The first flash mob Ian puts together himself is a sixty-plus person, four-minute pillow fight in a department store. His friend Oswald is thrilled with the event, but Julia, the one Ian really wants to impress, is still convinced that flash mobs are stupid. While Ian tries to prove Julia wrong by initiating flash mobs with political impact, Julia is busy waging war with the strict new principal at school. When Julia goes too far and gets herself suspended, Ian sees an opportunity for a relevant and persuasive flash mob.
Once again Callie is forced to take part in her mom's latest crusade. They head into ranch country to camp -- bloodthirsty mosquitoes, stinky outhouses and all -- at a protest to save a rural school. Callie's grandmother shows up with her biker buddies and the singing grannies. Callie hates camping and wants nothing to do with the protest. To make matters worse, Callie's only possible ally, her cousin Del, is mad at her. The last time Callie visited, she was thrown from Del's horse, Radish. Callie claimed the horse was vicious and now Del's parents are forcing her to sell Radish. Callie wants to help her cousin, but she's terrified of the horse. Del is just as tenacious as the rest of Callie's family, and Callie is forced to admit that she's not going to be allowed to go home until both the horse and the school are saved.
Turk needs cash, but he's allergic to his own sweat so getting a job is out of the question. Then he makes a discovery: Girls love dogs. Turk's friends will do anything to meet girls. Turk starts a dog walking business. His friends walk the dogs and Turk collects half the money. In an attempt to impress dog-loving Carly, Turk brags about his business in front of the school tough guy, Chuck. When Chuck learns the true nature of Turk's business and wants in on the action, Turk worries that he will lose his business and Carly's respect.
Fourteen-year-old Matt has only one goal in life: to become a hermit. He has no use for school, but he loves the solitude of the forest. When he hikes up to the cabin he built for himself, he discovers a mysterious stranger named Forrest has moved in. At first Matt doesn't connect Forrest's appearance with the rash of local robberies. Forrest seems to be the perfect hermit, and he teaches Matt the skills he needs to achieve his goal, including how to hunt with a crossbow. But when Forrest tries to kill an endangered Roosevelt elk, Matt questions the ethics of his new friend. When Matt discovers a stolen rifle in his cabin, he finds himself trapped in a dangerous situation.
The principal announces that the school is implementing uniforms, and Ian finds himself caught in a conflict. His friend Julia wants him to devise a plan to fight the decision, and the principal is determined to convince Ian the uniforms are a good idea. Ian wants nothing to do with the issue. While doing research for a social-justice class, he learns that the manufacturer of the uniforms is on the top-ten list for human-rights violations. When he tells the principal this, all he gets is a reminder that the penalty for refusing to wear the uniforms is suspension, and Ian finds himself caught in a whole new conflict -- one with himself.
It's hard enough for Eve to adjust to a new high school without the extra weight she's gained over the summer. Her best friend is ashamed to hang out with her, and she's become the focus of a schoolmate's cruelty. Determined not to be "that pathetic fat girl" at school, Eve struggles with a diet and forces herself to join a mentoring program. The diet only makes her food obsessed, and she feels she is failing as a mentor. How can a lonely fat girl gain the confidence she needs to succeed?
Slim Goodbody helps children learn assertive communication skills that will help them express thoughts and feelings in an open, direct way. They will learn techniques that will get others to listen and respond appropriately to what they have to say.
Slim Goodbody helps children develop skills to manage and release stress in ways that keep their minds and bodies healthy. Stress can be anything that happens that puts pressure on peoples minds and bodies and causes them to feel worried, uptight, or tense.
Slim Goodbody helps children understand the value of manners and the essentials of behaving well in school, at home, and with friends. Manners make a difference in all aspects of a persons life. The way you present yourself often determines how others see you.
Bullying is one of the scariest and potentially damaging negative behaviors children can face. Slim Goodbody helps young students learn to recognize the different kinds of bullying and presents strategies for dealing with even the toughest situations.
Children who belong to healthy peer groups are generally happier and function at a higher level. Will You Be My Friend? helps young students learn the steps it takes to meet, make, and keep a friend.
Its very important for a child to learn how to make good decisions. In this informative new book, Slim Goodbody helps children learn the steps they should follow in making almost any decision: Stop, Think, Act, Review (STAR).
Slim Goodbody provides children with the fundamentals of money including intrinsic value, and how to save and spend wisely. Money and the way people deal with it, affects almost every aspect of life from purchasing healthy foods to buying running shoes.
Good listening is enhanced by paying attention, making eye contact, asking questions, and giving feedback. What Did You Say? helps make learning to be a better listener easy and fun.
Learning to tolerate different opinions, perspectives, and beliefs is vital to a healthy society. Slim Goodbody's Can We Get Along? helps children understand the need and importance for tolerance, and the steps they can take to increase peace in their lives and in the world.
Optimism is about being hopeful. It's about believing that things will turn out right even when there's no reason to think so. As you read this graphic nonfiction book, you'll meet some inspiring people who where successful because of they were optimistic. You'll also get a chance to consider how optimistic you would be in situations where a good attitude is hard to achieve-but needed most.
Being responsible means doing the right thing and taking charge. Sometimes it means admitting your mistakes. Sometimes it means taking care of yourself. And sometimes it means taking care of others. As you read this graphic nonfiction book, you'll explore how you can be responsible in your own life. You'll also meet some responsible people who have shown through their actions just what that word means!
When the going gets tough, the tough get going! This famous phrase is what perseverance is all about. Perseverance means sticking with something even when obstacles stand in your way. It means giving all you've got, and never giving up. In this graphic nonfiction book, you'll meet some amazing people who used perseverance to turn dreams into reality. You'll also the question, What would I do?
Initiative is what gets things done. It's what leads to new inventions. It can also lead to great success! You can show initiative by acting first, by putting in extra effort, or by coming up with a new way to do things. In this graphic nonfiction book, you'll see how having initiative helped some amazing individuals reach their goals. You'll also have a chance to think about how showing initiative can help you reach yours!
Inclusiveness is an unusual word. What exactly does it mean? It means accepting and welcoming those who are different. It means allowing everyone to participate, even when there may be reasons not to. As you read this graphic nonfiction book, you'll explore the lives of people who have broken down barriers to make the world a more inclusive place. You'll also consider how inclusive you would be in some equally challenging situations.
What does it mean to be honest? It means telling the truth, of course. It also means acting in ways that don't hurt or mislead others. Being honest isn't always easy! As you read this graphic nonfiction book, you'll be asked to think about how honest you would be in some difficult situations. You'll also meet some strong people who were honest with themselves and others, even when being honest was the more difficult choice.
Cooperation means working together to achieve a common goal. Sports teams cooperate. Scientists cooperate. Entire countries cooperate to make the world a better place. As you read this graphic nonfiction book, you'll be given opportunities to think about how you might cooperate with others to achieve important things. You'll also take a closer look at the lives of a few people who, by cooperating with others, have made some amazing things happen!
What does it mean to step into someone else's shoes? It means you have empathy-you're good at understanding how other people feel. But how does a person learn empathy? And why is it so important? Come explore what empathy is all about with some empathy experts. Think about how you could show empathy to others. And learn about seeing life from a new perspective.
