From Survival to Society

Ten-year-old Moon Blake has spent his whole life in the wilderness and knows everything about survival and living off the land. But his father’s death forces Moon to enter the modern world, where he battles authorities and finds his first friends among other “wards of the state.” In Watt Key’s Alabama Moon, the main character’s voice rings true—a young boy just beginning to learn about humanity, love, and friendship. Ages 10 and up. $17. 240 pp. from Farrar, Straus and Giroux. To order, go to www.fsgkidsbooks.com

Leaping into the Future

Based on the best-selling version for adults, What Color Is Your Parachute? For Teens: Discovering Yourself, Defining Your Future helps high school and college-age students identify their favorite skills to get the most from their education and prepare for their dream job. Includes exercises, worksheets, and stories of young people who have found their own unique paths. 167 pp. $14.95 from Ten Speed Press. To order, go to www.tenspeed.com

Heaven on Earth

Yangsook Choi’s Peach Heaven tells the true tale of a storm that flooded her town and orchards in Puchon, Korea. The waters sent peaches swirling through the streets, where Yangsook and her family—too poor to buy the precious fruit—gathered them and ate to their hearts’ content. But later, Yangsook worried about the peach farmers, and organized a rescue mission to save the fruit. A gentle tale of an awakening conscience. Ages 4–8. 32 pp. $16 from Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Go to www.fsgkidsbooks.com to order.

You Can Differentiate in the Classroom

How do teachers incorporate differentiation principles and strategies? In Differentiation in Practice: A Resource Guide for Differentiating Curriculum, Grades 9–12, authors Carol Ann Tomlinson and Cindy Strickland present annotated lesson plans, sample assignments, learning contracts, rubrics, and homework handouts, plus advice on flexible grouping and other strategies, all while highlighting the underlying standards.

369 pp. $31.95 from ASCD. To order, go to www.ascd.org.