Children's Books › Education & Reference › Law & Crime

My Story Starts Here: Voices of Young Offenders

Name: My Story Starts Here: Voices of Young Offenders
Price: 12.71 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.4 (6 reviews)

4.4 of 5 Stars: Law & Crime - My Story Starts Here: Voices of Young Offenders

$12.71

Buying Options

Description

Book Synopsis: Deborah Ellis, activist and award-winning author of The Breadwinner interviews young people involved in the criminal justice system and lets them tell their own stories.Jamar found refuge in a gang after leaving an abusive home where his mother stole from him. Fred was arrested for assault with a weapon, public intoxication and attacking his mother while on drugs. Jeremy first went to court at age fourteen (“Court gives you the feeling that you can never make up for what you did, that you’re just bad forever”) but now wears a Native Rights hat to remind him of his strong Métis heritage. Kate, charged with petty theft and assault, finally found a counselor who treated her like a person for the first time.Many readers will recognize themselves, or someone they know, somewhere in these stories. Being lucky or unlucky after making a mistake. The encounter with a mean cop or a good one. Couch-surfing, or being shunted from one foster home to another. The kids in this book represent a range of socioeconomic backgrounds, genders, sexual orientations and ethnicities. Every story is different, but there are common threads – loss of parenting, dislocation, poverty, truancy, addiction, discrimination. The book also includes the points of view of family members as well as “voices of experience” – adults looking back at their own experiences as young offenders.Most of all, this book leaves readers asking the most pressing questions of all. Does it make sense to put kids in jail? Can’t we do better? Have we forgotten that we were once teens ourselves, feeling powerless to change our lives, confused about who we were and what we wanted, and quick to make a move without a thought for the consequences?

Key Text Features
- illustrations
- photographs
- further reading
- glossary
- resources

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.2 Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.6 Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.8 Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.

Details

Discover the raw and inspiring stories of young offenders in "My Story Starts Here: Voices of Young Offenders." Authored by Deborah Ellis, renowned activist and award-winning writer of The Breadwinner, this book gives a voice to those who often go unheard. Through intimate interviews, Ellis allows these young people to share their own experiences in the criminal justice system.

Meet Jamar, who found solace in a gang after escaping an abusive home. Follow Fred's journey, from being arrested for assault to battling addiction. Get to know Jeremy, who reflects on his Native heritage and the challenges he faced growing up. And be moved by Kate's story of finding redemption after a life of petty theft and assault.

These stories resonate with readers who may have walked similar paths or know someone who has. They tackle important themes such as luck, encounters with law enforcement, and the hardships of foster care, drugs, poverty, and discrimination. Each narrative sheds light on the complex factors that contribute to youth offending.

But this book is not just about the young offenders themselves. It also includes the perspective of family members and "voices of experience" - adults reflecting on their own past as young offenders. These additional insights further enrich the narrative and provide a well-rounded understanding of the issue.

By raising thought-provoking questions, "My Story Starts Here: Voices of Young Offenders" challenges the conventional view of incarcerating young individuals. It prompts us to question if there are better alternatives and if we have forgotten our own teenage struggles. The diverse range of characters in this book ensures that readers from all backgrounds can relate and empathize with the stories told.

Don't miss out on this eye-opening and impactful exploration of the justice system. Join us on this journey towards understanding and compassion. Get your copy of "My Story Starts Here: Voices of Young Offenders" today!

See All Buying Options...

More Details...