Softcover

ISBN 10: 1575420244 ISBN 13: 9781575420240

Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing, 1997

Here's an etiquette book that teens will want to read—because it keeps them laughing, doesn't preach, and deals with issues that matter to them, as teens themselves reported in a nationwide survey.

In How Rude!, author Alex J. Packer blends outrageous humor with sound advice as he guides readers through the mysterious world of manners from A ("Applause") to Z ("Zits").

He starts by explaining why etiquette is important—because people who know how to handle themselves in social situations come out on top, get what they want, feel good about themselves, and enjoy life to the fullest. Fourteen chapters describe the basics of polite behavior in all kinds of situations at home, in school, and in the world.

Teens learn how to be a host with the most (and a guest with the best), what to do (and not do) when going online or waiting in line, how to deal with rude relatives, how to act at the mall and the concert hall, how to make introductions, who invented manners, and much more. Hundreds of "Dear Alex" questions and answers cover everything from dating to breaking up, thank-you notes to table manners, ethnic jokes to social cliques, skateboarding to celebrating. Survey results reveal what teens, parents, and teachers think about manners and why they're important.

Full of practical tips for every occasion, How Rude! is a serious etiquette encyclopedia—and a hilarious read.

About the Author:

Alex J. Packer received his Ph.D. in Educational and Developmental Psychology from Boston College and his master’s degree in education from Harvard. He has been Headmaster of an alternative school for 11- to 15-year-olds and Director of Education at the Capital Children’s Museum. He is currently President of FCD Educational Services, a Boston-based provider of drug education and substance abuse prevention services to schools worldwide.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 6 Up?From its intriguing title to the tongue-in-cheek ideas for dealing with many kinds of situations, teenagers will find this manual humorous, nonthreatening, entertaining, and educational. The narrative is light and lively, and the advice is realistic and practical. The situations covered in the question-and-answer format far exceed those found in standard etiquette books, with section headings such as "Sex-Ediquette" (realistic rules for relationships with the opposite sex), Toiletiquette, (polite bathroom-sharing), and Netiquette (cyberspace behavior codes). The correct way to answer an invitation, which fork to use at a formal dinner, and all of the standard protocols for life in what once was called a "proper" environment are included. Yet there are many scenarios, from sexual situations to in-line skating, that will be relevant to today's teenagers, and questions that many would not be able to ask an adult, yet for which they urgently need answers. They will certainly find guidance here. Charts listing options for correct or incorrect behavior with probable outcomes appear throughout, as are anecdotal snippets entitled "True Stories from the Manners Frontier." Survey results that show what teens think and then what parents and teachers think about the same issues are presented. This volume should be considered ahead of any traditional etiquette book for YAs. They will return to it again and again as they face new and different situations.?Marilyn Fairbanks, East Junior High School, Brockton,
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.