Every story is as unique as the person who tells it. Every person is as strong as their experience makes them. Are you tired of flippant advice given by those who don't understand? I am not you. I can sympathize, I can empathize, but I can't truely understand. Still... I offer hope. You have a story. This book is a collection of our stories. Teens, like you and I, share their stories of encouragement in the midst of divorce, abuse,eating disorders, drinking, teenage pregnancy, relocation, and losing a parent. Not everyone's opinions and remarks matter. What graffiti will you allow on the walls of your life?

A 2016 Coretta Scott King Author Honor book, and recipient of the Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature. In this New York Times bestselling novel, two teens—one black, one white—grapple with the repercussions of a single violent act that leaves their school, their community, and, ultimately, the country bitterly divided by racial tension. A bag of chips. That’s all sixteen-year-old Rashad is looking for at the corner bodega. What he finds instead is a fist-happy cop, Paul Galluzzo, who mistakes Rashad for a shoplifter, mistakes Rashad’s pleadings that he’s stolen nothing for belligerence, mistakes Rashad’s resistance to leave the bodega as resisting arrest, mistakes Rashad’s every flinch at every punch the cop throws as further resistance and refusal to STAY STILL as ordered. But how can you stay still when someone is pounding your face into the concrete pavement? There were witnesses: Quinn Collins—a varsity basketball player and Rashad’s classmate who has been raised by Paul since his own father died in Afghanistan—and a video camera. Soon the beating is all over the news and Paul is getting threatened with accusations of prejudice and racial brutality. Quinn refuses to believe that the man who has basically been his savior could possibly be guilty. But then Rashad is absent. And absent again. And again. And the basketball team—half of whom are Rashad’s best friends—start to take sides. As does the school. And the town. Simmering tensions threaten to explode as Rashad and Quinn are forced to face decisions and consequences they had never considered before. Written in tandem by two award-winning authors, this four-starred reviewed tour de force shares the alternating perspectives of Rashad and Quinn as the complications from that single violent moment, the type taken directly from today’s headlines, unfold and reverberate to highlight an unwelcome truth.

Teaching Tough Topics shows teachers how to lead students to become caring citizens as they read and respond to quality children’s literature. It focuses on topics that can be challenging or sensitive, yet are significant in order to build understanding of social justice, diversity, and equity. Racism, Homophobia, Bullying, Religious Intolerance, Poverty, and Physical and Mental Challenges are just some of the themes explored. The book is rooted in the belief that by using picture books, novels, poetry, and nonfiction, teachers can enrich learning with compassion and empathy as students make connections to texts, to others, and to the world.

Tough Fronts takes the difficult issues in urban education head on by putting street-savvy students at the forefront of the discussion on how to best make successful changes for inner city schools. Individual chapters discuss scholarly depictions of black America, the social complexity of the teacher-student relationship, individual success stories of 'at-risk' programs, popular images of urban students, and implications for education policy. With close attention to the voices of individual students, this engaging book gives vitality and legitimacy to arguments for school changes that have been lacking in previous discussions.

It is easy to recognize the characteristics of at-risk youth--especially, if, like Romal Tune, you were one of them. Rev. Tune offers inspiration and motivation by connecting his story with those of at-risk youth in the Bible who discovered God's graffiti written all over their own lives.

He calls it fate. She calls it blackmail. Rory has a secret: she's the vandal who paints graffiti lions all over her small town. If her policeman dad knew, he'd probably disown her. So when Hayes, a former screw-up on the path to recovery, catches her in the act, Rory's sure she's busted. Instead, he makes her a deal. If Rory shows him around town, he won't turn her in. It might be coercion, but at least the boy is hot. As they spend more time together, Rory worries she made the wrong choice. Hayes has a way of making her want things she shouldn't want and feel emotions she's tried to bury. Rory's going to have to distance herself from Hayes or confront a secret she can't bring herself to face...

Does every conversation with your child or teen about screen time blow up into a fight? Or maybe you avoid bringing up the topic but silently harbor worry and frustration. How can you better understand what you're up against - and most importantly, ensure the healthiest screen time possible? In Parenting in the Screen Age, award-winning filmmaker, and mental health advocate Dr. Delaney Ruston distills more than a decade of communications research into a definitive guide for today's parents. Packed with evidence-based insights on screen time from researchers, input from kids and teens, and solutions drawn from Dr. Ruston's own messy parenting struggles, this guide shows you how to start - and sustain - productive family talks about technology. You'll learn how to: Bring up screen time without making your child or teen defensive Talk through difficult issues like online social cruelty, sexting, and mental health Engage your child in creating boundaries around Netflix, video gaming, and social media Have screen time limits that actually work - with less of the sneaking or arguing During the COVID pandemic or after, this book will help you lead your child to become more tech-wise and life balanced - empowering them to build a healthier relationship with our digital world, now and into their future.