Been There, Survived That; Getting Through Freshman Year of High School

Written by Zest Books, 2008

Books

This is an interesting little book for parents. However, I definitely would not hand it over to your budding high schooler without reading it yourself.

Written by teens in San Francisco for their young peers, it's a short and simple guide to everything from dressing for success and cultivating good study habits to passing notes and playing hooky. Topics are divided into three sections: social, academic and practical advice. Amusing survival stories are peppered throughout.

My teens think the authors have some very good points when it comes to respecting teachers, being teased and managing group projects, yet they admit certain items are not universal (or wise) though presented as so. (Prime example: "Naturally, you are going to start going on dates, hooking up, and maybe even getting close to a boyfriend or girlfriend.")Take a close look at this sentence and you can see that it's an open invitation for a great conversation with your teen about behavior and morality.

Use Been There, Survived That as a window to your child's world and an opportunity to have a dialogue about values. List price: $9.95.