With the eye of a reporter, the curiosity of an anthropologist, and the open (and sometimes wounded) heart of a mother, writer Lauren Kessler embeds herself in her about-to-be-teenage daughter's life. In seventh- and eighth-grade classrooms, at home, online, at the mall, and at summer camp, Kessler observes, investigates, chronicles--and participates in--the life of a twenty-first-century teen. As she begins to better understand and appreciate her mercurial daughter, their relationship--at first a mirror of the author's difficult relationship with her own mother--lurches in new directions. With the help of a resident teen expert (her daughter), as well as teachers, doctors, therapists, and other mothers, Kessler illuminates the age-old struggle from both sides, gracefully interweaving personal experience with journalistic inquiry. Funny, poignant, and insightful, this book explores the fascinating and scary world of today's teen.

Log in to favorite or list