Twelve is too old

Author: Peggy Mann

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed:Problems with parents and family

Year of Publication: 1980

Publisher & Location: Doubleday & company, inc: NY

ISBN#: 978-0385050999

Target Age Level: middle school

# of Pages:140 pages

Quality of Illustrations: NA

Brief Summary: Eleven-year-old Jody, living with her divorced mother and pot-smoking older sister, dreads her twelfth birthday and the adolescent problems it may bring. It tells about how she deals with her problems from a first person bases

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children:

Deals with some adult issues but in a good way.

Activity:

Have a child keep a journal and compair their experiances with Jody's.

The Day Leo Said, "I Hate You!"

Author/authors: Robie Harris (Molly Bang)

Type of emotional/crisis issues addressed: Parent/child relationship, conflict resolution

Year of publication: 2008

Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers

ISBN#: 9780316065801

Age level: Lower Elementary

# of pages: 40

Quality of illustrations: Colorful, expressive

Brief summary: After Leo’s mother keeps telling him no to everything he wants to do and Leo is sent to his room, he yells to his mother that he hates her. The rest of book shows how Leo and his mom deal with his feelings and how Leo makes it better.

Activity: Make a class list of words and phrases that are hurtful and mean.  Then cross these out and write phrases that make people feel happy.

Esperanza Rising

Author: Pam Munoz Ryan
Type or emotional/crisis issue addressed: Financial Problems
Year of Publication: 2002
Publisher and Location: Blue Sky Press:
ISBN# 043912042X
Target Age Level: Upper Elementary/Junior High
# of Pages: 288
Quality of Illustrations: None
Brief Summary: Esperanza is a girl who went from being the daughter of an wealthy aristocratic family in Mexico to a migrant worker in California after having to quickly flee their home. Through this change, she learns more about hard work, her people, and herself.
Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: This book portrays the plight of Mexican migrant workers at a labor camp during the Great Depression.
Activity: This book can be read aloud in class or as a class assignment. Have the students make a journal for Esperanza and have them describe how she is feeling. Focus on the sections that describe the changes she is making, especially after her mother gets sick.

The Step-Tween Survival Guide: How to Deal With Life in a Stepfamily

Author: Lisa Cohn

Type or emotional/crisis issue addressed: relationship with parents

Year of Publication: 2008
Publisher and Location: Free Spirit Publishing, Minneapolis, MN
# ISBN-10: 1575422972
# ISBN-13: 978-1575422978
Target Age Level: 9-12
# of Pages: 121
Quality of Illustrations: very good

Brief Summary:
This book lets teens know they are not alone, helps them identify and express their feelings, and teaches them how to effectively communicate their wants and needs. The format includes illustrations, quizzes, advice from other stepkids, "survival tools" to use when the going gets rough, and suggestions for what to do when nothing else seems to be working.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children:
With The Step-Tween Survival Guide, tweens will gain the skills and inspiration to both survive and thrive in a stepfamily.

Activity:
. complete the quizzes on the book
. Mini-dramas – present a conflictive situation and allow students to prepare a quick play showing a solution to the conflict.
Posted by Nalu de Araujo Nunes

The Skin I'm In

Author: Sharon Flake
Type or emotional/crisis issue addressed: Bullying or Sexual Abuse
Year of Publication: 1998
Publisher and Location:New York : Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children
ISBN# 0786804440
Target Age Level: Junior High, High School
# of Pages: 171
Quality of Illustrations: None
Brief Summary: Maleeka is a 13yr old girl who gets teased a lot because she has very dark skin. In order to raise her status at school, she becomes friends with the school bully who is very mean to her, but also looks out for her. Her situation starts to change when a new teacher comes to school and challenges Maleeka to find out who she really is.
Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: All of the main characters in the book are African-American, so it may be effective in helping students who are a racial minority identify with the characters in this book.
Activity: (1) One of the ways Maleeka is able to cope is by creating a story about a slave named Akeelma. Maleeka is able to work out a lot of her feelings and struggles through her writing. Have the students create their own story or have them add another entry to Maleeka's story. (2) Many of the characters in the book are bullies, victims, and bully-victims. Have the students identify the different situations and how the characters respond.

