Teen Ink

Title- Teen Ink

Editor- Stephanie Meyer

Publication Information Newton, MA: monthly magazine

 

Plot Summary- Obviously as a monthly magazine, a plot summary is not applicable. However, this magazine has several sections with articles written by teens and/or for teens. There is a non-fiction, fiction, opinion, poetry, travel and culture, movie/TV reviews, video game review, focus on college and art section. Many of the articles are written by teenagers and address a wide variety of experiences. Some articles in the editions I reviewed included an editorial on safety issues of Facebook, the relative value of the SAT, a personal narrative on a blind school, the problems of the homeless, and a variety of poems.

Critical Evaluation- As evidenced by the title, this magazine is targeted for teenagers and the articles reflect that. I think it's geared for higher grades- perhaps junior and senior year. The intellectual levels of the articles indicate that perhaps the magazine might be more interesting to high level or advanced students. The issues discussed are not always typical of reluctant learners. The magazine is available to purchase as class sets and might be used by teachers. The articles are well-written and several of them are quite touching. The editorials are insightful, and I'm considering using some of them with my class. The only section that wasn't interesting from an adult perspective was the poetry, which would probably glean the most interest from several of my students. All in all, the magazine could be entertaining to the right type of teenager. However, what I noticed most strongly is that it rarely leaves the rack at our school, especially in comparison to Seventeen or several of the video game and car magazines. I think this is due to it's format. The magazine is produced on newspaper print and lacks the glossy shine of the other magazines that students were generally interested in seeing.

Reader's Annotation- Looking to read real teen stories? Teen Ink is the place to be.

Author Information- The magazine is "committed to publishing a variety of works written by teenagers." And readings 350,000 in it's 5,500 schools. The authors themselves are teenagers from all over the country.

Curricular Ties The best option for this is probably English because of the use of multiple genres.

Genre- Periodical- non-fiction, fiction, poetry, opinion.

Book talking ideas Not applicable

Challenge issues Could vary by edition

1. Re-read the text to familiarize myself with the story
   
2. Ask parents for their specific objections (they are required to file that with our school district)
   
3. Review approved books list from California Department of Education for similar materials
   
4. Review approaches from ALA
   

Interest Age – 15-18

Why I selected this piece I selected this piece entirely on the recommendation of my librarian. I was interested to see what magazines for teens would look like outside of the realm of Seventeen, which is the primary magazine I read as a teenager.