Describes a difficult sixth grade girl who spent her elementary school years fighting to feel happy. The article focuses on a teacher's efforts to raise the child's self-esteem by examining her home life then taking appropriate steps to encourage success (e.g., tutoring younger students). (SM)

This unit of the Flexible Learning System (FLS) designed for adults who work with children aged 4-8, offers a means of analyzing, evaluating, and selecting books and other educational materials for use in culturally pluralistic classrooms and with young children of Mexican-American heritage. Research which explores the impact of books on…