What Every Kid Should Know

Author: Jonah Kalb & David Viscott, M.D.
Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Parent/child relationship problems, feelings, making friends, self-esteem, divorce
Year of Publication: 1976
Publisher & Location: Boston: Houghton Mifflin
ISBN#: 0395629837 
Target Age Level: Late elementary, junior high
# of Pages: 127
Quality of Illustrations: some simplistic sketches added throughout
Brief Summary: Discusses the problems of growing up and gives suggestions on coping with various emotions, understanding oneself, getting along with others, and dealing with parents.
Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: Written in 1976, so may be a bit outdated.

Activity: Have the student compile a "Bill of Rights for Kids" like was done in the book. He/she makes a list of rights that are important to him/her (examples include "right to pick my own friends," "right to privacy," "right to my own opinion). Discuss each one and why that is important. Talk about how the student could discuss these rights with his/her parents, especially when they disagree.

Nory Ryan's Song

Title: Nory Ryan’s Song

Author: Patricia Reilly Giff

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Natural Disasters, Financial Difficulties

Year of Publication: 2000

Publisher & Location: Yearling; New York

ISBN#: 0-440-41829-1

Target Age Level: middle school, young adult

# of Pages: 148

Quality of Illustrations: None

Brief Summary: This novel tells the story of the Ryan family during the black potato famine of 1845-1852 in Ireland. Nory’s father is out at sea, her oldest sister leaves the family to go to America and be married. Ultimately Nory is responsible for finding food for her family. This story talks about the incredible destruction that slowly took place during this natural disaster and the means that some people resorted to just to keep their families alive.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book: none

Post Reading Activities: Compare the natural disaster and the effects of this disaster to modern-day natural disasters. Research other natural disasters and ways people were able to survive. Discuss the power of the human will and how we can overcome tragic natural disasters.

Fat Kid Rules The World

Title: Fat Kid Rules the World

Author: K.L. Going

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Difficulties Making and Keeping Friends, Substance abuse, parent-child relationships

Year of Publication: 2003

Publisher & Location: Penguin Putnam

ISBN#: 0-399-23990-1

Target Age Level: middle school, high school

# of Pages: 187

Quality of Illustrations: none

Brief Summary: Seventeen-year-old Troy Billings is six-foot-one and weights three hundred pounds. He has no friends. His dad is ashamed of him. His mom died. His brother is embarrassed by him. He sees no reason for living. Standing along the subway tracks, he is contemplating ending his life when a filthy, scrawny homeless person begins speaking to him. The homeless guy is none other than the legendary Curt McCrae, the best punk rock guitarist in the city. Curt saves Troy’s life; then, for reasons that Troy cannot possibly understand begins an unusual friendship. Curt insists that Troy become the new drummer in his band. There’s just one problem: Troy doesn’t play the drums.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book: Graphic language

Post Reading Activities: Discuss reasons that people stereotype and refuse to be friends with others. This book talks extensively about how Troy feels about being obese and how he feels others view him. This book could be used to discuss those stereotypes and the hardships it places on people dealing with the crisis of obesity. This book also highlights prescription drug abuse which could be discussed with a reader in an effort to understand the addition.

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn

Title: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Author: Betty Smith

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Family Financial Difficulties, Alcoholism, Parent-child relations

Year of Publication: 1998 (reprint; originally 1943)

Publisher & Location: Perennial Classics, New York

ISBN#: 0-06-092988-x

Target Age Level: young adult

# of Pages: 483

Quality of Illustrations: none

Brief Summary: Francie and her family live in the slums of Brooklyn from 1902-1919. Francie tells the story of her families financial difficulties, her fathers alcoholism, her mothers undying love for her father, and her brothers premature coming of age to help their family survive. Ultimately this is a coming of age story.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book: none

Post Reading Activities: There are several passages in this book that explain how Francie feels about being poor and the sacrifices that she and her family had to make to eat daily. These passages could be shared with a child who is experiencing hardship to help them understand and express their feelings. Similar things could be done with the topic of Alcoholism.

