The Gifted Kids Survival Guide: A Teen Handbook - Softcover

Judy Galbraith, M.A., has a master’s degree in guidance and counseling of the gifted. She has worked with and taught gifted children and teens, their parents, and their teachers for over 20 years. In 1983, she started Free Spirit Publishing, which specializes in Self-Help for Kids® and Self-Help for Teens® books and other learning materials. James R. Delisle, Ph.D., has taught gifted children and those who work on their behalf for more than 30 years. He retired from Kent State University in 2008 after 25 years of service as a professor of special education. Throughout his career, James also worked as a part-time teacher of gifted middle school children. This weekly excursion into the real world of public school classrooms helped to cement both James’ professional credibility and his respect for the hectic lives of classroom teachers. His work’s practical application is a direct result of this weekly intervention into the world of schools. The author of more than 250 articles and 14 books, James' work has been translated into multiple languages, and has appeared in professional journals as well as The New York Times and on The Oprah Winfrey Show. A frequent presenter on gifted children’s intellectual and emotional growth, Jim has addressed audiences in 48 states and numerous nations.

Grade 7 Up. Some things get better and better, and this well-designed revision of a 1987 title is one sterling example. Aimed at secondary students, the book is so well done and so useful in terms of the explanations, answers, resources, and insights it provides that parents and teachers will also find it to be a fascinating and valuable resource. Discussions include definitions of giftedness; IQ tests and testing; perfectionism; self-assertion in educational surroundings; goal setting; relationships with parents, teachers, and peers; general concerns of adolescence; gender and ethnic considerations of giftedness; choosing a college; teen suicide, especially among gifted and talented students; and a host of other issues. The revisions are based in large part on the thousands of responses the authors received from a questionnaire administered to gifted students both in the U.S. and abroad, and one of the strongest features is the many "Gifted People Speak Out" reports found throughout. These personal testimonies add enormous credibility to the project. Gifted Kids tackles head-on the mystery and confusion that often surround the use of the word "gifted." Historical context and evolving, even contradictory, definitions of giftedness are explained in an expository style that is fresh and appealing. The abundant self-check quizzes make the book refreshingly interactive. The text is topped off with a useful list of additional resources, including web sites. A superior resource that provides so many fine ideas and fresh insights that it clearly has the potential to transform lives.?Jerry D. Flack, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
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