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Showing 1 - 20 of 149 items
The diary of Ma Yan: the struggles and hopes of a Chinese schoolgirl
By Lisa Appignanesi, Ma Yan, Pierre Haski. 2005
Ma Yan is a teenager from Ningxia, China, a drought-stricken rural area. Education can be the difference between a life…
of crushing poverty and a better future, but money is scarce. Ma Yan's diary chronicles her struggle to escape hardship and bring prosperity to her family, through her persistent, sometimes desperate, attempts to continue her schooling. Grades 4-7 and older readers. 2002, 2004. Uniform title: Journal de Ma Yan.The burn journals
By Brent Runyon. 2008
Fearing expulsion and parental disapproval after lighting a shirt on fire at his school, Brent goes home, soaks his bathrobe…
with gasoline, steps into his shower, and strikes a match. Suffering horrific burns, Brent faces a long, painful recovery - both mentally and physically. Junior and Senior High. 2008.The bite of the mango
By Mariatu Kamara, Susan McClelland. 2008
Sierra Leone. At the age of 12, Mariatu Kamara was raped by a family friend, then captured by rebels who…
cut off her hands. Despite her wounds, Kamara walked out of the bush and sought help, ending up in an amputee camp, where she gave birth to a son who died of malnutrition. When foreign journalists interviewed Kamara in the camp, her story garnered international interest and assistance, which eventually brought her to Toronto. Her autobiography testifies to Kamara's horrific trauma, but with the aim of fostering hope and reconciliation. Winner of the 2011 Red Maple Non-Fiction Award. For junior high and older readers. Some strong language, some descriptions of sex, and some descriptions of violence. c2008.Rethinking normal: a memoir in transition
By Ariel Schrag, Katie Rain Hill. 2014
Katie never felt comfortable in her own skin. She realized very young that a serious mistake had been made; she…
was a girl who had been born in the body of a boy. Suffocating under her peers’ bullying and the mounting pressure to be “normal,” Katie tried to take her life at the age of eight years old. After several other failed attempts, she finally understood that “Katie” - the girl trapped within her - was determined to live. She reflects on her pain-filled childhood and the events leading up to the life-changing decision to undergo gender reassignment as a teenager. She reveals the unique challenges she faced while unlearning how to be a boy and shares what it was like to navigate the dating world and experience heartbreak. For senior high readers and older. 2014.Piece by piece: stories about fitting into Canada
By Teresa Toten. 2010
This anthology features stories by some Canadian authors who were born in another country, and who went through the experience…
of trying to "fit in." Explores their emotions, from the shock of first impressions to the author's first stirrings of "becoming Canadian" and what that meant to them. Contributors include Linda Granfield (U.S), Marina Nemat (Iran), and Eva Wiseman (Hungary). For junior high readers. Some strong language. c2010.Paroles d'enfants dans la guerre: journaux intimes d'enfants et de jeunes gens, 1914-2004
By Zlata Filipovic, Melanie Challenger. 2006
Tous les jours, nous voyons les ravages de la guerre à la télévision. Nous voyons, mais nous ne voulons pas…
vraiment savoir. Ces enfants, eux, ont vécu la guerre. Leurs journaux sont bouleversants. Ces "Paroles d'enfants dans la guerre" constituent un témoignage exceptionnel. De l'Allemagne de 1914 à l'Irak de 2004, la douleur et la force qui émanent des journaux sont les mêmes. Dans la violence de la guerre, les enfants sont égaux. Et notre impuissance à empêcher leur souffrance devient, devant ces voix d'enfants qui s'élèvent, un renoncement insupportable. Quelques descriptions de violence. Pour les lecteurs d'école secondaire et plus. 2006.The Cross and the switchblade
By David Wilkerson, John Sherrill, Elizabeth Sherrill. 1962
David was a country parson until the night he saw the face of a young killer in a magazine. Then…
he knew that his mission was to go to New York. There, later, he founded "Teen Challenge", a fast-growing movement to help lost teenagers to find a new life in the Holy Spirit. Senior High. 1962.What makes me feel this way?: Growing up with human emotions
By Eda J LeShan. 1972
The author uses specific situations involving such emotions as love, hate, fear, anger and jealousy to illustrate the conflicts and…
confusion children experience, and to help them understand and accept their feelings. Grades 4-7. 1972.Rascal: a memoir of a better era
By Sterling North, John Schoenherr. 1963
My Story Starts Here: Voices of Young Offenders
By Deborah Ellis. 2019
Jamar found refuge in a gang after leaving an abusive home where his mother stole from him. Fred was arrested…
