pregnancy project: A memoir. NY: Simon
Gaby Rodriguez is a seventeen year old high school senior. She was raised by a single mother, who along with her older siblings were all teen parents. So, everyone expected that she would be one too since she was a young Latina living in near poverty. Gaby was in the top five percent of her graduating class and participated in extra curricular activities. For her independent, year-long project, she faked her own pregnancy. Gaby got to experience firsthand how difficult it is physically, socially, and emotionally to be pregnancy and in high school.
This is a terrific book for teens 14-17 years. It's a great read for anyone who is sexually active while in middle or high school. It will allow them to get a girl's firsthand perspective on how hard it can be being a pregnant teen in school. This project made national news and was even made into film.
Rodriguez does a wonderful job of showing how strong stereotyping can be. Once she revealed she was "pregnant" no one cared how hard she had worked in school. Teachers, family, friends, and student body whispered and talked behind her back saying she had thrown her life away or how her family should be used to teen moms. Rodriguez says teens need to be provided with resources to help avoid getting pregnant and to lend support if it does occur.
& Schuster.
No comments:
Post a Comment