Books
In this section, you will find lists of suggested books and book reviews of recommended books.
Book Review
Why Do They Act that Way? A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teen
By David Walsh
This book review was written by a group of parents who met at a “Taking Asset Building Personally” study group four years ago, and have continued meeting each year to read and discuss asset-building ideas. Last year, they read Why Do They Act That Way? A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teen by David Walsh.
Here is what they had to say:
“I loved the way David Walsh wrote about the latest in brain research, made it easy to understand and tied it into explaining why teens behave the way they do.”
“…Not only does he write about brain research, he gives parents concrete ideas of what to do, how to handle a situation, and when to get professional help.”
“All the topics are very relevant to what is happening with our children.”
Asset Building Champions Supplemental Books
This list of books complements our Asset Building Champion program. Books are listed by subject area. All books can be found on www.amazon.com unless otherwise noted.
ACCEPTING DIFFERENCES
Bein with You This Way by W. Nikola-Lisa & Michael Bryant
I’m Like You, You’re Like Me by Cindy Gainer www.freespirit.com
Look at Me! A Book About Differences by Allia Zobel-Nolan
Swimmy by Leo Lionni
The Brand New Kid by Katie Couric
The Dot by Peter Reynolds
The Strange Egg by Mary DePalma |
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ADDING ASSETS FOR KIDS 8-12
Series by Pamela Espeland and Elizabeth Verdick
(Free lesson plans can be downloaded at www.freespirit.com)
Doing and Being Your Best
Helping Out and Staying Safe
Knowing and Doing What’s Right
Loving To Learn
Making Choices and Making Friends
People Who Care About You
Proud to Be You
Smart Ways to Spend Your Time |
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BE YOURSELF
Am I a Color? by Heidi Cole. Nancy Vogl, Gerald Purnell
Hannah is my Name by Belle Yang
I Like Being Me by Julie Lalli- www.freespirit.com
I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont -www.freespirit.com
The Magically Mysterious Adventures of Noelle the Bulldog by Gloria Estefan
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
You’re Different and That’s Super by Carson Kressley |
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BULLYING
The Ant Bully by John Nickle
Bullies and Gangs by Julie Johnson
Bully by Judith Caseley
Bully On The Bus by Carl Bosch
King of the Playground by Phyllis Naylor
Terrible Things-(No such thing as an innocent bystander) by Eve Bunting
The Two Bullies by Marimoto |
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CARING
Alexander and the Wind-up Mouse by Leo Lionni
Corduroy by Dan Freeman
Oliver Button is a Sissy by Tomie de Paola |
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CLIQUES
Cliques, Phonies, & Other Baloney by Trevor Romain www.freespirit.com
The English Roses by Madonna (Las Rosas Inglesas) |
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CONFIDENCE
Blue Ribbon Day by Katie Couric
COURAGE
Courage by Bernard Waber |
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CULTURAL DIVERSITY/COMPETENCE
I Hate English by Ellen Levine
Skin Again by Bell Hooks
The Ugly Vegetables by Grace Lin
You Be Me, I’ll Be You by Pili Mandelbaum |
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DEATH
Badgers Parting Gifts by Susan Varley
I Miss You by Pat Thomas
Liplap’s Wish by Jonathan London & Sylvia Long
DECISION MAKING
Mr. Sugar Comes to Town by Harriet Rohmer
DETERMINATION
The Remarkable Farkle McBride by John Lithgow |
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EMPOWERMENT
Click, Clack, Moo Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin
FAIRNESS
Thank You, Jackie Robinson by Barbara Cohen
FEELINGS
I Feel Like Nobody When, I Feel Like Somebody When by Stephanie Hauer
Michael Rosen’s Sad Book by Michael Rosen and Quentin Blake
See How I Feel by Julie Aigner-Clark
When Sophie Gets Angry – Really, Really Angry . . . by Molly Bang |
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FRIENDSHIP
Being Friends by Karen Beaumont
Best Friends for Francis by Russell Hoban
Can You Do this Old Badger- (Intergenerational) by Eve Bunting
Dear Ichiro by Jean Davis Okimoto
Friends of a Feather by Bill Cosby
The Goat Lady by Jane Bregoli
How to Loose All Your Friends by Nancy Carson
Little Bill-The Meanest Thing to Say by Bill Cosby www.scholastic.com
Play with Me by Marie Hall Ets |
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HOMELESS
December by Eve Bunting
Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting
LIFE LESSONS
Zen Shorts by Jon Muth |
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MIDDLE SCHOOL
Shredderman Secret Identity by Wendelin Van Draanen
Terrible Things (Holocaust) by Eve Bunting
The Three Questions by John J. Mith
The Tower by Richard Paul Evans
PREKINDER/KINDERGARTEN
Learning To Get Along Series by Cheri Meiners www.freespirit.com
Be Polite and Kind
Join In and Play
Listen and Learn
Respect and Take Care of Things
Share and Take Turns
Try and Understand
Understand and Care
When I Feel Afraid |
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PRESCHOOL
Feet Are Not For Kicking – by Elizabeth Verdick – www.freespirit.com
Hands Are Not For Hitting – by Dr. Martine Agassi –www.freespirit.com
