Been There, Survived That: Getting Through Freshman Year of High School Paperback – August 1, 2008

Good insight on the things that may arise in a students new world

Yes, I used the word “crap” instead of the s-word because, I guess, I’m just an old, musty fogy who doesn’t “get” it. And I suggest that you don’t get this book either.I really thought this title had promise. I opened it with the best of expectations and it most definitely caused me to sit up and take note, though not in the way I had hoped. Here’s the first gem I came across that piqued my interest in a way that a dog cocks its head when it hears an odd or disturbing sound:“Be Aware of First Impressions” (page 10, the first “chapter” in the book.) This sounded prudent enough, until I read on. “…Instead of becoming known as the girl who gets plastered and hooks up with everybody just because she can’t control how much she drinks…” Um, what? Stop, re-read passage, flip to front cover, re-read title to confirm that yes, this is a book about “Getting through freshman year of HIGH SCHOOL” (not college) then adjust expectations.Other gems include advice on NOT telling parents that you’re being taunted (unless, of course, it gets “really bad”) and learning how to “Fake It” which again, had potential. I thought perhaps it was about fitting in or just filtering your thoughts on a classmates’ awful outfit of the day, but no. This little tidbit was a mini tutorial about how to lie to your teacher (and expect improvement in your technique with practice) when you didn’t complete a paper or assignment. Delightful. Others include making the best of a boring class by passing notes, texting your friends in other classes and discreetly snoozing (but I figured this shouldn’t be a problem if you’re that loose, passed-out alcoholic 14-year old introduced in the first chapter.)The publishers claim that this is a new line of “smart and edgy books for teens.” They claim that their teen advisors “help to keep things real in the[ir] office.” Again I say crap. Expect the worst from your kids and they won’t disappoint. There’s nothing like setting the bar as low as possible in the name of “edgy” and “keeping it real.” I’m surprised there isn’t a section called “Graduation Optional” or an updated version with a “How To” on cyber bullying, all in the name of a few giggles.This book was a gift given with good intentions and this review is intended to avoid that from happening to others. It’s not worth the paper it is printed on (and isn’t Kindle-worthy!), isn’t particularly funny and in some cases, is even jarring. My spouse wanted it to get “lost” before being read by its intended recipient(s), but I’m not about censorship and I think our children have sense enough to read this and know that parts of it are “off”. I expect we can use it as a conversation starter and at a minimum, it is illustrative of the some of the different personalities one can expect to meet in high school. Learning how to live and co-mingle with these different personalities is part of life. Buying the books they produce doesn’t have to be.

BEEN THERE, SURVIVED THATGETTING THROUGH FRESHMAN YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOLJOE PINSKER, HANNAH SHR, CAROLYN HOU, MAXFIELD PETERSONEDITED BY KAREN MACKLINYA Non-fictionRating: 4 EnchantmentsThe first year of high school can be overwhelming. Not only are you starting at a new school but you have to worry about new teachers, friends, and even where to sit at lunch. And that doesn't even include the cafeteria lunches. All this can cause anyone to break out in a cold sweat.BEEN THERE, SURVIVED THAT is a manual written by four teens who have experienced being freshmen. They give some helpful suggestions on what to expect that first year of high school. Some things that are covered include how to survive the lunchroom, not kissing up, dealing with stress and burn out.There are also funny freshman year horror stories. Plus, top list of things to either do or not do. The advice is practical and helpful and not based on an adult's idea of what you should do as a freshman. That's what's great about this book. It's written for and by teens who know what it's really like.This manual is sure to appeal to those just entering high school.Zest Books has an exciting line of non-fiction books that cover issues that are important to teens. They have an internship where teens from different high schools around San Francisco are chosen based on their interests and accomplishments in writing, reading, editing, and teen culture. If interested in becoming a teen advisor, send a letter of interest to [email protected] out their website at www.zestbooks.netKimENCHANTING REVIEWSSept. 08

Very sarcastic but funny, careful your child understands the sarcasm.

This book is split up into three sections: Practical Advice (which, despite the name, does no contain ANY practical advice), Academic Advice, and Social Advice. They attempt to entertain you by putting a "flipbook" in the bottom corner of the book. All the "flipbook" contains is a guy writing "Been There, Survived That" on a sheet of paper.The "funny" freshman horror stories are far from funny and the charts that go with most advice in the book make the most lame attempt at humor I've ever seen. I believe I laughed most of my way through the book because it was so pathetic. I found quite a few pieces of information controversial and disturbing ("Learning How to Lie" [cause you didn't do something you were supposed to] and "Learning How to Fake Sick" [cause you didn't study and you have to stay home and cram]). Obviously, these kids are reflecting on freshman year and not actually experiencing it. Take it from an actual freshman: this book does you no good.Every other review I have read (anywhere, from amazon.com to magazines to other places) says they wish they had this book during freshman year. I have it during freshman year and I feel like I wasted an hour of my life reading it. So take it from someone who actually knows. Don't read this book. You're just wasting your time.

Of all of the Zest books that I have read, this one has got to be my favorite- there must have been at least 5 times when I burst out laughing reading to myself. Having recently survived freshman year myself, I found the advice inside to be quite helpful and insightful, and I was glad that this book (probably because it was written by teens themselves) took humor as its primary tool for doing so. The NOT sections of the book were its strength just because they were so funny and took a sarcastic approach to teen advice that I hadn't seen in other similar works. I also enjoyed the fact that because Been There was written by teens, it relied more on anecdotal advice than preachy ultimatums. Overall, a funny and valuable piece of literature for any aspiring freshman.