Author, coauthor, or ghostwriter of 43 books for children, teens, parents, teachers, counselors, and general readers. Total sold to date: more than 14 million.

Selected titles:

Dude, That’s Rude! (Get Some Manners). Coauthor with Elizabeth Verdick. Free Spirit Publishing, 2007. Teaches kids the basics of polite behavior in all kinds of situations—at home, at school, in the bathroom, on the phone, at the mall, and more. Kids learn Power Words to use and P.U. Words to avoid, why their family deserves their best manners, and the essentials of e-tiquette (politeness online). Full-color illustrations throughout.

The Adding Assets Series for Kids. Coauthor with Elizabeth Verdick. Free Spirit Publishing, 2004–2006. Researchers at Search Institute in Minneapolis have identified 40 good things all kids need in their lives. Called Developmental Assets, they include a loving family, a caring neighborhood, self-esteem, and a commitment to learning. The Adding Assets series helps kids ages 8–12 build their own assets. Each book includes ideas they can try at home, at school, in their neighborhood, in their faith community, and with their friends. The complete series includes eight student books and a Leader’s Guide with 42 sessions and CD-ROM. “Good strategies and support for children…valuable tools”—National Association of School Psychologists’ Communiqué.

Fortune’s Bones: The Manumission Requiem. With poet Marilyn Nelson. Front Street Books, 2004. A eulogy for a slave who lived in New England and whose bones are in the Mattatuck Museum in Connecticut. A Coretta Scott King Honor Book and an ALA Notable Children’s Book; winner of the first Lion and Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American Poetry from The Lion and the Unicorn, a journal on children’s literature published by The Johns Hopkins University Press.

Life Lists for Teens Free Spirit Publishing, 2002. More than 200 self-help lists on topics like health and wellness, relationships, feelings, creativity, personal safety, school, self-esteem, and problem-solving. National Parenting Center Seal of Approval. “Lots of useful information and teen appeal”—School Library Journal. “Good ideas for living life…a ‘how-to-do-it’ manual for the road ahead”—KLIATT.

Succeed Every Day: Daily Readings for Teens. Guides teens through a year of learning about, thinking about, and practicing qualities and skills that will help them succeed at home, at school, in the workplace, and in the world. Supports Search Institute’s Developmental Assets. “Filled with ideas to affirm teenagers’ lives”—KLIATT.

Stick Up for Yourself! Every Kid’s Guide to Personal Power and Positive Self-Esteem. Coauthor with Gershen Kaufman, Ph.D., and Lev Raphael, Ph.D. Free Spirit Publishing, 1990, revised 1999. Assertiveness training for ages 8–12. 185,000 in print. Parent Council selection.

What Kids Need to Succeed: Proven, Practical Ways to Raise Good Kids. Coauthor with Peter L. Benson, Ph.D., and Judy Galbraith, M.A. Free Spirit Publishing, 1994, revised 1998. More than 900 concrete ideas for parents, teachers, community and youth leaders, and teens, based on Search Institute’s Developmental Assets framework. 620,000 in print.

What Teens Need to Succeed: Proven, Practical Ways to Shape Your Own Future. Coauthor with Peter L. Benson, Ph.D., and Judy Galbraith, M.A. Free Spirit Publishing, 1998. Asset-building for teens, based on Search Institute’s Developmental Assets framework. “Read, America!” selection.

Making Every Day Count: Daily Readings for Young People on Solving Problems, Setting Goals, & Feeling Good About Yourself. Coauthor with Elizabeth Verdick. Free Spirit Publishing, 1998. National Parenting Center Seal of Approval.