This reassuring program presents facts about puberty in a context of self-respect and self-confidence. We're Growing Up! is designed for a combined audience of boys and girls. The narrator talks comfortably and matter-of-factly about human growth patterns (starting with a baby's rapid growth in the womb) and moves quickly through to the subject at hand,adolescence. A review of male and female anatomy and sexual development and an emphasis on responsible choices will be starting points for classroom discussion. A lively cast of young teenagers and sensitive artwork round out this production.

A dramatically different approach to puberty education. Please note that the working title for this video was Straight Talk about Mental Health. In this second Straight Talk program, hosts Lisa and Jason tackle issues that affect the mental well-being of young people:

• More about hormones and emotions
• Interacting responsibly with others
• Developing a healthy body image
• Making decisions based on facts
• Recognizing and resisting commercial pressures • Identifying, understanding, and expressing emotions
• Constructing a strong personal identity The question and answer format will help students sort out their conflicting thoughts, beliefs, and emotions and come to terms with themselves and their bodies. Straight Talk About Self-Image and Identity will help boys and girls approach maturity with grace and confidence.

Help students identify and maintain healthy relationships.

Early adolescence is a time of rapid and dramatic changes. Navigating the social and emotional complexities presented by daily life can be especially challenging during the teen years. Introducing this Straight Talk program, hosts Melissa and Randy present the concept of Self-Confidence, and show a group of students at a nearby junior high school talking about self-confidence and self-esteem with their guidance counselor.

Identifying seven basic concepts, the members of the group detail their personal experiences with a keener understanding of self-confidence. Providing guidance along the path to emotional maturity Straight Talk About Self-Confidence can help boys and girls improve personal insight and the ways they relate to others.

You loved the classic version of Growing Up! For Girls so in response, we offer this new updated version that promotes self-confidence as girls face the challenges of change and growth. This program provides authoritative information about the female reproductive system. One of our favorites for girls, it also details the emotional and physical transformations of puberty, and it takes a candid look at the basics of anatomy and development. Growing Up! For Girls provides useful advice on health, hygiene and nutrition, and it encourages a positive body image and sense of personal worth. The female narrator helps girls take a realistic look at the responsibilities of adulthood and promotes dialog with trusted adults.

You loved the classic Growing Up! For Boys so in response, we offer this updated version that promotes self-confidence as boys try to cope with the physical and psychological changes that are a normal part of growing up. This program encourages boys to take pride in their uniqueness while realizing that people are all reassuringly alike. Growing Up! For Boys provides useful advice on health, hygiene and good grooming; fosters the self-esteem that comes with accepting new responsibilities, and points to reliable sources for information during these sometimes difficult times.

A herd of Spanish sheep is badly in need of guidance. Everyone knows that sheep are followers. They are perfectly content to trail along behind whomever happens to be a few steps ahead. This is exactly the case with a flock of sheep living outside a tiny village in the heart of Spain. One day Isabella begins to wonder if there isn't another way. "Must we always be wandering about willy-nilly, nobody knowing where we are going?" But recognizing the need for a leader and accepting the responsibility of being one are two different things. It will require a bolt of lightning — literally — to transform the reluctant Isabella into the leader she must be. From crumbling stone farm buildings and rugged grazing land to the pinnacled Alcazar, once home of Queen Isabella, this story captures the drama of the Spanish landscape, the perfect backdrop for the exciting events that lead to our Isabella's transformation. 

Following Isabella will help you:

• Consider leadership as a service to one's community
• Investigate different kinds of leadership
• Present information about sheep and sheep farming
• Explore the geography and culture of Spain

"A story about leadership, confidence, initiative and cooperation. Particularly useful for studies in social skills and character education. [Isabella] will be appreciated by general viewers as well." — School Library Journal

Author Linda Talley

Illustrator Andra Chase

Key Concept: Becoming a leader

Age Group: Grades K-4

Friends are particularly important to a young person with special needs and having the right skills can make all the difference. I Know How to Act is a play within a play, featuring both students with special needs and typically developing peers acting out different social behaviors. This program takes an original and unique approach to conveying social and leadership skills in a way kids can easily understand. It is also an especially good representation of inclusion. Key points are marked throughout the program where the teacher can stop the DVD for supplemental class discussion.

Topics include: cognitive challenges, dating, friendship, inclusion, and other social and leadership skills.

A New York story weighs love against material wealth. Hit the sidewalks of New York with a girl named Margot and a Dalmatian pup named Bailey. Both are on their best behavior in anticipation of their shared birthday celebration. Students will feel Bailey's keen disappointment when all he gets for his birthday is a kiss and a bandanna. And they will rejoice with Bailey's realization that the love and support of his family are more important than material gifts. This DVD is a word for word match of the storybook.

Bailey s Birthday will help you:

• Explore the value of material gifts as measures of worth
• Promote growth in self-confidence
• Introduce factual information about aviation, about the canine species, and about the sights and history of New York City

 " Bailey learns] about something more important than material gifts: the love and support of a family. Recommended." - Video Librarian

Author Elizabeth Happy

Illustrator Andra Chase

Key Concept: Celebrating gifts of the heart

Age Group: K-4