Better with books : 500 diverse books to ignite empathy and encourage self-acceptance in tweens and teens

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Title:

Better with books : 500 diverse books to ignite empathy and encourage self-acceptance in tweens and teens

Author:

Hart, Melissa, 1970- author.

ISBN:

9781632172273

Physical Description:

xix, 283 pages ; 22 cm

Contents:

Introduction -- Books about adoption and foster care -- Books about body image -- Books about immigration -- Books about learning challenges -- Books about LGBTQIA+ youth -- Books about mental health -- Books about nature and environmentalism -- Books about physical disability -- Books about poverty and homelessness -- Books about race and ethnicity -- Books about religion and spirituality -- Appendix: Resources for parents, teachers, librarians, and young readers.

Subject Term:

Teenagers -- Social conditions -- Bibliography.

Children -- Social conditions -- Bibliography.

Empathy in children.

Self-acceptance in adolescence.

Parent and child.

Genre:

Bibliographies.

Summary:

"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"--

Holds:

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Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Bayport Public Library	152.4 HAR	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

Featuring 500 diverse book recommendations covering a wide range of subjects, this preteen and teen reading guide is a "go-to resource for parents, students of young adult literature, teachers, and librarians" ( School Library Journal ).

Needed now more than ever- a guide that includes 500 reading 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. Reading lists are organized around topics, including-

. 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

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. 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.

Author Notes

Melissa Hart is contributing editor for The Writer Magazine and creative writing teacher for Southern New Hampshire University's MFA program. She holds a BA in literature from U.C. Santa Barbara's College of Creative Studies and an MFA in creative writing from Goddard College in Vermont. She's the author of the award-winning middle-grade novel Avenging the Owl and two memoirs-- Wild Within- How Rescuing Owls Inspired a Family and Gringa- A Contradictory Girlhood . She's based in Eugene, Oregon, and travels frequently around the U.S. with her husband and 12-year-old daughter. www.melissahart.com.

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

This exceptionally useful text offers well-curated annotated bibliographies on subjects such as immigration, race and ethnicity, LGBTQIA+ identities, adoption, religion, and poverty, framed by brief and engaging essays on why each topic matters to readers today. Hart (Avenging the Owl) shares her personal connections to several issues, reflecting on how lacking or having the right story at the right time can make a world of difference to young people. Even with some appropriate overlap among lists and the wise focus on more recent titles, there is a feeling of abundance. Books vary widely in terms of genre and age level (with the occasional adult title featured), and Hart writes with an intersectional lens, considering within-group difference. Interviews with children's authors, including An Na, Chris Crutcher, Donna Gephart, Beth Vrabel, and Eric Gansworth, are seamlessly integrated and add insight, as do anecdotes from teachers and librarians. An introduction by author Sharon M. Draper and appendixes of additional resources and research further situate the book within the larger landscape of engagement with life-changing adolescent fiction. VERDICT Offering valuable reading lists, this beautifully organized work should become a go-to resource for parents, students of young adult literature, teachers, and librarians.--Miriam DesHarnais, Towson University, MD

Booklist Review

The middle- and high-school years are times of critical self-discovery; not an easy process, especially for those who are different from their classmates. Novels can give young readers touchstones, examples of people who are like them and who not only survive but do so while finding a place of acceptance. Books also build insight and empathy. Buttressed by insightful opening essays based on the compiler's own experiences, this guide covers approximately 500 books in 11 categories: adoption and foster care, body image, immigration, learning challenges, LGBTQIA+ youth, mental health, nature and environmentalism, physical disability, poverty and homelessness, race and ethnicity, and religion and spirituality. The reading lists which make up each chapter are divided into books for preteens and books for teens. The annotations give major plot points and are concisely and engagingly written. An appendix of sources for teachers, parents, and youth is included, as are a further reading list, a bibliography, and an index (unseen). An excellent resource for middle-and high-school librarians, this could also also serve as a reference source for counseling programs or for church youth programs.--Ann Welton Copyright 2019 Booklist

Sharon M. Draper

Foreword	p. xi
Introduction	p. xiii
1 Books About Adoption And Foster Care	p. 1
Reading Lists	p. 10
2 Books About Body Image	p. 23
Reading Lists	p. 33
3 Books About Immigration	p. 45
Reading Lists	p. 54
4 Books About Learning Challenges	p. 67
Reading Lists	p. 77
5 Books About LGBTQIA+ Youth	p. 89
Reading Lists	p. 99
6 Books About Mental Health	p. 113
Reading Lists	p. 124
7 Books About Nature And Environmentalism	p. 141
Reading Lists	p. 152
8 Books About Physical Disability	p. 165
Reading Lists	p. 174
9 Books About Poverty And Homelessness	p. 187
Reading Lists	p. 196
10 Books About Race And Ethnicity	p. 211
Reading Lists	p. 220
11 Books About Religion And Spirituality	p. 237
Reading Lists	p. 247
Acknowledgments	p. 260
Appendix: Resources for Parents, Teachers, Librarians, and Young Readers	p. 262
Further Reading	p. 265
Bibliography	p. 266
Index	p. 271

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Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

Booklist Review

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