Books published by publisher Scarecrow Pr

Laurie Halse Anderson's path to writing for young adult readers was indirect, unintentional, and difficult. Although Anderson may never have set out to write for teens, her commitment to creating stories that enrich, disquiet, and guide the teens she admires led to her selection as the 2009 recipient of the prestigious Margaret A. Edwards Award. The author of several highly acclaimed novels_including Speak, Fever 1793, Prom, Chains and Wintergirls_Anderson channels the lives of real readers through her imagination and onto the page, enrapturing those who ultimately see themselves reflected in her tales. In Laurie Halse Anderson: Speaking in Tongues, Wendy J. Glenn examines the life and works of one of the most popular authors for teens. Drawing from both primary sources (Anderson's writings, published interviews, speeches, the author's blog, and other online sources, as well as a live interview with the author) and secondary sources (reviews of and scholarly articles on her work), Glenn explores the themes and impact of Anderson novels. This richly researched work includes in-depth analyses of each of Anderson's young adult titles, chapters on Anderson's lesser-known writings for children, short stories, and poems, and a synthesis of reviews for each title Anderson has published. Readers of this book will come away with a greater understanding of an author who has demonstrated the marked capacity for writing diverse texts for multiple audiences in varying genres, breaking barriers with each title she creates.

Eclectic library reading programs for young children have blossomed across the nation over the last decade, encouraging in toddlers a fondness for the library and an excitement for the caches of books to be found there. Likewise, in an effort to promote a love of language in babies as young as three months old, scores of early childhood initiatives are beginning to sprout as well. Aimed at children's librarians and other professionals who work with very young children, this librarian-tested sourcebook provides complete programs that spotlight the value and necessity of singing, speaking, and reading to babies in their earliest months. Ten ready-to-use programs are divided for their intended audience: five for 'pre-walkers' and five for walkers. Marino combines rhymes involving body movement, songs, fingerplays, circle games, and books in ways that teach interaction skills with young children and help to enrich their language and enhance their listening capabilities. Several of the rhymes are repeated in a take-home section to aid librarians and others in charge of children's programs to present parents and caregivers with the tools they need to use rhymes and activities whenever and wherever they want. A helpful bibliography lists the best picture books, programming books, rhyme collections, and numerous recordings that are suitable for very young children. The captivating activities in Babies in the Library! will delight the youngest library users while making it easy for librarians to create programs for this important and growing segment of the library population.

Eclectic library reading programs for young children have blossomed across the nation over the last decade, encouraging in toddlers a fondness for the library and an excitement for the caches of books to be found there. Likewise, in an effort to promote a love of language in babies as young as three months old, scores of early childhood initiatives are beginning to sprout as well. Aimed at children's librarians and other professionals who work with very young children, this librarian-tested sourcebook provides complete programs that spotlight the value and necessity of singing, speaking, and reading to babies in their earliest months. Ten ready-to-use programs are divided for their intended audience: five for 'pre-walkers' and five for walkers. Marino combines rhymes involving body movement, songs, fingerplays, circle games, and books in ways that teach interaction skills with young children and help to enrich their language and enhance their listening capabilities. Several of the rhymes are repeated in a take-home section to aid librarians and others in charge of children's programs to present parents and caregivers with the tools they need to use rhymes and activities whenever and wherever they want. A helpful bibliography lists the best picture books, programming books, rhyme collections, and numerous recordings that are suitable for very young children. The captivating activities in Babies in the Library! will delight the youngest library users while making it easy for librarians to create programs for this important and growing segment of the library population.

Science Fair Projects for Elementary Schools offers step-by-step instructions for a hands-on learning experience for children in grades 2-5 who are doing science fair projects. Curiosity Bug, a friendly companion, guides the student through every step of a science fair project: finding and researching a topic, developing a controlled experiment, making graphs, and designing a display. Curiosity Bug's sample project provides the child with a detailed example, and worksheets allow the child to work comfortably with his or her own data. Subsequent chapters include two sample projects in each field of science (animals and insects, plants, chemistry, the environment, and microscopes). These are perfect starter projects presented in cookbook style with complete instructions and resources. The child can choose one, follow the procedures given, and plug in his or her data and results. Science Fair Projects for Elementary Schools also provides examples of graphs, ideas for display, and opportunities for further research. Each chapter also includes ten other project ideas and a list of related children's books. A final section provides parents, teachers, and librarians with sample letters, forms, and layouts to facilitate setting up a science fair. This book is sure to spark any student's interest in the intriguing, absorbing world of science.

