The Adventures of Dakota. Susan Bowman, $19.95 (Grades K-5)

Dakota, a friendly wolf, shows children lessons about life using experiences he has with other animals. The stories and follow-up activities teach children valuable life skills in character, coping, compassion, problem-solving and decision-making.

All About Me Art Activities. Christy Hale, $18.99 (Pre-K to Grade 1)

20 easy, step-by-step projects that celebrate kids’ individuality and build classroom community.

Animal Related Guidance: Teaching Social Skills Using Pets or Puppets, Grades 2-5. Patty Stang-Erickson & Val Rae Boe, $24.95

Animal assisted guidance and therapy has been shown to increase empathy for others, act as a catalyst for expressing emotions, enhancing self-esteem, improving self-control, expanding social competence, decreasing feelings of stress and social isolation. With over 100 lessons, activities and worksheets, this book will help you bring an animal loving slant into your guidance coaching.

Black Ants and Buddhists: Thinking Critically and Teaching Differently in the Primary Grades. Mary Cowhey, $26.95

What would a classroom look like if understanding and respecting differences in race, culture, beliefs, and opinions were at its heart? Welcome to Mary Cowhey's Peace Class in Northampton, MA, where first and second graders view the entire curriculum through the framework of understanding the world, and trying to do their part to make it a better place.

Woven through the book is Mary's unflinching and humorous account of her own roots in a struggling large Irish Catholic family and her early career as a community activist. Mary's teaching is infused with lessons of her heroes: Gandhi, Eleanor Roosevelt, Helen Keller, Martin Luther King, and others. Her students learn to make connections between their lives, the books they read, the community leaders they meet, and the larger world.

Black Ants and Buddhists will make you think hard about how you spend your time with students. It offers no easy answers, just wealth of insight into the challenges of helping students think critically about the world.

Canadian Character Education Grades 1-2. Janet Bartier & William Young, $19.99
Canadian Character Education Grades 3-4. Janet Bartier & William Young, $19.99
Canadian Character Education Grades 5-6. Janet Bartier & William Young, $19.99

Canadian Character Education has been developed specifically for elementary teachers to facilitate planning lessons in character education. Curriculum-based reproducible forms with supporting information sheets, student worksheets, suggested activities and project ideas and other materials for classroom use are rich resources for classroom and school-wide use.

Character Building Day by Day: 180 Quick Read-Alouds for Elementary School and Home. Anne Mather & Louise Weldon, $18.95

In elementary schools across the country, teachers are expected to provide character education each day. This book makes it easy to meet that requirement in a meaningful way. Character Building Day by Day includes 180 character vignettes grouped by trait, each featuring kids in real-life situations making decisions that reflect their character. The vignettes are short enough to be read aloud and all can be used as starting points for discussion, to support an existing character education program, or as the basis for an independent program. An excellent tool for the classroom, youth groups or the character-conscious home.

Books in this series introduce character values that are an important part of good citizenship. Each book uses playful, engaging illustrations to show situations that demonstrate positive behavior. The books end by asking students to wonder how they may behave to demonstrate each characteristic.

Being a Leader. Cassie Mayer, $6.95 (Gr. 1 – 2)

Being Helpful. Cassie Mayer, $6.95 (Gr. 1 – 2)

Being Fair. Cassie Mayer, $6.95 (Gr. 1 – 2)

Making Friends. Cassie Mayer, $6.95 (Gr. 1 – 2)

Following Rules. Cassie Mayer, $6.95 (Gr. 1 – 2)

Being Responsible. Cassie Mayer, $6.95 (Gr. 1 – 2)

Being Honest. Cassie Mayer, $6.95 (Gr. 1 – 2)

The Complete Guide to Service Learning, Grades K-12.  Cathryn Berger Kaye, $47.99

Proven, practical ways to engage students in civic responsibility, academic curriculum and social action.

