Product Description

(ages 9 - 12) This collection of stories and interviews is the result of a simple question: "Why won't you start smoking?" Readers won't feel like they are being preached down to, because the anti-tobacco message is being delivered by kids just like them. The stories, based on life experiences and observations, are diverse, personal, and smart sometimes painful, sometimes funny. The ten reasons include the poor health of parents who smoke, addiction, self-image, and relationships. Our young contributors also bring up issues that kids might not consider, such as how cigarettes affect one's personal appearance, athletic performance, and bank account. The media's portrayal of smoking and the unscrupulous marketing tactics used by tobacco companies are also discussed. The stories are complemented by hip, edgy illustrations, examples of anti-tobacco activism, quotes from nonsmoking celebrities, important health facts, "instant history facts," and other sidebars which present the ugly truth about cigarettes.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1333379 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781897073667
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Booklist
In this small, square title, young people ranging in ages from 9 to 14 offer sound arguments for not taking up cigarettes. Some reasons are personal, such as those of 12-year-old Adrienne, who lost her father to lung cancer, and 11-year-old Aanchal, who became an antismoking activist after his grandmother developed cancer from exposure to secondhand smoke. Other young people talk about the nasty smell of cigarettes, how smoking can negatively affect one’s appearance, the impact smoking has on athletic performance, and the addiction and expense of cigarettes. There is also discussion about peer pressure and how tobacco companies target youth with advertising and marketing campaigns. Interspersed throughout the accessible text are boxes and sidebars with facts and statistics, photos, and spot art from illustrator Staffo. Entertainment and sports celebrities also contribute antismoking quotes. Appendixes include endnotes and a glossary. The antismoking message here is all the more effective coming directly from a diverse group of young people speaking from a wide range of life experiences. Grades 5-8. --Ed Sullivan

About the Author
A collection of interviews, essays, and stories written by young people, for young people, edited by Lobster Press.