Edgar Allen Poe, Langston Hughes, Louisa May Alcott, and Stephen King are just a handful of famous authors who began their publishing careers in their teens. Many young adults would like to write and publish but few know where to begin. While there are many books on how to write and how to get published, none are written specifically for teens. Writing and Publishing: The Ultimate Teen Guide fills this gap. In this book, author Tina Schwartz discusses many matters that are not often presented in guides to writing and publishing, such as the importance of mentors and critique groups, as well as courses and extracurricular activities that can be of great help to the up-and-coming teen author. The book explores various writing careers and the basics of publishing and marketing, including how to write query letters. Schwartz also provides tips on writing both fiction and nonfiction, as well as genres a new author can explore, like poetry and songwriting. With this resource, teens will find all the information they need to develop writing skills and build confidence as a writer.

For teens too shy to talk to mom and dad about sex, author L. Kris Gowen offers them sound advice on a highly personal level, filling in some of the blanks in their knowledge about sex and relationships. Specifically designed to help young adults aged 16-19 make their own decisions about sexuality, Sexual Decisions is not only about the facts of sexual health, but it also delves into the feelings and emotions that surround sex. The philosophy of this book is: _ Teens have a right to ask questions and get answers. _ Teens already know a lot about sex and relationships, but not all there is to know. _ Teens are going to make decisions for themselves about sex. Having access to information can help them make better, safer decisions. _ No question should be left unanswered. The information included in this book is relevant to the lives of teens but includes topics that are not often discussed. It provides an education about sex that is practical, and gives teens a sense of what is going on 'out there'_in other people and the worlds of research and politics_as well as inside themselves.

A master storyteller, John Marsden is Australia's best known writer for young adults. Marsden first found success with the publication of So Much To Tell You. Since then he has gone on to publish many popular and well-recognized titles, including those in the Tomorrow Series and The Ellie Chronicles. In his books, Marsden explores adolescents caught in a world of opposites, of innocence and guilt, idealism and realism, and joy and despair.Marsden's world view and his faith in adolescents serve as the backdrop for John Noell Moore's critical readings of Marsden's major novels. In John Marsden: Darkness, Shadow, and Light, Moore investigates the full spectrum of Marsden's work, beginning with the author's life as a teacher and writer. Throughout the book, Moore weaves together Marsden's recurring themes, chief among them writing and storytelling as ways of constructing identity in the transition from childhood to adulthood and the ability of young adults to endure hardships and overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. The book is a valuable addition to the current scholarship on young adult literature and will be welcomed by middle and high school English teachers and students alike.

Science Fair Projects for Elementary Schools offers step-by-step instructions for a hands-on learning experience for children in grades 2-5 who are doing science fair projects. Curiosity Bug, a friendly companion, guides the student through every step of a science fair project: finding and researching a topic, developing a controlled experiment, making graphs, and designing a display. Curiosity Bug's sample project provides the child with a detailed example, and worksheets allow the child to work comfortably with his or her own data. Subsequent chapters include two sample projects in each field of science (animals and insects, plants, chemistry, the environment, and microscopes). These are perfect starter projects presented in cookbook style with complete instructions and resources. The child can choose one, follow the procedures given, and plug in his or her data and results. Science Fair Projects for Elementary Schools also provides examples of graphs, ideas for display, and opportunities for further research. Each chapter also includes ten other project ideas and a list of related children's books. A final section provides parents, teachers, and librarians with sample letters, forms, and layouts to facilitate setting up a science fair. This book is sure to spark any student's interest in the intriguing, absorbing world of science.

