Free Spirit News 
for November 2–30

A Season for Giving Thanks and Giving Back

“Awesome ABC Book”—Scholastic Instructor Magazine

Go beyond “A is for Apple” with 26 Big Things Small Hands Do, an alphabet book that builds character. This award-winning book by Coleen Paratore and illustrated by Mike Reed helps kids discover positive things they can do with small hands while they learn and review their ABCs. A warm, affirming book for home, childcare, or preschool.

Winner of the 2008 Carol D. Reiser Book Award, Reach Out and Give begins with the concept of gratitude, because feeling grateful is a powerful motivator for giving back. Children learn about sharing their belongings, their time, and their talents in this colorful, read-aloud book. Includes a special section for adults. Like all of the books in the series, Reach Out and Give is appropriate for home and childcare settings, schools, and special education, including settings with children on the autism spectrum.

Free Spirit’s popular The Complete Guide to Service Learning by Cathryn Berger Kaye, M.A., has become the go-to guide for teachers, administrators, college and university faculty, youth leaders, and government agencies. This book presents a blueprint for service learning—its importance, steps, essential elements, and challenges—within a curricular context. It includes inspiring quotations, background information and resources, annotated listings of kids’ books related to service themes, preparation activities, real-life examples, and ideas that have worked for other teachers. A CD-ROM of reproducible forms also is included.

From all of us at Free Spirit, thanks for stopping by!

	Advisory Board Members Wanted Free Spirit seeks grades preK–12 teachers, administrators, librarians, counselors, and social workers to join its advisory board. In order to make our books and other products even more beneficial for children and teens, the advisory board will provide valuable feedback on things like content, text, and art and help us identify what educators need to support the kids they serve. Free Spirit also seeks young people, grades 6 and up, to join its teen advisory council. In order to keep our books and other products current and relevant, the advisory council provides valuable feedback on such things as the design, art, and content of our resources for young people.