“GET REAL” FOR TEEN READ WEEK – October 16-22, 2005
Sponsored by the American Library Association

The Teen Read Week “Get Real” essay contest, sponsored by the American Library Association, was a very successful event for the Sarasota County Library System. The Young Adult department of The Frances T. Bourne Jacaranda Public Library worked closely with local middle and high schools as well as teen-oriented organizations to promote this contest and 75 teenagers entered. Special recognition is given to Venice Middle School teachers and their students who provided the majority of the essays.

Some teenagers entered very emotional essays about their real life experiences. Topics included growing up, friendships, relationships, family life, school, studying, work, social issues, and news events. All essays were evaluated by a former English Literature college professor.

Every entrant received a prize. Published below are the ten outstanding essays. A special recognition for the entrants and their families and friends, was held at the library on Thursday evening, October 20. A special thank you to the Friends of the Jacaranda Public Library for providing the prizes and refreshments for this event to all the entrants.


Welcome to “her” Life

A young woman at the age of 13 always had problems. She always thought that her mother never loved her as she loved her other children. She always went into her room crying her tears out and prayed that someday it would be better, that someday someone would rescue her as if in a fairy tale. But everyone knows that fairy tales aren’t true, so she would lay there in the dark all alone just waiting.
She didn’t like her father very much either, family problems explained it. What you don’t know is that this 13 year old girl had finally been told why her parents had divorced. They divorced because her father would beat her mother. When she found out she couldn’t bare to look at her father in the eyes anymore.
What was even more heart breaking was the poem that the girl had read to me. It was called “Welcome To My Life”:
Day by day I see myself getting worse
What does it take to realize that I’m hurt?
What worries me the most is if anyone will ever realizes?
I’m caught up in the mix
What did I do to get hit?
What did I do to get kicked?
What did I they get out of it when they split?
What does it take to stop this?
It all started in my home
When I’m conceived, I learn in the womb
When I come out, the things I see
Mommy and Daddy fighting, Mommy getting beat!
They think I don’t know what’s going on
They think, but they’re so wrong
Everyday in my life is a day full of knowledge
What I see is WHAT I can accomplish
What I do comes from the home
The more they teach the more I will know!
If they want to tell me what’s wrong then, go ahead and do it
How would they know I won’t pursue it?
How can they tell me what not to do?
When they themselves don’t have a clue
I’m not writing this poem because I’m blue
I’m writing this poem because of you
You don’t see and you don’t realize
That pain is pleasure for me and that helps me to cry
I’m sick and tired of hearing all the yelling, fighting, and the screams
I’m so terrified it even haunts me in my dreams!
Day by day I see myself getting worse
What does it take to realize that I’m hurt?
When she was done she then looked at me with
glittering eyes and then said, “Welcome to my life.”
And we both just stood there silently with nothing to say.

Alexandra - age 13




Everyday Life

Everyday life, one of the most mood changing things in a teenager’s life. For a teen every life is a difficult and a confusing task. There are many things that can happen in everyday life, and for some people everyday life is just a struggle. Sometimes for popularity or just for a friend or sometimes someone more than a friend. Most teens consider everyday life a struggle. From the simplest homework to dating and relationships. Most stressful situations in a teen’s life are dating and finding someone they love. Relationships are filled with confusing and mixed emotions, sometimes they last for a month and sometimes years.

A couple months ago, I heard from a girl she wanted to go out with me. I didn’t even know her, but she had found a way to know me. I spent an hour on the phone with her and realized something; I had one thing in common with this girl, music. I really didn’t want to keep talking so I got off the phone. For the next three weeks, people would ask me if I would go out with her and I had constantly said no. And one day I just got sick of it so I decided to try it. The next day I went to school and there were already rumors. They got to more than half the people I know and the rumors spread event worse. I knew it wouldn’t work and I couldn’t think of a reason why I went out with her in the first place. So that day I told her it wouldn’t work and I thought if I did that the rumors would stop, and they eventually did. I thought things would go back to normal, which they did except for one thing, I would always talk to my friend, everyday, and we were the best of friends and I wanted to be more than friends. We have know each other for a little more than a year and I thought back to what made us talk to each other and be friends. I realized it was almost nothing except the fact we had just chose to talk to each other. I wanted to ask hr but I thought if I did and she had said no our friendship would be ruined. So we both fell into this plan to tell our friends as a joke we were going out. So we both went along with it and I thought during the “joke”, I would ask her out. I didn’t have to do that, we both just kind of did and now were going out. There is still the occasional person laughing about it or making a joke now and then and we just say whatever. Things are a lot better and I actually like how things are going so far.

