Social Issues Books - Page 6

Cut

Patricia McCormick

Amazon Price: $12.71 List Price: $16.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Front Street imprint of Boyds Mills Press Amazon Marketplace: 37 new & used starting at $4.49

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> People & Places -> Social Issues -> Abuse

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 344 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

When she arrives at Sea Pines, Callie is self-destructive, unresponsive, and withdrawn. Her parents and doctor have placed her in the "residential treatment facility" after discovering that she cuts herself. Callie refuses to talk to anyone, including her psychiatrist. But slowly, through compelling first-person narrative, the event that traumatized her comes to light. Callie reveals that her brother Ben nearly died from liver failure while in her care. Her mother was unavailable and her father was at a bar. Although their absence is evidence of a deep family dysfunction, Callie blames herself for the crisis. When the threat of expulsion from Sea Pines precipitates a cutting incident that frightens her, Callie finally begins her healing process. She opens up to the girls around her and surrenders to her therapist the compass she's been using to cut herself. Through Callie's frank and realistic voice, first-time novelist Patty McCormick illuminates a subject that is rarely discussed. Her story of Callie's recovery will speak to the more than 1 million people - mainly girls and young women - who engage in acts of self-inflicted violence every year.

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

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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.

Chrysanthemum Big Book

Kevin Henkes

Amazon Price: $16.49 List Price: $24.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: HarperTrophy Amazon Marketplace: 24 new & used starting at $13.85

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 73 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Another Kevin Henkes Miracle! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Adorable as ever :) I'm thinking I might use this for my children's lit paper, hey, why not? Love it just as much as I loved it when I read it years ago. The illustrations are still great (and snarky!), and the writing's just perfect, capturing the imaginations of both young and old. It's truly a tale of individuality for the ages.

Shared Reading 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I teach kindergarten, and this book was great to use for shared reading. The students loved the big, colorful pictures, and the story about funny names.

Little mouse with a big name 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

A little mouse with a big name. The pictures are adorable, and all kids should sympathize with the girl who happens to have a quality that is a little different.

not a good message to send girls (or boys) 1 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

When I really think about it, this book does not send a good message to children. Chrysanthemum doesn't feel good about her name, hence herself, until a teacher gives her approval. Children should not be taught that their worth is determined by how others view them. They should be taught that one's sense of worth comes from the inside.

Editorial Review:

She was a perfect baby, and she had a perfect name. Chrysanthemum.

Chrysanthemum loved her name—until she started school.

A terrific read-aloud for the classroom and libraries!

The Hundred Dresses

Eleanor Estes

Amazon Price: $7.00 List Price: $7.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Harcourt Paperbacks Amazon Marketplace: 88 new & used starting at $0.66

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 101 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Disappointing 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This book has a lot of build up surrounding the dresses... are they real, imaginary, did she make them, buy them, or inherit them? Teasing from the main character's peers made me as the reader wait in suspense to find out what the dresses really were and to look forward to the girl standing up for herself. When we finally find out about the dresses, however, I found it to be a bit anticlimactic with very little resolution to the issues of bullying, teasing, gossiping, and stereotyping. Not impressed by this apparent "classic."

Editorial Review:

Never out of print since its 1944 publication, this tender story offers readers of all ages a timeless message of compassion and understanding. At its heart is Wanda Petronski, an immigrant girl in an American school, who is ridiculed for wearing the same faded blue dress every day. When she tells her classmates that she has one hundred dresses at home, she unwittingly triggers a game of teasing that eventually ends in a lesson for all.

In restoring the reproduction of Louis Slobodkin's artwork, this new edition recaptures the original vivid color. And to celebrate the book's enhanced beauty, Helena Estes, the daughter of the author, has written a new letter to readers about the true story behind The Hundred Dresses.

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

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Features:

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

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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!

Future Children's Librarian bears her "Teeth" 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The best behavior series is tackling children's less than desirable behaviors one by one;preventing kicking, hitting, the sharing of germs, tail pulling, and now, biting. The text highlights the benefits of teeth for activities such as chewing and smiling as well as acknowledging situations where children might want to bite and alternatives to biting. A variety of well-drawn illustrations present a variety of children in multiple environments. The text does not follow a predictable pattern-while some phrases are used repeatedly, the pattern changes a few times over the course of the text, from "Teeth are not for biting" to "Biting hurts" and back again, which may be confusing for the 0-3 year old audience. Parents may appreciate the resources for discouraging biting and assistance with teething available at the end of the book.

Editorial Review:

Teeth Are Not for Biting is a board book that imparts the message that biting hurts.

