Taking Aim: Power and Pain, Teens and Guns

Powerful, riveting, and real. Sixteen celebrated authors bring us raw, insightful stories that explore guns and teens in a fiction collection that is thought provoking and emotionally gripping. For fans of Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock and Give a Boy a Gun, and with an array of YA talent like the late great Walter Dean Myers, the poetic Joyce Carol Oates, the prophetic Elizabeth Wein, and the gritty Chris Crutcher, these are evocative voices that each has a different perspective to give. Capturing the hurt and the healing, victims and perpetrators, these stories get to the heart of the matter.

From a boy whose low self-esteem is impacted when a gun comes into his possession to a student recalling a senseless tragedy that befell a favorite teacher, from a realistic look at hunting to a provocative look at a family that defies stereotypes, each emotional story stirs the debate to new levels. The juxtaposition of guns and their consequences offers moving tales, each a reminder of how crucial the question of guns in our society is, and the impact they have on all of us.

Other acclaimed contributors are Marc Aronson, Edward Averett, Francesca Lia Block, Alex Flinn, Gregory Galloway, Jenny Hubbard, Peter Johnson, Ron Koertge, Chris Lynch, Eric Shanower, Will Weaver, and Tim Wynne-Jones.

Bold. Thought provoking.

Poignant. Heartbreaking.

Sixteen celebrated authors bring us raw, insightful stories that explore the impact of guns on teens. These evocative voices each have a different story to tell, a different perspective to give.

This collection of fiction tackles the tough questions of gun culture, the psychology of gun owners, the motivation of shooters, and gun violence—both the purpose and the danger, the hurt and the healing, victims and perpetrators—trying to get to the heart of the matter.

From a boy whose low self-esteem is impacted when a gun comes into his possession to a student recalling a senseless tragedy that befell a favorite teacher, from a realistic look at hunting to a provocative look at a family that defies stereotypes, each emotional story stirs the debate to new levels.

With a dazzling array of beloved YA authors, these honest stories will draw fans of Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock and Give a Boy a Gun.

Acclaimed contributors include Marc Aronson, Edward Averett, Francesca Lia Block, Chris Crutcher, Alex Flinn, Gregory Galloway, Jenny Hubbard, Peter Johnson, Ron Koertge, Chris Lynch, Walter Dean Myers, Joyce Carol Oates, Eric Shanower, Will Weaver, Elizabeth Wein, and Tim Wynne-Jones.

Sobering and thought-provoking. - ALA Booklist

The short, compelling stories are perfect for reluctant readers, or for teachers looking for powerful, thought-provoking narratives to engage students in an important aspect of their modern world. - Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (starred review)