Abuse
Sins of the Fathers: A Look at the Relationship between Child Abuse and Delinquency, by Dane Elmar Petersen, provides insight for a general audience into some of the experiences of sexually, physically and emotionally abused children, focusing on children who are later determined delinquent by the courts. Most of the chapters, written in an informal tone, define the characteristics of specific types of abuse victims. Petersen, a juvenile justice practitioner, includes anonymous accounts of abuse experienced by his clients, demonstrating links between child abuse and future delinquency. 230 pages. $17.50. American Probation and Parole Association c/o The Council of State Governments, P.O. Box 11910, 2760 Research Park Drive, Lexington, KY 40578. (859) 244-8203, www.appa-net.org.
Crime
Juvenile Justice: Polices, Practices, and Programs, published by the Civic Research Institute, investigates the history, legal questions and treatment of juvenile offenders. Community-based, state-managed and after-care programs and their policies are highlighted. The book also explores hypotheses about juvenile courts of the future and the juvenile justice system in other societies. 467 pages. $169.95. Civic Research Institute, 4478 U.S. Route 27, P.O. Box 585, Kingston, NJ 08528. (609) 683-4450, www.civicresearchinstitute.com.
Gangs
Gangs and Society: Alternative Perspectives, by Louis Kontos, David Brotherton and Luis Barrios, offers academic-based insight into gang culture in the United States. The book first looks into the history of gangs and the possible reasons for their development. It then examines the functions that gangs may serve for their members, the social, political and economic aspects of gang culture, and some evidence that counters gang stereotypes. Many gangs, for example, encourage school attendance and require weekly updates on what young members are learning and what their grades are. 352 pages. $24.50. Columbia University Press, 61 W. 62nd St., New York, NY 10023. (212) 459-0600, www.columbia.edu/cu/cup.
Education
Applying to College: A Planning Guide for Students, by Perseus Publishing, helps high school students complete college applications. Written specifically for students – a point reiterated in a note to parents telling them to step back – the guide sets timetables for work toward college admission, beginning with the ninth grade. Perhaps most important is the advice given for each aspect of the actual application process – sending SAT scores, getting teacher recommendations and improving interview skills. This book is an excellent tool to help prevent added stress for teens already shouldering a taxing workload. 104 pages.
$9.95. Perseus Publishing, 11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142. (800) 255-1514, www.perseusbooksgroup.com.
Drafting and Assessing Poetry: A Teachers Guide, by Sue Dymoke, is a reference for teachers on how to read, understand and teach poetry at a primary and secondary level. After a brief history lesson on the poetry-intensive National Curriculum for schools (first introduced in Wales and England), Dymoke moves to the drafting process and the importance of writing one’s own poetry in the quest to better understand the poetry of others. The book cites advice from other poetry teachers and scholars,
and suggests workshop strategies for the classroom. 210 pages. $17.99. Paul Chapman Publishing, 6 Bonhill St., London EC2A 4PU. 44 (0)20 7374 0645, www.paulchapmanpublishing.co.uk.
Reading Strategies for Elementary Students With Learning Difficulties, by William Bender and Martha Larkin, is a resource for anyone working with children who have reading disabilities. The book reviews five commercial programs designed to help children with learning disabilities. It also includes a number of sample exercises to engage children in their reading, as well as a layman’s breakdown of the brain’s bio-psychological role in learning. 247 pages. $34.95. Corwin Press, 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. (805) 499-9734, www.corwinpress.com.
Management
Residential Child Care Staff Selection: Choose with Care by Meredith Kiraly, tries to help youth workers facilitate the child care staff selection process. Drawing from international research and personal experience, the author, an Australian psychologist, outlines the hiring process in a clear manner, identifying potential pitfalls along the way. Extensive appendices provide sample interview questions, advertisements and a profile of a skilled childcare worker. This manual would benefit anyone who’s responsible for hiring staff. 163 pages. $24.95. The Haworth Press, 10 Alice St., Binghamton, NY, 13904-1508. (800) 429-6784, www.haworthpress.com.
