Activities
Art for the Heart: Creative Art Expression for You and Your Friends, by Mary Wallace, is a fun book for any youngster with a passion for art. The book takes youth through a brief history of art, while explaining the use of different tools, patterns and symbols for different creative media. Wallace takes time along the way to suggest a few easy art projects for younger children. “Art for the Heart” is a great buy for any child with a propensity for doodling. 64 pages. $12.95. 4 Daybreak Ln., Westport, CT 06880. (800) 387-5085. (303) 333-3003, http://www.fireflybooks.com
Win-Win Games for All Ages: Cooperative Activities for Building Social Skills, by Josette and Ba Luvmour, provides games and activities for children. The games and activi-ties are meant to build and reinforce cooperation and healthy relationships, moving away from a strictly individualistic perspective and toward teamwork. The book offers activities for all age groups ranging from toddler to young adult. Each game’s profile identifies the game’s purpose, supplies needed, appropriate age group and number of group members. 126 pages. $11.95. New Society Publishers, P.O. Box 189, Gabriola Island, British Columbia, V0R 1X0, Canada. (250) 247-9737, www.newsociety.com.
Education
What’s Public About Charter Schools? Lessons Learned About Choice and Accountability, by Gary Miron and Christopher Nelson, focuses on student achievement, choice and accountability. The first part of the book provides background and historical information on charter schools, using Michigan schools as an example throughout. Chapters address issues such as choosing a charter school, customer satisfaction and the responsibility of the school to achieve its goal of student achievement. 242 pages. $24.95. Corwin Press Inc., 2455 Teller Rd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. (800) 818-7243, http://www.corwinpress.com
Environment
Access Nature, by the National Wildlife Federation, is an informal curriculum designed for youth workers and educators for youths interested in field science and the outdoors. The lesson plans are divided into five subject sections: Habitat; Sun, Soil and Water; Plant Life; Wildlife; and Humans Make a Difference. A final section provides instruction on creating a schoolyard or community habitat site. “Access Nature” is an excellent and affordable tool for anybody involved with youth who take an interest in science and the environment. 300 pages. $39.95. National Wildlife Federation, 11100 Wildlife Center Dr., Reston, VA 20190. (800) 822-9919, www.nwf.org.
Parenting
Parenting the Strong-Willed Child, by Rex Forehand and Nicholas Long, is an updated version of the five-week program for two- to six-year-olds. Forehand and Long first explain the basics of strong-willed behavior for parents before outlining a five-week plan that takes parents through a series of reactions aimed at adjusting the negative aspects of their children’s strong will. The new version is also supplemented with information on how to differentiate between strong-willed behavior and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), two problems the authors say can be difficult to tell apart. The authors list Internet resources for parents. 264 pages. $14.95. McGraw-Hill, 2 Penn. Plaza, New York, NY 10121. (800) 217-0059, http://www.books.mcgraw-hill.com
Making Divorce Easier on Your Child, by Nicholas Long and Rex Forehand, identifies 50 ways for parents to adjust their behavior or lives to ease the impact of divorce on children. Long and Forehand group their suggestions into general categories, including planning the divorce, issues between ex-spouses and visitation. Parents are bound to glean some sound advice from this book. 229 pages. $14.95. McGraw-Hill, 2 Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121. (609) 426-5793, http://www.books.mcgraw-hill.com
My Crazy Life: How I Survived my Family, compiled by Allen Flaming and Kate Scowen, recounts 10 teens’ experiences with troubled family life. From divorce to abuse, the teens touch on common problems that confront teens in troubled families and how they dealt with those problems. The honest and sobering accounts are followed up by a section entitled “How to Get Help,” offering general steps that kids can take to recover from trouble. The help section should have more specific contact numbers and information, but “My Crazy Life” is a book many teens will identify with. 144 pages. $14.95. 4 Daybreak Ln., Westport, CT 06880. (800) 387-5085. (303) 333-3003, http://www.fireflybooks.com
Gifted Youth
Some of My Best Friends Are Books: Guiding Gifted Readers From Preschool to High School, by Judith Halsted, discusses the importance of reading and discussing books to encourage the healthy emotional and intellectual growth of children. The book is divided into three main parts: The Children, The Process and The Books. Halsted touches on how to serve the needs of children with special abilities through books, by helping adults select challenging books and discuss them with young readers. 527 pages. $26. Great Potential Press Inc., P.O. Box 5057, Scottsdale, AZ 85261. (877) 954-4200, www.giftedbooks.com.
