Civic Engagement
Millennial Manifesto: A Youth Activist Handbook, by Scott Beale and Abeer Abdalla, is a call to arms for members of the “Millennial Generation” (Americans born between 1976 and 1996). Co-written by a Republican and a Democrat, the book covers major political issues from volunteerism to taxation, and provides a brief context for each one. Chock full of resources, the Manifesto also presents youth with a 12-step blueprint for leading and mobilizing around issues that they care about. 180 pages. $9.95. Scott Beale, 1115 P St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005. (202) 669-4497, www.millennialpolitics.com.
Kick It In: Developing the Self-Motivation to Take the Lead, by Fran Kick, is a motivational guide encouraging kids to take action and get involved in activities and causes that interest them. The booklet is filled with pictures, worksheets and inspirational facts to alert kids to the idea that anyone can be a leader in something if he or she wants to. Kick’s presentation is centered on the “Seven C’s” of leadership: congruence, commitment, collaboration, consciousness of self, common purpose, controversy with civility, and citizenship. A facilitator’s guide to leadership approaches is included. 36 pages. $10, or $25 with the guide. Instruction and Design Concepts, 441 Maple Springs Drive, Centerville, OH 45458. (937) 439-2698, www.kickitin.com.
Education
Handbook of Learning Disabilities, by Guilford Press, summarizes research and outlines what remains undiscovered in the field. Professionals offer insight on how to identify students with learning difficulties and perspectives about student performance and brain processes. This comprehensive guide would benefit youth workers interested in accessing the best resources for struggling students. 548 pages. $70. The Guilford Press, 72 Spring St., New York, NY 10012. (800) 365-7006, www.guilford.com.
Countdown to College: 21 ‘To Do’ Lists for High School, by Valerie Pierce with Cheryl Rilly, gives high schoolers what they need most when planning for college: a friend who can walk them through the storm of deadlines, requirements and paperwork. Designed in the somewhat busy fashion of young people’s magazines, the guide provides readers with year-by-year suggestions and insights for giving themselves the best shot at getting into the college that’s right for them. The sooner this book gets into a young person’s hands, the better: It covers everything from joining clubs and choosing classes (what do
colleges really look for?) to finding financial help and what to look for on campus visits. Front Porch Press, 1724 Vassar St., Lansing, MI 48912. (517) 487-9295, www.frontporchpress.qpg.com.
Faith-Based
No More Lone Rangers: How to Build a Team-Centered Youth Ministry, by David Chow, advocates that youth workers avoid burnout and exhaustion by developing leadership teams rather than going it alone. While the book has a Christian ministry angle, each chapter outlines a step that can be applied to developing any type of leadership team. Filled with practical and realistic advice on overcoming obstacles, as well as tips on recruiting, inspiring and training, this book is a ready reference for youth ministry workers. 142 pages. $16.99. Group Publishing, P.O. Box 481, Loveland, CO 80539. (800) 447-1070, www.grouppublishing.com.
Raising Children of Faith, by Dennis and Barbara Rainey, is a workbook for Christian couples who are interested in establishing small groups to explore how to be better parents. Intended for use with the Bible, the book provides “blueprints” for six group sessions that address issues related to parenting and marriage. It includes questions and assignments for couples to complete between sessions. 156 pages. $10.99. Group Publishing, P.O. Box 481, Loveland, CO 80539. (800) 447-1070, www.grouppublishing.com.
Health
9/11: Looking Back, Moving Forward, published by the Families and Work Institute, reviews 16 downloadable lesson plans to help elementary and high schoolers better understand the Sept. 11 attacks. The plans teach about issues such as feeling safe, understanding heroism, supporting the community, understanding the history of terrorism and identifying and respecting American values. Many of the key concepts are repeated in the different lesson plans, but are presented with different age-appropriate activities. The book includes children’s art and quotes collected after the attacks. 60 pages. $9. Families and Work Institute, 267 Fifth Ave., Second Fl., New York, NY 10016. (212) 465-2044, www.911ashistory.org.
Bipolar Disorder in Childhood and Early Adolescence, by Barbara Geller and Melissa DelBello, covers the diagnosis, history and treatments available for children with bipolar disorder. Formal and thorough, the book provides specific data on genetic aspects of the disease, reviews theories and studies, and discusses the psychological and social problems that bipolar kids face. It also offers information on support for such children. 342 pages. $36. The Guilford Press, 72 Spring St., New York, NY 10012. (800) 365-7006, www.guilford.com.
Literacy
Connecting Boys with Books: What Libraries Can Do, by Michael Sullivan, suggests to parents, librarians and youth workers several methods for getting boys ages 8 to 12 more involved in reading. Noting that young boys have been found to fall behind girls in reading, Sullivan discusses the learning needs of young boys and suggests tactics to encourage them to read independently and enjoy the library. He suggests books and engaging library activities such as chess, creative writing and story
telling. 160 pages. $32. ALA Editions, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. (312) 280-1537, www.alastore.ala.org.
