Testimonies / Reviews
Hormone Jungle
What are people saying about "Hormone Jungle"?
The book as a whole may motivate readers to get a blank notebook and start recording their own observations about their lives and friends.
- School Library Journal, June 2006
On a personal level, I believe this is a very powerful book and should be required reading for all young adult readers, especially females. It sends such a strong message of self-worth to girls who are going through an awkward age. The balance of self-doubt and self-assurance is perfect for teenagers who struggle with these issues daily. The poems are good, but set on the stage of Christina's diary they are extraordinary. I enjoyed reading both the prose and the poetry in Hormone Jungle.
I am a high school library media specialist who sponsors a poetry club once a week after school. Brod worked with me to begin the club, and I have tried all sorts of programs with the students. We have used Hormone Jungle for two separate meetings, and the students have really enjoyed this! It has been an excellent tool to teach 'voice' in poetry. One week the group decided who should be which character, and the next time, they chose their own. By using Brod's poems, they are able to 'hear' the different ways the characters are expressing their thoughts in poetry. I believe this is helping the students stretch their poetry muscles. Several of them are now experimenting with writing in a voice besides their own. They commented that it was easier to understand this concept when they performed these poems and could get into the characters Brod developed. Even though my students are in high school, they loved the poems! I think part of the appeal is that the prose part of the book is in the voice of Christina as she is ending her high school career. They enjoyed looking back to their own middle school misadventures and triumphs.
- Janet Boltjes, Library Media Specialist
Gilbert High School, Gilbert, SC
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