Shawn - Age 13


Untitled

If you have ever been to Venice Middle School, you would notice that the school is divided into teams (expl. Knights, Dragons, or Explorers). This year I’m going to 8th grade and they started a new mini-team. A mini-team is were there’s so many 7th and 8th graders that they put the extra students (like me) on one team. That isn’t so bad it’s the name of the team. The name of are mini-team, is the Challengers. To some people it might not be bad, but other 8th and 7th graders think that it implies that we are stupid/challenged.

If I haven’t told you yet I'm not stupid, I got 4 out of 5 on math Fcat and 5 out of 5 on the Reading Fcat. My friend is also smart. We were eating lunch and talking about are team name because earlier I was talking to a kid on the bus, when he asked what team I was on and I told him the challengers. Then he had a funny look on his face like he didn’t want to be there. I haven’t talked to him since.

As my friend and I were sitting there, we were thinking of a way to change are name when we came up with making a petition that we get all the students to sign it. Once we do that we will give it to Mr. Turgen (Principal) and if he agrees we well let the students make suggestions (they have to be based on medieval times). Then we will vote on the best ones and that will be are name. My friend and I thought it was a good idea because in Social Studies we are learning about Government and the Amendments. This represents Amendment 1wich stats that
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press and to petition the government for a redress of grievances”
So according to this Amendment we have the right to make a petition and we thought it was a good idea to show this by making the petition and exercise is right

John - age 14


Friends

Friends are very important to have in your life. One reason is because when you don’t feel comfortable talking to your parents, friends are someone you can talk to. Also, people need friends to hang out with. Finally, friends can understand the problems you are facing.

You must be careful when you choose your friends. If you choose friends who are known to be troublemakers, you may be seen by others to be a bad person who does bad things. However, if you pick good friends you will be known to be good and do good things. I have chosen both good and bad friends and have learned this important lesson.

If someone is truly your friend, then you can just be yourself. Sometimes you will get in fights and arguments over stupid little things and that’s alright because I know for a fact that everyone has and or does. Although you can’t let something like that win a friendship.

An example of how my friends stood beside me was one day last year I got into a fight at school. I was faced with the decision of fighting back or not hitting the other person. I chose not to hit back and wait for a teacher. This was a very hard decision because after the fight many people began calling me very mean names. My friends helped support me by being kind; they understood what I was going through. My friends did not make fun of me and helped me through the name-calling.

The second example of how friends are important is when my dog Eagle passed away after being hit by a car. I was not able to express all of my feelings to my mom; however, I was able to talk to my best friend because he understood what it was like to lose a pet that I was really close to. He helped me through my hard times and emotions.

In closing, friends are very important to have in your life. They help you grow to become stronger both mentally and emotionally. Friends are someone you can rely on when you face hard times. Friends also are there during good times.

Devin – age 12


Why I Think Teens in the Fifties Had It Better Than Teens Now

Convertibles role down the street, carrying happy teens holding malts and chatting about the good times they had at the drive-in, sock-hop, or the skating rink. I think teens in the fifties had it better than teens now. I believe this because of the following; easier schooling, less divorce, and the shear lack of technology.

One of my reasons for teens in the fifties having it better is that, back then there was very little divorce. People just didn’t do it. Sometimes teens today take divorce pretty hard, but back then there was none of that, no switching houses on weekends, no splitting up holidays, nothing. Just simple mom and dad in the same house.

Another reason is technology, or rather the lack of it. This explanation sounds like it would be against the fifties, but its not. Computers, although they are amazing, are also not good as some kids today spend hours every day staring stupidly at pictures or words on the flashing screen, no matter how nice the weather is. Video games are precisely the same, except a computer has a little more educational value. Video games are a sad waste of life. Fifties kids had just the right amount, T.V. for news and telephones for emergencies, like I said, just the right amount, because too much of anything isn’t good.