Motivation
Chicken Soup for the Christian Teenage Soul, published by Health Communications, is a collection of stories to help teens assess their faith. Like other books in this popular series, the personal accounts serve as motivation for self-improvement. The stories all deal with some aspect of using religion to overcome the difficulties of adolescence, exploring such Christian hallmarks as compassion, forgiveness and miracles. $12.95. 291 pages. Chicken Soup for the Soul, P.O. Box 30880, Santa Barbara, CA, 93130. (800) 441-5569, www.chickensoupforthesoul.com.
Parenting
Coaching Character at Home: Strategies for Raising Responsible Teens, by Michael Koehler, advises adults on how to instill good values and character in children. The book is divided into seven sections, each discussing one of the “7 C’s” of parenting: connectedness, control, commitment, consistency, cooperation, conscience and competition. Koehler, a former coach, describes the intimate relationship he had with his team, adding a personal and conversational touch to an otherwise instructional book, and provides model dialogues for parents. 222 pages. $14.95. Sorin Books, PO Box 1006, Notre Dome, IN 46556. (800) 282-1865, ext. 1, www.sorinbooks.com.
God Knows Parenting Is a Wild Ride: 9 Things To Hold On To, by Kathy Coffey, offers parents insight into the difficulties and rewards of raising children. The author utilizes an anecdotal and often humorous style to recount some of her own experiences as a mother of four, frequently connecting her experiences with her faith in God. Each of the nine chapters highlights a step Coffey suggests for creating a better, more inspired relationship with children. 159 pages. $11.95. Sorin Books, PO Box 1006, Notre Dame, IN 46556. (800) 282-1865, ext. 1, www.sorinbooks.com.
ROAD to Fatherhood: How to Help Young Dads Become Loving and Responsible Parents, by Jon Morris, discusses different approaches to help young dads become more involved with and attentive to their children. Opening with vignettes of some young fathers and their situations, Morris then moves on to strategies, many of which are drawn from his ROAD program, for working with them. 207 pages. $14.95. Morning Glory Press, 6595 San Haroldo Way, Buena Park, CA 90620. (888) 612-8254, www.morningglorypress.com.
Programming
Effective Program Practices for At-Risk Youth: A Continuum of Community-based Programs, published by the Civic Research Institute, offers best-practice models for creating an organization to deliver services to at-risk youth. Steps include justifying and planning local partnerships, outlining common services that organizations offer and offering information about expanding existing services. Several chapters review alternative schools and juvenile day-treatment programs as alternatives to other service organizations. $133.95. 276 pages. Civic Research Institute, 4478 U.S. Route 27, P.O. Box 585, Kingston, NJ 08528. (609) 683-4450, www.civicresearchinstitute.com.
Creative Outdoor Work with Young People, by Alan Smith, offers advice for planning outdoor youth activities. Smith provides a checklist and divides various elements of outdoor activities into chapters: orienteering, camp activities, problem-solving, canoeing and studying the environment. Legal considerations and safety concerns are addressed, but youth workers must be aware that the recommendations are written from a British legal perspective. 165 pages. $21. Russell House Publishing, 4 St. George’s House, The Business Park, Uplyme Road, Lyme Regis, Dorset DT7 3 LS. (44) 01297 443948, www.russellhouse.co.uk.
DRAMATTACK! An Essentially Practical Manual for Using Drama in Youth Work, by Donald Stewart, is a guide to introducing drama into youth work, which the author says is an effective vehicle for teaching educational subjects and self-improvement. The manual illustrates drama applied through theater games, role-playing, improvisation and workshops. Performance ideas are suggested for those wishing to incorporate drama on a larger scale. The manual includes each activity’s objectives, step-by-step instructions and format – a big help to anyone looking for an innovative approach to youth work. 168 pages. $24. Russell House Publishing, 4 St. George’s House, The Business Park, Uplyme Road, Lyme Regis, Dorset DT7 3 LS. (44) 01297 443948, www.russellhouse.co.uk.
