Middle School Superpowers

From the author of Middle School Matters, discover how to bolster any middle schooler’s resilience by leveraging the 12 Middle School Superpowers they need to manage disappointment, self-regulate emotions, take healthy risks, and recover from any setback.

• “Fagell's gifts as a writer pale only to her gift for understanding and appreciating the magic of tweens and teens. I thought she had already written the definitive guide to appreciating middle school kids, but with Middle School Superpowers, she completes the set, one every parent or teacher of middle school students needs."
  Jessica Lahey, Author of The Gift of Failure and The Addiction Inoculation
• As both a parent and an educator, I loved this book! Such important concepts are presented in a highly engaging, culturally relevant way, and I am left feeling much more equipped in my ability to shepherd my children toward emotionally healthy adulthood. Phyllis Fagell spends every day of her professional life working with middle schoolers, and her insights on this population can help you help them develop the 'superpowers' they will absolutely need as they grow person-ally, relationally, and academically. My favorite chapters are on purpose finding, boundary setting, risk taking, and problem reframing, and they are all backed by science. Plus, numerous actionable ideas are presented throughout in an encouraging and accessible manner. There is so much packed into these pages, and different sections will be relevant at different times in my children's lives. I know I will be consulting it often!"
  Sameer Hinduja, PhD, professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida Atlantic University, co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center, and faculty associate at the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard University
• "Middle School Superpowers is an indispensable, engaging, and reassuring resource for anyone raising or educating tweens in today's complicated world.With warmth and wisdom, Fagell draws on the research and shares poignant, often funny stories to impart actionable ways adults can help middle schoolers cultivate the twelve essential superpowers they need to navigate the phase and life beyond- with resilience."
  Julie Lythcott-Haims, New York Times bestselling author of How to Raise an Adult, Real American, and Your Turn
• "Phyllis Fagell has created another action packed masterpiece! It recognizes that while tweens have the power within them, it is parents" superimportant role do recognize and build on their strengths. My favorite line in the book is that adults should 'cast aside their assumptions and start with curiosity.' Exactly!!!! Thar curiosity will make you the best possible guide for your child because you'll learn about the realities of their life. Then, you'll be ready to draw from the practical, actionable, and effective approaches this book offers to further empower your child to savor life while also being able to manage its complexities."
  Kenneth Ginsburg, MD, MSEd, author of the books Congrats, You're Having a Teen! and Building Resilience in Children and Teens, founding director of the Center for Parent and Teen Communication
• "Middle School Superpowers is the indispensable guide every parent and educator needs to help kids make mistakes, learn, and recover from any setback or disappointment. Whether the struggle is body image, social skills, motivation, or anxiety, Phyllis Fagell shares relatable stories and offers a wealth of concrete, science-backed, practical answers to every challenge a child could face during the tough tween years. With warmth and humor, this reassuring book provides all the tools you need to empower a tween and activate their superpowers so theyPhyllis is a gifted writer, and this is a must-read!"
  Michele Borba, EdD, educational psychologist and bestselling author of Thrivers 1 UnSelfie
• "As a clinician who works with tweens and teens and as the parent of a middle schooler, I cannot overstate the value of this book. Phyllis Fagell has packed decades of wisdom into a smart, practical, and indispensable guide that is a must-read for anyone raising, educating, or caring for middle school students."
  Lisa Damour, PhD, Author of Untangled, Under Pressure, and The Emotional Lives of Teenagers
• “[A] brilliant, bighearted, highly practical guide to helping kids navigate the mess of middle school emotions, mistakes, insecurities and social minefields.”
  The Chicago Tribune, Heidi Stevens
• Throughout the book, Fagell excels by giving strategies to meet kids where they are.  She equips educators with the language to validate student emotions, without absolving them of consequences.  This is more than “feel good” fluff—it’s science-backed methods for instilling in students the skills they need to be successful.
  We Are Teachers