ON THE PLUS SIDE

Bryan Parker and Alyssa Holbrook have been dating since junior year. They’re “good kids” with bright futures ahead of them. Then Alyssa shares that she’s pregnant, with the baby expected to arrive right around when they will graduate. The couple experience an emotional roller coaster, initially keeping their big news secret from their families and wondering whether or not to keep the baby. Even though they had always envisioned a future together, this wasn’t what it looked like. Both teens have supportive families, but will they be able to juggle school, medical appointments, work, and discrimination from classmates and school administrators and still be good parents? Useful for igniting classroom discussions, this issue-focused book uses first-person narration to center Bryan’s experience. Brief chapters, occasional text message conversations, and its short length make it an accessible read that pulls no punches in portraying the consequences of teen parenthood. Personality, rather than appearance, is the basis for most character descriptions. Bryan has a Korean mother and white father; other characters are assumed white. Alyssa’s support system includes her two moms and her father. Unfortunately, there’s no discussion of ways to practice safe sex nor any backmatter with resources for teen parents.

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