Guidance

BEKER, Jeanne. Passion for Fashion: Careers in Style. illus. by Nathalie Dion. 80p. CIP. Tundra. 2008. pap. $18.95. ISBN 978-0-88776-800-2. LC C2007-902737-7.

Gr 6 Up-Beker presents an overview of the people who drive today’s thriving fashion industry from models and designers to makeup artists and photographer’s assistants. She discusses the skills necessary for each job and offers practical ideas on how to get started in the field. Pull-quotes and brief profiles spotlight successful insiders. A high-interest topic, an accessible text, and elegant design make this title an essential for career collections. B

BURNINGHAM, Sarah O’Leary. How to Raise Your Parents: A Teen Girl’s Survival Guide. illus. by Bella Pilar. 144p. index. CIP. Chronicle. 2008. pap. $12.95. ISBN 978-0-8118-5696-6. LC 2007010034.

Gr 7-11–This reader-friendly guide with an appealing cover and graphics delivers sound advice to young women on negotiating with parents. Topics covered include privacy, dating, independence, school, and cyber-life, among others. A glossary of “ParentSpeak” is included. B

Nightmare at School. DVD. 8:43 min. with tchr’s. guide. National Film Board of Canada (nfb.ca). 2007. $99.

Gr 6-10–This mesmerizing animated film, without narration, features scenarios that haunt young teens in school. Presented as a dream, the difficulties that the hero encounters range from missing the bell and being locked out of class to speaking in front of a group. Using artistic effects that are reminiscent of M. C. Escher and René Magritte, the images transport viewers from one daunting scene to the next, but the student manages to conquer his fears with the help of his classmates. D

The Sandwich Kid. DVD. 78 min. Prod. by Normal People Scare Me. Dist. by AV Café (theavcafe.com). 2007. $29.99.

Gr 4 Up–The experiences and challenges faced by siblings of children with disabilities are the focus of this thought-provoking film. Individuals, ranging in age from 6 to 59, are interviewed and discuss their feelings of being “sandwiched” between their own wants and needs and those of their special-needs sibling. Commentaries from experts punctuate the interviews. With an eye-catching visual style and appropriate background music, this program illuminates this particular sibling experience and makes an eloquent plea for tolerance for those with disabilities. D

Understanding Brothers and Sisters with Asperger Syndrome. DVD. 1:49 hrs. Coulter Video (coultervideo.com). 2007. $39.99.

K Up–Each segment of this innovative program addresses a different audience (from age four to adult), but they all focus on the challenges of having a sibling with Asperger’s Syndrome (a form of autism). Three segments are hosted by Jessie Coulter, the adult sibling of a brother with the syndrome, and the fourth part is hosted by producer Dan Coulter, Jessie’s father. D