Bringing Up Parents: The Teenager's Handbook
by Alex J. Packer Ph.D., Pamela Espeland, Harry Pulver
This book not only respects teens, it understands teens. It respects and understands parents. The humor, wordplays, and general tone of the book demonstrate Alex J. Packer's great skill and knowledge of his subject. The introduction addresses teens directly: "This book lays out a smorgasbord of strategies. What happens after that is up to you. It's up to your motivation, creativity, flexibility, and commitment. If changes occur, if miracles are wrought, it will be because of you." Packer presents the challenge with a kid glove, a wink, and absolute understanding. Filled with great information presented in the perfect way to reach teens, this book should be on everyone's required reading list. A 2000 Parents' Choice® Gold Award.
Changing Bodies, Changing Lives: A Book for Teens on Sex and Relationships
by Ruth Bell
Grade 8 Up A monumental, encyclopedic discussion of sexual and emotional change during the teen years, this book is a revision of an earlier edition which did not discuss the AIDS epidemic. Clearly written by the authors of Our Bodies, Ourselves (S. & S., 1976), it is illustrated with relevant cartoons, photographs, diagrams, and line drawings. Dozens of teenagers themselves were interviewed and are quoted in this book. This comprehensive book includes discussion of sexual technique, STDs and the danger of promiscuous sex, gay sex and sexual identity, and teenage pregnancy and its alternatives. (Although the section on AIDS notes the risk of the virus' transmission through oral sex, the earlier discussion of oral sex discusses individual preferences only, without mentioning the health risks.) A book that deserves a place in collections serving teenagers.
Don't Hold Me Back: My Life and Art
by Winfred Rembert, Charles Baker, Rosalie F. Baker
Grade 4 Up-Rembert grew up in the segregated rural South of the 1950s. His paintings visually chronicle this life, while his own words fill in where the pictures leave off. Although he did not begin painting until the 1990s, his memories are vividly portrayed in strong, confident works of art. From the cotton fields to Colored Folks Corner in Cuthbert, GA, to the county chain gang, Rembert depicts a hard life without bitterness. He also captures happier memories. The paintings are done in deep, warm, rich colors on leather. Shapes and colors create patterns that fill the art and draw the eye across the page. The white of the cotton bolls spread in waves across the field contrast sharply with the dark pigments of the pickers' skin tones. Black-and-white stripes of the chain gang literally cover the leather canvas. The reproductions fill the pages and details are enlarged within the discussion on subsequent pages. The result is a cohesive union of text and illustrations that reinforces the emotions, rhythm, and power of this autobiographical profile. The self-taught artist's powerful work is reminiscent of works by Jacob Lawrence and Horace Pippin. The title, which comes from Nikki Giovanni's poem for Winfred Rembert, is a theme that runs throughout the artist's life and his work.
Don't Tell Me What to Do, Just Send Money : The Essential Parenting Guide to the College Years
by Helen E. Johnson, Christine Schelhas-Miller
Parenting a college-bound student is a tricky business--combining your emotional and financial support with your child's newfound independence can seem nearly impossible. The authors of Don't Tell Me What to Do, Just Send Money are all too familiar with these difficulties and have created a practical guide that addresses specific situations and provides effective guidelines for changing the parent-child relationship. Topics are addressed frankly, and many parents may have trouble reading the sections concerning controversial subjects such as drug and alcohol use, birth control, homosexuality, and changes in religious and political beliefs. The emphasis here is not on changing your kid's mind about any of these things, but rather how parents can approach these sensitive topics while maintaining a positive and honest relationship. Most pages contain small text boxes highlighting what's on your mind and what's on your child's mind, as well as practical lists suggesting what to do and what to avoid, and these can be extremely helpful as a quick reference when faced with a sudden announcement from your student who's decided to change majors, stop living in the dorm, or study abroad. With a down-to-earth tone and clear insight into the minds of both parents and college students, this is an easy-to-read book that manages to handle difficult topics without preaching or downplaying important events. Ultimately, this book aims to help parents and their nearly adult children make the transition to a new kind of relationship, ideally one that is open and mutually respectful. With careful reading and consideration, the suggestions presented will help create a handy road map to lead you through the twists and turns of parenting your college student.
