As I've said, a lot of these readers are too similar. That being said, this one's pretty good: covers the basics (prewriting; idea generating; paragraphs and their development, unity, coherence; etc.), and it's contents pages are helpful (writing process; reading to writing; essay elements; etc.) But this one goes beyond the other readers a touch. It specifically speaks of diction and tone and figurative language. You don't see that in many readers, especially brief one's like this.
But the topics are, once again, rather ho-hum and a little too liberal, touchy-feely: education policy, parenting, heroes / role models, growing up, the sensual world, recreation, pop-culture, places and scenes, sense of self, friends and family. Some of these always kill me. Stuff like "the sensual world," "recreation," "pop-culture," "places and scenes," and "sense of self."
What we need to teach is that our youth should get away from the "self" (too much focus there anyway--main downfall to the "express yourself" generation), look beyond "pop-culture" (hell, at one time slavery and the oppression of women were popular!), and "places and scenes"? Who cares? I've read essays that talk about parks and public places / spaces. Who cares?
What of science and its importance in understanding who we are? Math? Why does it exist? What of the intellectual mind wasted? ala J. Swift's intellectuals on the Island of Laputa. What of politics? Our country's history? Who were these guys and why is this country so great?--many come here to this country than to any other. What about understanding finance?(so many in debt, stuck in their financial matrix) Relationships? (so many people, so many divorces), and other far more important, essential, primary topics.
Our youth needs to wake from the myriad of existing matrices: financial, education, marriage, life / death, material, etc.) Let's get our kids out of the powder room, away from the mirror and all that pointless, self-serving glancing and preening and into the frying pan of essential life knowledge that not only effects their lives but, more importantly, the inter-relationships of the live of others.