Growing up Amish by Ira Wagler is a memoir detailing the life of the author who grew up in several different Amish Communities. It details the struggles he has with adapting to the Amish lifestyle and answers questions many may have about the lifestyle.
I enjoyed this memoir and think that teens will enjoy the difference in lifestyle that Ira faced. The Amish are a curiosity and this book allows the reader to step into the life of a member of their society. This book isn't negative and doesn't elaborate into any elements about the faith that aren't readily available if one was to do some basic research on the Amish faith but it's narrative style is an easy read and the author writes in a way that is relateable and allows the reader to be transported into his life..
Appropriateness: The story follows Ira from his birth through adulthood with the majority of the book focusing on his adolescence. Ira rebels and talks of times when he had issues with substance abuse which is never portrayed as positive. This book is being released in the adult market but it has a lot of crossover appeal to older teens who are the same age as Ira is in the majority of his narration. I would recommend this book to teens aged 16+
