Other Books By S. Beth Atkin
Voices From The Streets: young Former Gang Members Tell Their Stories
In
their own distinct voices, nine former gang members talk about how they have
been able to leave gang life and why initially they were attracted to the gangs.
Through first-person interviews, photographs, poems, journal entries, and
scrapbooks, the young people reveal the reasons that led them to search for
safety, respect, and belonging in the gangs.
Their words together with their poems, journal entries, and scrapbooks reveal their conflicts and their hopes for a more positive future. Truthful and moving photographs show their resilience and their vulnerabilities. Often painfully shocking yet also hopeful, this book informs the heart and mind. For it is only by listening to these youths' voices and looking into their faces that we will come to a better understanding of the confusing and violent world of gangs that so many young people choose today—as well as an understanding of how and why some are able to leave.
Voices from the Streets has received the following awards:
American Booksellers Association - Pick of the List
American Library Association - Best Books for Young Adults
American Library Association - Quick Picks for Young Adults
New York Public Library - Books for the Teen Age
Hungry Mind Review - Children's Books of Distinction
State of Alabama Department of Education, Emphasis on Reading Children's Choice
Book Award
VOICES FROM THE FIELDS: Children of Migrant Farmworkers Tell Their Stories
In evocative photographs, poems, and first-person interviews, this book
reveals what life is like for
today's children of migrant farmworkers. In their own words, the nine children
interviewed here tell us of their struggles and hopes. They describe long and
tiring hours in the fields, the language barriers and discrimination in school,
how it feels to move and change schools, and the impact of gangs on their lives.
But these children speak of progress as well as hardship: the strong values and
bonds of the Hispanic family, pride in their Mexican heritage, the importance of
completing school and dreams for a better way of life.
Here is vital testimony to the Latino migrant experience in America. By
listening to these children's voices and by looking at their faces, readers can
learn something of the lives behind the hands that picked the lettuce,
raspberries, and strawberries on their table.
Voices from the Fields has received the following awards:
Booklist: Editor's Choice
American Library Association: Best Books for Young Adults
New York Public Library: Books for the Teen Age
Bay Area Book Reviewers Awards: Children's Literature Finalist
Hungry Mind Review: Children's Books of Distinction
Children's and Young Adult Literature Awards:
Commended Title of Latin American Studies Programs
Children's Book Council: Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social
Sciences