Bryna J. Fireside

Phone/Fax:
(607) 272-3421

Email: brynaj@mindspring.com

As I watched my own three teenagers strike out on the roads less traveled, I soon found myself wanting to know about other young people who were willing to get off the straight and narrow to see what was out there in this wide world. I was astonished at the myriad ways young people chose to explore their options, rather than walk the usual high school-college-career path. My curiosity, as well as the many kids who so enthusiastically answered my questions, led to the first edition of Choices for the High School Graduate: A Student Survival Guide for the 90's.

Fifteen years later, I'm still fascinated by the way in which non-traditional students find their own way in our fast-changing society.

The 4th edition of Choices for the High School Graduate: A Student Survival Guide for The Information Age will be published in May 2005.

Thoroughly revised to reflect options for today's high school graduates, it is a goldmine of stories from the trenches from those who have been there and survived, and are going on to do some wonderful things with their lives.

The Trial of the Police Officers in the Shooting Death of Amadou Diallo was included in the list of Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People for 2005, published by the National Council for Social Studies.

"The Trial of the Police Officers in the Shooting Death of Amadou Diallo is a fast-paced, balanced text which reads like a mystery ... The information unfolds through a combination of straight narrative, excerpts of court testimonies and quick-reference descriptions of everyone involved in the trial." - BOOKLIST

"The Firesides have successfully conveyed a sense of tragedy and of hope for the future." - School Library Journal

"This is the most accessible and detailed treatment of this important milestone in the African-Americans' fight for civil and social equality currently available for young people." - School Library Journal

"The author interviewed nine of these congresswomen; their comments make them come alive in this well-written and informative book." - School Library Journal

"Choices is an excellent resource for career/college advising offices, public libraries, and for anyone working with young people leaving high school." - American Council on Education.

"This well-developed, ably researched and cleverly illustrated book does an excellent job of detailing this historic legal case." - Children's Literature

". . . the well-documented texts provide historical background, present each side, and discuss the legacy for later generations." - The Horn Book Guide, July-December 2002