Counseling Toward Solutions: a Practical Solution-Focused Program for Working with Students, Teachers and Parents, 2nd Edition. Linda Metcalf, $35.99 Grades K-12

Step by step, Counseling Toward Solutions shows how to help individual students begin their own change process by noticing when a problem does not occur rather than focusing on problems or what caused them. This revised and updated second edition presents a positive program for changing individual behavior that empowers students of all ages to deal with their won problems and gain self-esteem in the process.

New: The Field Guide to Counseling Toward Solutions: the Solution-Focused School. Linda Metcalf, $26.99 Grades K-12

Deal with It Series Resource Guide. Tricia Carmichael, Editor, $29.95

This comprehensive companion guide aids quick and easy lesson planning. A range of hands-on activities encourages practical application and critical thinking on the topics that affect kids daily.

The Deal with It Series helps adolescents cope with conflicts in everyday life and aims to promote peaceful homes, schools and communities.

Bullying: Deal with It Before Push Comes to Shove. Elaine Slavens & Brooke Kerrigan, $12.95

Arguing: Deal with It Word by Word. Elaine Slavens & Steven Murray, $12.95

Fighting: Deal with It without Coming to Blows. Elaine Slavens & Steven Murray, $12.95

Gossip: Deal with It Before Word Gets Around. Catherine Rondina & Dan Workman, $12.95

Racism: Deal with It Before It Gets Under Your Skin. Anne Marie Aikins & Steven Murray, $12.95

Teasing: Deal with It Before the Joke is On You. Steve Pitt & Remie Geoffroi, $12.95

Peer Pressure: Deal with It Without Losing Your Cool. Elaine Slavens & Ben Shannon, $12.95

Privacy: Deal with It Like Nobody's Business. Diane Peters & Jeremy Tankard, $12.95

Competition: Deal with It from Start to Finish. Mireille Messier & Steven Murray, $12.95

Procrastination: Deal with It All in Good Time. Diane Peters & Jeremy Tankard, $12.95

Gaming: Deal with It Before It Outplays You. Diane Peters & Ben Shannon, $12.95

Deeno's Dream Journeys in the Big Blue Bubble: a Relaxation Programme to Help Children Manage their Emotions . Julia Langensiepen, Illustrated by Gerry Turley, $29.95

Deeno's Dream Journeys in the Big Blue Bubble is a fun and easy-to-use guide to a special relaxation technique for children. Adapted from the system of Autogenics, the six-week programme uses positive affirmations and guided imagery to help children manage their emotions, let go of anxiety and feel calm and confident. Separate introductions for parents, teachers and other professionals provide advice on how best to use the technique, whether at home, at school, or elsewhere. There is also a children's introduction, which introduces Deeno and explains the technique in accessible terms.

The Educator’s Guide to Emotional Intelligence and Academic Achievement: Social-Emotional Learning in the Classroom. Maurice Elias & Harriet Arnold, editors. $58.75

This comprehensive guide to emotional intelligence (EI) is a state-of-the-art collection of proven best practices from the field’s best and brightest minds … this guide creates a new gold standard for bringing social-emotional learning into every classroom … Key features cover:

• Theory and context for EI, including brain development, multiple intelligences, service and citizenship, school-to-work, and health
• Teacher preparation and professional development
• 17 best-practice programs in action, relevant to grades PreK-12
• An Application/Reflection Guide for note-taking, follow-up, contacts, and ideas for immediate implementation

Eli’s Lie-O-Meter: a Story about Telling the Truth. Sandra Levins, illustrated by Jeff Ebbeler, $10.95 (ages 4-8)

Elis has a knack for telling fibs and an occasional whopper until he learns a very good reason for telling the truth.

This series helps readers explore their emotions and how to handle them. The clear text and colorful, humorous illustrations enhance children's understanding of their feelings and those of other people.