Fighting Invisible Tigers: A Stress Management Guide for Teens
by Earl Hipp, Earl Hipp, Michael Fleishman
Advice on major issues: stress, assertiveness, taking risks, making decisions, staying healthy, dealing with fears, building relationships and more. With the Leader's Guide, this is an indispensable 12-session program on stress management and life-skills development. For ages 11 and up, and anyone who works with teens.
A Leader's Guide to Fighting Invisible Tigers: A Stress Management Guide for Teens
by Connie Schmitz, Earl Hipp
Leader's Guide: this is an indispensable 12-session program on stress management and life-skills development. For ages 11 and up, and anyone who works with teens.
GLBTQ: The Survival Guide for Queer and Questioning Teens
by Kelly Huegel
Grade 7 Up-A great choice for teens who are gay or questioning their sexuality, or even those who would like to know more about what it's like to be queer (Huegel says it's "a great word because it frees you from using a more specific label if you don't want to"). Written in hip language and style, the book covers the basics in GLBTQ 101, then moves chapter by chapter through the primary issues and questions such as coming out; dating and sexuality; religion; and life at school, work, and home. Each chapter contains sidebar quotes from gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning teens and descriptions of appropriate resources such as books, organizations, and Web sites. Gives sound, practical information and advice in an inviting package from an author who has done her homework and has written the book that she wished she could have read when she was a teen.
How to Talk to Teens About Really Important Things : Specific Questions and Answers and Useful Things to Say
by Charles E. Schaefer, Theresa Foy DiGeronimo
Many parents dread the teen years, a time that can be filled with turmoil and experimentation. The best way for parents to get through these years? Communicate with your child. How to Talk to Teens About Really Important Things is an A-to-Z of dos and don'ts for talking with your teenager about issues as complicated as drinking, violence, ethics and moral values, depression, prejudice, homosexuality, pregnancy, and pornography--in short, the "hard" stuff. Lightly walking the line of supportive education and strong parenting (while carefully avoiding the pitfalls of judgmentalism and blanket acceptance), the authors, Charles E. Schaefer, a psychologist, and Theresa Foy DiGeronimo, an English professor, give sample answers and discussion points for parents. In general, the advice for parents stresses empathy, education, and providing safe limits for teens, but the authors are not afraid to be firm. In the "Tattoos and Body Piercing" section, for instance, they provide information for parents unfamiliar with the procedure, then suggest what to say when putting your foot down ("I want you to know that you do not have my permission to get a tattoo or to get any part of your body pierced.... You are not allowed.") Throughout the book, the authors suggest ways to use media examples to educate children, and they provide a variety of helpful resources, including books, movies, and Web sites.
It's Perfectly Normal: A Book About Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health
by Robie H. Harris, Michael Emberley
Grade 4-8-A wonderful guide for young adolescents setting sail on the stormy seas of puberty. Packed with the vital information they need to quell fears and make wise decisions, this "sex manual" uses of clever cartoons to enliven and expand the text. Frank yet playful, they portray a reassuring array of body types and ethnic groups and illuminate the richly informative, yet compact text, allowing readers to come away with a healthy respect for their bodies and a better understanding of the role that sexuality plays in the human experience. Birth control, abortion, and homosexuality are given an honest, evenhanded treatment, noting differing views and recommending further discussion with a trusted adult. The dangers of STDs, teen parenthood, and sexual abuse are examined. The inventive use of a bird and a bee that react to the topics throughout artfully contrasts the differing views of early and late bloomers. Like any book that depicts naked bodies and sexual activity, this one is sure to inspire a few giggles in the stacks and be likely to disappear. But what it offers in scope, currency, and a cheerfully engaging format is quite special. An ideal introduction to "coming of age."
Sarah's Long Walk : How the Free Blacks of Boston and their Struggle for Equality Changed America
by Stephen Kendrick, Paul Kendrick
Minister and novelist Stephen Kendrick (Night Watch) collaborates with his college student son, Paul, to recount the story of Sarah Roberts, who, in 1848, at five years old, became a symbol of the plight of free blacks "forced to persevere in unjust circumstances." Because Sarah had to walk past five white-only schools to reach her school, Sarah's father, aided by African-American attorney Robert Morris, sued the city in a case whose ultimate decision established the concept of "separate but equal." The Kendricks not only tell Sarah's story but also offer a chronology of Boston's black activism, including portraits of David Walker, a Southern-born thrift store owner whose Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World galvanized blacks as Thomas Paine's Common Sense had roused white patriots, and William Nell, a former errand boy for abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison who became one of the great leaders of the fight for school equality. Most notably, the authors unearth considerable information about Robert Morris, the attorney who represented Sarah Roberts, whose name has been left out or listed incorrectly in many accounts of the court case. The authors handle the weighty issue of desegregation with skill; this is a book for historians and humanitarians.
