Arthur Jackson

Adolescent Literature

Mrs. Deborde

1/27/12

Beatrice Sparks is an author/counselor who uses her therapy session tapes to create books for adolescent youths.  (She does not refer to herself as a author of these books since they are thoughts recorded from the child’s mind.)

The story Almost Lost is a collection of therapy sessions, lead by the author Beatrice Sparks that were turned into this remarkable story Almost Lost.  The story tells of a 15 year-old teen that has lived life in a very dark state-of-mind.  The book begins with Samuel Gordon being found on the front steps of Beatrice Sparks.  He is a very depressed adolescent who at first doesn’t want any help from any counselor and wants to die. 

“Who in his right mind wants to talk to a shrink?  I don’t want to talk about anything.  I don’t want to feel anything, taste anything…or anything.  The lyrics ‘just dying die’ run around in my brain day and night.”

However, he really hopes someone will help him get out of the dark pit his mind has been in for the past few years.  He decides to trust he counselor (Beatrice Sparks) he meets who decides to take him through a process to conquer his past for the rest of the book.  She feels compassion for this homeless boy and decides to counsel him.  The book travels through his rehabilitation journey towards freeing his mind of his past.  The book also teaches the reader how to deal with thoughts and their past with certain exercises that Beatrice Sparks teaches Samuel.

   

Letter to a Character: Beatrice Sparks

Hey Mrs. Beatrice,

Thank you for caring for a homeless teenager named Samuel.  I am so glad that you were able to help Sam fight his past and turn his life around.  It was so motivating to see your perseverance and patience with Samuel and his family’s troubled lives.  Your example was very inspiring to me and makes me wonder what I am doing to help teens in trouble like this.  What inspiring moment in your life made you want to be a counselor for troubled teens? I couldn’t tell through the therapy sessions but it seemed like you have some religious beliefs.  How do you manage to explain to your patients the difference between mind control and Christ controlling their lives?  How do you explain this to someone?  I assume that since you’re an expert you would know better than me.  Mind control is very important in the lives of a Christ; Paul speaks on this in the New Testament.  However, someone who doesn’t have a Christian background may unintentionally use mind control as a way to control their lives instead of God.

I would appreciate if you wrote back.  Your response to my letter would be a gift for me.  Thank you for writing such a great book,

Arthur Jackson