Social Issues Books - Page 3

Maniac Magee

Jerry Spinelli

Amazon Price: $6.99 List Price: $6.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: INGRAM BOOK & DISTRIBUTOR - Model: ING0316809063 Amazon Marketplace: 108 new & used starting at $0.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Features:

• CHILDRENS BOOKS & MUSIC
• Childrens Books
• Language Arts

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( S ) -> Spinelli, Jerry

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 718 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Maniac Magee 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Jeffery Magee is a twelve-year-old kid who's parents died in the famous P&W trolley crash. His aunt and Uncle can't agree on anything, not even Jeffery. When they come to the school choir concert they sit on opposite sides of the bleachers, at the end of the song Jeffery is screaming for them to talk. Then he starts running, away from school, away from his aunt and uncle, away from Holidaysburg. Into Two Mills.
Upon arriving in Two Mills Jeffery gets himself into the furious fight between blacks and whites. When he starts living with a family of blacks, the Beales, he finds himself in for alot of trouble, especially from Mars Bars Thompson. Eventually Jeffery, now Maniac Magee, ralizes the trouble he has caused and runs to East end, the white side of town. There he starts living with the Mcnabs, but soon sees that he's only causing trouble there too. In the end Maniac is living in a buffalo pen at the zoo when Amanda Beale and Mars Bars Thompson convince Maniac to live with them in West end, because they don't care if he's white, he is their friend.
Pg 182:
"Let's go."
"Where?"
"Home."
"Who's?"
"Mine. Yours. Ours. Come on, I'm sleepy"...
He knew that finally, truly, at long last, someone was calling him home.
I think this best examplifies the authors purpose in writing this book by saying that if you keep trying and don't give up you will be acceptted no matter what. Also that no matter how the world looks there is always someone who cares about you.
I think that this book is a great contribution to society. It teaches us that growing up can be hard, but there is always something good waiting for you on the other side. Also, it helps us understand that if we preservere we will always make it.
We will make it through life, good or bad, depending on our choices and I think that this book is a great example of that. overall this is a book that anyone who has questions about growing up should read.

Editorial Review:

After his parents die, Jeffrey Lionel Magee's life becomes legendary as he accomplishes athletic feats and other extraordinary exploits that awe his contemporaries. Paperback.

Burned

Ellen Hopkins

Amazon Price: $9.99 List Price: $9.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Simon Pulse Amazon Marketplace: 46 new & used starting at $5.56

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Issues -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Issues -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 49 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Amazing 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

another great read from hopking... i have loved everything she has writen. stories that are good and could be real..very realistic hitting on real life issues

disturbing yet beautiful 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

If you are a religious person, and you can't believe how Pattyn's father treats her, or how their pastor thinks, you may cringe a bit. I know I did. Even though it is fiction. I couldn't believe some of the things. I loved it despite it was disturbing. I loved the relationship between Pattyn and Ethan. I'm glad she found someone. I wish that Pattyn would've put up a fuss, and demanded she stayed with her Aunt, when it was time for her to go home. I love Mrs. Hopkins work. I am anxiously awaiting "Identical" which is due out August 26th.

Editorial Review:

Raised in a religious -- yet abusive -- family, Pattyn Von Stratten starts asking questions -- about God, a woman's role, sex, love. She experiences the first stirrings of passion, but when her father catches her in a compromising position, events spiral out of control. Pattyn is sent to live with an aunt in the wilds of Nevada to find salvation and redemption. What she finds instead is love and acceptance -- until she realizes that her old demons will not let her go.

Old Bear

Kevin Henkes

Amazon Price: $12.23 List Price: $17.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Greenwillow Amazon Marketplace: 55 new & used starting at $8.95

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Baby-3 -> Bedtime & Dreaming
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Encourages Imagination 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful.

Reviewed by Cayden (age 4) and Max (age 2) Aures and Mom for Reader Views (8/08)

"Old Bear" is the story of a bear hibernating in the winter and dreaming that he is a cub again. He dreams of sleeping in a giant crocus, clouds raining blueberries, and all of the leaves being butterflies.

Max: "Bear sleeping."
Cayden: "He is hibernating because it is winter and that is what bears do when it snows."

Max: "Sleep in flower!"
Cayden: "That is a real big flower if it can hold that bear!"

Cayden: "Why is the sun made out of that flower? And look at all of those butterflies!"

Max: "Blueberries!"
Cayden: "I would like it if it rained blueberries! We like blueberries a lot!"

Cayden: "Why is everything yellow, brown and orange? I wouldn't like it if that was how everything looked."

Max: "Stars!"
Cayden: "They are all different colors in the sky!"

Cayden: "He woke up now and winter is done."

Cayden: "My favorite part was when it rained blueberries!"
Max: "Me too!"

