Why do some children excel and some struggle? Why are some children who face many of life's greatest adversities able to overcome great risks and experience success and others do not? Author Rick Miller has spent 45 years educating, advocating, caring for, and supporting the futures of all youth. He has dedicated his professional life to disproving the claim that all children are "at risk". He believes all children are, in fact, "at hope". This book explores this breadth of understanding from a research, academic, and practitioner's perspective and translates complicated theory into straightforward and powerful expressions about what is best for today's youth. Youth Development discusses universal truths and tools that children need to not only survive but thrive at home and in school. The author has created a culture of embracing children "at hope", where every child is capable of success, no exceptions!

Shooting at the Stars is the moving story of a young British soldier on the front lines during World War I who experiences an unforgettable Christmas Eve. In a letter to his mother, he describes how, despite fierce fighting earlier from both sides, Allied and German soldiers ceased firing that evening and came together on the battlefield to celebrate the holiday. They sang carols, exchanged gifts, and even lit Christmas trees. But as the holiday came to a close, they returned to their separate trenches to await orders for the war to begin again. Award-wining creator John Hendrix wonderfully brings the story of the Christmas Truce of 1914 to life with his signature style, interweaving detailed illustrations and hand-lettered text. His telling of the story celebrates the humanity that can persist during even the darkest periods of our history.

John P Carlos, senior consulting partner with The Ken Blanchard Companies, and Rick Miller, founder of Kids at Hope, collaborated on this exceptional book written to guide community, school, youth organisations, and parents in developing a culture that supports the success of every child, NO EXCEPTIONS. This book is a parable about possibilities...primarily the possibility of success. Kids at Hope is a belief system that turns around the current "youth at risk" paradigm.

Youth and Family Services (YFS) are part of residential and group homes, schools, social service organizations, hospitals, and family court systems. YFS include prevention, education, positive youth development, foster care, child welfare, and treatment. As YFS has evolved advances in research have brought forth a host of promising new ideas that both complement and expand on the original underpinnings of strengths-based practice. Thriving on the Front Lines represents an articulation of these advancements. Thriving on the Front Lines explores the use of strengths-based practices with those who are "in the trenches," Youth Care Worker (YCWs). Commonly referred to as resident counselors, youth counselors, psychiatric technicians (psych techs), caseworkers, case managers, and house parents or managers, YCWs are on the "front lines," often providing services 24 hours a day. Thriving on the Front Lines is an up-to-date treatise on the pivotal role of YCWs and those who work day in and day out with youth to improve their well-being, relationships, and overall quality of life. Unique aspects of the strengths-based framework provided in Thriving on the Front Lines include: Strengths-based principles informed by five decades of research; Discussion of the importance of using real-time feedback to improve service outcomes and "how to" implement an outcome-orientation; Exploration of Positive Youth Development; Two chapters devoted entirely to strengths-based interventions; An in-depth discussion of how to improve effectiveness through deliberate practice; and, How to develop a strengths-based organizational climate.

This edited text focuses on positive approaches to youth development that are rapidly supplanting the traditional deficit-oriented, problem-reduction approach. The book addresses the question; what does it take to create a community that will promote the positive opportunities that can optimize the development of all young people? The book draws together the perspectives of top names and programs in positive youth development, thus assuring readers of authoritative, cutting-edge coverage.

Adapts an engaging selection of true stories from World War I in a graphically illustrated format in the style of the creator's popular Hazardous Tales, sharing accessible introductions to well-known battles and lesser-known secrets. By the award-winning creator of Rapunzel's Revenge.

In the first textbook of its kind, "Global Youth Ministry" brings together some of the foremost voices in international youth leadership to focus on the theological, theoretical, sociocultural, and historical issues that shape ministry to youth in contexts around the world.