Teen Ink

Bibliographic Information: Teen ink.  (2012). USA: The Young Authors Foundation, Inc.  Website URL: Teen Ink

Plot Summary: Teen Ink is made up seven core sections. These sections are called: Feedback, College Directory, Art Gallery, Nonfiction, Reviews, Fiction, and Poetry. All these sections are geared towards featuring teen writing and teen thoughts on popular, or favorite, music, video games, books, movies and TV.  

Teen Ink offers teens the opportunity to get published and read by their peers. Teen Ink also offers teens the opportunity to receive advice on any writing-related questions in terms of college essays, original writings, and many more subjects. It also gives teens the opportunity to express themselves through poetry, essays, photographs, and a variety of submitted prose pieces. 

Critical Evaluation: Teen Ink creates a voice for teens to express emotions and thoughts without prejudice or ridicule. Students are able to publish works that are heavy with images, metaphors, allusions, and concrete imagery that describe the lives they lead or the lives they wish they lead. Teen Ink offers a welcoming platform for budding writers of all skills and styles, demonstrating a rainbow of interests, attitudes, and experiences. Teens are able to create, modify, and show off their voices as their work is read by a variety of peers and adults.

Reader’s Annotation: In Teen Ink, teens come together to share their deepest thoughts, visions and dreams through prose, essays, poetry and shot stories.

Information About the Publisher: Teen Ink is independently published by The Young Authors Foundation, Inc. (teenink.com: Teen Ink FAQ, 2012). Teen Ink is funded by donations, subscriptions, ad sales, and Teen Ink book royalties (teenink.com: Teen Ink FAQ, 2012).

Founded in 1989, The Young Authors Foundation, Inc., is dedicated to providing reading and writing opportunities to teens (teenink.com: Teen Ink FAQ, 2012). The Young Authors Foundation, Inc. also offers a Poetry Journal which is published three times a year (teenink.com: Teen Ink FAQ, 2012). Teen Ink reaches over 300,000 teens a month and is supportyed by a variety of celebreties who believe in The Young Authors Foundation, Inc efforts to give teens a space to be heard (teenink.com: Teen Ink FAQ, 2012). 

Genre: Magazine

Curriculum Ties: Could tie into a poetry, publishing, and writing lesson.

Booktalking Ideas: 
1). How does being able to publish one's own work enhance a teen's confidence skills?
2). What are the benefits of teen expression through writing?

Reading Level/Interest Age: 13 - 19 (teenink.com: About US, 2012)

Challenge Issues: May contain some intense subject matter on relationships, mental health, and suicide. I would use the following items to defend this magazine if it was ever challenged:

1) Refer to Library Bill of Rights, see items: I, II, and III (http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill).
2) Refer to San Diego Public Library collection policy - (http://www.sandiego.gov/public-library/about-the-library/freedom.shtml).  Original site: The American Library Association (ALA) Freedom to Read/View Statement (http://www.ala.org/offices/oif/statementspols/ftrstatement/freedomreadstatement).
3) Refer to California School Library Association (CSLA), Model School Library Standards - September 2010 (http://www.csla.net/index.php/publications/school-library-standards). PDF: (http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/librarystandards.pdf).

4) Refer t0 American Association for School, Librarians Standards for the 21st Century Learner (http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/AASL_Learning_Standards_2007.pdf)

5) Contact Office of Intellectual Freedom for any further support, 800-545-2433, ext. 4223 or oif@ala.org.

6) Refer to legitimate book reviews, such as: School Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, Horn Book and others; found on either Academic Search Premier, Follett's TITLEWAVE, or Amazon.com.

Why did you include this magazine in the titles you selected?: I selected this magazine because it offers teens the opportunity to feature their own writings and thoughts in a nationally distributed magazine. This magazine also inspires teens to further incorporate reading and writing into their lives.

Reference Page:

teenink.com.  (2012).  About us.  Retrieved July 8, 2012 from http://www.teenink.com/About

teenink.com.  (2012).  Teen Ink FAQ.  Retrieved July 8, 2012 from http://www.teenink.com/About/FAQ.php

Cover art: http://teenink.com/Issues/2012-May.php