Stick Up for Yourself : Every Kid's Guide to Personal Power & Positive Self-Esteem
by Gershen Kaufman, Lev Raphael, Pamela Espeland
A self-help guide to positive thinking, high self-esteem, and responsible personal power. Based on a program originally developed for adults, the book's premise is that all young people can and should be taught the skills necessary to face common issues, such as making choices, liking themselves, and solving problems. Exercises guide readers through learning about their own feelings, dreams, and needs--while stressing that they are responsible for their own behavior and happiness. Written in manual form, Stick Up For Yourself is similar in format to the many adult titles of the same genre. Situational anecdotes used to enhance the discussion are age appropriate and relevant to children. Of particular value are the "Getting Personal" sections that encourage writing and keeping a journal, which makes the guide more interactive and meaningful. The highly motivated will use this book independently, but it will be most effective within the classroom, family, or guidance group.
The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander: From Preschool to High School--How Parents and Teachers Can Help Break the Cycle of Violence
by Barbara Coloroso
This is an extremely helpful book that both parents and teachers can use to deal with bullying, an aspect of school that the author feels "is a life-and-death issue that we ignore at our children's peril." Staring with a bottom-line assumption that "bullying is a learned behavior," Coloroso (Parenting Through Crisis) wonderfully explains not only the ways that the bully, the bullied and the bystander are "three characters in a tragic play" but also how "the scripts can be rewritten, new roles created, the plot changed." For each of the three "characters," she breaks down the behavior that defines each role, analyzes the specific ways that each character can have their behaviors changed for the better, and suggests a range of methods that parents and educators can use to identify bullying behavior and deal with it effectively. The book also provides excellent insights into behaviors related to but not always recognized as bullying, such as cliques, hazing, taunting and sexual bullying. And while there have been numerous books about bullies, this volume is perhaps best for its sections on the "bystander," the person whose behavior is too often overlooked or excused. Coloroso's emphasis on aikido-related defensive skills do not sufficiently address the issue of what a child is to do when physical force is necessary to stop a bully, but overall this is an important look at the ways that bullied children can affirm their dignity and self-worth.
The Teenagers' Guide to School Outside the Box
by Rebecca Greene, Elizabeth Verdick
Gr 9 Up-Greene encourages readers to think about what they are interested in and choose an opportunity to learn about it outside the classroom. Chapters explore a variety of traditional and nontraditional environments for volunteering, mentoring, alternative classes (dual enrollment, distance learning, etc.), job shadowing, internships, apprenticeships, camps, and study abroad. Scattered throughout are tidbits of information in "F.Y.I." boxes, personal narratives highlighting teens' experiences, and lists of books and organizations. The clear layout is peppered with humorous spot art. This book will be a valuable resource for librarians and counselors, and students will come away from it with lots of ideas about how they can enrich their futures.
Too Old for This, Too Young for That!: Your Survival Guide for the Middle-School Years
by Harriet Mosatche PhD, Karen M. Unger
Grade 5-8-A guide for youngsters in their "tween" years. Written in a lively manner, the book addresses changing bodies, health, emotions, privacy, family issues, dating, school, peer pressure, and time management. There are examples of different types of situations or problems that might arise and numerous ideas and suggestions to try. Sidebars recommend hot lines, Web sites, and books (including a number published by Free Spirit). An orderly table of contents and complete index allow students to browse through portions of particular interest. Humorous, black-and-white cartoon illustrations and diagrams are scattered throughout. There are a few blank charts and questionnaires with the recommendation that readers photocopy them before filling them out. All in all, an informative, helpful resource.
What Do You Stand For? For Kids: A Guide To Building Character
by Barbara A. Lewis
This book invites teens to explore and practice honesty, kindness, empathy, integrity, tolerance, patience, respect, and more. Includes inspiring quotations, thought-provoking dilemmas, meaningful activities, and true stories about real kids who exemplify positive character traits. Updated resources point the way toward character-building books, organizations, programs, and Web sites.
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