By Teens, For Teens

Recently, I was introduced to a publication called Teen Ink (www.teenink.com).  This is a monthly magazine in which students can read poetry, short stories, nonfiction articles, book reviews, and interviews written by their peers.  Because publication relies solely on contributions from teenage students, and because the contributors are teenagers, the content of the writing is very easy to relate to and engaging to high school students.  I can’t recall how many times I've chosen what I thought was a high-interest article, just to be met with groans of boredom from my students.  Before purchasing a subscription, I did a test-drive.  I copied a couple of articles from a sample edition of Teen Ink and the feedback was positive. The students said that it really mattered to them that the authors of the articles were their age; they bought into it so much more.  I was thrilled with their response to the magazine, and needless to say, I have purchased a subscription for my students!