Science Clubs for Girls: A Guide to Starting Your Own, edited by Jennifer Davis-Kay, helps adults who wish to start science clubs for girls in grades kindergarten through seven. The book explains the need for clubs and how to make them educational and fun. It also discusses how parental involvement, fund raising and well-planned recruitment strategies can improve the quality of this after-school program model. 20 pages. Free online. Gender and Diversity Institute at Education Development Center, 55 Chapel Street, Newton, MA 02458. (617) 969-7100, www.edc.org/GDI.
The NEW Youth Games Book, by Alan Dearling and Howard Armstrong, suggests games to help adults develop better relationships with youths. The book, a revision of the 15-year-old original that needed adapting to modern culture, is divided by types of games (icebreakers, two-player games and ethnocentric games, for example) for easy reference. Dearling and Armstrong present a simple and effective tool for any youth worker or adult trying to connect with a child. 223 pages. $19. Russell House Publishing, 4 St. George’s House, The Business Park, Uplyme Road, Lyme Regis, Dorset DT7 3 LS. (44) 01297 443948, www.russellhouse.co.uk.
Runaway and Homeless
Alone Without a Home: A State-by-State Review of Laws Affecting Unaccompanied Youth, by the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty and the National Network for Youth, is a comprehensive guide for youth work staff dealing with unaccompanied youth. The guide breaks down statutory provisions for all 50 states and the territories along nine categories: pertinent legal definitions; youth in need of supervision; status offenses; emancipation; rights of youth to enter into contracts; health care access; access to publication; harboring unaccompanied youth; and services and shelters. Each section analyzes trends in policy across the country, then summarizes the provisions that apply to each state. This is an invaluable resource for those helping unaccompanied youth, and the availability of at-your-fingertips comparative data makes it an excellent policy tool as well. 109 pages. $25. National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, 1411 K St. NW, Suite 1400, Washington, DC 20005. (202) 638-2535, www.nlchp.org.
Sexuality
Rainbow Pages: A National Resource Guide for Providers Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Youth, by the National Network for Youth, lists organizations, publications and curricula that might help those working with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth. The guide also provides policies, contacts and a glossary for those new to the field. The families of LGBT youth can also benefit from this publication, which lists magazines and services they might find relevant. 50 pages. $25. National Network for Youth, 1319 F St. NW, Suite 401, Washington, DC 20004. (202) 783-7949, www.nn4youth.org.
Youth Policy
Shaping the Future of American Youth: Youth Policy in the 21st Century, edited by Anne Lewis, provides a forum for 14 top leaders in youth work and policy – such as Dorothy Stoneman of YouthBuild and Hilary Pennington of Jobs for the Future – to weigh in on issues such as education, service learning and workforce development. Their essays cover complex issues in conversational tones, exploring the current state of affairs as well as needs for the future. 82 pages. $8. American Youth Policy Forum, Publications Department, 1836 Jefferson Place NW, Washington, DC 20036. (202) 775-9731, www.aypf.org/pubs.htm.
Videos
Education
The Teen Files Flipped: Teacher Student, by AIMS Multimedia, sets out to get youths and teachers to see the difficulties each of them face on a daily basis. By switching places for 24 hours, a class clown and a Spanish teacher come to appreciate the amount of pressure each has to handle inside and outside of school. At the end of the day, they are able to respect the other’s positions and work better together. 21 minutes. $149.95. AIMS Multimedia, 9710 DeSoto Ave., Chatsworth, CA 91311. (800) 367-2467, www.aimsmultimedia.com.
Guns
The Other Side of the Barrel: Safe Gun Storage, by Drunk Busters of America, tells the true story of a young boy accidentally wounded by a friend who was playing with a parent’s gun. The boy and his mother, a police officer who was called to the house, share their reflections on the experience. Since that time, the mother has launched a campaign for safe gun storage in the house, which urges parents to keep guns unloaded and where kids cannot get them, and tells kids to leave if a friend is playing with a gun. 13 minutes. $99. Drunk Busters of America, W6279 County Road F, Brownsville, WI 53006. (920) 583-2491, www.drunkbusters.com.
