Dear Teen Me:
42-14-40
What's that you might ask? Well, when you're 12, you're gonna find out that's your 7th grade locker combination. And you'll memorize that sucker forwards, backwards, and upside down. After all, there's NO way you're going to be that "Sevie" who doesn't remember her locker combo.
At age 14, you're going to kiss a boy named Matt J. A boy you've known since you were 2 - and yes, I mean really kiss. And it's not so bad. But a word of advice if I may: He has braces. Please make him brush his teeth after eating that pizza! Nuff said.
By the end of your sophomore year in high school - just after you turn 16 - you'll fall in love for the first time with a boy named Matt O. (I know, you apparently have a thing for boy's named Matt). You'll date for awhile, break up, then crush over him for the remainder of high school - that picture there to the right? Yeah, that's at the Senior Tolo dance with him. And even though you'll date again after college - you won't marry him. But, you will find a friend in him for life.
However...maybe you should get to know Neal C. a little bit more. Sure he's super shy. And in the 7th grade, you'll tossel his hair and give him static for wearing his polo shirt buttoned all the way to the top (I mean, who does that?). For which he'll still remember a year later and write "snob" in blue permanent marker over your 8th grade year book picture (yep, that's the picture right there).
But trust me on this and give that boy a chance - I promise in twenty years, you'll laugh about the year book with him. And yes, he stopped wearing his polo shirts that way. Because of you.
And speaking of year book disasters. During your junior year in high school when you're 17, you'll be photographed in your swim suit. Just before you're about to perform a back 1.5 pike dive at your swim meet.
It will end up in the annual.
Spanning an entire page.
But believe me, you look COMPLETELY FINE. Because when you're the age you are in 2012 (hey, no wise cracks, it's not as far away as you think!), YOU'RE GONNA WISH YOU STILL LOOKED LIKE THAT NOW.
Those - along with six gazillion other memories from my teenage years - are still stuck in my head like it was all just yesterday. And if I could write a letter to my teenage self now, all of the above (plus so much more) would be included in that letter.
That's the premise behind the recently released book Dear Teen Me published by Zest Books.
Here's the Goodreads summary:
Dear Teen Me includes advice from over 70 YA authors (including Lauren Oliver, Ellen Hopkins, and Nancy Holder, to name a few) to their teenage selves. The letters cover a wide range of topics, including physical abuse, body issues, bullying, friendship, love, and enough insecurities to fill an auditorium. So pick a page, and find out which of your favorite authors had a really bad first kiss? Who found true love at 18? Who wishes he’d had more fun in high school instead of studying so hard? Some authors write diary entries, some write letters, and a few graphic novelists turn their stories into visual art. And whether you hang out with the theater kids, the band geeks, the bad boys, the loners, the class presidents, the delinquents, the jocks, or the nerds, you’ll find friends--and a lot of familiar faces--in the course of Dear Teen Me.
To celebrate the release of such a wonderful book, several of us were asked to participate in the Dear Teen Me blog tour hosted by Zest Books. And I'm lucky to be wrapping up the tour with my post here today - but believe me, there have been so many other fabulous posts throughout the tour! So please head on over to these sites to check them out: Zest Books and Dear Teen Me.
Because that's where I found the amazing post and video by Ginger over at GReads! - where she asked her friends: If you had the chance, what would you say to your teen self - in only six words?
Which inspired me to put together a video of my own, where I asked several of my MG / YA writer friends the very same question. The following is a compilation of the responses I received:
Thanks so much to all of my MG / YA writer friends who participated (in order of appearance): Jaime Morrow, Kris F. Oliver, Dorothy Dreyer, Bridgid Gallagher, Jessica Silverstein, Rebecca Barrow, Rebecca Mahoney, Heidi Sinnett, Katy Upperman, Tracey Neithercott, Angela Brown, Jessica Love, Jessica Lawson, and Sara Biren. They all graciously not only contributed their six words - but also sent pictures of themselves from high school! So thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!
And now for the giveaway! To celebrate this inspiring book, I've got a great prize pack up for grabs, which includes:
An autographed copy of Dear Teen Me - signed by 4-5 contributors - plus postcards and bookmarks.
To enter, please fill out the below Rafflecopter form and see all rules that apply: