Sparks : how parents can help ignite the hidden strengths of teenagers

In this practical book, Dr. Peter Benson, a leading authority on childhood and adolescence, describes a simple yet powerful plan for awakening the spark that lives inside each and every young person. Sparks—when illuminated and nurtured—give young people joy, energy, and direction. They have the power to change a young person's life from one of "surviving" to "thriving." Grounded in new research with thousands of teenagers and parents, Sparks offers a step-by-step approach to helping teenagers discover their unique gifts, and works for all families, no matter their economic status, parenting situation, or ethnic background.

The greatest gift parents can give their children is to help them discover their purpose and passion.

In this practical book, Dr. Peter Benson, a leading authority on childhood and adolescence, describes a simple yet powerful plan for awakening the spark that lives inside each and every young person. Sparks—when illuminated and nurtured—give young people joy, energy, and direction. They have the power to change a young person's life from one of "surviving" to "thriving."

Grounded in new research with thousands of teenagers and parents, Sparks offers a step-by-step approach to helping teenagers discover their unique gifts, and works for all families, no matter their economic status, parenting situation, or ethnic background. The simple steps are:

• Recognize the Power of Sparks
• Know Your Own Teenager
• Help Discover and Reveal Your Teen's Sparks
• Be the Captain of Your Teen's Spark Team
• Keep Your Teen's Spark Lit

Young people who identify their sparks and get support in developing them from caring adults have higher grades in school and are more likely to be

• Socially competent
• Physically healthy
• Volunteers to help other people
• Good stewards of the earth and its resources
• Possessed of a sense of purpose

Isn't this what we all want for our teenagers?

Help your teen find his or her spark. Your role is crucial, and this book will give you everything you require to be the "spark champion" your child needs.

Young people who identify their sparks and get support in developing them from caring adults have higher grades in school and are more likely to be

• Socially competent
• Physically healthy
• Volunteers to help other people
• Good stewards of the earth and its resources
• Possessed of a sense of purpose
• Isn't this what we all want for our teenagers?

Help your teen find his or her spark. Your role is crucial, and this book will give you everything you require to be the "spark champion" your child needs.

Linda Beck - Library Journal

A spark could be a talent, an interest, a skill-the reason we're in the world; the goal of this book is to show parents and teens how to find that spark and develop it. A well-respected author and psychologist, Benson (All Kids Are Our Kids) trains educators and other professionals as CEO of the Search Institute in Minneapolis. He fills his chatty text with stories of kids who have recognized their spark and how their parents nurtured it. To help parents understand their teens, he turns to the Myers-Briggs test. The idea is excellent, the presentation upbeat, and the anecdotes inspiring. In the end, though, the book is simply too repetitive; readers will feel as if they are reading the same definitions and stories over and over. Perhaps this should have been a periodical article instead of a 256-page book. All Kids Are Our Kids is a more important work.

Five steps to help ignite your teen's sparks Recognize the power of sparks Know your own teenager Help discover and reveal your teen's sparks Be the captain of your teen's spark team Keep your teen's spark lit What helps teens thrive On the road to a hopeful future : stories from across America Thriving youth, thriving nation Sparks resources.