How to Get Your Parents to Give You Everything You'Ve Ever Wanted

No Image Available

Author/Authors: S.W. Harrington

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS
Year of Publication: 1982
Publisher & Location: Atheneum Books
ISBN #: 0689309058
Target Age Level: Junior High
# of Pages: 165
Quality of Illustrations: No Illustrations

Brief Summary: This is an interesting book for young adults to use to learn how to get what they want. It outlines how to behave and explains behavioral relationships. For kids who all ready behave well then it probably won’t be as useful. However, for a child who tends to have behavioral issues it might be an interesting read and maybe they would pick up on some new behaviors to try.

Post reading activity:
Have the child pick one of the things to work on. Help the child make a plan and practice some of the ideas from the corresponding chapter of the book. Have the child check back with you and talk about how the new behavior is going with his parents.

An Mei’s Strange and Wonderous Journey

Author: Stephan Mol-nar-Fenton

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Adoption into a different culture/ethnicity

Year of Publication: 1998

Publisher & Location: DK Publishing, New York, NY

ISBN#: 0-7894-2277-0

Target Age Level: Lower Elementary

# of Pages: 28

Quality of Illustrations: Excellent

Brief Summary: A girl from china who was abandoned by her mother tells of the journey that she took as she was adopted by parents and taken back to their county.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: This is a good book-emphasizes child’s cultural background and the love her and her new parents have for each other.

Activities: Have students write a book about their “journey” emphasizing important parts of the culture they came from.

The Divorce Express

Title: The Divorce Express

Author: Paula Danziger

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Divorce, parent-child relationships

Year of Publication: 2007 (reprint)

Publisher & Location: Penguin Young Readers Group

ISBN#: 9780142407127

Target Age Level: Upper Elementary, Junior High

# of Pages: 148

Quality of Illustrations: none

Brief Summary: Phoebe’s parents have recently been divorced. That means she now needs to ride “the divorce express”, a bus form the suburbs to the New York City. This book follows Phoebe’s thoughts and emotions as she tries to understand and deal with the separation of her parents and the resultant changes in her life.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book: This book is well written and talks about real life situations involving parental separation and divorce. Parents of some children may not want their children to read this book.

Post Reading Activities: Have students compare and contract the similarities and differences between Phoebe’s parents divorce and the child’s parents divorce. You may also want to select some passages that describe Phoebe’s emotions and then have the child describe how their emotions are similar or different.

Everyone Else's Parents Said Yes

Title: Everyone Else’s Parents Said Yes

Author: Paula Danziger

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Parent-child relationships

Year of Publication: 1998

Publisher & Location: Penguin Group

ISBN#: 9780698116870

Target Age Level: Upper Elementary

# of Pages: 128

Quality of Illustrations: none

Brief Summary: Matthew is about to have a birthday party and plans to throw himself the biggest birthday bash ever. The only problem is that his parents are not too pleased with his plans for the party. The discussions include what activities the boys will participate in and what food will be allowed at the party. Amidst the planning, Matthew runs into problems with all the girls in his grade. Eventually, Matthew and his parents resolve their differences- each of them compromising.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book: This book felt like it was written by an adult. Some of the situations and discussions seemed

Post Reading Activities: Students could write about a time when they disagreed with their parents. Have them retell the story using descriptive words that would help a reader understand the emotions the student felt during the situation. A teacher may then want to conduct a discussion about reasons that parents and children may disagree. Conflict resolution techniques could also be taught and role played.

