Book Reviews
Who Do You Think You Are: Stories of Friends and Enemies, edited by Hazel Rochman
Reading level: Grades 6–8
Who Do You Think You Are is a diverse anthology exploring the many sides of friendship, and includes stories by Maya Angelou, Ray Bradbury, Joyce Carol Oates, John Updike, and Tobias Wolff.
Who Do You Think You Are focuses on the complexities of human relationships and how we define ourselves through others. Isabel Huggan's "Celia Behind Me" offers a brutally honest look at how insecure people can hurt others to boost their own egos, documenting a clique's cruel treatment of an outcast. This story can generate powerful discussions on empathy and bullying.
Ray Bradbury's "Good Grief" provides an insightful look into the fragility of adolescent friendships. When the main character, John, tells his friend Douglas that he is moving to another town, Douglas feels so betrayed that he ends the friendship. This story corresponds well with SECOND STEP lessons on identifying feelings and anger management.
Friendship takes on new significance for adolescents as they develop relationships outside their families. Who Do You Think You Are explores these relationships from different angles, allowing young readers to see themselves and others in the characters.