Impatient. Sarah Medina, $7.95 (Gr. 2-3)

Brave. Sarah Medina, $7.95 (Gr. 2-3)

Lonely. Sarah Medina, $7.95 (Gr. 2-3)

Shy. Sarah Medina, $7.95 (Gr. 2-3)

Worried. Sarah Medina, $7.95 (Gr. 2-3)

Embarrassed. Sarah Medina, $7.95 (Gr. 2-3)

Angry. Sarah Medina, $7.95

Fighting Invisible Tigers: Stress Management for Teens, 3rd Edition. Earl Hipp, $17.50

Proven, practical advice covers everything you need to know about stress management and life management, from coping with stress to being assertive, building supportive relationships, taking risks, making decisions, staying healthy, dealing with fears and misconceptions, recognizing perfectionism, using positive self-talk-even growing a funny bone.

Free to Be ... You and Me. Marlo Thomas, $23.00

This is the book we all know and love by Marlo Thomas and her friends—with brand new illustrations to captivate and inspire a new generation of readers on a journey of the heart. Celebrating individuality and challenging stereotypes empowers both children and adults with the freedom to be who they want to be and to have compassion and empathy for others who may be different. The thoughts, ideas, and emotions the creators first envisioned 35 years ago will still have a magical effect on children today.

Friendly Facts: a Fun, Interactive Resource to Help Children Explore the Complexities of Friends and Friendship. Margaret-Anne Carter & Josie Santomauro, $21.95 (ages 7-11)

Making and keeping friends doesn't come easily for some children. Many children need to be taught a range of strategies directed at expanding their social understanding skills, such as reading facial expressions and body language. Friendly Facts, an interactive workbook aimed at children ages 7-11, addresses these challenges by breaking down the complex concept of making friends into simpler ideas. Through fun, engaging activities, children gain real-life knowledge of the major "secrets" of making and keeping friends. By gaining the foundation for making and keeping friends at a crucial age, children are better prepared for successfully interacting with others for the rest of their lives.

Growing Good Kids Book: 28 Activities to Enhance Self-Awareness, Compassion, and Leadership. Deb Delisle & Jim Delisle, Illustrated by Ken Vinton, $33.95

Created by teachers and classroom-tested, these fun and meaningful enrichment activities build children's skills in problem solving, decision making, cooperative learning, divergent thinking, and communication while promoting self-awareness, tolerance, character development, and service. Kids create books, write stories, resolve to help others, explore their own values, discover why mistakes can sometimes be beneficial, practice patience, and more in projects that combine enjoyment with learning.

Helping Students Fix Problems and Avoid Crises: an Easy-to-Use Intervention Resource for Grades 1-4. Lawrence J. Greene, $42.95

For every teacher who has been at a loss to help the student who seemed helpless, this is a resource that cannot be missed. In Helping Students Fix Problems and Avoid Crises, Lawrence Greene details instructional principles to help educators model and mentor effective life skills behaviors for their students. For the child who doesn’t have friends, does poorly in sports, has difficulty learning, or who steals, lies, or bullies, Greene provides solid, proven methods to help these learners discover and practice better life skills.

How Do I Stand In Your Shoes? A Story & Worksheets about Empathy. Susan DeBell, $18.95

Miranda Peabody had no patience for the other students in class and just didn’t understand why they couldn’t be as smart and talented as she was. Her teacher, Mrs. Klemp, suggested that she try to understand other people by “standing in their shoes.” After much searching, she learns the true meaning of “standing in someone else’s shoes” and having empathy for others. This full-color, illustrated storybook for grades PK-4 includes discussion questions as well as activities to enhance learning about empathy.

Less Student Stress, More School Success: Strategies and Activities for Creating Optimal Learning Environments K-12. Susanna Palomares & Dianne Schilling, $30.95

Stress has an enormous impact on the ability of children to learn. The body’s defense system is built for short-term physical stressors, not long-term psychological and emotional stress, which can lead to health problems, memory loss, and severe learning difficulties. Less Student Stress, More School Success includes dozens of activities and reproducible student “experience sheets” designed to help students understand what causes stress, identify sources of stress, and learn strategies for managing stress on a daily basis. Activities cover relaxation techniques; the roles of nutrition and exercise; success strategies such as goal setting, time management; and positive self-talk; and tips for dealing with anger, worry, and high-stakes testing. The teacher/counselor introduction covers relevant learning theory and brain science basics.