for assault with a weapon, public intoxication and attacking his mother while on drugs. Jeremy first went to court at age fourteen (“Court gives you the feeling that you can never make up for what you did, that you’re just bad forever”) but now wears a Native Rights hat to remind him of his strong Métis heritage. Kate, charged with petty theft and assault, finally found a counselor who treated her like a person for the first time.Many readers will recognize themselves, or someone they know, somewhere in these stories. Being lucky or unlucky after an incident of shoplifting, or the drug search at school, or hanging out with the wrong kids at the wrong time. The encounter with a mean cop, or a good one, that can change the trajectory of a kid’s life. Couch-surfing, or being shunted from one foster home to another. The effect of youth crime on families (the book includes the points of view of family members as well as “voices of experience” — adults looking back at their own experiences as young offenders).The kids in this book represent a range of socioeconomic backgrounds, genders, sexual orientations and ethnicities. Every story is different, but there are common threads — loss of parenting, dislocation, poverty, truancy, addiction, discrimination.Most of all, this book leaves readers asking the most pressing questions of all. Does it make sense to put kids in jail? Can’t we do better? Have we forgotten that we were once teens ourselves, feeling powerless to change our lives, confused about who we were and what we wanted, and quick to make a dumb move without a thought for the consequences?Guts (Smile:)
By Raina Telgemeier. 2019
A true story from Raina Telgemeier, the #1 New York Times bestselling, multiple Eisner Award-winning author of Smile, Sisters, Drama,…
and Ghosts! Raina wakes up one night with a terrible upset stomach. Her mom has one, too, so it's probably just a bug. Raina eventually returns to school, where she's dealing with the usual highs and lows: friends, not-friends, and classmates who think the school year is just one long gross-out session. It soon becomes clear that Raina's tummy trouble isn't going away... and it coincides with her worries about food, school, and changing friendships. What's going on? Raina Telgemeier once again brings us a thoughtful, charming, and funny true story about growing up and gathering the courage to face -- and conquer -- her fears.My family divided: one girl's journey of home, loss, and hope
By Erica Moroz, Diane Guerrero. 2018
Actress from Orange Is the New Black reflects back on her parents' deportation to Colombia and what it was like…
growing up in Boston without them. Guerrero discusses the struggles of undocumented immigrants and suggests ways to help. For grades 6-9. 2018Hello, crochet friends!: making art, being mindful, giving back : do what makes you happy
By Jennifer Larson, Jonah Larson, Erin Harris. 2019
Young, gifted artist Jonah Larson discusses his adoption from Ethiopia and his challenges in a Wisconsin school. He and his…
mom recount how crocheting came into his life, calmed his hyper mind, and became a source of joy and fame for him. For grades 2-4. 2019Biddy Mason speaks up (Fighting for justice #2)
By Laura Freeman, Laura Atkins, Arisa White. 2019
Tells the story--in verse, with supplemental historical material--of Bridget "Biddy" Mason, who was born a slave, sued for her family's…
freedom after being taken to California, became a midwife and a nurse, and started many philanthropic projects with profits from her real estate investments. For grades 4-7. 2019Identical twins Ernesto and Raúl Flores, seventeen, fled El Salvador, and made a harrowing journey across the Rio Grande and…
the Texas desert. They faced capture by immigration authorities and still struggle to navigate life in America. Some violence and some strong language. For junior and senior high readers. 2019Famous friends: best buds, rocky relationships, and awesomely odd couples from past to present
By Jennifer Castle, Bill Spring. 2017
Profiles some of the most famous celebrity friends, from statesmen John Adams and Thomas Jefferson to literary genius Arthur Conan…
Doyle and magician Harry Houdini. Modern celebrity friendships include the bromance of X-Men stars Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart and Taylor Swift and her squad. For grades 4-7. 2017Dating and sex: a guide for the 21st century teen boy
By Andrew P. Smiler. 2016
Provides information and advice for teen males on dating, relationships, sex, physical changes, and sexual orientation. Also discusses the topic…
of consent and covers the basics for solo and partnered sexual activities. Explicit descriptions of sex. For junior and senior high and older readers. 2016Provides advice on school, self-confidence, and the changing relationships with peers, teachers, and parents that emerge during middle school. Uses…
activities to encourage students to put their experiences in perspective and to feel comfortable with who they are. For grades 5-8. 2016Reproductive rights: who decides?
By Vicki Oransky Wittenstein. 2016
Overview of the history of disputes over human reproduction practices, including contraception, sex education, and abortion. Highlights notable individuals such…
as Margaret Sanger and Mary Ware Dennett, who were demonized for their advocacy of women's rights to have access to birth control. For junior and senior high and older readers. 2016A beginner's guide to immortality: from alchemy to avatars
By Maria Birmingham, Josh Holinaty. 2015
Chronicles humanity's attempts to cheat death through elixirs or other magical substances. Highlights key individuals who were believed to be…
immortal and the mysteries surrounding their actual age, including fourteenth-century French scholar Nicolas Flamel, who is said to have created the mythical philosopher's stone. For grades 3-6. 2015