Middle School Survival Manual

With the start of school just days away for some and weeks away for others, I'm recommending my middle school book to those with children going into 6th or 7th grades. Maybe even 8th. This official Concordia blurb about it is HERE.

You can read chapter one HERE. It'll only take a minute, so give it a try.

From the back cover:
School takes up a good part of your day, so make it the best part.

In the Middle School Survival Manual, you'll learn not only how to survive but how to make each day great because God is with you.

Inside you will learn to:
Give your grades a boost
Make testing as easy as 1,2,3
Face life in a new school
Deal with old and new friends
Live your faith at school
Plan your own activities
And lots more!

School requires dedication and work on your part, but with God at your side, you'll be amazed how things work out.

Q&A with the author: that's me : )

Q: What inspired you to first write the Junior High Survival Manual and the revised book, The Middle School Survival Manual.

A: I taught a 5th/6th grad combination class at a Christian school for a year. During that time I taught them not only textbook material, but also how to take notes, study for tests and other skills they'd need to be successful in school. I decided to put it in book form. I added sections about friendship and peer pressure because those are a big part of middle school. The book was originally a junior high survival manual but most school systems have gone to middle schools now. Also the style and some of the content was out of date so it was time to update it. After all, who heads to the library when they are assigned a report anymore? Students simply look things up on the Internet.

Q: What did you change in this new edition?

A: The book is more interesting and reader friendly. This book uses quizzes to introduce some of the topics. The older version read more like a textbook or class lecture. This new one should draw in more of the reluctant readers. The content is mostly the same but the presentation is different.

Q: What kind of feedback have you received on these guidebooks for middle school students?

A: I've heard from teachers in Christian schools who have used the book as a textbook for incoming 6th or 7th graders. Some schools and churches have written to let me know that they've given out the book as a gift to graduating sixth graders. It's always nice to hear that the book is being given out or used in a classroom and that the skills in the book are being passed on to students.

Q: Anything else you'd like people to know about the book?

A: The students who most need this book are the ones least likely to pick it up and read it. I'd love to see more Christian schools use it in class. It would work well to teach a chapter one day a week for the first grading period for incoming sixth graders. There are discussion questions at the back of the book for this purpose. The book could also be used in small group settings at church or in programs for at-risk youth. I think we need to work hard to get the book into the hands of those who need it most and be willing to work through the book with them.