Lily and the Paper Man. Rebecca Upjohn, illustrated by Renné Benoit, $14.95

Walking with her mother on the way home from school one day, Lily runs straight into a gruff and untidy-looking man selling papers on the street. Afraid to run into him again, Lily starts insisting on taking the bus home every day. But when the weather turns cold, Lily sees the Paper Man differently; she sees his bare toes through the holes in his boots and his thin shirt through the holes in his coat. Lying in her cozy bed at night, wondering how the Paper Man stays warm, Lily comes up with a wonderful idea...

Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World. Craig Kielburger & Marc Kielburger, $18.99

For everyone who has ever yearned for a better life and a better world, Craig and Marc Kielburger share a blueprint for personal and social change that has the power to transform lives, one act at a time. Me to We is an approach to life that leads us to recognize what is truly valuable, make new decisions about the way we want to live, and re-define the goals we set for ourselves and the legacy we want to leave. Above all, it creates new ways of measuring happiness, meaning, and success in our lives, and makes sure these elusive goals are attainable at last.

A best friend. A lost tooth. A first day of school. In engaging photos and text, this book highlights the milestones shared by children everywhere.

In addition to original writings from some of today's best-known children's authors and illustrators The Milestones Project comes packaged with a growth chart uniquely designed to track a child's physical growth as well as their development into an ethical human being. Stickers included with the book can be placed on the chart to encourage children toward their goals: "I told the truth." "I kept a promise." "I shared my toys."

The No-Fault Classroom: Tools to Resolve Conflict & Foster Relationship Intelligence. Sura Hart & Victoria Kindle Hodson, $27.95

Offering far more than discipline techniques that move aggressive behavior out of the classroom to the playground or sidewalk, The No-Fault Classroom leads students ages 7–12 in developing skills in problem solving, empathic listening and conflict resolution that will last a lifetime. Interactive and step-by-step lessons, construction materials and adaptable scripts give educators the tools they need to return order and co-operation to the classroom and jumpstart engaged learning.

Outrageous Behavior Modification, 2nd Edition. Barry Christian, $49.95

Developed by eccentric school psychology practitioners, this outrageous text introduces such methods as planned confusion, disruptive word pictures, unconscious suggestion, double-bind predictions, off-the-wall interpretations, and even some straight-face paradoxical assignments. It’s perfect for educators who have had enough behavior management theory but not enough success in managing difficult students. Many of the methods presented are powerfully hypnotic and strategic in nature and are intended to effectively neutralize student resistance at a deeper personality level.

Not intended for average kids who may be having a bad day, these methods were developed specifically for those hard core ‘you can’t make me’ students. In fact, the OBM has been described as “programmatic judo” that actually uses student resistance to fuel compliance. To help introduce the teacher to OBM practice, this book is filled with step-by-step protocols, scripts, coupons, behavior permits, stimulus cards, and wacky assignments for oppositional students.

Philosophy for Teens: Questioning Life’s Big Ideas. Sharon Kaye & Paul Thompson, $23.95 (Grades 7–12)

Philosophy for Teens: Questioning Life's Big Ideas is an in-depth, teenager-friendly look at the philosophy behind everyday issues. The authors examine some of life's biggest topics such as lying, cheating, love and beauty, the role of government, hate and prejudice.

Both sides of the debates are covered on every issue, with information from some of the world's most noted philosophers. Each chapter includes discussion questions, thought experiments, exercises and activities, and community action steps to help students make reasoned, informed decisions about some of life's greatest debates.

Recess Success: Sharing and Caring on the Playground. Stacy How, $24.99

Designed to help children make creative use of unstructured time, Recess Success is a fun collection of games, songs and activities for school-age children. While the kids are having fun playing these games, they are also learning skills and strategies for dealing with social situations, bullying and conflict resolution. Written for teachers and school staff, this is a thoughtful guide to helping kids enjoy their school social experience.