Chris Crutcher is a literary icon in the field of young adult literature. With his first book, Running Loose published in 1983, Crutcher established a reputation for giving young adults a voice in realistic fiction. Since then, Crutcher has written a number of books with spot-on depictions of young adults growing through hard times, including Ironman, Whale Talk, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, and Stotan! In Chris Crutcher: A Stotan for Young Adults, Bryan Gillis and Pam B. Cole examine the life, career, and works of this young adult advocate.This volume opens with a never-before-published comprehensive portrait of the author’s life, gleaned from numerous conversations with Crutcher. The authors explore Crutcher’s childhood, his adolescent years, his life as an adult, and his career as a family counselor and examine how those experiences became fodder for his stories. The authors also discuss Crutcher's encounters with censorship and his philosophical stance. Gillis and Cole also analyze Crutcher’s novels, short stories, and novellas, examining his literary craft and such social themes as bigotry, identity, sexuality, relationships, and loss—themes almost always positioned within a sports story.The most comprehensive study of Crutcher’s life and work to date, this book benefits tremendously from the cooperation of Crutcher himself. Generally reserved about private matters, Crutcher talks candidly about his life and how his experiences helped shape his character and his stories. His cooperative spirit gives voice to a book that will appeal not only to teachers and librarians but to students who have been enthralled by the works of this generous writer.

Social networking is now an entrenched activity for nearly every teen in the country. A recent study showed that nearly 75% of American teens use an online social network, a percentage that continues to rise. Librarians, such as the author herself, are often asked by young adults for help and advice on social networking, but teens also turn to their friends for information, which can be inaccurate or incomplete.Social Networking: The Ultimate Teen Guide helps young adults make the most of their online experience, giving them a complete understanding of social networking while also addressing online safety. Author Jennifer Obee helps teens navigate through the challenging intricacies of social networks, covering such topics as:FacebookYouTubeTwitternetspeakblogsprivacycyberbullyingvideochatsmartphones. With quotes from teenagers about their favorite sites and personal stories, Social Networking is the perfect resource for teens trying to gain a better understanding of the vast online world.

Whether playing baseball, basketball, field hockey, football, lacrosse, tennis, soccer, softball, volleyball, or wrestling, millions of teens all over the country participate in some sporting activity. Despite widespread enthusiasm for such activities, not all teens know how to make the most out of their interests, and some teens who might want to get involved don’t know which sports are right for them.For high school athletes of all levels, this book provides up-to-date information on sports-related issues, practical tips, and valuable resources. Each chapter features quotes from current and former high school athletes who share their experiences related to the given topic. Issues discussed includechoosing a sport to playbalancing all aspects of life as a student-athletedealing with the pressures of competitionimproving athletic performanceconsequences of performance-enhancing drugs and supplementscommon injuries and prevention measurestraining during the off-seasonplaying in collegesports-related careers and opportunitiesThroughout the book, readers will find sidebars containing various sports-related tidbits: high school sports stories, the history of various sports, interesting facts, short biographies, and sports-themed young adult novels. Filled with useful information, Sports: The Ultimate Teen Guide will help high school athletes of all levels, from freshman novices to highly competitive seniors.

Young adults often struggle with confusion or guilt because they perceive themselves as different from others, especially their peers. For some of these individuals, the arts can help them cope with adolescent turmoil, allowing them to express their emotions in poems, stories, painting, songs, and other creative outlets. Sensitive teachers and parents know how important it is for young people to realize that they are not alone in their quest for self-knowledge and finding their way in the world. It can make a difference when readers find something in a book that helps them understand more about who they are and helps them understand others. In Portrait of the Artist as a Young Adult: The Arts in Young Adult Literature, Lois Thomas Stover and Connie S. Zitlow examine books in which the coming-of-age for young adults is influenced by the arts. Stover and Zitlow consider the connection between the arts and a young person’s developing sense of self, the use of art to cope with loss and grief, and how young adults can use art to foster catharsis and healing. The young people in these books either identify as artists or use the arts in intentional ways to explore their identities. They often have artistic gifts that make them stand outside the norms of teenage life, yet those gifts also help them find a sense of community. Artists considered in this book include painters, photographers, sculptors, actors, directors, choreographers, dancers, composers, musicians, graffiti artists, and others. The books discussed also explore the ways adults can nurture the artist’s development and understand the way young people sometimes use the arts to form their unique identity. Included is an annotated bibliography organized by art discipline, as well as an appendix about using the arts pedagogically, making Portrait of the Artist as a Young Adult a valuable resource for educators, parents, librarians, and young adults.