Man Up!: 26 (Books by Teens)

Aaron is outgoing and funny and a whiz at kickball. Hes also compassionate and kind reading books at the old folks home down H street. Basically hes pretty great. But hes got a problem: everyone calls him a Crybaby.When his friends cheat at Forknife he cries out of anger. When he sees his friend Tayshawn hurt a neighborhood dog he cries out of empathy. And when misses his oldest brother Sage whos away at college he cries out of loneliness. His dad his friends and his classmates tell him to Leave that crying for the girls. How can Aaron learn to value his feelings and nurture his sensitivity in a world telling him to Man up? The authors of this story are part of an innovative program run by Reach Incorporated. Reach develops grade-level readers and capable leaders by preparing teens to serve as tutors and role models for younger students resulting in improved literacy outcomes for both. Learn more at reachincorporated.org. Books were created in collaboration with Shout Mouse Press. Shout Mouse is a nonprofit writing and publishing house dedicated to amplifying underheard voices. Through writing workshops that lead to professional publication Shout Mouse empowers writers from marginalized backgrounds to tell their own stories in their own voices and as published authors to act as agents of change. Learn more at shoutmousepress.org