Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Book Review - 40 Answers for Teens' Top Questions

40 Answers for Teens’ Top Questions
by Gregory L. Jantz, PhD and Gregg Jantz, Jr.

I was pleasantly surprised by both the questions and answers in this book.  Questions run the gamut from routine puberty and zits conversations to heavier topics such as worrying about future success and life planning.  In asking, “Is it harder to be a teenager today?”, the author’s bottom line answer is “So why is it important for one person’s experiences to be considered harder or more difficult than someone else’s?”  I love that answer!  I also enjoyed the conversation about music (“Why do my parents hate the music I like?”).  The interjections from Gregg Jr. are applicable and relatable.  Many of the answers provided are ones I’ve struggled with myself - finding the right words to express my thoughts to my kids.  Dr. Jantz puts them in clear language that makes sense, is not “overly adult” or preachy, and provokes conversation from both teens and parents.  Anyone who deals with the mysterious preteen or teen (or parent!) will benefit from the insight this book provides.  It would also be a great small group or family study.  Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and will refer back to it often as my own two teenagers continue on their journey of adolescence.  I was provided a copy of this book in pdf format and all opinions are 100% my own.