Teeth Are Not For Biting by Elizabeth Verdick ––www.freespirit.com
Words Are Not For Hurting – by Elizabeth Verdick – www.freespirit.com |
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RESPECT
Hey, Little Ant by Phillip & Hannah Hoose
If The World Were Blind (Respect for Others) by Karen Gedig Burnett
The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
RESPONSIBILITY
Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton |
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RULE FOLLOWING
But I Want to! by J. Rowe
Growing Up is Hard by Dr. Laura Schlessinger
Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann
SELF-RESPECT
Andy (That’s My Name) by Tommie de Paola
SPECIAL NEEDS
Emma’s Rug (Autism) by Allen Say
My Chair (Physical Handicap) by Betsy James |
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TRUSTWORTHINESS
Bargain for Frances by Russell Hoban
Molly’s Lies by Kay Chorao |
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Recommended Books for Parenting
Preschooolers:
Playful Reading Positive Fun Ways to Build the Bond between Preschoolers, Books, and You by
Want to boost a child's love of reading while making your time together more fun and meaningful? This book emphasizes early literacy skills, reading for pleasure, and the eight asset categories. This is a terrific resource for teachers, child care providers, parents, and grandparents.
Elementary:
What Young Children Need to Succeed Working Together to Build Assets from Birth to Age 11 by Jolene L. Roehlkepartain and Nancy Leffert, Ph.D.
The more asset young people have, the more likely they are to succeed in school, help friends, be a leader, and refuse to give up when things are difficult. This book translates the 40 Developmental Assets into a wealth of child appropriate information, stories, and practical, creative ideas for building all 40 assets from birth to age 11.
Preteen and Teen:
Parenting at the Speed of Teens Based on the book When Parents Ask for Help
This book is a practical, easy to use guide that offers positive, commonsense strategies for dealing with the everyday issues of parenting teenagers. It focuses on how the little things parents do and say, have a major impact on raising teens. It illustrates how talking one on one, setting boundaries, offering guidance, and modeling positive behavior will make a difference in helping the teens in your lives during these challenging, exciting years of adolescence.
What Kids Need to Succeed Proven, Practical Ways to Raise Good Kids by Peter L. Benson, PhD, Judy Galbraith, M.A., and Pamela Espeland
Instead of focusing on what’s wrong with young people, this book trumpets what’s right—and how it can be betters. It includes more than 900 common-sense ideas for building assets: checklists to help parents and others identify the assets in their own young people’s lives.
For information regarding parenting classes and resources:
Parent Leadership Institute www.parentleaders.org This organization was founded in 1989 by Patty Wipfler to help parents and children. PLI offers classes, workshops, support groups, and leadership training courses for parents and leaders of parents. PLI assits parents to use basic listening skills to deepen their relationships with their children and to build effective long-range support for themselves. Their aim is to foster healthy parent-child relationships that will last a lifetime.
Steve and Pat Sasso seminars@sasso.com Steve and Pat’s website offer seminars, books, and presentations for parents and teachers of preteens and teens. They also send out a monthly newsletter called Parenting Just Got Easier. Each month the newsletter addresses timely topics such as Why Teens Talk Back, Homework Battles, Sex, Goal Setting, Driving and many more. Go to their website to sign up for your free newsletters!
Magazines
Family Fun published by Disney is full of great ideas for crafts, activities, cooking, projects, trips and doing fun things with kids. Check out their website at www.familyfun.com.
Daughters is a great magazine for parents of daughters or for adults working with girls. They have many insightful and timely articles dealing with issues facing today’s girls. Check them out at www.daughter.com
Websites
Books can be purchased at the following Web sites:
- www.amazon.com
- www.freespirit.org has many wonderful books for everyone. They feature books for early childhood, self-help for kids and teens, teachers, and parents.
- www.search-institute.org is a great source for any kind of asset building information. Its catalog contains books, pamphlets, training information for everyone with all the latest research done by Search Institute.
- www.childrensbookpress.org
www.DiscountSchoolsSupply.com is a catalog filled with all kinds of arts and craft supplies. Paint, glue, glitter, paper, wiggle eyes, crayons, markers etc. They also have items for active play, dramatic play, social awareness, music, science, books and many more items.
Newsletters
Ideas for Parents is a newsletter that comes in 52 issues. It describes each asset and ways to build this asset on a weekly basis.
Ideas for Parents is also available in Spanish.
 Asset Building Tips For Download
 NOTE: Documents are in PDF format and require Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded free of charge.
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