General

Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance

In this lyrical, unsentimental, and compelling memoir, the son of a black African father and a white American mother searches for a workable meaning to his life as a black American. It begins in New York, where Barack Obama learns that his father—a figure he knows more as a myth than as a man—has been killed in a car accident. This sudden death inspires an emotional odyssey—first to a small town in Kansas, from which he retraces the migration of his mother’s family to Hawaii, and then to Kenya, where he meets the African side of his family, confronts the bitter truth of his father’s life, and at last reconciles his divided inheritance.

A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America

The Color of Water 10th Anniversary Edition

The Freedom Writers Diary : How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them

Straight from the front line of urban America, the inspiring story of one fiercely determined teacher and her remarkable students.


As an idealistic twenty-three-year-old English teacher at Wilson High School in Long beach, California, Erin Gruwell confronted a room of “unteachable, at-risk” students. One day she intercepted a note with an ugly racial caricature, and angrily declared that this was precisely the sort of thing that led to the Holocaust—only to be met by uncomprehending looks. So she and her students, using the treasured books Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl and Zlata’s Diary: A Child’s Life in Sarajevo as their guides, undertook a life-changing, eye-opening, spirit-raising odyssey against intolerance and misunderstanding. They learned to see the parallels in these books to their own lives, recording their thoughts and feelings in diaries and dubbing themselves the “Freedom Writers” in homage to the civil rights activists “The Freedom Riders.”

With funds raised by a “Read-a-thon for Tolerance,” they arranged for Miep Gies, the courageous Dutch woman who sheltered the Frank family, to visit them in California, where she declared that Erin Gruwell’s students were “the real heroes.” Their efforts have paid off spectacularly, both in terms of recognition—appearances on “Prime Time Live” and “All Things Considered,” coverage in People magazine, a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley—and educationally. All 150 Freedom Writers have graduated from high school and are now attending college.

With powerful entries from the students’ own diaries and a narrative text by Erin Gruwell, The Freedom Writers Diary is an uplifting, unforgettable example of how hard work, courage, and the spirit of determination changed the lives of a teacher and her students.

The authors’ proceeds from this book will be donated to The Tolerance Education Foundation, an organization set up to pay for the Freedom Writers’ college tuition. Erin Gruwell is now a visiting professor at California State University, Long Beach, where some of her students are Freedom Writers.

Racial and Ethnic Groups, 11th Edition

For one semester/one quarter Sociology courses in Race and Ethnic Relations.

Richard Schaefer grew up in Chicago in the 1960's, at a time when neighborhoods were going through transitions in ethnic and racial composition. He found himself fascinated by what was happening, how people were reacting, and how these changes were affecting neighborhoods and people's jobs. These experiences led to a career in sociolog, and he is now a leading scholar on racial and ethnic relations.

This book grew out of his desire to help students to understand the changing dynamics of the U.S. population. This text is an accessible, comprehensive and up-to-date introduction to the issues confronting racial and ethnic groups in both the U.S. and other countries. Organized first by issues and then by major racial and ethnic groups. The text examines each group’s history, explores its current situation, and its concerns for the future.

Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Cultural Approach (3rd Edition)

A rich and timely introduction to the field of adolescent development, this book incorporates culture throughout the world as a key element in understanding development in adolescence and emerging adulthood (ages 18-25). It uses a timely interdisciplinary perspective to present key theories, research and application. Many first person accounts from adolescents across cultures as well as critical thinking questions make this an engaging and interesting introduction to the field of adolescent development.

Chapter topics include: biological foundations, cognitive foundations, cultural beliefs, gender, the self, family relationships, friends and peers, dating, love, sexuality, school, work, media, and adolescence and emerging adulthood in the 21st century.

For individuals in a variety of fields relating to adolescents.

Race, Class, and Gender: An Anthology

RACE, CLASS, AND, GENDER, includes many interdisciplinary readings. The author's selection of very accessible articles show how race, class, and gender shape people's experiences, and help students to see the issues in an analytic, as well as descriptive way. The book also provides conceptual grounding in understanding race, class, and gender; has a strong historical and sociological perspective; and is further strengthened by conceptual introductions by the authors. Students will find the readings engaging and accessible, but may gain the most from the introduction sections that highlight key points and relate the essential concepts. Included in the collection of readings are narratives aimed at building empathy, and articles on important social issues such as prison, affirmative action, poverty, immigration, and racism, among other topics.

Teaching Students Who Are Exceptional, Diverse, and at Risk in the General Education Classroom (4th Edition)

Based on the belief that even small accommodations make a difference in the success of students with disabilities, this text provides readers with the knowledge, tools, and practical strategies that will empower them to spark learning in every student including students with disabilities, culturally diverse students, students with limited English proficiency, economically disadvantaged students, and other students at risk. Revised to reflect recent changes in the law and current terminology, the strength of the book continues to be its numerous learning activities and sample lessons addressing both elementary and secondary classrooms, as well as its four chapter unit on curriculum adaptations with specific strategies and activities for teaching reading, writing, mathematics, and content areas. The strong emphasis on professional planning and collaboration make it an excellent resource for all teachers. Designed for anyone interested in inclusion/mainstreaming, teaching students with disabilities in the regular classroom, and teaching exceptional learners.

Tears of the Desert: A Memoir of Survival in Darfur

Like the single white eyelash that graces her row of dark lashes–seen by her people as a mark of good fortune–Halima Bashir’s story stands out. Tears of the Desert is the first memoir ever written by a woman caught up in the war in Darfur. It is a survivor’s tale of a conflicted country, a resilient people, and the uncompromising spirit of a young woman who refused to be silenced.

Born into the Zaghawa tribe in the Sudanese desert, Halima was doted on by her father, a cattle herder, and kept in line by her formidable grandmother. A politically astute man, Halima’s father saw to it that his daughter received a good education away from their rural surroundings. Halima excelled in her studies and exams, surpassing even the privileged Arab girls who looked down their noses at the black Africans. With her love of learning and her father’s support, Halima went on to study medicine, and at twenty-four became her village’s first formal doctor.

Yet not even the symbol of good luck that dotted her eye could protect her from the encroaching conflict that would consume her land. Janjaweed Arab militias started savagely assaulting the Zaghawa, often with the backing of the Sudanese military. Then, in early 2004, the Janjaweed attacked Bashir’s village and surrounding areas, raping forty-two schoolgirls and their teachers. Bashir, who treated the traumatized victims, some as young as eight years old, could no longer remain quiet. But breaking her silence ignited a horrifying turn of events.

In this harrowing and heartbreaking account, Halima Bashir sheds light on the hundreds of thousands of innocent lives being eradicated by what is fast becoming one of the most terrifying genocides of the twenty-first century. Raw and riveting, Tears of the Desert is more than just a memoir–it is Halima Bashir’s global call to action.

Black Skin, White Masks