Who Do You Think You Are?: Stories of Friends and Enemies

An anthology of fifteen stories exploring the complexity and joy of friendship contains selections from Ray Bradbury, Louise Erdrich, John Updike, Maya Angelou, Tim O'Brien, and others.

Grade 7 Up-- A collection of short stories and novel excerpts that belongs in every library serving YAs. Make no mistake, this is not a light, heartwarming anthology. Rather, it is a glimpse at the vagaries of adolescent friendship, fraught with tension and unhappiness. The characters try vainly to fit in, learn painful truths about the price of friendship, or lose friends who die or move away. The sometimes fine line between friends and enemies is also explored. The editors have made their selections from the works of popular, contemporary North American writers. Carson McCullers, Richard Peck, John Updike, and Maya Angelou are but four of a stellar cast of authors included here. A variety of points of view and ethnic groups is represented and all of the protagonists are teens. These young people live in both urban and rural settings yet their experiences are universal. An excellent anthology for classroom collections, for reading aloud, for literature studies, or for bibliotherapy. --Lucinda Lockwood, Thomas Haney Secondary School, Maple Ridge,
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Representing a variety of American cultures and ethnic groups, this collection of intimate stories and excerpts from novels by such renowned writers as Joyce Carol Oates, John Updike, Carson McCullers and Maya Angelou explores how children and young adults are affected by key figures: heroes, opponents, classmates and siblings. The majority of the selections deal with peer relationships. Updike's "The Alligators," Oates's "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" and Gish Jen's "What Means Switch" trace adolescent infatuations that ultimately end in disappointment. "Good Grief!" by Ray Bradbury, taken from Dandelion Wine , commemorates the loss of a best friend, while Sandra Cisneros's "My Lucy Friend Who Smells Like Corn" celebrates the delight of discovering a kindred spirit. Other stories express the spiritual drifting apart of brothers (Louise Erdrich's "The Red Convertible"), wartime confrontations between enemies (excerpts from Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried ) and a mute child's profound encounter with a highly respected and learned woman (from Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings ). Meticulously chosen and arranged, these works crystalize moments of vulnerability, sorrow and understanding; together, they serve as an excellent introduction to modern American writing. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.