Sign of the Beaver, The

Elizabeth George Speare

List Price: $2.99 By: Yearling Amazon Marketplace: 30 new & used starting at $0.01

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 192 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Perpetuates Stereotypes 1 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

As a fourth grade educator, I would never introduce this book to my students as anything else other than an example of popular culture that perpetuates stereotypes of Native Americans. Attean and other Native American characters speak in broken English, giving the reader the impression that these characters are inferior to their White counterparts. The terminology used is highly offensive (squaw)for both Native people and for women. The relationship that Attean has with girls in his tribe as well as with animals is unrealistic and down right inaccurate. Joseph Bruchac and Michael Dorris are two authors which do an excellent job of writing from the Native American perspective.

Great read aloud! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I have used Sign of the Beaver as a read aloud just about every year I have taught! I teach 4th grade, and have always had great reviews from my students. The text and vocabulary are advanced for some fourth graders, so it is a terrific way to expand their vocabulary and knowledge without having frustrated readers. I have collected a class set over the years, allowing every child to read along. I highly recommend this book!

Editorial Review:

Left alone to guard the family's wilderness home in eighteenth-century Maine, a boy is hard-pressed to survive until local Indians teach him their skills.

Sold

Patricia Mccormick

Amazon Price: $10.87 List Price: $15.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Hyperion Book CH Amazon Marketplace: 78 new & used starting at $2.95

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 62 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Sold 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Sold, by Patricia McCormick, is a riveting tale of a thirteen-year-old, Nepalese girl who is sold into prostitution. It is historical fiction and incorporates many details of the constant trade of women and girls worldwide that is still occurring today.
McCormick herself traveled to India and Nepal to trace the steps that the main character in her novel would take, and was even able to interview women in Calcutta's red-light district who shared their heart-wrenching stories with her. McCormick took away from this experience the idea that these stories needed to be shared because these innocent women and girls were being forced into horrendous situations that they had no control whatsoever over. McCormick lent a voice to these women who had never been able to speak up for themselves, and in the process educated the world on the issue of sex slavery.
While a few of the main themes in this novel are fear, loneliness, and cruelty, McCormick also made a point to highlight the main character's immense hope and perseverance, and the strength and self-discovery that came along with that. Even in the face of ultimate defeat, the main character says, "I will be with them all. Any man, every man... I will do whatever it takes to get out of here." (227) McCormick presented her as an innocent bystander who must find a way to deal with a new, harrowing life and this was incredibly moving. It also helped that the book was extremely well-written.
Therefore, I would definitely recommend this book. The writing style was poetic and never overwhelming, and McCormick crafted an extremely complex and likable character. This book is especially good for teenagers to read because it makes us appreciate what we have and the things that we take for granted every single day. Another reader also commented that "this book will also show you things that are so painful that most of the world likes to pretend that they don't exist" and I also completely agree with that statement.
Overall, Sold was an extremely good, yet harrowing book that opened my eyes to the hardships that other girls my age are facing around the world.

The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages

Leo Buscaglia

Amazon Price: $11.96 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Slack Incorporated Amazon Marketplace: 38 new & used starting at $8.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 62 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Lovely fable 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

What an absolutely beautiful parable! The facts of life and death are poetically revealed through the story of a maple leaf named Freddie, who experiences a year of life. I understand that the purpose of writing this book was to explain the reasons behind death, and the result is exceedingly poignant.

Raves for The Fall of Freddie the Leaf 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The Fall of Freddie the Leaf is an absolutely awesome book. It is everything friends had told me it would be. I read it to my 4 year old grandson and of course had to read it to him again within a couple of hours. What a beautiful way of explaining the life and death process!

End of Life Book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The Fall Of Freddie the Leaf is a wonderful book for young and old alike to read if a loved one is dying. I for one will be using this book in my daily practice as a Hospice nurse.

Editorial Review:

he Fall of Freddie the Leaf touches children and adults alike, illustrating the delicate balance between life and death. The Fall of Freddie the Leaf is a warm, thought-provoking story about how Freddie and his companion leaves change with the passing seasons and the coming of winter. This beautiful and engaging tale has also been made into a film narrated by Leo Buscaglia

The Wall (Reading Rainbow Book)

Eve Bunting

Amazon Price: $15.25 List Price: $15.25 Usually ships in 2 to 4 weeks By: Topeka Bindery Amazon Marketplace: 2 new & used starting at $1.02

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The Wall by Tanashia C. 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

The Wall
by Eve Bunting
Illustrated by Ronald Himler

You should read this book because it's great and it's about someone you will remember and someone you love! The main Characters are the Dad, son, and an old man from war, and grandpa. Dad and his son are trying to find grandpa's name on the wall. The wall is in Washington D.C. They can't find their grandpa's name even though they keep looking up and down.
Dad and his son find grandpa's name! what do you think his name is? The book tells you a note and tells you where the wall is and it is in Washington D.C. it also tells you why the wall was made.
By reading this book you can learn to Keep doing your best, keep looking for what you want, and don't give up. Keep looking for what you love too! What do you love to find that you love so much? What I love to find is my family and my things I love. So if you love to find your family then read this book!!!!!!!!!!


By Tanashia C

Editorial Review:

A young boy and his father visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

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

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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.