Charlie doesn't speak, so he paints.

It's always been the two of us since I remember, as Tom (my dad) left us when I was just a toddler. He never accepted mum's complete dedication to music and I think this is what caused them to break up. I'll never forgive him for giving up on us, and even more for not being there when mum fell ill. But he was too busy raising his new family I guess. And now that we have to live under the same roof, I feel like he’s no more than a stranger to me. Fortunately, I still have my music. No matter what happens around me, I know that I can always find refuge in music. It's hard to explain but as I sit at the piano the world hushes and my soul starts to sings. And I still have my Big Dream - to get into Julliard and become a great pianist as my Mum. The most famous conservatory in the world and New York City are waiting for me! I just have to nail an important audition that is just a few weeks away.. Fingers crossed!!

We hope you'll be inspired, shocked, amused, and touched by this selection of letters from the DearTeenMe.com website. 'How awesome would it be if authors wrote letters to their teen selves?' A year and a half later, you can pick up DEAR TEEN ME from Zest Books, read more on the website, or just kick back and enjoy the selection we'll be posting here. Co-curators: E. Kristin Anderson and Priya Chand. The individual letters are property of the contributing authors. We can't guarantee your head won't explode from the mix of angst and excitement, but you *will* enjoy the ride.

Check it out: not just a book about sex, but a look at girl culture by youth themselves. No stuffy school textbook. No nosey adults. Just a diverse group of teen girls from a community youth project who had questions about sexuality. To find answers, they collected stories, poetry, and artwork from other youth. They also interviewed frontline health experts to get solid facts about the stuff young women have to deal with. It’s a great mix of real-life examples and life-saving info. Topics include: • Relationships • Periods • Sex • Birth control • Pregnancy • Sexually Transmitted Infections / AIDS • Sexual assault. Everything has been vetted by doctors, and the book is endorsed by health professionals, so you know you’re getting good info. There’s also a section at the back with places you can contact to find out more. It’s all stuff that youth need to know, and it’s all decked out in a compact, easy-to-browse ’zine style. The Little Black Book for Girlz is a super-important, take-anywhere empowerment guide for girls. Don’t leave your teen years without it.

A survival guide to being a guy. Lots of guys talk the big talk, but what's really going on with sex? That's what a group of young men sat down to figure out for The Little Black Book for Guys. To get behind the hype, they talked to other teens and collected stories, poems, essays and art about personal experiences. They also interviewed health professionals to get the facts they need to make healthy choices. The result is a revealing collection of personal thoughts and need-to-know information. Topics include: Puberty Wet dreams Masturbation Penis size Dating Safer sex and birth control Sexually transmitted infections/ AIDS. Written, illustrated and designed by youth, and carefully vetted by doctors, The Little Black Book for Guys is more than a book about sex. It's a snapshot of being a guy at the beginning of the 21st century. Contains frank descriptions of sexuality and coarse language.

These are Wattpad members' experiences regarding "slut" shaming and sexual bullying. You can now submit your experience to be a chapter in this collection in the form of a VIDEO - or as a drawing, poster, collage, or any other type of visual art. Just message me a link (send it to @emilylindin). If you've already submitted a chapter and want to add a multimedia element, let me know and we can make that happen, too. I started The UnSlut Project in 2013 by sharing my own middle school diary entries, from when I was targeted as the school "slut", here on Wattpad. This collection expands the project to include the shared experiences of the Wattpad community, whether the writer has been the victim or witness of sexual bullying or "slut" shaming, or whether they just want to share their thoughts. As these essays demonstrate, these issues have affected and continue to affect many of our lives in deep, often dangerous ways. If you're currently being sexually bullied, you're not alone. It gets better. Please use these stories to expand your understanding of this widespread problem, and comment respectfully. To learn more about The UnSlut Project, including "UnSlut: A Documentary Film," go here: http://www.unslutproject.com IMPORTANT: some of these experiences are quite disturbing and might include triggering material. If you are in physical or mental danger, considering suicide, or feel otherwise unsafe, please use these resources: http://support.wattpad.com/hc/en-us/articles/200774284-Counseling-and-Prevention-Resources