Management
Measuring Performance in Public and Nonprofit Organizations, by Theodore Poister, gives nonprofit organizations a tool for evaluating their success. The book is heavy on data, but includes helpful diagrams and models. Poister discusses performance measurement with an eye toward the growing demand among government agencies for nonprofits to display measurable service standards, programmatic and managerial goals and sound budgeting. One chapter is dedicated to designing the best spreadsheets and displays to present an organization’s performance data. 289 pages. $45. Jossey-Bass, 989 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94103. (800) 956-7739, www.josseybass.com.
Meeting the Collaboration Challenge: Developing Strategic Alliances Between Nonprofit Organizations and Business, by the Drucker Foundation, prepares nonprofit organizations for creating partnerships with other businesses. The book describes the process of alliance development, including finding like-minded businesses, evaluating the benefits of such alliances from both sides, and forming a lasting relationship with a business. A list of additional resources on the same topic is provided at the end of the book. 68 pages. $50. Jossey-Bass, 989 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94103. (800) 956-7739, www.josseybass.com
Parenting
The Anxiety Cure for Kids: A Guide for Parents by Elizabeth DuPont Spencer, Robert DuPont and Caroline DuPont, helps parents of children with high levels of anxiety, as well as the children themselves, by reviewing anxiety problems in clear, simple language and offering examples of how to cope with the children’s feelings. The authors offer advice on recognizing the symptoms of a child overcome by anxiety and various exercises for helping the child manage stress. 224 pages. $14.95. John Wiley & Sons, 111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030. (201) 748-6000, www.wiley.com.
When Parents Ask for Help: Everyday Issues through an Asset-Building Lens, by Renie Howard, provides handouts for school staff and other youth workers dealing with adolescents. The text recognizes that youth workers are often approached by parents and guardians who are having difficulty with their teens. Utilizing the Search Institute’s 40 developmental assets, the book explores areas of difficulty (ranging from homework to substance abuse) and offers solutions. The book includes reproducible handouts for parents to take with them. 144 pages. $24.95. Search Institute, 615 First Ave. Northeast, Suite 125, Minneapolis, MN 55413. (800) 888-7828, www.search-institute.org.
Teens
Success Express for Teens: 50 Activities That Will Change Your Life, by Roger Leslie, seeks to guide the teen reader toward a healthy, emotionally positive adolescence and adulthood. Each chapter maps out one part of the journey to success, and is filled with games, worksheets and other activities for kids. The book includes a similar list of activities for teachers, counselors and group leaders. 216 pages. $14.95. Bayou Publishing, 2524 Nottingham, Houston, TX 77005. (800) 340-2034, www.bayoupublishing.com.
Violence
Bullies, Targets & Witnesses: Helping Children Break the Pain Chain, by SuEllen Fried and Paula Fried, weaves together research and field experience about bullying, a problem the authors see as a form of child abuse and a significant contributor to youth suicide and school shootings. SuEllen Fried, founder of a nonprofit called Stop the Violence!, and her daughter, clinical psychologist Paula Fried, take readers through the basic realities of peer abuse before presenting strategies to curtail bullying. “Bullies” does not revolutionize the fight against bullying, but it brings a lot of information together in one source. 320 pages. $21.95. M. Evans and Co., 216 E. 49th St., New York, NY 10017. (212) 688-2810, www.mevans.com.
Youth Development
Other People’s Kids: Social Expectations and American Adults’ Involvement with Children and Adolescents, by Peter C. Scales, investigates the decline of non-relative adult interaction with youth in United States despite its many benefits for youth development. Drawing largely on a study by the Lutheran Brotherhood (now Thrivent Financial for Lutherans) and a survey of 1,425 Americans, Scales discusses the influence of the adult community on youth. Though sometimes resorting to complicated research jargon, the book helpfully examines the wariness of many adults to make contact with youth, and the cost of this wariness to youth development. 274 pages. $59.95. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers. 233 Spring St., New York, NY 10013. (212) 620-8000, www.wkap.nl.
Developmental Assets and Asset-Building Communities, edited by Richard Lerner and Peter Benson, brings together a collection of essays from some of the leading advocates of the asset-building approach to youth development. Based on a guiding principle that youth are an asset to be developed, not managed, the editors’ essays set the tone by painting a conceptual framework that makes the more specific essays on family- and community-building more clear. Contributors include former W.T. Grant Foundation President Karen Hein and former Vice President Al Gore. The collection is the first part of the Search Institute Series on Developmentally Attentive Community and Society. 244 pages. $55. Kluwer Academic Publishers, 233 Spring St., New York, NY 10013. (212) 620-8000, www.wkap.nl.
