Keith Hefner

Sybil Wolin

Al Desetta

Activities, exercises, and questions invite teens to go deeper into the stories and issues of the updated edition of The Struggle to Be Strong. Designed for use with the anthology The Struggle to Be Strong, this leader’s guide explains how to use the stories in the student book to build teens’ resiliency. Activities, exercises, role plays, and questions about the issues in The Struggle to Be Strong help students go deeper into the stories, reflect on them, relate them to their lives, recognize their own potential for resilience, and start building resilience skills. Introductory materials offer guidelines for group leadership and provide leaders with more information about the seven resiliencies: insight independence relationships initiative creativity humor morality

How to Foster Resilience in Teens (Updated Edition)

A Leader's Guide to The Struggle to Be Strong

Dwan listens to rock music, uses big words, and can't dance very well. So her friends - even her own family - accuse her of not being black enough. Rana, an Arab American, became a target of hate after the September 11th terrorist attacks. Nadishia is harassed because she doesn't wear the latest designer clothes, Jennifer because she's overweight. Yen gets teased for being Chinese, Jeremiah for being gay, Jamel because he won't smoke marijuana. In 26 first-person stories, real teens write about their lives and how hard it is to be themselves - especially when they're bullied, picked on, pressured, excluded, and disrespected. They ask tough questions, like ''Why does everyone have such a problem with me?'' and ''Should I change myself to fit in?'' Maybe you've asked yourself these questions. Reading this book is like talking with teens who've been where you are, gone through what you're going through, and know what it's all about. These stories don't have easy answers. They don't all have happy endings. There are no magic solutions to the problems these writers face - or the problems you may face. But the message is clear: You can't control how others see you, but you can control how you see you. Conflict can make you stronger. And you can survive almost anything when you have the courage to be yourself.

True Stories by Teens About Cliques, Conflicts, and Overcoming Peer Pressure

The Courage to Be Yourself

Activities, exercises, and questions invite teens to go deeper into the stories in , relate them to their lives, recognize their own potential for resilience, and start building resiliency skills.

How to Foster Resilience in Teens

Through thirty first-person teen narratives, including new stories on social media and gender identity, readers learn about seven resiliencies everyone needs to survive and thrive. Otis deals with the real-life consequences of online aggression; Artiqua dates a boy of another race despite her family’s opposition. Charlene is raising her brothers and sisters because their mother is addicted to drugs; Craig is gay and worried about coming out. All of these teens have had more than their share of troubles. And all have the resiliency needed to face their troubles, live through them, and move forward with courage, confidence, and hope. In thirty first-person narratives, teen writers share how they’ve overcome obstacles in their lives. As teens read, they discover they’re not alone in facing life’s difficulties. They learn about seven resiliencies everyone needs to survive and thrive in even the toughest times: insight independence relationships initiative creativity humor morality In this updated edition, new stories feature topics such as social media, gender identity, and drug addiction. A “Think About It” section at the end of each story offers questions for personal reflection or discussion. Vivid, articulate, and candid, these stories will motivate readers of all ages to build the skills and strengths they need to triumph over adversity. The corresponding leader’s guide, A Leader's Guide to The Struggle to Be Strong updated edition, provides activities, exercises, and questions to invite teens to go deeper into the stories and issues of The Struggle to Be Strong.

True Stories by Teens About Overcoming Tough Times (Updated Edition)

The Struggle to Be Strong

Youth Communication

In Resisting Peer Pressure for Teens, young writers show that it’s possible to stand up to the pressure they may feel from friends and some family members to be "cool." Inspire teen and preteen readers to take responsibility for and make wiser decisions about their lives with the essays in this book—each written by a teenager. Within these pages, Jamel A. Salter, Fan Yi Mok, and Charlene George, and many others, describe how and why they chose to keep it real and fight back against the pressure they felt from friends to use drugs and alcohol; have sex too early; lie, cheat, and steal; and skip or act out in school. Essays include: My Secret Love Losing My Friends to Weed Why Do So Many Teens Cheat? Can't Afford to Follow Hiding My Talent No More Why I Speak My Mind Sex Doesn't Make You a Man My So-Called Friends Making Me Dance Peer Pressure Ended Our Relationship I Want to Be Pretty and Popular The Trouble with Being a Virgin Thinking for Myself and more! Through these essays, teen readers will pick up new ways to say no and advice that will help them stay true to themselves, while parents, teachers, and caregivers will be provided a much-needed glimpse into how the world looks to our younger generations.

Advice on Drugs, School, Sex, and Fitting In

Resisting Peer Pressure for Teens

Jamel loses his friends to marijuana; Artiqua dates a boy of another race despite her family’s opposition. Youniqiue was abandoned by her mother; Charlene is raising her brothers and sisters because their mother is addicted to drugs; Craig is gay and worried about coming out. All of these teens have more than their share of troubles. And all have the resiliency needed to face them, live through them, and move forward with courage, confidence, and hope. In 30 first-person accounts, teens tell how they overcame major life obstacles. Many aren’t the everyday problems most kids encounter, which makes their stories especially compelling—and their successes especially inspiring. As teens read The Struggle to Be Strong, they discover they’re not alone in facing life’s difficulties. They learn about seven resiliencies—insight, independence, relationships, initiative, creativity, humor, and morality—that everyone needs to survive and thrive in even the toughest times. Vivid, articulate, and candid, this book will motivate readers of all ages to build the skills and strengths they need to triumph over adversity.

Al Desetta

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