“Quarenteens” – The First Book Written By Middle School Teens Sharing Their Perspective About Life Through The Pandemic

June 30 14:11 2022

Quarenteens is a collection of strong stories in which teenagers talk about how they went through their pandemic and dealt with the problems caused by it.

Students of Dr. Daniel Hale Williams School of the Arts Middle School, located in the Bronx, NY, came together to write the book “Quarenteens: Students Sharing Their Perspectives Through the Pandemic”. It talks about how these students went through different experiences during the pandemic. The book is published by Maximum Evolution, CEO – Chanel Spencer.

The Covid 19 pandemic came as a shock to everyone in the world and impacted their lives in some way or another. Lives were turned over and plans were put on hold. Everyone experienced massive impact through the forced lockdowns, a state of panic, a decline in social interaction, a halt in the economy, and mobility restrictions.

All these limitations affected individuals of every socioeconomic class. One group who was affected by the pandemic were teens. Many teenagers were looking forward to graduating, experiencing life with their friends, participating in extracurricular activities. Some were trying to figure out what they want from life and what path are they going to follow. Others were hoping to see their friends and have fun, timestamp every moment on social media. All were thrown off of their course as the world around them came to a stop due to an emerging pandemic.

The focus of the discussion in this book is the lasting effects the pandemic had on these teenagers. “Quarenteens: Students Sharing Their Perspectives Through the Pandemic” is an exceptional and insightful assemblage of short stories from youngsters in different stages of life.

In their stories, they talked about how they struggled to figure out what was happening in the world, how it would continue to affect them currently, and how it would affect their lives when everything returned to “normal”.

What makes this book so unique and different is that it highlights the optimism these youngsters show. Instead of focusing on the negative and undesirable aspects of the situation these spirited and hardworking young men and women looked for rays of positivity. They worked hard and made it through the rough time keeping in mind the upcoming days of success and opportunity.

The contributing authors include:

Gabrielle Bennett – “A Chance to Look Deeper”
Aljenaye Campbell – “When Tragedy Struck”
Kelsie Edmondson “The Life of COVID’s Impact”
Emily Guan – “A Dilemma”
Khadija Kashaf – “A Few Chaotic Years”

Carlos Martinez – “A Hideous Dream Within An Infinite Space”
Jhaysean Richards – “Teen Going Thru The Pandemic”
Amy Rodriguez – “Quarantine Times: Amy’s Encounter With The Pandemic”
Sarah Talukder – “When the World Turned Upside Down”
Lathania Williams “COVID’s Impact on My Life”
Elana Wilkins Jarvis – “Just Two Weeks”

Also, Mr. Demetrios Tsoluos contributed the introduction, “Fear Is the Thief of Dreams.” and conclusion, “With Thunderstorms Come Sunny Days”

Dr Daniel Hale Williams School of the Arts Middle School 180 is a special place.  As the largest stand-alone middle school in Bronx District 11, we work to foster a safe welcoming place for children and families.  We have cohorted our classes into small learning communities known as Houses.  Our houses are proudly named after James Baldwin, Claudette Colvin, Barack Obama, and Justice Sonia Sotomayor.  Each house is named after a Bronxite or New Yorker who embodies our core values of: Resilience, Integrity, Scholarship and Empowerment, or R.I.S.E. The Houses are each affiliated with a university in our great city.  As a school of the arts, you walk our hallways the sounds of violins and children singing fill the halls.  We are blessed to be a unique place where students get to learn in an environment where they live their passion each day.

Marlon P. Williams, School Principal

In September 2022, Middle School 180 celebrated its 50th anniversary. It is a great coincidence that the year of their golden anniversary is the same in which their students will publish this book. Dr. Daniel had the opportunity to hear of the great work of Ms. Spencer and Maximum Evolution just a few months ago. He encouraged his students to reflect on their experiences while adjusting to their new normal. And with the guidance of Ms. Yemmer and Mr. Tsoulos, young authors wrote their first book.

There has never been a book that talks about powerful stories describing how the entirety of youth has dealt with such an extraordinary situation. “Quarenteens: Students Sharing Their Perspectives Through The Pandemic” is the epitome of hope.

Connect with the Dr. Daniel Hale MS 180 School: 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/daniel_hale_williams_ms_180
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ms180bx
Website: http://11×180.weebly.com

Media Contact
Company Name: Dr. Daniel Hale Williams MS 180
Contact Person: Marlon Williams
Email: Send Email
City: Bronx
State: New York
Country: United States
Website: http://11×180.weebly.com/

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