A chilling portrait of the bullying and violence that is all too common in schools, The Beckoners illustrates the lure of becoming tormentor rather than victim, and the terrible price that can be exacted for standing up for what is right. When her mother suddenly moves them to a new town, Zoe is unhappy about leaving behind what passes for a normal life. And when the first person she meets turns out to be Beck, who rules her new school with a mixture of intimidation and outright violence, she is dismayed. But she has no idea how bad things will get. Unsure of herself and merely trying to fit in, Zoe is initiated, painfully, into the Beckoners, a twisted group of girls whose main purpose is to stay on top by whatever means necessary. Help comes from unlikely quarters as Zoe struggles to tear loose from the Beckoners without becoming a target herself, while also trying to save April—or Dog, as she is called—from further torment.

Volume II has more engaging, motivating, and meaningful titles and activities to share with your students. Impact literacy in your school by inspiring even the most reluctant students to pick up books and read. This popular book includes curriculum-related activities for educators to pick up and use right away to meet national standards and raise students' test scores. Find age-appropriate titles on the American Library Association (ALA) and International Reading Association (IRA) recommended reading lists for your students.

Following on the success of her first book The Bully in the Book and in the Classroom, C. J. Bott has written this sequel to help those who work with children and young adults become familiar with books that address the problem of bullying. More Bullies in More Books presents over 350 annotated titles, from picture books to high school books, dealing with bullying. Chapters address specific bullying behaviors or problems: name calling, putdowns, and gossip; being new and different; body image; cliques, groups, and gangs; 'isms;' homophobia; cyberspace; and violence. Each chapter begins with an introduction that describes the harassment seen most often in each grade level and contains relevant books at all reading levels. Every entry features an in-depth summary, activities, and quotes from the book for students to discuss. An important resource about a real and harmful problem, this book will be of interest to teachers, librarians, counselors, administrators, and parents.

The murder of British Columbia teen Reena Virk shocked Canadians and provoked an outpouring of media commentary, academic explanation, plays, and novels. But while much attention was paid to the problem of violence and "girl bullying," race and related issues hardly figured in mainstream conversation. This collection aims to refocus the conversation about Reena Virk by considering how racism, colonialism, and hierarchies of gender, class, age, and sexuality figure in this crime and our understanding of it. The ten thoughtful chapters by both prominent and emerging scholars force us to grapple with the difficult and at times ugly implications of Reena Virk's murder for Canadian national identity.

How can Canadian educators begin to instill cultural sensitivity and social awareness in elementary and secondary school students? This vital text attempts to answer that question by bringing together literacy scholars and practicing teachers in a unique cross-Canadian exploration of children’s literature and social justice. Through reflection on the experience of teaching with various Canadian texts including picture books, novels, and graphic novels, the contributors behind Challenging Stories create a “pedagogy of discomfort” that will encourage both educators and their students to develop critical literacy skills. The compelling contributions to this collection highlight the complexities of teaching with texts that address issues of discrimination, historical marginalization, colonialism, racial and gender intolerance, sexual orientation, language, and cultural diversity. The authors offer first-hand insight into the possibilities and challenges of implementing curricular and pedagogical changes to promote equity and social justice in the classroom. Featuring the stories of participating teachers and an annotated bibliography of children’s literature, this invaluable resource will prove to be essential reading for current and future educators.

Covering the places, the people, and the things that belong to the earthbound realm of the fantastic, this latest volume of the Haunted America series contains supernatural folklore that has been passed down for generations.

Use these 100 handy reproducible book lists to instantly create handouts for teen readers and teachers, add to your newsletter, or post on your web site or bulletin board. Based on the most common needs of educators and librarians who work with teen readers, these lists focus on new titles and classics that are still in print and readily available for purchase. Fiction and nonfiction titles for ages 13-18 are covered. Bibliographic information and a brief description are given for each title. A dozen bookmarks are also included. This is a great time-saving tool and a good source for finding extended reading lists and read-alikes! Looking for humorous novels for teen readers? A fast-paced sports novel for a reluctant reader? Biographies to use in history class? You'll find these lists and more in this treasury of great reading lists. This versatile guide provides one-page reproducible book lists and bookmarks for: books about self (e.g., coming-of-age, perfectionism, gangs; genre literature (e.g., fantasy, romance, historical fiction); themes (e.g., extreme sports, vampires, peace; settings (e.g., Ellis Island, Dust Bowl, WWII); character studies (e.g., adventure with female protagonist, boy bonding books, fantasy heroes); and read-alikes (for bookmarks). More than 100 reproducible lists of books for ages 13-18 (junior/senior high) focus on new titles and classics that are still in print and readily available for purchase. Bibliographic information and a brief description are given for each title.

Aimed at librarians and readers' advisors who serve teens, this is a guide to outstanding reads for GLBTQ teens, for straight teens with an interest in the subject, and for GLBTQ friends and family. It provides some 300 fiction and nonfiction suggestions. Aimed at librarians and readers' advisors who serve teens, this is a guide to outstanding reads for GLBTQ teens, for straight teens with an interest in the subject, and for GLBTQ friends and family. It provides some 300 fiction and nonfiction suggestions, including poetry, drama, and graphic novels; and organizes them according to genre, subgenre and theme. Each entry includes a brief description of the work, a code for the type of characters it includes (G, L, B, T, and Q), indication of reading level, and full bibliographic information. Award-winners and titles that have audio and film versions are indicated. Lists of keywords follow the entries. Resources for further study enhance the volume, making this an indispensable guide for any library that serves teens.