4 out of 4 stars
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A Window to Young Minds is an anthology of submissions to an annual short story contest created to support young writers. The twenty-three short stories in this book vary greatly, but each evokes a unique emotion. The talented young authors featured in this book are the voices of the future of literature.
This book starts out strong with a teenaged Janis in the throws of a forbidden romance aboard her father’s pirate ship. Next, the reader anxiously follows German brothers, Peter and Hans as they board the ill-fated Hindenburg in 1937. Later, Sophy of Probrum sets off to prove her strength and that the pen is mightier than the sword. Later still, Jamie learns the importance of following the librarian’s rules when she finds herself in an astonishing situation. One last example is the story of Callum and Shay exploring the exciting ups and disappointing downs of adolescent love.
The works of these young authors, ranging in age from ten to sixteen, impressed and entertained me as a reader. They each showed an understanding of the importance of using descriptive language to create vivid imagery for the reader. This anthology includes fables, dystopian adventures, heartfelt love stories, and tales of pain, regret, loss, and triumph. This is a book that parents can enjoy with their pre-teenaged and teenaged children, and lovers of the young adult genre would enjoy this collection. Also, everyone with an interest in literature should read this book. It is of the utmost importance that young authors are shown support for their art.
I have listened to thousands of audiobooks. A mediocre or bad narrator can ruin a great book. Unfortunately, the narrator of this audiobook did not do many favors for these stories. Her extremely long pauses between sentences will cause young listeners to quickly lose interest. However, her smooth transitions of tone from one story to the next created a pleasant and entertaining performance.
I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. Each story in this collection was very well written. This collection of stories offers a wide variety of subject matter. The stories were expertly arranged to create an exciting reading and listening experience. The authors’ intelligence and passion shine through in every short story. Without prior knowledge, these are stories that I would have assumed were written by adults. This collection of engaging stories is sure to entertain readers and inspire future authors.
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A Window to Young minds
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