Success Express for Teens. 50 Life Changing Activities

Customer Reviews

Full of suggestions for teachers, counselors or group leaders

2006-01-25
Reviewed by Kim Peterson for Reader Views (1/06)

Success Express equips teens to move from where they are now to where they want to be by applying the activities found in this exciting book. Each exercise is designed to provide the tools for teens to advance toward their goals and dreams.

The author uses a train motif to compare a journey to a destination with the pursuit of a successful future. The logical steps-from mapping out the journey through traveling on a non-stop route to success-parallel the small, day-to-day experiences that cumulatively define who people become. Leslie's book encourages young adult readers to give their best at each level, paving the way for them to move forward to the next.

The user-friendly book format is presented in small sections so readers can complete an exercise or two and resume later. The readings and activities include sound questions like "What should I do next?" and "How can I use this in my life?" This handy guide even includes an assessment tool that reveals the reader's intrapersonal and interpersonal style based on which activities worked best for that person. Leslie also offers an appendix full of suggestions for teachers, counselors or group leaders.

As a writer and educator, I found his examples pertinent because they mostly relate to his writing and teaching. Although occasional quotes from a teen applying the principles appear throughout, more input from young adults writing about their successes would be desirable for the target audience. However, teens will find Leslie's style appealing and straightforward. His activities and insights are helpful and practical. Here's to a successful life journey. All aboard!

50 Meaningful and Fun Self-Guided Activities

2004-06-03
"Life has already laid the tracks for the trains that will take us wherever we want to go." ~Roger Leslie

Success Express for Teens presents meaningful and fun activities for individuals or groups. There are also introspective questions and self-assessment checklists. Through the activities, teens are encouraged to develop a step-by-step plan so they can define their life goals and pursue their dreams.

"Make a Lifeboard" is a creative, encouraging project that is similar to scrapbooking, but is more like a mirror of your present life. By looking back at lifeboards through the years, you can remember specific moments that were meaningful to you. When you are in your 30s, this will be helpful to remember what happened when and why.

You will also find ideas for:

Reliving Favorite Childhood Memories
Changing Routines
Discovering Your Life Dream
Time Management
Aligning Actions with Values
Finding a Mentor
Expressing Gratitude
Writing a Goal Statement

This book can be used by teachers, counselors and group leaders. Teens can also follow the self-guided activities in order to take the express train to success. Throughout the book, there are areas where teens can write their life experiences. Imagine reading this later! This will be enlightening to read as an adult. You will really see where you have been and realize which trains you took to get you to your present destination.

I personally remember very little about my teenage years and this book would have really appealed to me as a teenager who was interested in creative writing and art. By reading through the various questions, I was able to remember some of my "forgotten memories." They are still there, they just need to be triggered.

Success Express For Teens would make a perfect gift for Birthdays or Christmas. Many adults have thanked their parents for giving them journals for Christmas. This is similar to a guided journal. It is filled with pictures, amusing famous quotes, thoughtful quotes from teenagers and excellent advice from someone who remembers his choices as a teenager.

Roger Leslie is a book reviewer, author and editor who began his career in education. He visits schools and teaches the concepts from this book to administrators, educators and students. Highly Recommended.

~The Rebecca Review

Enhanced with lines in which a teenager can write

2004-04-06
Ably compiled and presented by Roger Leslie (author, teacher, and YA book reviewer for "Booklist"), Success Express For Teens: 50 Activities That Will Change Your Life is a thoroughly "user friendly" resource packed from cover to cover with activities for teenagers and specifically geared toward helping them identify and articulate their life's dreams and starting down the road to making them come true. From listing ten goals on an index card; to finding a successful mentor in a particular field of endeavor; to learned how to do meaningful activities during"dead time" occasions arising during the course of ordinary day-to-day life, and so much more, Success Express For Teens is a strongly recommended motivational, and consumable resource hallmarked with challenging questions and enhanced with lines in which teenagers could write out their own answers.