Respect Matters, Grades 6-8. R.E. Myers, $18.95

Real–life scenarios that are easily integrated into classroom activities provide powerful discussion starters for all aspects of respect.

Roots of Empathy: Changing the World Child by Child. Mary Gordon, $19.95

With violence, anti-social behaviour, bullying, and aggression among young children escalating at a frightening rate, it is clear that we need to develop a new understanding of childhood. Mary Gordon, an educator who has worked for more than two decades with children from all kinds of backgrounds, has discovered that the solution to bullying and other anti-social behaviour lies within each child's innate sense of caring and compassion. She believes that infusing children with empathy constitutes nothing less than a new paradigm in our approach to child-raising.

Through the Roots of Empathy, her highly successful organization, Mary Gordon creates a rich, rewarding classroom experience that fosters empathy within children. The program brings babies and students together in a symbiotic loving environment that has been proven to reduce aggression and increase tolerance and emotional understanding in children. Currently, the Roots of Empathy has more than 1,100 programs in Canada and is reaching more than 28,000 students in eight Canadian provinces. It is also piloted for programs in Japan and Australia.

In Roots of Empathy: Changing the World Child by Child, the innovative and inspired book based on her groundbreaking research and successful classroom program, Mary Gordon shares her vision of a nation of compassionate and caring children who will pass on their legacy of empathy to their own children.

All of the royalties from this book go back into the Roots of Empathy program.

Ryan Respects. Virginia Kroll, illustrated by Paige Billin-Frye, $20.95

Ryan is fast like a cheetah, but his friend Doug is not. After they get timed in gym, Doug comes in behind everyone else. “Doug the Slug,” chants Ryan and he gets a lot of laughs. Doug is upset but Ryan doesn’t notice. What has to happen for Ryan to realize he has hurt his friend’s feelings? This new title in The Way I Act series uses a common situation to talk about respect.

Seven Skills for School Success: Activities to Develop Social & Emotional Intelligence in Young Children. Pam Schiller, $20.95

Before learning their ABCs or their numbers, children need to develop their social intelligence and emotional intelligence as the essential building blocks for all future learning.

Pam Schiller provides information, activities, and experiences that develop the seven skills children need in order to become successful learners. These include the ability to relate to and play with others, express feelings, and understand how others feel.

Stress Relief for Kids: Taming Your Dragons. Martha Belknap, $22.95

These creative relaxation activities for use at home and school give children the tools to cope with stress and anxiety in all areas of their lives. This new book replaces both of Martha Belknap’s two popular books, “Taming Your Dragons” and “More Taming Your Dragons”.

Also available:Taming Your Dragons CD: 4 Relaxation Scripts. Martha Belknap, $20.50

Strong Kids—Grades 3–5: a Social and Emotional Learning Curriculum. Kenneth Merrell, et al $41.95

Strong Kids—Grades 6–8: a Social and Emotional Learning Curriculum. Kenneth Merrell, et al, $45.95

Strong Teens—Grades 9–12: a Social and Emotional Learning Curriculum. Kenneth Merrell, et al, $41.95

“Social-emotional competence is a critical part of every child's school success, and just like any academic subject, children need instruction in it. These proven curricula will help promote the social-emotional competence and resilience of children and adolescents.

Divided into five age levels from preschool through high school, these innovative social and emotional learning curricula are filled with engaging, thought-provoking class activities that help students develop vital skills they'll use for the rest of their lives: understanding emotions, managing anger, relieving stress, solving interpersonal problems, and much more.”

Teaching the 3 Cs: Creativity, Curiosity and Courtesy. Patricia Dischler, $49.95

The development of affective skills can make a critical difference in a child’s future yet the emphasis for many parents and educators is on early exposure to academic content. Teaching the 3 Cs bridges this gap and demonstrates how incorporating creativity, curiosity and courtesy into classroom instruction can support the development of lifelong learning.

