Books published by publisher Townsend Press

The year is 1954. Abandoned by her teenage mother, a baby girl is left in the care of a charity in Buffalo, New York.The baby is black in a city and at a time in which blacks and whites have little to do with one another; the charity is an overwhelmingly white organization. Little Theresa Cameron is placed into this racially divided world. In this shattering account of her eighteen years as a “ward of the state,” Cameron takes us inside the life of a foster child. She shares with us her heartbreaking struggle to survive in a foster-care system where children’s welfare often seemed the lowest priority.

Now in a newly-revised edition, Bullying in Schools is a powerful and practical resource for students, parents, and educators. Respectful and empathetic, the book examines the problem of bullying and works to combat it. New material includes a timely essay about cyberbullying and an enhanced section focusing on internet safety. Suited to a wide range of instructional approaches, Bullying in Schools: What You Need to Know can serve as a class text or as a guidebook for individual students. Key Features of Bullying in Schools: A Student-Centered Approach. Bullying in Schools is written to and for young people in grades 6 to 10. The book invites students to analyze their past behavior in bullying and cyberbullying situations and to explore ways to deal effectively with bullying in the future.Compelling True Stories. Bullying in Schools includes stories about real students who have experienced bullying and cyberbullying. These accounts are vivid and engaging, allowing students to discuss personal feelings in the safe context of other people's stories, rather than forcing students to share their own painful or embarrassing experiences.A Timely Material on Internet Safety and Cyberbullying. The new edition of Bullying in Schools includes a powerful essay about the dangers and consequences of cyberbullying. The book also provides students with strategies to combat this growing problem and to promote Internet safety.Practical Strategies for Students. Bullying in Schools includes steps to take for all students who encounter bullying, either online or in person. These steps are for everyone--bullies, their targets, and bystanders. Realistic, sensitive, and flexible, the strategies give students examples of positive behaviors they can use the next time they are in a bullying situation.Engaging Individual and Classroom Activities. Bullying in Schools includes a variety of activities students can work on either as a class, in small groups, or alone. Readings, discussion questions, writing assignments, and role-playing exercises deepen students understanding of the bullying experience while also reinforcing their reading, writing, and thinking skills.

In her first book, Foster Care Odyssey, Theresa Cameron unforgettably described the 18 years she spent as a “ward of the state”—a black girl growing up under the control of a largely white charity in Buffalo, New York. In this sequel, Theresa tells of what happened after she “aged out” of the foster care system. Without family or community support, Theresa struggles to find her way through the maze of adult life, from college and employment to friendship and romance. Throughout it all, the one-time abandoned black baby grapples with questions of her own identity and place in an often inhospitable world.

After a lifetime of abuse, Maria Cardenas was finally living in peace with her daughter. But soon, that little girl would be able to read better than her mother. What could Maria do? School was a nightmare for Daisy Russell. She couldn't wait to get away from a place where she felt stupid and worthless. But once she dropped out, she discovered a burning desire to learn to read. Was it too late? As a child, Julia Burney escaped from the poverty and violence of her home into a world of books. As an adult, she saw children growing up without that escape available to them. How could she help? In Reading Changed My Life! Three True Stories, you'll learn what happened to Maria, Daisy, and Julia. They are three courageous women whose stories will touch and inspire you.

With her young son in her arms, Eliza flees the Kentucky farm where she’s been a slave. Enslaved on a farm nearby, her husband George also flees. Hoping to be reunited, Eliza and George seek to reach the free state of Ohio and then Canada. The dangers they face are life-threatening. Another slave, Tom, is torn from his wife and children and the Kentucky farm that has been his home. He is sold to a slave trader who takes him south. Tom doesn’t know whether his next owner will be relatively kind or cruel—or whether he’ll ever see his family again.Note: This Townsend Library classic has been carefully edited to be more accessible to today's students. It includes a brief author's biography and an afterword that provides important context about the work.