Parent's comments:

"Old Bear" by Kevin Henkes is a creative book that encourages children to think outside of the box. My boys had a great time imagining a world where all of the leaves were butterflies, and where it rained blueberries! The illustrations in the book did an excellent job to complement the storyline and we really had a fun time being a part of "Old Bear's" dream sequence!

Editorial Review:

Snug and warm, curled and furry, Old Bear sleeps.

Red, orange, and brown leaves fly through the air, and it is snowing hard. Old Bear doesn't notice.

Old Bear is dreaming about being a cub again. He is dreaming about the beauty of the world. He is dreaming of everything he loves about the forest that is his home.

Turn the page and you will see!

Hands Are Not for Hitting (Ages 4-7) (Best Behavior Series)

Martine Agassi Ph.D.

Amazon Price: $9.56 List Price: $11.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Free Spirit Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 41 new & used starting at $6.62

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Baby-3 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Baby-3 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> People & Places -> Social Issues -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 34 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Hitting Hands 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I purchased this book for my 22 month old who has learned that hitting is an "effective" way to get his big brother's attention. My son is fascinated with this book and obviously gets the message. We have a few other books from this series and love them.

good book for generating dialog 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I saw this book recently featured in an article in a print periodical about child development

We've recently had minor problems with our 4-year old son acting out after preschool on days when he had been picked on by other kids. We got the book and used it is a bedtime story. It generated good dialogue (as good as you get with a 4-year old) and it made him think before he acted. It gave him some tools to use with the more physical kids so he resolves the problem in the moment without resorting to aggression. Wthat he doesn't have to resort to acting out to make the behavior stop. I am glad that I purchased this book.

We bought also 'Words Are Not for Hurting' and that one was not as useful for generating dialog.

Editorial Review:

In this gentle, encouraging book, simple words and warm, inviting full-color illustrations teach children that violence is never okay and they can learn to manage their anger. There's also a special section for adults, with ideas for things to talk about and activities to do together. Recommended for day-care, preschool, kindergarten, and early elementary school classrooms and the home.

The Underneath

Kathi Appelt

Amazon Price: $11.55 List Price: $16.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Atheneum Amazon Marketplace: 45 new & used starting at $3.40

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Animals -> Cats -> Fiction

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

There is nothing lonelier than a cat who has been loved, at least for a while, and then abandoned on the side of the road.

A calico cat, about to have kittens, hears the lonely howl of a chained-up hound deep in the backwaters of the bayou. She dares to find him in the forest, and the hound dares to befriend this cat, this feline, this creature he is supposed to hate. They are an unlikely pair, about to become an unlikely family. Ranger urges the cat to hide underneath the porch, to raise her kittens there because Gar-Face, the man living inside the house, will surely use them as alligator bait should he find them. But they are safe in the Underneath...as long as they stay in the Underneath.

Kittens, however, are notoriously curious creatures. And one kitten's one moment of curiosity sets off a chain of events that is astonishing, remarkable, and enormous in its meaning. For everyone who loves Sounder, Shiloh, and The Yearling, for everyone who loves the haunting beauty of writers such as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Flannery O'Connor, and Carson McCullers, Kathi Appelt spins a harrowing yet keenly sweet tale about the power of love -- and its opposite, hate -- the fragility of happiness and the importance of making good on your promises.

The Kissing Hand

Audrey Penn

Amazon Price: $11.53 List Price: $16.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Tanglewood Press Amazon Marketplace: 48 new & used starting at $7.18

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Animals -> Mammals -> Fiction

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 116 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Chester Raccoon doesn't want to go to school--he wants to stay home with his mother. She assures him that he'll love school--with its promise of new friends, new toys, and new books. Even better, she has a special secret that's been in the family for years--the Kissing Hand. This secret, she tells him, will make school seem as cozy as home. She takes her son's hand, spreads his tiny fingers into a fan and kisses his palm--smack dab in the middle: "Chester felt his mother's kiss rush from his hand, up his arm, and into his heart." Whenever he feels lonely at school, all he has to do is press his hand to his cheek to feel the warmth of his mother's kiss. Chester is so pleased with his Kissing Hand that he--in a genuinely touching moment--gives his mom a Kissing Hand, too, to comfort her when he is away. Audrey Penn's The Kissing Hand, published by the Child Welfare League of America, is just the right book for any child taking that fledgling plunge into preschool--or for any youngster who is temporarily separated from home or loved ones. The rough but endearing raccoon illustrations are as satisfying and soothing for anxious children as the simple story. (Ages 5 and older) --Karin Snelson

Teeth Are Not for Biting (Board Book) (Best Behavior Series)

Elizabeth Verdick

Amazon Price: $7.95 List Price: $7.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Free Spirit Publishing - Model: 9781575421283 Amazon Marketplace: 41 new & used starting at $3.40

Buy at Amazon.com

Features:

• Made with the Best Quality Material with your child in mind.
• Top Quality Children's Item.