Learning to Trust: Trans-forming Difficult Elementary Classrooms Through Develop-mental Discipline, by Marilyn Watson and Laura Ecken, emphasizes the importance of teaching trust in the classroom or in formal youth program settings. The authors argue that trust will not only improve a child’s social and ethical development, but will spur academic growth as well. Ecken, a teacher, reflects on the experiences in her classroom, while Watson analyzes the events from a psychologist’s perspective. This book would benefit educators and youth workers wishing to balance the challenge of establishing authority with youths’ desire for autonomy. $29. 318 pages. John Wiley & Sons, 11 River St., Fourth Floor, Hoboken, NJ 07030. (201) 748-6064, www.wiley.com.
Videos
Foster Care
Not Me, Not Mine: Adult Survivors of Foster Care, by Educational Video Center, is a follow-up documentary to the 1996 film “Some Place to Call Home.” Both films are included in the video. They explore the lives of a handful of youths in New York City foster care, revealing the lasting impacts of a flawed system. The films advocate changing the foster care system to make sure that youth are ready for the world before they age out. 31 minutes. $35. Educational Video Center, 120 W. 30th St., Seventh Fl., New York, NY 10001. (212) 465-9366, www.evc.org.
Gangs
Teen Files Flipped: Gang Member/ Law Enforcement Officer, by AIMS Multimedia, takes a fictional policeman and a young gang member and switches their roles for a day. The officer learns what attracts teenagers to gangs, and observes the difficulties that youth face with job and police discrimination. Meanwhile, 17-year-old Carlos begins to understand some of the consequences of street and family violence when he investigates a domestic violence situation. AIMS Multimedia.
21 minutes. $149.95. AIMS Multimedia, 9710 DeSoto Ave., Chatsworth, CA 91311. (800) 367-2467, www.aimsmultimedia.com.
Motivational
Down But Not Out: The Inspirational Story of Alphonso Bailey, by Jist Works, is a straight-talking documentary that examines the mistakes made by Alphonso Bailey, a college football prospect who overcame bad choices about drugs and violence to become a professional boxer. He encourages youths to stay focused, work hard and not waste their lives. The video features two versions: one uninterrupted, and another with pauses for appropriate classroom discussion. 39 minutes. $129. Jist Works, 8902 Otis Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46216. (800) 648-5478, www.jist.com.
Substance Abuse
Oxycontin and Other Prescription Drugs: Killing the Pain, by Hazelden, features recovering prescription drug abusers, most of whom are well into adulthood. The cycle of addiction is highlighted from the onset of usage to the difficulty of recovery. But the lack of youth perspective may make this video less useful for teens. 30 minutes. $225. Hazelden, P.O. Box 176, Center City, MN 55012. (800) 328-9000, www.hazelden.org.
Teens
In the Mix Self-Esteem: Building Strengths, by Castle Works, is a montage of interviews with teenagers talking about what stresses them out and how they deal with issues such as relationships, taking chances, standing up for themselves and becoming a better friend. While the video contains interviews with boys, it primarily targets teenage girls, trying to help them define and build physical, mental and emotional strength. It incorporates interviews with women professionals and youth workers, who offer tips and strategies for dealing with teenage life. $69.95. In the Mix, 114 E.32nd St., Suite 903, New York, NY 10016. (800) 597-9448, www.inthemix.org.
Tobacco
Spit Tobacco Exposed, by Human Relations Media, is a curriculum guide about the dangers of smokeless tobacco. The kit, designed for youth ages 11 to 14, consists of a video, worksheets, letters to parents, research project ideas and activities. The packet utilizes first-hand accounts from oral cancer victims and survivors, including a man who became severely disfigured from chewing tobacco. The harrowing images of people who used what many youth perceive to be a minor drug are powerful and likely to hit their mark. 16 minutes. $99.95. Human Relations Media, 41 Kensico Drive, Mount Kisco, NY 10549. (800) 431-2050, www.hrmvideo.com.
CD
Parenting
Embracing the Dance of Independence, created by Glenn Goldberg, an adolescent specialist and parent coach, is a 12-session relaxation program designed for parents of adolescents. Following the belief that “being in a relaxed state helps [parents] open their minds and hearts,” Goldberg leads meditations while asking questions to help evaluate the parent-child relationship. The answers to many of the questions seem obvious, although they are perhaps not given enough thought, such as, “Does it feel that [the adolescent] would rather do anything than spend time with you?” 4 CDs. $50. Embracing the Dance of Independence, 136 E. 8th St., #213, Port Angeles, WA 98362. (360) 457-0754, www.danceofindependence.com.
