{"product_id":"falling-hard-isbn-9780763648398","title":"Falling Hard","description":"\u003cb\u003eFrom an acclaimed anthologist comes this unforgettable collection of one hundred poems by teenagers, capturing the vertigo-inducing realm of romantic love.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe poets are straight, gay, lesbian, bi, or transgender. They live next door or across an ocean; they are innocent or experienced; their lyric explorations range from new love to stale love, obsession to ennui, ecstasy to heartbreak, and every nuance in between. Whether the romantic escapades described are touching, comical, or tragic, whether the feelings expressed are tender and sweet or brutal and biting, readers will find the love these young poets openly share to be exquisitely, excruciatingly, endlessly fascinating. Here is a collection to turn to again and again, because life and love keep on changing.The quality here is head and shoulders above most young writers’ collections, and in fact it’s well above many adult anthologies as well.\u003cbr\u003e—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)\u003cb\u003eBetsy Franco \u003c\/b\u003ehas published more than eighty books, including three previous anthologies. She lives in Palo Alto, California.Sitting on the porch swing\u003cbr\u003eamidst the sea of suburbia\u003cbr\u003ewhere cookie-cutter souls\u003cbr\u003ecome home every day at 5 to the raised ranch\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eshe strolls on by in her arcane soignée style\u003cbr\u003eplaying her saxophone to a haunting melody\u003cbr\u003eso the whole wide world can hear her\u003cbr\u003eher motives, an enigma\u003cbr\u003eyet she charms us all with her sophistication\u003cbr\u003eher difference in this world\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ehow I long to meet her\u003cbr\u003eget whisked away by her song\u003cbr\u003eyet mother says I’m still too infatuated\u003cbr\u003eto cross the street\u003cbr\u003eand far too young for jazz\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJOSEPH LINDBLAD, age 14\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTilt the halo over my head\u003cbr\u003eI don’t care what the caution tape read\u003cbr\u003eIt’s time to get a little dangerous\u003cbr\u003eLet’s fall in love.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eForget the scriptures, forget the past\u003cbr\u003eConscience and common sense never last\u003cbr\u003eIt’s time to get a little curious\u003cbr\u003eLet’s fall in love.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRACHEL McCARREN, age 15\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt work\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere’s actually only one thing I care about.\u003cbr\u003eIt’s a girl with brown hair and brown eyes\u003cbr\u003eShe’s short, she comes up to my shoulders or my chin\u003cbr\u003eToday I was going to ask her a question,\u003cbr\u003ehas anyone ever fallen in love with you while you work?\u003cbr\u003eBecause, I wanted to tell her, I always fall in love\u003cbr\u003ewith girls like you.\u003cbr\u003eShe called my name from the other room\u003cbr\u003eI was washing dishes\u003cbr\u003eShe asked me if the music was alright,\u003cbr\u003eit was Simon and Garfunkel -- here’s to you Mrs. Robinson.\u003cbr\u003eWhen she came in, soapy handed I mentioned\u003cbr\u003ethat I needed to see The Graduate again\u003cbr\u003eShe’d never seen it she said. Who’s in that?\u003cbr\u003eDustin Hoffman.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNICK ROSS-RHUDY, age 17\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGift\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI would break you make you\u003cbr\u003ebreathe hard for me,\u003cbr\u003etake in more air,\u003cbr\u003eas if I was there to breathe it too.\u003cbr\u003eNonsense\u003cbr\u003enonsuchaswe\u003cbr\u003ecould survive this journey.\u003cbr\u003eI would score you bleed you\u003cbr\u003escream you,\u003cbr\u003efind you unwanting, unlacking,\u003cbr\u003ein everything I want.\u003cbr\u003eYou are a thesaurus with no\u003cbr\u003ewords, book of my heart\u003cbr\u003eand sickened stomach.\u003cbr\u003eI would ask you where you stand,\u003cbr\u003eif I did not know you better\u003cbr\u003eI would say you float:\u003cbr\u003eDelicate.\u003cbr\u003eYour name spells ornate strength.\u003cbr\u003eYou are the castle I point for,\u003cbr\u003egaining power as I go up the clouds,\u003cbr\u003eout of breath:\u003cbr\u003eKeep breathing for me\u003cbr\u003ebreathe harder,\u003cbr\u003etake in more air,\u003cbr\u003eas if I was there\u003cbr\u003eto breathe it too.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLost maps and a few countries later\u003cbr\u003eI could drive under your window,\u003cbr\u003eCouldn’t I?\u003cbr\u003eAnd ask how have you been have you got enough time\u003cbr\u003eto go for a drive?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut what I’ll really mean is\u003cbr\u003eare you ready to dive in?\u003cbr\u003eThis is not falling,\u003cbr\u003ethis is landing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePORTIA CARRYER, age 16\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e_______\u003cbr\u003eFALLING HARD by Betsy Franco. Copyright © 2008 by Betsy Franco. Published by Candlewick Press, Inc., Somerville, MA.","brand":"Candlewick","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46302170284261,"sku":"NP9780763648398","price":6.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780763648398.jpg?v=1767726680","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/falling-hard-isbn-9780763648398","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}