A 2018 Pura Belpré Author Honor Book The First Rule of Punk is a wry and heartfelt exploration of friendship, finding your place, and learning to rock out like no one’s watching. There are no shortcuts to surviving your first day at a new school—you can’t fix it with duct tape like you would your Chuck Taylors. On Day One, twelve-year-old Malú (María Luisa, if you want to annoy her) inadvertently upsets Posada Middle School’s queen bee, violates the school’s dress code with her punk rock look, and disappoints her college-professor mom in the process. Her dad, who now lives a thousand miles away, says things will get better as long as she remembers the first rule of punk: be yourself. The real Malú loves rock music, skateboarding, zines, and Soyrizo (hold the cilantro, please). And when she assembles a group of like-minded misfits at school and starts a band, Malú finally begins to feel at home. She'll do anything to preserve this, which includes standing up to an anti-punk school administration to fight for her right to express herself! Black and white illustrations and collage art by award-winning author Celia C. Pérez are featured throughout. "Malú rocks!" —Victoria Jamieson, author and illustrator of the New York Times bestselling and Newbery Honor-winning Roller Girl

From the award-winning author of The First Rule of Punk comes the story of four kids who form an alternative Scout troop that shakes up their sleepy Florida town. *"Writing with wry restraint that's reminiscent of Kate DiCamillo... a beautiful tale." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review When three very different girls find a mysterious invitation to a lavish mansion, the promise of adventure and mischief is too intriguing to pass up. Ofelia Castillo (a budding journalist), Aster Douglas (a bookish foodie), and Cat Garcia (a rule-abiding birdwatcher) meet the kid behind the invite, Lane DiSanti, and it isn't love at first sight. But they soon bond over a shared mission to get the Floras, their local Scouts, to ditch an outdated tradition. In their quest for justice, independence, and an unforgettable summer, the girls form their own troop and find something they didn't know they needed: sisterhood.

Winner of the Children’s Literature Association’s 2022 Edited Book Award Contributions by Carolina Alonso, Elena Avilés, Trevor Boffone, Christi Cook, Ella Diaz, Amanda Ellis, Cristina Herrera, Guadalupe García McCall, Domino Pérez, Adrianna M. Santos, Roxanne Schroeder-Arce, Lettycia Terrones, and Tim Wadham In Nerds, Goths, Geeks, and Freaks: Outsiders in Chicanx and Latinx Young Adult Literature, the outsider intersects with discussions of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. The essays in this volume address questions of outsider identities and how these identities are shaped by mainstream myths around Chicanx and Latinx young people, particularly with the common stereotype of the struggling, underachieving inner-city teens. Contributors also grapple with how young adults reclaim what it means to be an outsider, weirdo, nerd, or goth, and how the reclamation of these marginalized identities expand conversations around authenticity and narrow understandings of what constitutes cultural identity. Included are analysis of such texts as I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, Shadowshaper, Swimming While Drowning, and others. Addressed in the essays are themes of outsiders in Chicanx/Latinx children’s and young adult literature, and the contributors insist that to understand Latinx youth identities it is necessary to shed light on outsiders within an already marginalized ethnic group: nerds, goths, geeks, freaks, and others who might not fit within such Latinx popular cultural paradigms as the chola and cholo, identities that are ever-present in films, television, and the internet.

Adolescent Realities: Engaging Students in SEL through Young Adult Literature offers a connection between young adult literatures and social and emotional learning. Students have many SEL needs, and this book focuses on exploring SEL through the experiences of characters in contemporary books published in the last few years. Each chapter offers a specific focus in SEL, a middle school and high school book for teens to read, and a guided plan that can be adapted to fit the needs of educators, counselors, and parents. A great tool for guiding teen book clubs or workshops, Adolescent Realities has the potential to make teens aware of how to apply SEL in their own lives.

