Franco, Betsy, and Nina Nickles. 2001. Things I have to tell you: poems and writing by teenage girls. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763609056
Plot Summary
This is a collection of poems written by teenage girls from every different walk of life and about subjects such as love, life, drugs, sex, body image, race, and more. Accompanying the poems are photographs of teen girls going about their day to day activities such as hanging out with friends or getting ready for school. Both the text and pictures show the diversity of the poets and subject matter.
Critical Analysis
Critical Analysis
Because this is a collection of poems by different teenage girls, it was interesting to look at the book as a whole. Betsy Franco wrote a preface to the poems saying that she chose to start the collection because she remembered feeling alone as a teenager and wanted to give a voice to girls everywhere. Submissions appeal to around the ages of 12 and up and are most likely more appealing to female readers. The pictures in the book help the reader imagine who these girls are and where they come from.
A major element of this collection that cannot be ignored is the raw emotion that practically screams at the reader. This collection of poems was created to give teenage girls a safe outlet to say whatever is on their minds. It is full of what most adult readers would describe as angst but it is done in a way that takes the reader into the mind of the poet and is very relatable. These poems remind adult readers of what it is like to be a teenage girl and gives teens themselves proof that they are not so alone.
Rhythm varies throughout each poem. Some poems use a staccato rhythm that speeds up the rhythm and builds tension while others use long couplets that slow down the pace of the poem. Rhyme is used only a few times throughout the collection but used well when it does appear. "My Ode to Crank" is a poem about meth addiction that uses rhyme. The opening line says "Rolling smoke-foggy glass/Hit it slow--so you'll go fast". The use of rhyme works well in this poem because it makes the heavy subject matter easier for the reader to digest.
Review Excerpts
A major element of this collection that cannot be ignored is the raw emotion that practically screams at the reader. This collection of poems was created to give teenage girls a safe outlet to say whatever is on their minds. It is full of what most adult readers would describe as angst but it is done in a way that takes the reader into the mind of the poet and is very relatable. These poems remind adult readers of what it is like to be a teenage girl and gives teens themselves proof that they are not so alone.
Rhythm varies throughout each poem. Some poems use a staccato rhythm that speeds up the rhythm and builds tension while others use long couplets that slow down the pace of the poem. Rhyme is used only a few times throughout the collection but used well when it does appear. "My Ode to Crank" is a poem about meth addiction that uses rhyme. The opening line says "Rolling smoke-foggy glass/Hit it slow--so you'll go fast". The use of rhyme works well in this poem because it makes the heavy subject matter easier for the reader to digest.
Review Excerpts
- ALA Best Book For Young Adults 2001
- School Library Journal-"Franco has succeeded in compiling one of the brightest collections out there today"
Connections
**Read Franco's collection by teenage boys titled You Hear Me?: Poems and Writings by Teenage Boys ISBN 978-0763611590
**Choose a poem from the book and create a collage representing what is happening in the poet's life at the time of writing.
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