Teaching Tough Kids: Simple and Proven Strategies for Student Success. Mark le Messurier, $51.95

Teaching Tough Kids delivers a refreshing collection of realistic ideas to sustain the organizational and behavioural transformations of all students, particularly those who 'do it tough'; who learn and react differently. They are complex kids who find life tougher than most.

Teaching Tough Kids pays particularly close focus on students identified with executive functioning difficulties including Learning Disabilities, ADD/ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Asperger Syndrome. ‘Tough Kids’ may also be those students who have endured neglect or too much stress and uncertainty in their lives and as a result display classic symptoms of hyperactivity, hyper vigilance and impulsivity.

The book focuses on building improved relationships, structures and behaviours, rather than seeing the student as a problem that must be fixed. Highlighting the value of promoting positive connections, the author presents ways to incorporate inclusive ideas into everyday practice and construct pathways for students to become engaged in their learning and achieve success.

The Well-Managed Classroom: Strategies to Create a Productive and Cooperative Social Climate in Your Learning Community, 2nd Edition. Michele Hensley, Walter Powell, Susan Lamke & Scott Hartman, $29.95

How can the school experience be humanized so that students feel connected, valued, and motivated to learn and achieve? How can the school environment be improved so that teachers and staff feel confident, respected and safe? The Well-Managed Classroom can show you how to overhaul or enhance the social climate and build a true "community" in your school. The authors describe the Girls and Boys Town Education Model, a school-based intervention strategy that emphasizes behavior management practices, relationship-building techniques, and social skills instruction. It offers you the structure and strategies needed to reduce disruptive behaviors and empower students with self-management skills.

Elementary school children can start building positive character traits like caring, citizenship, cooperation, courage, fairness, honesty, respect, and responsibility. The true stories, inspiring quotations, thought-provoking dilemmas, and activities in this book help kids grow into capable, moral teens and adults. Previously titled Being Your Best, this award-winning book has a fresh new cover and updated resources.

What is Friendship? Games and Activities to Help Children to Understand Friendship. Pamela Day, $27.95

Friendship is a vital part of achieving emotional well-being, but some children experience difficulties both initiating and maintaining friendships. This fun and accessible programme contains detailed instructions and photocopiable handouts for teaching children about friendship. The book combines group activities, individual work, homework exercises and games, and will be especially useful for groups containing children with developmental and social difficulties, such as ADHD and autism. Developed in an inclusive classroom, this programme will arm children with useful strategies to deal with difficult situations such as negative peer pressure and conflict.

What is Friendship is ideally suited for use with children aged 7-11, but can be adapted for younger children or older children with developmental difficulties.

What to Do with the Kid Who ... Developing Cooperation, Self Discipline and Responsibility in the Classroom, 3rd Edition. Kay Burke, $46.95

Kay Burke offers proven disciplinary ideas and strategies for the diverse classroom. This revised edition provides the foundation teachers need to help students take responsibility for their own behavior, resolve their own conflicts and celebrate their own learning.

Yoga in Your School: Exercises for Classroom, Gym and Playground. Teressa Asencia, $26.95

Yoga in Your School presents a series of short “Yoga breaks” designed for teachers to easily insert into their daily classroom schedule. Each posture or breathing technique may be practiced in less than three minutes, so that they may be used regularly or as needed, when attention or energy begins to wane. The short segments may also be combined to create longer sequences for physical education classes, playgrounds, athletic and recreation centers, camps and dance schools. These simple movement exercises are designed to develop concentration, improve motor skills and physical fitness, develop strength, flexibility and balance. By simply taking a few moments to stop between activities to breathe and stretch, teachers may create a harmonious classroom with calm alert children who are receptive and eager to learn.

Young Person's Character Education Handbook. Editors at JIST, $21.95

This essential guide is a fun, relevant way to introduce students to key character traits. The Young Person’s Character Education Handbook helps students understand why character is important and how positive character traits contribute to success in school, at home, and in life.