Crank

Title: Crank

Author: Ellen Hopkins

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Substance Abuse, Addiction, Drugs, Rape, Teen Pregnancy

Year of Publication: 2005Publisher & Location: Simon Pulse; New York

ISBN#:

• 689865198
• 978-0689865190

Target Age Level: high school, young adult

# of Pages: 537

Quality of Illustrations: none

Brief Summary: Eighth grader, Kristina Snow becomes instantly addicted to drugs after her first encounter with “the monster.” This novel is written in poem format and tells how a young girl’s life changed once she entered the fast-paced, controlling world of addiction.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book: This text uses many analogies, but also uses some explicit language. Readers should also be conscious of the graphic nature when describing the drug use and situations that the main character finds herself in.

Post Reading Activity: While reading this book, adults may want to guide a discussion to help teens understand the imagery and analogies used. It may also be helpful to facilitate discussions about peer-pressure, substance abuse, rape, teen pregnancy, and parent-teen relationships.

Dealing with Mom: how to understand your changing relationship

Type of emotional/crisis issues addressed: PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS

Author/authors: Laurence Gillot and Véronique Sibiril ; illustrated by Anne-Sophie Tschiegg ; edited by Tucker Shaw.

Year of Publication: 2005

Book Title: Dealing with Mom: how to understand you changing relationship

ISBN #: 0810992019; 9780810992016

Age Level: Junior High – Young Adult

# of pages: 165

Quality of illustrations: Very Nice

Brief Summary: This a wonderful book for any teen who does not understand why their parents do the things that they do. The book explains typical teen & parental behavior and attempts to reconcile the two by having both sides see the other’s point of view. This book is cleverly written and provides a series of coping mechanisms for dealing with the teen’s changing world. It is wonderfully written account promoting mother-teen efforts of dealing with changes that may cause stress in family relationships.

Post reading activity: Gather the group or individual in need of assistance with these issues and have them write out a list of things that they think may be going through the mind of their parents when their parents “act mean” or “stifle” them, then, as the book does, try to get the group to practice viewing the situation in a new perspective possible in the parents’ perspective.

How I Became a Writer and Oggie Learned to Drive

Author: Janet Taylor Lisle

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Gangs & Violence, Divorce

Year of Publication: 2002

Publisher & Location: Philomel Books, NY

ISBN#: 0-399-23394-6

Target Age Level: Junior High

# of Pages: 155

Quality of Illustrations: NA

Brief Summary: Archie and his little brother Oggie’s parents had recently gotten divorced and due to financial difficulties, moved to the inter-city. These brothers experience both the struggles that come from sharing families, financial poverty and involvement with the local gang, The Night Riders. Archie helps Oggie to escape this world through his stories, however the later learn lessons from it to relate to their own lives.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: This books addresses involvement in gangs without being too graphic.

Activities: Talk with students how they cope with changes in their lives and how they can grow closer to those they love when times are hard. Discuss what secrets are good to keep and what ones we should share with adults. Discuss problems that came because Archie and Oggie kept secrets from their parents and what they should have done.

The Runaway Bunny

Author: Margaret Wise Brown; Pictures by Clement Hurd

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Parent/Child relationship problem

Year of Publication: 1942

Publisher & Location: HarperCollins Publisher; New York, NY

ISBN#: 0-590-99634-7

Target Age Level: Lower and Upper Elementary

# of Pages: 40

Quality of Illustrations: Black & White with words (story), alternating with color pages with no words

Brief Summary: "Within a framework of mutual love a buny tells his mother how he will run away and she answers his challenge by indicating how she will catch him. Warmth prevails." --School Library Journal

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: Good to use to have parent read to child. The bunny wants to be away from home/parents for an unknown reason and the parent, in a loving way, tells the child how she will catch up with the child. Can be very healing in a parent/child relationship that is suffering IF parent can be genuine when reading book to child.

Activity:
The best thing would be to have the parent read this book to the child every night (or however frequently is decided by you and the parent). Have the parent discuss with the child why they thought the bunny wanted to run away, and why the parent bunny did not want the child to run.