Girls
Cool Women, Hot Jobs … and how you can go for it, too! by Tina Schwager and Michele Schuerger, is divided into two parts. The first describes 20 women in “cool” jobs, such as Tina Landon, a choreographer for Jennifer Lopez, Janet Jackson and other stars. The women provide thorough descriptions of their jobs and include tips for readers interested in pursuing that particular field. The second section directly advises readers how to pursue a career choice they think is cool. 278 pages. $15.95. Free Spirit Publishing, 217 Fifth Ave., Ste. 200, Minneapolis, MN 55401. (800) 735-7323, http://www.freespirit.com
Health
Reproductive Health Care for America’s Diverse Teen Population: A Guide for Service Providers, by Child Trends, is a brief rundown of the basics in providing reproductive health care services to teens. General reminders such as “Partner With Local Organizations,” or “Be a Place Teens Want to Be,” are bulleted with more specific points aimed at keeping practitioners aware of what it takes to produce a service teens will identify and feel comfortable with. 38 pages. $15. Child Trends, 4301 Connecticut Ave. NW, Ste.100, Washington, DC 20008. (202) 362-5580, http://www.childtrends.org
Solutions for the “Treatment Resistant” Addicted Client: Therapeutic Techniques for Engaging Challenging Clients, by Nicholas Roes, is directed toward counselors on any level dealing with clients making little progress with traditional practices. The book includes case studies, practice exercises and advice for incorporating new techniques into treatment. The case studies show dialogues between patient and counselor, along with explanations about what the dialogue implies for both parties. 174 pages. $22.95. The Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice St., Binghamton, NY 13904. (800) 429-6784, http://www.haworthpressinc.com
Juvenile Justice
When Your Child Is Behind Bars: A Family Guide to Surviving the Juvenile Justice System, by the National Mental Health Association, is divided into four major sections depicting different circumstances youth might face within the juvenile justice system. The phases – arrest, detention, appearance in court and release from a facility – are covered through a series of questions and answers, including how visitation rights work and what to expect from guards and caseworkers. This guide helps caregivers understand the juvenile justice system and anticipate issues ensuring that it better serves the needs of a particular youth. 17 pages. 90 cents. National Mental Health Association, 1021 Prince St., Alexandria, VA 22314. (800) 433-5959, http://www.nmha.org
Sex
Youth Prostitution in The New Europe: The Growth in Sex Work, edited by D. Barrett with E. Barrett and N. Mullenger, addresses youth prostitution and sex work as a problem on the rise in Europe. Geared mostly toward policy-makers and practitioners, the editors illustrate newer practices and initiatives to better protect youth and strengthen communities, emphasizing that the juvenile system should focus more on protecting and helping troubled youth than on penalizing them. One contributor notes that many juvenile sex workers are homeless and receive payments in the form of housing or food. 168 pages. 18.45 pounds. Russell House Publishing Ltd., 4 St. George’s House, Uplyme Rd., Lyme Regis, Dorset DT7 3LS, U.K. 01297-443948, www.russellhouse.co.uk.
Youth Development
Community Programs to Promote Youth Development, by the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, helps policy-makers and others who are involved with youth development programs better serve youth through their developmental stages. The book inspects current youth-based development programs and how they are serving the mental and physical needs of youth, particularly in their transition from adolescence to adulthood. The book also describes and discusses the relationships among after-school programs, community service activities and other youth programs. 411 pages. $49.95. National Academy Press, 8700 Spectrum Dr., Landover, MD 20785. (800) 624-8373, http://www.nap.edu
The Season of Hope: A Risk Management Guide for Youth-Serving Nonprofits, by the Nonprofit Risk Management Center, analyzes the major risks that youth-serving nonprofits should address. Beginning with a crash course on nonprofit risk management, the book turns to coverage of dangers that youths in programs face, including Internet predators, violence, sexual abuse and on-site injuries. The chapters, using short bulleted sections and sidebars, help readers recognize risk factors and present strategies for management to counter them. 155 pages. $30. Nonprofit Risk Management Center, 1001 Connecticut Ave. NW, Ste. 410, Washington, DC 20036. (202) 785-3891, http://www.nonprofitrisk.org
The YouthLearn Guide: A Creative Approach to Working with Youth and Technology, by the Education Development Center, provides a blueprint for planning a technology-based learning center or adding technology components to an existing program. Through nine chapters, the book deals with basic concepts in technology issues and takes readers through steps from planning a team and establishing a mission to implementing projects and ensuring online safety. The simple tone of the guide is enhanced by plenty of worksheets, samples and graphics. 164 pages. $29.95 ($24.95 for nonprofits and schools). Education Development Center, 55 Chapel St., Newton, MA 02458. (800) 449-5525, www.edc.org.
