Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/830448
P R O B L E M - S O L V I N G , creative thinking and resiliency are big parts of Rosie Revere, Engineer (grades 1-2), by Andrea Beaty and illus- trated by David Roberts. Rosie is a quiet kid by day and brilliant inventor by night. She builds a flying contraption to help her great-great-aunt Rosie the Riveter realize her dream, but feels like a failure when it doesn't work. Her aunt insists that Rosie's invention was a big success. You can only truly fail, she explains, if you quit. An overweight kid who sells ties to help bring in money to the family, a tall girl who speaks her mind, a gay mid- dle schooler, and a boy branded as a troublemaker are the heroes of The Misfits (grades 6-8), the first book in a series by James Howe. They 're taunted, demeaned and labeled by schoolmates, but at least they have one another. The misfits end up surviving seventh grade and learn to see themselves as the full, compli- cated human beings they are. In Reclamation Road Poems (grades 9-12), author Kristy Orona (formerly Orona-Ramirez) explores through poetry her journey of self-discovery as a young, urban American Indian woman. Orona is an Alvord Educators Association member and CTA liaison with the California Association of Teachers of English. For other 2016-17 books recommended by California Reads, see cta.org/californiareads. #californiareads. W A N T T O C O M M U N I C A T E — online, on T V and on point — like a pro? Need to engage members on a deeper level, or master best instructional practices? Concurrent strands at CTA's premier training workshop, July 30–Aug. 3 at UCLA's Conference Center, help you boost your leadership skills and meet your professional development goals. They include: Communications, Com- munity Engagement, Instruction and Professional Development (focusing on social-emotional learning and continuous improvement), Legal, Member Benefits, and Negotiations and Organizational Development (tracks: Emerging Leaders, Essential Bargain- ing Skills, Advanced Bargaining Skills, School Finance, and Economic Justice). For details and to register, see ctago.org. #CTASI2017. U S E L G B T P R I D E M O N T H in June to talk about the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and question- ing people and groups have had on history and culture all over the world. This will build awareness and empa- thy, and help LGBTQ+ students feel safer and more affirmed. All students will benefit from a better understand- ing of history and the groups within their community. Include positive representations of LGBTQ+ themes and history in class curriculum, available from GLSEN (glsen.org) and the Anti-Defamation League (adl.org). The American Library Association's listing of LGBTQ-inclusive texts, called The Rainbow Book List, is at glbtrt.ala.org/rainbowbooks. Thoughtful Reads Time for Pride This year, even more than usual, LGBTQ+ and other students have been bullied and threatened in our schools and communities. invention fail, in dle of Howe. but seventh cated (formerly self-discovery is Boost Your Skills at CTA's Summer Institute 8 cta.org calendar in the know P R O B L E M - S O L V I N G , creative thinking Thoughtful