Barrio Writers brings an impressive breadth anddepth of emotion and cultural insights which can'tbe overstated. These readings are extraordinarybecause, together, the prose and poetry collectedhere by these bright young writers capture, almostall at once, what their lives are truly about, howtheir lives have been challenged, and yet, mostimportantly, how these youth almost always manageto triumph, through the very act of writing. Thetough insights into their lives these writings bringcome to us because of the profound understandingthese youth have of how precious and fragile theirlives can be when the environments surroundingthem fail to protect them and those they love.Interspersed throughout this volume are valuablewriting prompts other young writers like thosecollected here can use to develop their own literacyand literary skills. These prompts allow writersto develop their perspectives on their own, whilebeing aided with valuable insights other prospectiveyoung writers can follow to their own ends. Thisnew set of young Barrio Writers delivers powerfuland exemplary poetic and prosaic testaments whichshould inspire others to tell of their lives in asimpressive a style as found in this new volume.