Making healthy choices, Stanley the bear shows children how healthful nutrition and exercise give the body the energy and strength to live a life full of fun and adventure. When Stanley goes on an eating binge and accidentally falls asleep in a camper, he suddenly awakes and finds himself far away from home and stranded at a drive-in - which appears to be "the life." However, after days of eating cookies and candy, sleeping and watching movies, Stanley realizes he is not living "the life." He is very overweight and feeling very tired. He doesn't have the energy to fish, run or climb trees anymore. In his effort to get his real life back, Stanley learns that eating healthy food makes him feel better and gives him the strength to do all of the fun things he really liked to do in the forest. "He thought about the food at the drive-in, the frightening chase in the forest, and the long journey home. Now Stanley stayed away from people and their cookies. He caught fish. He ate pine nuts and huckleberries. He felt healthy. He felt strong.

.  Stanley s "This Is the Life!" will help you:

• Promote healthy nutrition
• Introduce the right foods to give the body energy
• Emphasize why it's important to be active

Age Group: Grades K-4

Author Alyssa Chase Rebein

Illustrator Andra Chase

Key Concept: Health and wellness

Travel north to the Arctic Circle, where reliability can be a matter of survival. Inger may have the whitest fur and an impressive set of antlers, but his friends just can't depend on this young reindeer. First he disrupts a wedding. Next he forfeits the big sled race. Will Inger get another chance to prove he can be trusted? Inger's opportunity soon comes, against the backdrop of an unforgiving Arctic snowstorm, and at stake are the lives of three reindeer. Inger's story is set in Norway and features a fast-fading way of life among the Sami reindeer herders, who have lived in close interdependence with the reindeer for centuries. In glowing watercolors, illustrator Andra Chase depicts the rugged beauty of the Norwegian landscape and the richly colorful Sami people who live there. 

Inger s Promise will help you:

• Emphasize the value of being trustworthy
• Investigate the lives of the Sami people
• Introduce information about reindeer and other Arctic wildlife
• Explore the geography and culture of Norway

"The large watercolor illustrations are perfect for storytime sharing with ages five to ten." — Small Press Magazine

Author Jami Parkison

Illustrator Andra Chase

Key Concept: Being trustworthy

Age Group: Grades K-4

When a bully in a chaotic classroom encounters an ant named Jim she learns that tolerance and diversity are necessary for any social community to function well. Help promote the youngest students' emotional well-being and mental health as the classroom develops cohesion, trust, and team identity. Take back the playground and the classroom by focusing on:

-anti-bullying

-diversity

-teamwork

-tolerance

-cooperation

-respect

Learn to interpret media messages.

In the tradition of the Straight Talk series, practical ways for students to gain media literacy are outlined in this timely new video. Analyzing the purposes of media messages and interpreting hidden agendas is a vital skill for young teens under barrage from high-pressure marketing. FromStraight Talk About Sex, Gender, and Media, students will begin to develop a healthy critical approach to the many different forms the media takes, and to make more informed decisions regarding their own choices with regard to sexuality. This video raises the awareness of young people and promotes abstinence from risky behavior.

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.

Learn to deal with social pressures.

Adolescent peer groups bridge the gap between childhood and adulthood, and friends can often facilitate what is sometimes a difficult stage of development. However, peer pressure can also be detrimental and lead teens into trouble. Straight Talk About Peer Pressure helps middle school students learn how to navigate through peer situations which conflict with feelings and values. Practical tips for self-reflection, coping mechanisms for maintaining friendships, and developing refusal skills are featured in this constructive presentation.

Learn to address conflict in appropriate ways.
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 "call in" program, hosts Melissa and Randy discuss the emotion of anger and the complications that can arise when reacting to this powerful feeling. 

Managing anger is a skill that can be learned, and getting in touch with underlying unmet needs is at the core of this process. In the variety of scenarios presented, young teens find ideas that resonate with their own lives and learn techniques to developing a healthy approach to controlling anger. Providing guidance along the path to emotional maturity Straight Talk About Anger can help boys and girls improve personal insight and the ways they relate to others.

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

Fly into Miami Beach and meet a parrot who talks too much. People never stop talking, do they? And from his perch at Las Flores café, Feathers hears every word — and repeats a good deal of what he hears. The problem is, the words sometimes get a little jumbled up, turned around, stretched out of shape. That's what happens when Julio finds a ten dollar bill on the sidewalk. By the end of the day — and with the help of the talkative Feathers — Julio's bit of good luck has grown to immense proportions — at least in the minds of the regulars at Las Flores. Feathers' misadventures take place within sight of palm trees and blue ocean waters in Miami Beach, Florida. Andra Chase has depicted a kaleidoscope of local color and characters in her sunny watercolor illustrations.                         

 Feathers at Las Flores will help you:

Visit the Okefenokee for a lesson in pursuing goals. Jackson is a green tree frog and a resident of the Okefenokee Swamp in southern Georgia. One afternoon, Jackson learns that a slick new brochure is being prepared to draw tourists to this famed wildlife refuge, home to alligators and water lilies, coach whip snakes and cypress trees, pileated woodpeckers and cinnamon ferns. Jackson is determined that the diminutive green tree frog species will not be left out. Jackson's plan takes him on a photo shoot through three habitats of the Okefenokee — the swampy woods, the piney woods, and the open marshlands. Along his madcap way, he encounters obstacles and setbacks, but Jackson perseveres — with surprising results. 

Jackson s Plan will help you:

• Promote goal-setting and strategic planning
• Encourage perseverance in the face of obstacles
• Explore the ecology of wetlands and the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

"A striking multimedia presentation package." — Children's Bookwatch

Author Linda Talley

Illustrator Andra Chase

Key Concept: Learning to persevere

Age Group: Grades K-4

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