Blogging for Teens

I just finished reading a book titled, "Blogging for Teens" by John W. Gosney. I found the book very interested and I would recommend it for any teacher that is thinking about using Blogging in their curriculum with some modifications in delivery.
Written for the teen age blogger, the book explains what blogging as a way of finding your voice and establishing a personal style. The writer draws a connection he calls the, "Blog-to-Bedroom-Wall Connection". He draws that analogy that blogging is a way to create and share personal identity. In much the same way as teenagers decorate their bedroom walls with posters and things that speak to their uniqueness, so to the Blog becomes an expression of the teens uniqueness.
The writer goes on to make suggestions as to how to find your own voice and uniqueness and how to consider your audience. There are chapters devoted to the actual creation and hosting process of Blogging as the "Care and Feeding"of your blog.
The book is written for the teen and the author does a good job speaking to his intended audience, however, as an adult reader, a mom and a technology expert, there were some aspects that were not covered as well as I would have liked. The main issue that was skirted was Internet SAFETY! Throughout the book there are examples of a fictitious teenager's blog. Even within the example blog, there were many references to information that could have been used to find the writer. Although the writer does discuss safety issues it does not occur in earnest until the middle of the book and then it is skimmed over.
Back to my recommendation, I still believe that with guided reading, the material in this book could be used to introduce Blogging to teens, however, I strongly recommend that a class in Internet safety be addressed first. Let's help them find their voices in a safe way!