Monday, July 15, 2013

The Pregnancy Project by Gaby Rodriguez with Jenna Glatzer

The Pregnancy Project


The Pregnancy Project by Gaby Rodriguez is a memoir written by a teen girl who decides to pretend she's pregnant for 6 months for her senior project.  It is a though provoking book written for teens in the voice of a teen.

Gaby was the daughter of a teen mom.  Her brothers and sisters were teen parents.  The town she lived in has a high population of teen pregnancy rates.  Based on statistics, it was extremely probable that she would be a teen mother as well.  However, Gaby, at a very young age, realized the complications that come along with being a parent at a very young age.  She vowed never to let that happen to her, but she was very interested in what it felt like to fulfill the stereotype.  She wanted to bring a little attention to this issue and hopefully learn and teach her fellow classmates about the subject.

Starting in her junior year, she gets the approval of her mother, boyfriend, principal and vice-superintendent. Other than these individuals, a friend and one relative, no one else in her large family, the staff at the school or the student body know that she is faking this pregnancy.  She gets input from a mentor at a local crisis center, along with her doctor is able to demonstrate the symptoms that come with pregnancy.  Her mother helps create a fake belly out of a basketball and wire.  It is a daunting task...especially for someone so young.

I won't get into how it all goes for this young woman, but it is a good read.  A great discussion book, not just about teen pregnancy, but about stereotypes, family, friends, and gossip.  It definitely got me thinking about how I view people in situations.  Gaby is incredibly mature young woman and her voice shines though in this book.  I would definitely recommend this to teens and to adults.

You can find this book in the YA section of Ely Library.  For more information about this book and the author check out: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12027395-the-pregnancy-project

There is also a Lifetime movie.  For information on that check out: http://www.mylifetime.com/movies/the-pregnancy-project

Liz

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