Carol Swainson’s Suggested Reading Lists & Links
for
Parents and Educators
What Price, Privilege?Has our over involved parenting style created a generation of kids with an impaired sense of self? If so, how can we work to get it back? By Madeline Levine
Identity & Cliques Bibliography
“STICKS AND STONES MAY BREAK MY BONES, BUT WORDS CAN NEVER HURT ME”
By Lynne Neitzschman
Identity development in gifted children: Moral sensitivity
Identity Development and Self-Esteem of First-Generation AmericanCollege Students: An Exploratory Study
Why Middle School Counselors?
Transition to High School
Lesbian and Gay Adolescents: Identity Development
Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood by William Pollack
Listening to the author William Pollack read Real Boys, it doesn't take long to find out that being a boy these days isn't all fun and games. As codirector of the Center for Men at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical Center, Pollack has seen behind the stoic masks of troubled, modern boys as they struggle to cope with the mixed messages, conflicting expectations, and increasingly complex demands they receive from our evolving society. "New research shows that boys are faring less well ... that many boys have remarkably fragile self-esteem, and that the rates of both depression and suicide in boys are frighteningly on the rise."
What are parents to do? They could start by listening to the author's thoughts on contemporary child-rearing techniques, analysis of the root causes of many male behavior problems, and recommendations for avoiding all-too-common pitfalls. In Real Boys, Pollack draws upon nearly two decades of research to support his theories and makes an impressive assault on the popular myths surrounding the conventional definition of masculinity.
Speaking of Boys: Answers to the Most Asked Questions about Raising Boys
by Michael Thompson
Preeminent child psychologist, Michael Thompson is renowned for his efforts to educate and assist parents with sons. First with Raising Cain (his response to Mary Pipher's Reviving Ophelia ) and now with Speaking of Boys, Thompson encourages parents to help their sons develop the emotional intelligence necessary to succeed. The book seeks to answer parents' questions concerning the complexities of raising a boy in today's society. Every chapter introduces questions from parents on issues like puberty, underage drinking, and increased violence in schools, and in every instance the author responds with insightful and knowledgeable advice. Chapters entitled "Speaking of Social Anger and Aggression" and "Feelings and Communication--Is Our Sensitive Boy a Sitting Duck for Bullies?" are particularly in tune with the apprehension parents feel when sending their sensitive sons off for another grueling day at school.
The key to raising a healthy son, says Thompson, is to help your boy attain an emotional intelligence that will allow him to cope with difficult and threatening situations. To accomplish this, parents need to nurture compassion in their sons and try to avoid allowing them to become desensitized by the teasing and pressure of others. Respecting your son's need to appear strong at times and offering him a sense of safety when discussing emotionally revealing subjects are two ways Thompson encourages parents to nurture their son's emotional development. As anyone who is raising a boy knows, it's a job that is never quite finished, and with this book, Thompson offers parents an invaluable tool, regardless of their son's age. --Dal Asher
Does Anybody Else Look Like Me?
by Nakazawa, Donna Jackson
Overview:
Drawing on psychological research and input from over sixty multiracial families, this book addresses the special questions and concerns you face, explaining how we can best prepare multiracial children of all ages to confidently make their way in our color-conscious world.
Why Are All of the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? By Beverly Daniel Tatum
Anyone who's been to a high school or college has noted how students of the same race seem to stick together. Beverly Daniel Tatum has noticed it too, and she doesn't think it's so bad. As she explains in this provocative, though not-altogether-convincing book, these students are in the process of establishing and affirming their racial identity. As Tatum sees it, blacks must secure a racial identity free of negative stereotypes. The challenge to whites, on which she expounds, is to give up the privilege that their skin color affords and to work actively to combat injustice in society.
Cliques, Phonies, & Other Baloney
by Trevor Romain (1998, Free Spirit, 8.95)
Written for every student who has ever felt shut out or trapped by a clique. This book blends humor with practical advice as it tackles a serious subject. The author reveals why some cliques are so annoying and often so full of phonies. He shares the secret to popularity: Be yourself! Grades 4-8. [5” x 7”...129 pages]
Cliques
by Charlene Giannetti & Margaret Sagarese (2001, Broadway Books, 14.00)
There have always been "in crowds," but today's social pressures force children into explosive, destructive, and even life-threatening situations. No matter what role a child plays in this schoolhouse drama—clique leader, victim, or innocent bystander—this book is a must-read for educators and parents. [5.5” x 8”...244 pages]
Odd Girl Out by Rachel Simmons (2002, Harcourt Brace, 14.00)
When boys act out, get into fights, or become physically aggressive, we are confronted with over instances of bad behavior. But it is easy to miss the more subtle signs of aggression in girls—the dirty looks, the taunting notes, or the exclusion from the group that sends girls home crying. [6.5” x 9”...296 pages]
Odd Girl Speaks Out by Rachel Simmons (2004, Harcourt Brace, 13.00)
The national bestseller "Odd Girl Out" exposed a hidden culture of cruelty that had always been quietly endured by American girls. Here, Simmons creates a safe place for girls to talk, rant, sound off, and find each other. [5.5” x 8”...208 pages]
Queen Bees & Wannabes
by Rosalind Wiseman (2002,Three Rivers Press, 14.95)
A survival guide for teen girls, and their mothers. Wiseman's straightforward humor, sound advice and practical approach make this a must-read for anyone involved in the lives of teenage girls. [6” x 9”...338 pages]
Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls, by Mary Pipher
At adolescence, says Mary Pipher, "girls become 'female impersonators' who fit their whole selves into small, crowded spaces." Many lose spark, interest, and even IQ points as a "girl-poisoning" society forces a choice between being shunned for staying true to oneself and struggling to stay within a narrow definition of female. Pipher's alarming tales of a generation swamped by pain may be partly informed by her role as a therapist who sees troubled children and teens, but her sketch of a tougher, more menacing world for girls often hits the mark. She offers some prescriptions for changing society and helping girls resist.
Other titles for Parents and Educators
The Eight Essential Steps to Conflict Resolution, Dudley Weeks
Respect, Sarah Lawrence Lightfoot
Love, bell hooks
The Courage to Teach, Parker Palmer
Blink, Malcolm Gladwell
We Can’t Teach What We Don’t Know by Gary Howard
I’d Rather Teach Peace, Colman McCarthy
The Rage of a Privileged Class, Ellis Cose
The Peaceable Classroom, Mary Rose O’Reilley
The Miner’s Canary, Lani Guinier and Gerald Torres
A Hope in the Unseen, Ron Suskind
World on Fire, Amy Chua
Brief descriptions and excerpts taken from .