How do we get seventh-grade writers to revise? And once we do get them thinking about revision, what, exactly, do they do? What do we do? In Patterns of Revision, best-selling authors Travis Leech and Jeff Anderson answer these questions and more. This practical resource uses the research-proven and classroom-tested methods of sentence combining in a meaningful, engaging way that supports authentic writing as well as performance-based or multiple-choice test items. Flip the book open to immediately find: The DRAFT mnemonic to help students know where to begin the revision process and how to keep going. Concrete, doable lessons that spark academic conversations about meaning, effect, and purpose that are grounded in a student-centered revision approach. Easily accessed displays and printables to seamlessly support student revision learning, embedded in each lesson right where you need it. Authentic and engaging model text excerpts curated to support each lesson. An engaging process for revision instruction that can be immediately implemented to support any writing approach, or as a supplemental resource for Patterns of Power, 6-8. With every lesson grounded in the critical strategy of writers talking out their revisions, Patterns of Revision will establish routines, practices, and mindsets to set you and your students up for success from day one. Discover the joy inherent in writing—and writing instruction—when we explore revision through engaging inquiry and the study of models, building flexible, competent revisors, step-by-step, in an open-ended discussion of meaning-driven revision choices and their effects.

Mixtape Nostalgia: Culture, Memory, and Representation tells the story of the mixtape from its history in 1970s bootlegging to its resurgence as an icon of nostalgic analog technology. Burns looks at the history of the mixtape from the early 1980s and the rise of the cassette as a fundamental aspect of the music industry. Stories from music fans collecting hip hop mixtapes in the Bronx or recording songs off the radio permeate the book. She discusses the continued contemporary appeal of the mixtape as musicians, novelists, memoirists, playwrights, and even podcasters have used it as a metaphor for connection and identity. From Rob Sheffield’s Love is a Mix Tape to Questlove’s Mixtape Potluck Cookbook, Burns analyzes how the mixtape can function as a plot point, a stand-in for emotional connection, or an organizing structure. The book shows how creators use the iconography of the mixtape cassette to create ephemera, from coffee subscriptions to board games, which speaks to the appreciation of the tangible and the analog. The desire to find connection through sharing a physical artifact permeates the various creative uses of the mixtape. From blockbuster films like Guardians of the Galaxy to mixtape throw pillows, Burns highlights the mixtape as a site of collective memory tied to youth culture, community identity, and sharing music.

Discover your next read with this carefully curated list from We Need Diverse Books. Check out 100 must-read books to try before you're 12! Packed with reviews, recommendations, and exclusive author interviews, The Reading Adventure: 100 Books To Check Out Before You're 12 will inspire young readers to discover a diverse range of books beyond the curriculum. From mystery to autobiography, the book is organised by genre, so you can jump to the section that interests you the most. Each entry has a key theme box so you can immediately see if the book is something you'll enjoy. Helpful signposts lead readers to another book the author thinks they'll enjoy. Hidden gems, award-winners, classics, and current bestsellers are brought to life by vibrant illustrations. There's truly something for everyone! Vibrant and educational, you can explore: - 15 exclusive author interviews, including Jason Reynolds, Meg Medina and Linda Sue Park. - Organized by genre and theme, so the reader can find a book based on their interests. - Discover 100 book recommendations aimed at 7-12 year olds with vibrant and fun illustrations. - Running categories organized by interest and theme. - Endmatter includes writing activities, and an index. - Bold original illustrations by a range of artists bring the books to life. Developed in collaboration with We Need Diverse Books - a non-profit with a mission to create a world where everyone can find themselves in the pages of a book - young readers can explore a variety of awe-inspiring and thought-provoking books, with titles including: High Rise Mystery by Sharna Jackson, A Kind of Spark, by Elle McNicoll, From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg, Front Desk by Kelly Yang, and many more. Ideal for caregivers and gift givers of both voracious and reluctant readers within the 7-12 age group, as well as caregivers of neurodivergent children, children with a disability, and children of color seeking greater representation in literature.