Easing Those Back-to-School Blues

Amy E. Skolnik

Assistant Children’s Librarian, West Warwick Public Library

Back to School. For some junior high and high school students returning to school means catching up with friends, acing tests and having fun. For other students, it means trying to fit in, struggling with homework and dealing with teachers and parents who just don’t seem to understand.

There are several books written specifically for junior high and high school students to aid in improving study skills, writing papers and getting the most out of the school experience. These books are not textbooks. They are written by people who know that school is not always easy and fun. They encourage self-confidence and urge students to take pride in themselves and their schoolwork.

A book written for junior high students who are facing brand new challenges every day is Help! My Teacher Hates Me: How to survive poor grades, a friend who cheats off you, oral reports and more by Meg F. Schneider. This easy-to-read book is full of questions and answers about dealing with any situation a student might find himself in at school. This book gives advice about everything from romance to dealing with violence on the school bus. It explains the role of the staff in the school from guidance counselors to teachers and the principal. The author intends the books to be a “guide to taking control of the school experience” and it covers everything in a very informative yet amusing way.

A similar book for high school students is The Real High School Handbook: How to survive, thrive and prepare for what’s next by Susan Abel Lieberman. The philosophy behind this book is that high school is the foundation for the rest of the student’s life: “the most important thing this book can do for you is have you think about success at school as a way to get what you want and need in this world.” This book discusses attitudes towards learning, grades, choosing the right classes and explains how the high school experience is relative to the “real world”.

There are many helpful books for writing reports, such as Painless Research Projects written by Rebecca S. Elliot, Research Reports: A Guide for Middle and High School Students by Helen Sullivan and Linda Sernoff and The Research Paper Handbook by James D. Lester Sr. and James D. Lester Jr. All three books take students step-by-step through finding a topic, doing research, and creating a final paper. Included are chapters on using the library, note-taking, creating a bibliography and editing. Sample research papers and examples of writing are included in these books for students to see how their finished papers should look.

The Art and Craft of Writing by C.L. Brantley and Good Grammar Made Easy by Liz Buffa are two informative and entertaining books that are designed to make writing assignments less painful for junior high students. These books review basic grammar and writing skills in very basic, understandable terms.

Two books written by Ron Fry, “Ace” Any Test and How to Study are designed to help students from junior high to college develop good study skills. Fry demonstrates the importance of good note taking, studying at the right time and making the most of what you remember.

While none of these books will guarantee readers straight “A’s” or solve all the problems they may encounter in school, they may help students gain more confidence in themselves and their performance at school.