Stereotypes
In the Mix: Dealing with Differences, a Thirteen/WNET New York production, seeks to break down stereotypes teenagers may have formed because of the Sept. 11 tragedy and other long-standing tensions. Jason Biggs, a young Hollywood actor, hosts the show and introduces the audience to each of three segments: stereotypes Americans have of Muslims; stereotypes of people in general; and hostility between Israelis and Muslims. People suffering from such discrimination are interviewed, allowing them to discuss some of the successful workshops they have created or taken part in to educate a diverse group of kids about the dangers of stereotypes. 30 minutes. $69.95. Thirteen/WNET New York, 114 E 32nd Street, Suite 903, New York, NY 10016. (800) 597-9448, www.inthemix.org.
Substance Abuse
What’s Wrong With Ecstasy and Other Club Drugs, produced by Discover Films, attempts to send a serious message against club drugs but seems to miss its mark. The teen testimonials do not contribute information that middle and high schoolers (the video’s targets) haven’t already heard. One often repeated phrase: “Drugs are stupid.” The testimonials provide urban myths passed down from “a friend of a friend,” which do not seem genuine. Narcotics officers and physicians try to supplement the video’s material with hard-hitting statistics, but the overly dramatic graphics and watered-down testimonials fall short. 25 minutes. $149. Discover Films Video, P.O. Box 24758, New Orleans, LA 70184-4758, (888) 649-6453, www.discover-films.com.
Tobacco
The Last Drag: Teens Kick the Habit, a Hazelden production, tells the story of four real teens who try to quit smoking. Through interviews, the teens explain their reasons for starting to smoke and wanting to quit, while group conversations and re-enactments explore the dangers of smoking and symptoms of withdrawal when trying to quit. The video advises kids about how to ward off temptations. A facilitator’s guide and progress diary are included for youth workers. 13 minutes. $125. Hazelden, 15251 Pleasant Valley Road, P.O. Box 176, Center City, MN 55012. (800) 328-9000, www.hazelden.org.
Teens
What’s Cool: The Popularity Game, by Human Relations Media, talks to youths about the social aspects of middle and high school. The two teenage hosts and an adolescent psychologist discuss two types of people who tend to be popular – those with special qualities or with outstanding social skills – then examine the importance of confidence, true friendship and being true to oneself. Student and teacher activity supplements are included. 18 minutes. $99.95. Human Relations Media, 41 Kensico Drive, Mount Kisco, NY 10549. (800) 431-2050, www.hrmvideo.com.
Youth Finances
The Teen Files Flipped: Credit Card Abuse/Gambling Addiction, by AIMS Multimedia, lumps lessons on two potentially disastrous spending habits into one video. Joelle, a flighty 20-year-old with a penchant for purchasing, and Ron, a young sports fan who loves to gamble, are each given dream jobs (fashion editor and basketball coach, respectively). As they embark on their respective careers, both are confronted with the consequences of credit and gambling problems: Joelle’s car is repossessed during a business lunch, and Ron’s assistant barely escapes a bookie beating on the street. While Ron is a prototypical young gambler (and therein, a believable mechanism in conveying the lesson), Joelle’s empty-up-top demeanor may not drive home the fact that many sensible people have managed their credit poorly. 21 minutes. $149.95. AIMS Multimedia, 9710 DeSoto Ave., Chatsworth, CA 91311. (800) 367-2467, www.aimsmultimedia.com.
CD-ROM
Foster Care
Uhlich Voices: Emancipation, Inside the Hearts of DCFS, by Uhlich Children’s Advantage Network, is a collection of songs written and preformed by alumni, residents and staff of the Uhlich Children’s Home. The songs are inspired by the struggles the individuals faced as children, dealing with abandonment, recovery and love. $20. Uhlich Children’s Home, 3737 North Mozart St., Chicago, IL 60618, (773) 588-0180, www.uhlich.org.
