Ten Poetry Books For Young Adults
School Library Journal excerpt: "...honest, raw and sometimes tender selections..." (As quoted on betsyfranco.com)

Connections:
-Use the book to open a unit of poetry (to show students that poetry is not scary!)
-Open up conversation about how powerful poetry can be
-Use the book in a boy's book club
-Compare and contrast writing styles of different age groups
-Use poems like Carabao Dreams, My Pockets Ain't That Phat, Black Boy Blues, to talk about poem layout and orientation
-Use specific poems to open up conversation about issues like homosexuality, bullying, death, drug abuse, teen parenting, etc. (I Am, Being Beat Up, Me, Does My Mother Look Like This?, I Refuse)
-Also by Betsy Franco -- Things I Have to Tell You: Poems and Writings by Teenage Girls, 21 Monologues for Teen Actors.

Sources:
Betsy Franco, Children's Book Author/Actor. "You Hear Me? poems and writings by teenage boys Things I Have to Tell You, poems and writing by teenage girls." Accessed on March 2, 2012. http://www.betsyfranco.com/you_hear_me____poems_and_writing_by_teenage_boys______things_i_have_to_tell_you__27178.htm.