My final reason is education. In school back then everything was so much easier. Simply because there was less to learn. My grandma never finished high school, and she never had to. I’m not saying that all women should do is cook and houseclean, no, just that in the fifties school was not as hard.

When my grandma finishes telling me about her growing-up days I think and can almost hear those days long ago. Laughing kids playing ball, a gym full of teens at a sock-hop, a proud teen washes his convertible in the garage. Oh the simplicity of it all! The days long past silently leave my mind, and I turn off my computer, and go out side.

Amber – age 13

Prompt #2

Fifty years ago it was harder for teenagers to live. It was harder because they had to work, and they had few electronics. The first reason they had a harder life is because they had more work to do. The parent’s back then expected them to be responsible and do everything around the house. Their parents thought they are more responsible because back then the kids were more respectful to their parents. Secondly, the work was harder because they had no machines to help them mow the lawn or collect grain. The teenagers had to do it with their hands and knives. Lastly, the work was harder because they had to work around the farm. As soon as they got home they would work. They would have not time to go to friend’s house except on Sundays. For example, one day my lawn mower broke and I had to mow the lawn in a different way. I know how the kids felt back then.

The second reason that teenager life was harder 50 years ago is that they had few or no electronics. For example some people had no TVs or radios. Now if you go to someone’s house, the person has a TV and radio in his or her room. Without TV people could not know what is going on in the world around them. The second example is that they had no cell phones. Without cell phones if you were driving and you had an accident you would not be able to call anyone. You would have to wait for a bus or somebody to pick you up. Last of all, it is harder because they had no computers. It would be harder because you would not have e-mail. You also would not have Internet. If you didn’t have Internet, you would not be able to find recourses about stuff for school or reports.

It would be harder for teenagers to live 50 years ago. It would be harder because they had no electronics and the work was harder.

Viktor – age 13


Decisions

I’m so tired of my parents telling me I’m too immature to take on my own decision. All I ever do is showing them that I am responsible but they never open their eyes to notice it. I think I’m responsible enough to take on my own responsibilities because I always follow the rules of the house no matter what the condition is, and I always go to work with my dad during the weekends.

Every day when I get home from school, the first thing I do is feed the cats. Anxious to eat, and then play, the cats, Snow and Bear, stare at me while I ready their food. When they finally get it, they eat for about ten minutes, which gives me enough time to get started on my homework. When my cats are done eating, I play with them for about five minutes. Then it’s time to call my dad and tell him where I’m going, like he always tells me to. Normally my curfew is 7:30 so I will go skate at my friends’ house until 7:25, then I tell him that I have to go and I will see him tomorrow. Finally when I reach home, it’s already 7:30. I finish my homework and then go online for the rest of the night.

Finally it’s the weekend. I woke up at 6:30 a.m. to the annoying sound of my dad bashing on something to try to wake me up. I get up and hop into the shower. I gobble down breakfast and sprint to the car and we’re off to work. First we had to stop at an elder ladies house to make some shelves for her amazing artwork. My dad always sees me as his apprentice, even though I don’t want to be doing that kind of work in my future. While he saws away at the wood, dust rises and gets in my nose and gives me a tingle feeling inside but I try and keep the wood as still as possible. When he’s finally done, I go change and put on some shorts to get ready for the next job. We’re off to pressure wash the bottom of my dad’s friend’s boat. While I’m under the boat, getting drenched with really cold water, my dad is in the back painting a wooden fence. I finally finish getting soaked, I walked to the back yard were my dad is and grab a brush to help him paint. I sighed of relief when all the work is done, then we got paid and headed home. On the way home, I asked my dad if I could spend the next weekend at my friend’s house, he said, “No Chris, you’re too immature and you’re very irresponsible.” So I just went on about my day and forgot I ever asked him anything.

Now you tell me, after all I do to help my family; do you think I am too irresponsible and immature to deserve a little freedom?

Christian – age 14


Becoming Mature

Ok, my parents think I’m immature. I’m going to show them that I am responsible.

