Melissa Hart

Needed now more than ever: a guide that includes 500 diverse contemporary fiction and memoir recommendations for preteens and teens with the goal of inspiring greater empathy for themselves, their peers, and the world around them. As young people are diagnosed with anxiety and depression in increasing numbers, or dealing with other issues that can isolate them from family and friends–such as bullying, learning disabilities, racism, or homophobia–characters in books can help them feel less alone. And just as important, reading books that feature a diverse range of real-life topics helps generate openness, empathy, and compassion in all kids. Better with Books is a valuable resource for parents, teachers, librarians, therapists, and all caregivers who recognize the power of literature to improve young readers’ lives. Each chapter explores a particular issue affecting preteens and teens today and includes a list of recommended related books–all published within the last decade. Recommendations are grouped by age: those appropriate for middle-grade readers and those for teens. Reading lists are organized around: Adoption and foster care Body image Immigration Learning challenges LGBTQIA+ youth Mental health Nature and environmentalism Physical disability Poverty and homelessness Race and ethnicity Religion and spirituality

500 Diverse Books to Ignite Empathy and Encourage Self-Acceptance in Tweens and Teens

Better with Books

Uprooted to Oregon where he befriends a boy with Down Syndrome, Solo Hahn--named in honor of the Star Wars action hero--must perform eight months of community service at the local raptor center and uses his screenwriting passion to convey his feelings about his father's attempted suicide.

Avenging the owl

A child of divorce, the author relates her struggles with the opposing ideals of growing up amid Oxnard, California's Latino culture with her mother and her lesbian partner and the traditional, well-to-do security of the environment created by her father.

A Contradictory Girlhood

Gringa

Challenge students to use their critical and creative thinking skills to solve puzzles, riddles, mazes, and more. The activities supplement all areas of the curriculum including language arts, social studies, science, math, and physical education.

Mind Twisters Grade 6

Debra J. Housel

Grade 5

Main Idea

Teacher Created Resources, Inc

Each book in this series is a guide for using a well-known piece of literature in the classroom. Included are sample plans, author information, vocabulary-building ideas, and cross-curricular activities. At the Intermediate and Challenging levels, sectional activities and quizzes, unit tests, and ideas for culminating and extending the novel are also included.

A Guide for Using a Single Shard in the Classroom

Robert J. Hughes

Jack R. Kapoor

Les R. Dlabay, Professor

The journey to financial freedom starts here! Kapoor/Dlabay/Hughes/Hart's market-leading Personal Finance provides practical guidance on how students can achieve peace of mind with regard to their financial situation. It provides many financial planning tools to help students identify and evaluate choices as well as understand the consequences of decisions in terms of opportunity costs. And now, McGraw-Hill Connect empowers students by continually adapting to deliver precisely what they need, when they need it, and how they need it, so your class time is more engaging and effective.

Loose Leaf for Personal Finance

Since todays young readers live in a highly visual world, its no surprise that graphic novels are growing in popularity. With this book, teachers can lead students in literary analysis of this unique genre, introduce them to good quality graphic novels, and encourage them to write and illustrate a graphic short story. Each lesson in the book is based on standards.

Using Graphic Novels in the Classroom, Grades 4-8

In this delightful memoir, a woman at loose ends finds true love while rescuing destitute birds and is inspired to adopt a child. Tender, witty, and rewarding, Wild Within is a story about overcoming fear (of beaks, talons, and parenthood!) and saving oneself through saving others.

How Rescuing Owls Inspired a Family

Wild Within

Mary Engelbreit

101 Ways to Love a Book

The author weaves a tale of how she discovered two new-found loves at once—a caring man she met in a dog park, and the raptor-rehabilitation center he introduced her to—and how caring for birds changed her mind about having children.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Han Solo avenged the destruction of an innocent planet by helping Luke Skywalker blow up the Death Star. Han walked away with a gold medal and the love of his life. But when Solo Hahn—named in honor of the beloved action hero—tries to avenge the death of his gray-and-white kitten, he gets eight months of community service. Eight months of working at the local raptor center helping owls—his now sworn enemies. For the first time in his life, Solo is labeled a troubled kid, an at-risk youth. He’d always gotten good grades, had good friends, and gotten along with his parents. He used to volunteer to read Reader’s Digest to old people at the retirement home next door, and his favorite thing in the whole wide world was to surf. He wrote screenplays for fun. But when his parents uproot him and move the family from California to backwoods Oregon, Solo starts to lose track of the person he was. Everything is upside down, and he finds himself dealing with things way beyond his understanding. He’s the new kid in town, and he’s got a bad reputation. The question is: What will he do next? This is a story about staying true to yourself when things get tough. Solo has every reason to lash out, but he ultimately needs to find a way to cope. Avenging the Owl deals with the difficult issues of suicide and depression, but more than anything it captures the powerlessness of being a kid. It won’t be easy, but the wild beauty of Oregon, its cold, empty beaches and captivating wildlife, may be just what Solo and his family need to help them start over.

Avenging the Owl

Media Literacy

"Challenge students to use their critical and creative thinking skills to solve puzzles, riddles, mazes, and more!"--Cover back.

Mind Twisters, Grade 3

A Guide for Using Walk Two Moons in the Classroom

A Guide for Using in the Classroom

Kira-Kira

A teaching guide for the popular novel offers sample lesson plans, biographical information, vocabulary lists, research ideas, and pre- and post-reading activities.

A Guide for Using the Tale of Despereaux in the Classroom

This resource is directly related to Hoot, one of five books to receive the Newbery Honor in 2003. The reproducible book includes sample plans, author information, vocabulary building ideas, cross-curriculum activities, sectional activities and quizzed, unit tests and ideas for culminating and extending the novel.

A Guide for Using Hoot in the Classroom

Mary Rosenberg

Quick, easy, effective activities support standards and help students improve skills they need for success in testing.

Melissa Hart

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