Videos
Crime
My Nine, by Aquarius Health Care Videos, illustrates the problems of gun violence in Los Angeles using the history of a particular Saturday Night Special handgun as an entry point. Hosted by former L.A. Lakers star James Worthy, the video begins with the accounts of five Californians – some gang members, some innocent children – who are murdered by shooters using the weapon. Spliced in are interviews with attorneys, police officers and a National Rifle Association member discussing the saturation of handguns in the area and the complexity of resolving the problems those guns create.
This is a sobering look at a problem that extends well beyond L.A. 30 minutes. $99. Aquarius Health Care Videos, 5 Powderhouse Lane, P.O. Box 1159, Sherborn, MA 01770. (888) 440-2963, http://www.aquariusproductions.com
RetroGrade: How School Crime Sets You Back, by St. Petersburg College Regional Community Policing Institute, profiles true stories about students who have gotten themselves into serious trouble by getting involved in avoidable situations at school. Using teen actors and a program modeled after features that youth might see on MTV, each segment re-enacts parts of various situations, such as a fight on school grounds or a knife brought in for protection. Each segment is followed by discussions with the youth actors about the recriminations they experienced and what they should have done to avoid the situation. The film is hurt by its attempt to mimic MTV because the quality is not on an equal level, but the stories are interesting enough to spark dialogue with teen viewers. 30 minutes. $19.95. St. Petersburg College Regional Community Policing Institute, 3200 34th St. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33711. (727) 341-4581, http://cop.spjc.edu/cop
Tough on Crime, Tough on Our Kind, by the Educational Video Center, is the typical EVC take on youth issues: well-produced, unique and one-sided. The video blasts the juvenile justice system from all sides, challenging the racist and economic discrimination that every interviewee says predicates that system. Convicted teens recount their experiences with jail, discussing how inhumane and violent it is. However, as the video’s intent is to indict the system rather than to scare potential inmates, it’s a tool to use with youth activists, not youth at risk of getting locked up. 30 minutes. $45. Educational Video Center, 120 W. 30th St., Seventh Fl., New York, NY 10001. (212) 465-9366, www.evc.org.
Health
Skin Deep, by Cambridge Educational, is a high-quality video that will help youth, parents and youth workers better identify and understand the practice of self-injury. The video addresses self-injury methods such as cutting and burning, with experts and previous abusers discussing the root causes of these acts. This excellent video offers short- and long-term steps to ease abusers out of their dangerous acts. 21 minutes. $79.95. Cambridge Educational, P.O. Box 931, Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852. (800) 468-4227, www.cambridgeol.com.
Substance Abuse
Flipping the World: Drugs Through a Blue Lens, by Films for the Humanities and Sciences, features seven youths from Vancouver, British Columbia, learning about the lives of drug addicts from city police officers. Tossing aside the old “scare ‘em straight” routine, these officers actually followed different heroin and cocaine addicts, allowing the youth to draw their own conclusions about drug use from the material the police filmed. The youths are astounded when one former addict filmed during a cocaine psychosis visits their classroom after being drug-free for one year. The officers’ footage, coupled with live interaction with drug addicts and productive conversations, makes this tape valuable for youth workers interested in replicating such a program or simply showing the video to their own youths. 31 minutes. $129.95. Films for the Humanities and Sciences, P.O. Box 2053, Princeton, NJ 08543. (800) 257-5126, http://www.films.com
Educate: Creating Inhalant Abuse Awareness Together, by the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition and SC Johnson, alerts parents and youth workers to a potentially fatal habit. Many adults may be surprised to find that one of every five youths has experimented with inhalants. The video begins with introductory messages from former Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey and video host Delores Jordan, then moves to horror stories of teen inhalant abusers, including a boy found dead at home and a girl killed because she was in a car driven by someone under the influence of an inhalant. The video provides a concise and informative starting point for a discussion with parents. 16 minutes. Free. National Inhalant Prevention Coalition, 2904 Kerbey Lane, Austin, TX 78703. (800) 269-4237, http://www.inhalants.org
CD-ROM
Fed Facts: The Real Deal, by St. Petersburg College Regional Community Policing Institute, is an interactive look at what happens to youth involved in distributing illegal substances. Each scene depicts a hypothetical drug-related crime, including selling on school grounds, using “club drugs” like Ecstasy and GHB, and having prior knowledge of a drug deal. A panel of teens is surprised at the severity of the sentences in most cases, especially for the less-involved participants in the crimes. “Fed Facts” pulls no punches, and the acting and graphics should make this CD informative and influential for teens. $49.95. St. Petersburg College Regional Community Policing Institute, 3200 34th St. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33711. (727) 341-4581, http://cop.spjc.edu/cop
