Taste Berries for Teens: Inspirational Short Stories and Encouragement on Life, Love, Friendship and Tough Issues


Bettie B. Youngs - 1999
    When eaten, it causes the taste buds to experience all food eaten afterwards-even distasteful food-as sweet and delicious. Likewise, there are people who, through their love and compassion, make the lives of others better. Like the taste berry, these people can turn sour days into delightful, even joyful, ones. With all the confusion, turmoil and heartache that teens experience, they need "taste berries" more than any other group. The authors - a mother/daughter team sensitive to the special needs of teens- have collected a wide array of inspirational material, which they interweave with teens' comments and critiques. The book is divided into units on self-worth, self-respect and self-esteem; friendship; love and meaningful relationships; finding meaning, purpose and direction in life; giving, sharing and making a difference; encouragement and success; and coping with pressure, stress and tough issues. Real teens reviewed this book and the authors completed it with the collaborative feedback of those teens. This innovative approach enables Taste Berries for Teens to show teens - by means of the responses and reactions of their peers, rather than the rhetoric of adults - what it means to be a "taste berry" and to appreciate the "taste berries" in their lives. In addition, the authors offer their own suggestions and counsel to provide structure for the teen responses. Taste Berries for Teens--a unique combination of timeless and heartwarming narratives, teen responses and reactions, and the authors' own loving and wise commentary and advice--is sure to become every teen reader's constant guide and trusted companion.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Life Lessons from the Cat: 101 Tales of Family, Friendship and Fun


Amy Newmark - 2019
    Our cats make us better people. If we rescued them, they rescue us back. If we’re sad, they comfort us. If we need to have more fun, they show us how. They are our therapists, our role models, and our best friends. You’ll laugh a lot, tear up at times, and nod your head in recognition as you read these tales about the wonderful experience of sharing life with a cat. Life lessons from our cats come in many forms, from the hilarious to the heroic. You’ll enjoy a wide variety in these 101 entertaining stories.

The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales


Jacob Grimm - 1812
    Originally titled Children’s and Household Tales, The Complete Grimm’s Fairy Tales contains the essential bedtime stories for children worldwide for the better part of two centuries. The Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm, were German linguists and cultural researchers who gathered legendary folklore and aimed to collect the stories exactly as they heard them. 2012 marked the 200th anniversary of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, and what better way to celebrate than to include all 211 stories into the Knickerbocker Classic Series?Featuring all your favorite classics, including “Hansel and Gretel,” “Cinderella,” “The Frog Prince,” “Rapunzel,” “Snow White,” “Rumpelstiltskin,” and dozens more, The Complete Grimm’s Fairy Tales is also accompanied by 40 color plates and 60 black and white illustrations from award-winning English illustrator Arthur Rackham, whose books and prints are now highly sought-after collectibles.The third title in the Knickerbocker Classic series has 800 pages of classic fairy tales to enjoy and will also feature a full-cloth binding, ribbon marker, and will fit neatly in an elegant slipcase for your personal library collection.Also includes a selection of stunning color reproductions by the famous illustrator, Arthur Rackham.

Politically Correct Bedtime Stories


James Finn Garner - 1994
    Problem was, these stories, many of which found their way into the general social consciousness, reflected the way in which these men lived and saw their world: that is, the stories were sexist, discriminatory, unfair, culturally biased, and in general, demeaning to witches, animals, goblins, and fairies everywhere.Finally, after centuries of these abusive tales, which have been handed down--unknowingly--from one male-biased generation to the next, James Finn Garner has taken it upon himself (that's right, yet another man) to enlighten and liberate these classic bedtime stories and retell them in a way that is much more in keeping with the society in which we live today.Politically Correct Bedtime Stories, then is the fruit of Garner's labors. We'd like to think that future generations of fairy-tale fans will see this as a worthy attempt to develop meaningful literature that is totally free from bias and purged from the influences of a flawed cultural past.

365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne's Book of Precepts


R.J. Palacio - 2014
    Browne and his love of precepts. Simply put, precepts are principles to live by, and Mr. Browne has compiled 365 of them—one for each day of the year—drawn from popular songs to children’s books to inscriptions on Egyptian tombstones to fortune cookies. His selections celebrate kindness, hopefulness, the goodness of human beings, the strength of people’s hearts, and the power of people’s wills. Interspersed with the precepts are letters and emails from characters who appeared in Wonder. Readers hear from Summer, Jack, Charlotte, Julian, and Amos.   There’s something for everyone here, with words of wisdom from such noteworthy people as Anne Frank, Martin Luther King Jr., Confucius, Goethe, Sappho—and over 100 readers of Wonder who sent R. J. Palacio their own precepts.

PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives (PostSecret)


Frank Warren - 2005
    Your secret can be a regret, fear, betrayal, desire, confession, or childhood humiliation. Reveal anything -- as long as it is true and you have never shared it with anyone before. Be brief. Be legible. Be creative.It all began with an idea Frank Warren had for a community art project. He began handing out postcards to strangers and leaving them in public places -- asking people to write down a secret they had never told anyone and mail it to him, anonymously.The response was overwhelming. The secrets were both provocative and profound, and the cards themselves were works of art -- carefully and creatively constructed by hand. Addictively compelling, the cards reveal our deepest fears, desires, regrets, and obsessions. Frank calls them "graphic haiku," beautiful, elegant, and small in structure but powerfully emotional.As Frank began posting the cards on his website, PostSecret took on a life of its own, becoming much more than a simple art project. It has grown into a global phenomenon, exposing our individual aspirations, fantasies, and frailties -- our common humanity.Every day dozens of postcards still make their way to Frank, with postmarks from around the world, touching on every aspect of human experience. This extraordinary collection brings together the most powerful, personal, and beautifully intimate secrets Frank Warren has received -- and brilliantly illuminates that human emotions can be unique and universal at the same time.

