Teen Ink Magazine,
September 2006 :
Nonfiction Articles
A Bad Day by Clayton H., Harmony, MN It was a nice summer day and all was well with the world. I, unfortunately, went to work and there something happened that will forever haunt me.
When I arrived, a co-worker and I were assigned to defrost a cooler ... Continue...
A Strong Connection by Susan F., Medford, WI I’m a sophomore. I’m involved in Spanish Club, basketball and softball; I enjoy reading, shopping and spending time with friends. I work part-time. My life doesn’t seem very different from most teenagers, but it is ... Continue...
Apple Picking by Shannon C., Niskayuna, NY It is fall, time to go apple picking. Timeto climb trees to get the nicest apple and shine it on your shirt untilyou see your reflection. Then take a juicy bite and say to yourself,It’s better than store bought ... Continue...
Belief in a Dream by Ashley B., Southwick, MA What if your life was meaningless? What ifyou didn’t care what people thought anymore, whether you wereloved, cared for, or appreciated? What if you lost everything? What ifyou felt hurt, unloved, used, abused and thrown away? Imagine that youdidn’t care ... Continue...
Budget by Ariana S., Akron, OH Living on a high-school student’s budget can be difficult, especially for upperclassmen with expenses like phones and cars.
I’m a junior and have a part-time job which is difficult because the minute I get out of school, I go to work ... Continue...
Cupcakes & Chocolate Milk by Matthew, NY This selection can be found in Chicken Soup for the Teen Soul, the 7th in the Teen Ink book series, all available in bookstores nationwide and online.
Doctor Dreams by Elizabeth M., Mamaroneck, NY It is my sixth hour on the job. I am in mywork clothes: a white shirt and smock. Both are splattered with red.Bent over, I am focused on the task at hand. A light illuminates theflawless, frighteningly sharp edge of the knife in my hand ... Continue...
Financial Literacy by Lauren S., Germantown, TN In my lifetime as a consumer, I havepurchased over 300 plastic eyes, pounds and pounds of plastic beans, andheaps of fuzz. Cleverly constructed rhyming hangtags are torturousreminders of crisp dollar bills that have left my wallet ... Continue...
Flowers by Emily N., Cohasset, MA You can tell a lot about a person from the flowers they buy. There are the young men who walk in wearing clean, white shirts and surrounded by fogs of cologne. They head immediately for the red roses with the hopes of impressing a first date ... Continue...
Happy Birthday by Gwendolyn S., Miami, FL 17, a woman Incredible wit beyond comprehension On your birthday you showed me how amazing you are Through the cheap plywood doors they wait for us You, me ... Continue...
Hurricane Katrina by Maggie M., New Orleans, LA The plane’s engine had startedbuzzing. The wheels were rolling, and the flight attendant wasdemonstrating how to use an oxygen mask. I was about to leave a harshreality of loss and uncertainty for what I thought would be an escapeacross the country ... Continue...
Memories of 9/11 by Jamie S., Wexford, PA It was a day that would forever be burnedinto my memory. I lived 30 minutes from the city, so I was pretty closewhen it happened. It felt like a normal day in fourth grade, but thestudents were a bit restless ... Continue...
Paid Fun by Rosie S., Auburn, NY Walking out of school with a couple of friends after our last final, we nervously talked about the test questions in hopes that we all agreed on our answers ... Continue...
Sweet Dreams by Nikandra S., Cameron, WI “Now I lay me down tosleep.”
Our words filled the room, carried to the mostinconspicuous corners by a soft, twilight breeze fluttering through theopen window ... Continue...
The Perfect Job by Henry O., Hull, MA Typically when a young person has a dream occupation, it is based on a previous experience. The next step is to find a university that offers the opportunity to succeed at something you love. I want to own my own business, as I have since before high school ... Continue...
Two Ways to See a Haven by Evan G., San Antonio, TX When I was five, Rainbow Trout Lake inAntonito, Colorado was my haven. With an airy lodge snuggled into theRockies, it was as close to home as I had ever felt when far from thesmokestacks and confusion of San Antonio ... Continue...
Under Celebrated by John B., Shreveport, LA What career is the steppingstone to all others? None other than teaching. This is the career that makes all others possible ... Continue...
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