First of all I have a cell phone that I got for Valentines Day. I was so proud but my mom and dad thought I was not responsible enough, so I started the next day by paying 20 dollars for a phone card and I had 200 minutes on my phone. Second, I took really good care of it; it did not have one scratch or bump on it. Third, I always take it with me everywhere. I told my dad I would not use it to talk to my friends; I would use it only for emergencies. That’s how my parents learned that I’m very responsible.

My room is one of my favorite places to be. My dad hates it when my room is messy; he says it looks like a pigsty. I started making my own bed, it looked great and my dad called it a princess’ palace. Next, I started cleaning my room. First I would vacuum then I cleaned all that dust and other sick stuff with the vacuum. And last but not least I would wash my room. I started off with washing my windows and fan with window spray, and finally washed my desk, T.V., and my bed. That’s how I kept my room clean and helped my dad think I’m mature enough to have my own room.

My dad works around the house very hard and I wanted to show him how I can do the same and make me look like I am not immature. One time when I walked outside I saw my dad working on cutting trees, so I told him I could cut and throw all the stumps into big bags. One hour later I finished and it looked great. Next I helped my dad paint the garage floor. We had to pull all of the bikes and tools out on to the driveway and finished painting the floor in half an hour. And finally I helped my mom clean the lanai. We had to put a special soap down and sprayed it down with the hose. We got done with that in one and half hours. She told me she was proud of me.

That is how I got my parents to see my as being mature. If you are responsible and help around the house, you will think of as mature.

Colton – age 13


An Average Day

THURSDAY – Unicorns everywhere, lollipops growing out of the ground, there are huge ice tea springs over every hill with little ice-cube fish swimming up stream attempting to spawn…MAX GET UP!!!!

6:04 a.m.: I wake up and jump in the shower for about 10 minutes. After I’m all clean I get dressed and pack up my backpack, put on my shoes, brush my teeth and head out the door to catch the bus. On the bus ride to school I usually just sit quietly and look out the window since I’m not much of a morning person, the bus ride takes about 15 minutes.

When we get to school we have to wait for all the other busses to get to the school too, I hate waiting there because there is no air conditioner on the bus and humid Florida mornings get pretty hot. Well anyway, we get off the bus and head to class.

My first class of the day is homeroom. In homeroom we watch the news, catch up on unfinished assignments, and read if there is no work to be done.

My second class of the day is tech. In tech we do projects and do work on all forms of technology.

Then I have gym. In gym we play everything from volleyball to kickball. After gym I have Social Studies, I like it except us gets assigned a lot of work. Next I go to Language Arts, after about 15 minutes of L.A., we go to lunch. We finish lunch and go back to L.A.

At the end of the day, I have literacy. In literacy we read stories and work on vocabulary.

After school I watch TV and have a snack. Sometimes I have tennis practice and sometimes I have a game. After I have dinner and go to sleep.

One average day.

Max – age 13


Am I Responsible?

Have you ever felt that your parents didn’t think that you were responsible? Well mine, oddly enough, don’t. So I am writing that would be in my letter to them, saying that I am responsible. I would say that I always do what they ask me to, and in a timely fashion, I’ve always made good choices, and that they can trust me.

I have always made good choices. In school I have always gotten good grades, due to studying, doing my homework, and paying attention in class. Also, I am able to juggle my homework, extra-curricular activities, and have a good social life! I can remember one time when I still had homework to do before my soccer practice, and then I remembered I was supposed to go to my friend’s house! I took charge, just like my mother would have, and called my friend and said that I still needed to do homework and was made Captain of the soccer team! Now that is a responsible person!

Another thing is that I can give you many reasons why you can trust me. Number one, I check in with you all the time! Number two, I only hang out with my friends, who are extremely responsible. Checking in every hour is a way for you to know what I’m doing without you embarrassing me! Also, because all of my friends are responsible, they all check in with their parents, too, taking another point off the embarrassing factor! So these are some reasons that you can trust me.

My next and final reason is because I always get my housework done, no matter what. I take the time to come home, finish my homework right away, play with my sister, and take the time to mow the lawn! Studies show that people who are responsible around the house often make good decision on their own.

So this is what I would tell my parents. Don’t I sound very responsible? Do you think my parents will agree? Think about it.

Brianna - age 13