The Book of Virtues


William J. Bennett - 1993
    Bennett's bestselling The Book of Virtues is an inspiring anthology that helps children understand and develop moral character—and helps parents teach it to them.Responsibility. Courage. Compassion. Honesty. Friendship. Persistence. Faith. Everyone recognizes these traits as essentials of good character. In order for our children to develop such traits, we have to offer them examples of good and bad, right and wrong. And the best places to find them are in great works of literature and exemplary stories from history. William J. Bennett has collected hundreds of stories in The Book of Virtues. From the Bible to American history, from Greek mythology to English poetry, from fairy tales to modern fiction, these stories are a rich mine of moral literacy, a reliable moral reference point that will help anchor our children and ourselves in our culture, our history, and our traditions—the sources of the ideals by which we wish to live our lives. Complete with instructive introductions and notes, The Book of Virtues is a book the whole family can read and enjoy—and learn from—together.

Quidditch Through the Ages


J.K. Rowling - 2001
    This invaluable volume is consulted by young Quidditch fans on an almost daily basis.Proceeds from the sale of this book will go to Comic Relief, who will use your money to continue improving and changing lives -- work that is even more important and astonishing than the three-and-a-half-second capture of the Golden Snitch by Roderick Plumpton in 1921.

Heroes for My Son


Brad Meltzer - 2010
    . . and so many more, each one an ordinary person who was able to achieve the extraordinary. The list grew to include the fifty-two amazing people now gathered in Heroes for My Son, a book that parents and their children—sons and daughters alike—can now enjoy together as they choose heroes of their own.From the Wright Brothers, who brought extra building materials to every test flight, planning ahead for failure, to Miep Gies, who risked her life to protect Anne Frank and her family from the Nazis during World War II, Heroes for My Son brings well-known figures together with less famous ones, telling the inspiring, behind-the-scenes stories of the moment that made them great. They are a miraculous group with one thing in common: each is an example of the spectacular potential that can be found in all of us.Heroes for My Son is an unforgettable book of timeless wisdom, one that families everywhere can share again and again.

Our Voices, Our Visions


Stephanie H. Meyer - 2000
    This collection of prose and poetry represents the honest, forthright and compelling moments that define their lives.Pieces for this book were chosen from a base of more than 300,000 submissions to TeenInk magazine. In addition, more than 3,800 students in 42 states helped evaluate the final selections for the book.The power of TeenInk lies in its writers-all teenagers themselves. Their insightful accounts deal with real issues that will resonate with their peers. Their voices reverberate with the emotional highs and lows of the teenage years. These young authors produce fresh, creative, honest, and always compelling words that make TeenInk the standard for teen expression.Every teen reader will see themselves and their worlds reflected here. In addition, parents, grandparents, teachers, and other caring adults will relish these unique and inspired pieces.As the voice of teens, the book focuses on their issues: Friends (relationships and trying situations); Families (love and conflicts); Fitting In (peer pressure and prejudice); Challenges (facing obstacles); Loss (of family and friends); Memories (reflecting earlier times); Love (dealing with relationships); Heroes (parents, teachers, mentors); and Creativity (fiction and poetry).Subsequent books in this extraordinary series will focus on individual topics and explore in even greater depth the extraordinary heart-felt feelings and opinions of today's teens.

A Second Chicken Soup For The Woman's Soul


Marci Shimoff - 1996
    You will be moved by these true accounts of how women like you have embraced life's defining moments by finding love, dealing with loss, overcoming obstacles and achieving their dreams and goals. Like spending time with a trusted friend, "A Second Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul" will put difficult times into perspective, renew your faith in yourself and make you aware of the miracles in your own life.

Tales of the Greek Heroes: Retold From the Ancient Authors


Roger Lancelyn Green - 1958
    This book presents the great stories of the heroic age - "Dionysus", "Heracles", "Theseus", "The Quest for the Golden Fleece", and many more.

Perfect Princess


Meg Cabot - 2004
    Big or small, old or new, fact or fiction, our favorite princess Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo (aka Mia) will point out why these princesses rule, and how any girl can too!

Stories for a Teen's Heart: Over One Hundred Stories to Encourage a Teen's Soul


Alice Gray - 1999
    Through an even blend of humorous, often poignant tales, teens will be encouraged in life's journey and reassured that they are not alone on the road to becoming adults. Many popular CBA authors offer valuable insights into the human condition in a manner that is warm and uplifting. Stories for a Teen's Heart will revitalize the spirits of young people.

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More


Roald Dahl - 1977
    Seven stories of fantasy and fun by the fantastic Roald Dahl.The Boy Who Talked With Animals - in which a stranded sea turtle and a small boy have more in common than meets the eye.The Hitchhiker - proves that in a pinch a professional pickpocket can be the perfect pal.The Mildenhall Treasure - a true tale of fortune found and an opportunity lost.The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar - in which a modern-day Robin Hood brings joy to the hearts of orphans - and fear to the souls of casino owners around the world.