Connections
Grade 7-12-- As in his previous anthologies, Sixteen (1984) and Visions (1987, both Delacorte), Gallo has selected original short stories from 17 popular YA authors, this time featuring light-hearted, romantic themes. The collection includes works by such popular authors as Gordon Korman, Susan Beth Pfeffer, Richard Peck, and M. E. Kerr, and runs the gamut from humorous to serious; youthful to mature. Sue Ellen Bridgers' "Life's a Beach" concerns two teenage girls on vacation. One is a late bloomer who realizes that life is not a race and gains the self-confidence she needs to face the future. "A Brief Moment in the Life of Angus Bethune" by Chris Crutcher introduces a memorable, well-adjusted boy whose gay parents pursue alternative lifestyles. A haunting, supernatural mystery set in medieval Japan, "The Inn of Lost Time" by Lensey Namioka, reveals an elaborate hoax. Ouida Sebestyen's moving "After the Wedding" is the mature story of a modern couple who move in together seeking love, but then part. This superb collection should have instant appeal to most teens, and the boy-meets-girl theme should attract reluctant readers. --Karlan Sick, New York Public LibraryCopyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.