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Baby-3 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Baby-3 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> People & Places -> Family Life -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 29 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Cute book, message works! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My son had a real problem w/ biting, but after reading this book over and over, I really saw a reduction. It's a cute book, great pictures. Def would buy it!

Editorial Review:

Crunch crunch crunch. Teeth are strong and sharp. Crunch crunch crunch. Teeth can help you chew. But teeth are not for biting. Ouch! Biting hurts. Sooner or later, almost all young children will bite someone a friend, a parent, a sibling. This upbeat, colorful, virtually indestructible book helps prevent biting and teaches positive alternatives.The companion to our best-selling Hands Are Not for Hitting Board Book, Teeth Are Not for Biting gives reasons why children might want to bite. Little mouths feel sore when new teeth come in; sometimes kids bite when theyre hungry, tired, cranky, frustrated, angry, bored, distressed, or seeking attention. Author Elizabeth Verdick suggests positive things children can do instead of biting: chew a chewy toy, drink a cold drink, get a hug, tell a grown-up. This book also includes helpful tips for parents and caregivers.24 page illustrated 7 x 7 inch, full-color board book.

Bud, Not Buddy (Readers Circle (Laurel-Leaf))

Christopher Paul Curtis

Amazon Price: $6.99 List Price: $6.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Laurel Leaf Amazon Marketplace: 48 new & used starting at $2.99

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( C ) -> Curtis, Christopher Paul -> Paperback

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 463 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

"It's funny how ideas are, in a lot of ways they're just like seeds. Both of them start real, real small and then... woop, zoop, sloop... before you can say Jack Robinson, they've gone and grown a lot bigger than you ever thought they could." So figures scrappy 10-year-old philosopher Bud--"not Buddy"--Caldwell, an orphan on the run from abusive foster homes and Hoovervilles in 1930s Michigan. And the idea that's planted itself in his head is that Herman E. Calloway, standup-bass player for the Dusky Devastators of the Depression, is his father.

Guided only by a flier for one of Calloway's shows--a small, blue poster that had mysteriously upset his mother shortly before she died--Bud sets off to track down his supposed dad, a man he's never laid eyes on. And, being 10, Bud-not-Buddy gets into all sorts of trouble along the way, barely escaping a monster-infested woodshed, stealing a vampire's car, and even getting tricked into "busting slob with a real live girl." Christopher Paul Curtis, author of The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963, once again exhibits his skill for capturing the language and feel of an era and creates an authentic, touching, often hilarious voice in little Bud. (Ages 8 to 12) --Paul Hughes

Voices in the Park

DK Publishing, Anthony Browne

Amazon Price: $7.99 List Price: $7.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: DK CHILDREN Amazon Marketplace: 51 new & used starting at $3.99

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

If you are a teacher, Get it! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I found this book when I was getting my teaching certification, and wanted to teach a 4th grade class on "Voice" or point of view. It was the basis for a great lesson! I think this could be appropriate for students in 3rd grade up to a basic high school English class. The same event (a trip to the park) is told by 4 distinctly different characters who all encounter each other in the park. So the story is told 4 times, once by each character. Everything from the word choice, font style, and beautiful illustrations relates the "voice" or point of view of each person. It is not only highly instructuve, it is a visual treat and intriguing. I have read the story many times, and each time the students see something that I missed. I love this book and share it with all my teacher friends and librarians.

Editorial Review:

I called his name...I settled on a bench...I was amazed...I felt really, really happy...Four people enter a park, and through their eyes we see four different visions. There's the bossy woman, the sad man, the lonely boy and the young girl whose warmth touches those she meets. As the story moves from one voice to another, their perspectives are reflected in the shifting landscape and seasons. This is an intriguing, many-layered, enormously entertaining book that demands to be read again and again.

A Smart Girl's Guide to Sticky Situations: How to Tackle Tricky, Icky Problems and Tough Times. (American Girl (Paperback Unnumbered))

Amazon Price: $9.95 List Price: $9.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: American Girl Amazon Marketplace: 56 new & used starting at $1.05

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> People & Places -> Social Issues -> Abuse

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 24 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Good sense! Don't leave home without it! 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

A Smart Girl's Guide to Sticky Situations is an absolutely wonderful book for preteens about some of the weird situations that people of any age can find themselves in. With very appealingly silly illustrations, the book covers the expected items like flunking a test, not getting picked for a team, looking goofy in photos, etc.

However, there are some serious situations that are beautifully handled. For example, information about what to do if you are separated from your family in the city could save a child's life. Knowing how to handle false accusations could save a child's sanity!

Little sidebars called "Disaster Blasters" provide information to prevent all manner of inconvenience, embarrassment and grief! While some reviewers have stated that this is merely a compilation of common sense, keep in mind that maturity comes with age and experience, and this book is aimed at a very young audience.

I really do wish that I had this book, myself, many years ago, and I highly recommend it for any young lady in your family circle.