“Beaches and Brothers” by “Sylvia” is such a beautiful, light-hearted piece. She writes about the day her brother was born and tells the story in a unique, vivid, quirky way. The piece is bright and warm, and is told with a childlike innocence. I can feel Sylvia’s excitement at having a baby brother, her eagerness and joy. I can hear her talking, her voice clear and distinct in my mind, saying in that funny way eight-year-olds talk, “And he better have a lot of hair. I didn’t like bald babies.”

Sylvia’s story is one of the few pieces in Teen Ink that made me laugh. It is different from the other writing in the magazine – just as excellent but so much happier and full of a simple joy. Sylvia made me feel as though I was right there next to her, seeing life as she once did. She made me remember what it was like to be eight, what it was like to delight in the smallest of things. The story is brief but compelling, with bits of back story cleverly placed here and there.

“Beaches and Brothers” is the perfect story to pick up after reading something sad. It will tug at your heartstrings, make you giggle, and remind you that there is a different way of looking at the world.