Welcome to Guides by Deb, a website consisting of over 300 standards-aligned educators guides crafted for the best books written for children and young adults in the business.

My name is Debbie Gonzales. I am an author, educator, Pinterest marketing specialist, and the creator of all the content featured in this website.

Thank you for your interest in the following collection of books and educator guides honoring love in all its various shapes and sizes. Access the links below to find information about the book and the author, purchase links, and access to the free downloadable educator resources.

It is my hope that you consider including one or all these books as part of your Valentine’s Day curriculum. You’ll be oh-so-glad you did!

While you’re at it, poke around the Guides by Deb website. There are plenty of treasures here, something for every kind of reader – young and old. Also, if I can be of service to you, let me know.

Remarkable Stories About Extraordinary Women

A collection of Guides by Deb educational resources crafted for books featuring remarkable stories about extraordinary women. Each book features females who - through their tenacity, vision, and dedication to a cause - made an impact on the world forever. Consider of books, reference materials, and purchase links below and be inspired!

For Jews in Nazi-occupied Paris, every day brings new dangers. So when Odette's father is thrown into a work camp and the Nazis suspect her mother of helping the Resistance, Odette is sent to the French countryside until it is safe to return. On the surface, Odette leads the life of a regular girl, going to school, doing chores, even attending Catholic masses with other children. But inside, she is burning with secrets for the life she left behind, and the identity she must hide at all costs. Yet when the war ends, the cost of keeping secrets takes an unexpected toll: can Odette return to Paris as a Jew, or has she changed too much? Inspired by the life of the real Odette Meyer, this moving free-verse novel is a story of triumph over adversity.

The CCSS-aligned Discussion/Activity Guide consists of in-depth pre-reading and post-reading discussion questions, a block printing activity, and a wedding broom-making craft. Access this link to read more about ODETTE'S SECRETS. Links to purchase the book and to download the teacher guide are also available.

Access the in-depth standards-aligned Discussion & Activity Guide HERE. Links to purchase the book and to download the teacher guide are also available.

When American soldiers entered World War I, Moina Belle Michael, a schoolteacher from Georgia, knew she had to act. Some of the soldiers were her students and friends. Almost single-handedly, Moina worked to establish the red poppy as the symbol to honor and remember soldiers. And she devoted the rest of her life to making sure the symbol would last forever. Thanks to her hard work, that symbol remains strong today. Author Barbara Elizabeth Walsh and artist Layne Johnson worked with experts, primary documents, and Moina's great-nieces to better understand Moina's determination to honor the war veterans.

A portion of the book's proceeds will support the National Military Family Association's Operation Purple®, which benefits children of the U.S. military.

Access the in-depth standards-aligned Discussion & Activity Guide HERE. Links to purchase the book and to download the teacher guide are also available.

When You Look Out the Window tells the story of Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, one of San Francisco's most well-known and politically active lesbian couples. Describing the view from Phyllis and Del's window, this book shows how one couple's activism transformed their community — and had ripple effects throughout the world.

Includes a Reading Guide that provides helpful historical context, and a Note to Parents, Caregivers, and Educators about the importance of teaching LGBTQ history and culture to children.

This is a unique way to introduce children to untold stories in history while also being a clever tribute to two notable women.

Access the in-depth standards-aligned Discussion & Activity Guide HERE. Links to purchase the book and to download the teacher guide are also available.

Everyone knows Beatrix Potter as the creator of the Peter Rabbit stories. But before that, she was a girl of science. As a child, Beatrix collected nature specimens; as a young adult, she was an amateur mycologist presenting her research on mushrooms and other fungi to England's foremost experts. Like many women of her time, she remained unacknowledged by the scientific community, but her keen eye for observation led her to an acclaimed career as an artist and storyteller. A beloved author is cast in a new light in this inspiring picture book story.

Access the in-depth standards-aligned Discussion & Activity Guide HERE. Links to purchase the book and to download the teacher guide are also available.

A bold, inspiring message for little graduates of today with a heartening homage to female trailblazers of the past from beloved creator Joyce Wan!

Dream your dreams with your eyes wide open and make them come true. Dream big, little one, the world is waiting for you.

In this dreamy oversized board book, little ones will find the courage and strength to achieve anything they want -- all by dreaming big! With inspiring illustrations of female trailblazers and icons of history and simple, hopeful text, Joyce Wan creates a moving send-off for graduates of all ages. Included in the back is a simple guide to some of the bold dreamers who came before us who followed their dreams . . . and changed the world.

With a tender message of encouragement and hope, this special board book is a gift to be treasured and shared for years to come.

Featuring heartfelt tributes to:
- Rosa Parks
- Junko Tabei
- Frida Kahlo
- Amelia Earhart
- Zaha Hadid
and many more

Access the in-depth standards-aligned Discussion & Activity Guide HERE. Links to purchase the book and to download the teacher guide are also available.

Fourteen-year-old Lucy Maud Montgomery -- Maud to her friends -- has a dream: to go to college and become a writer, just like her idol, Louisa May Alcott. But living with her grandparents on Prince Edward Island, she worries that this dream will never come true. Her grandfather has strong opinions about a woman's place in the world, and they do not include spending good money on college. Luckily, she has a teacher to believe in her, and good friends to support her, including Nate, the Baptist minister's stepson and the smartest boy in the class. If only he weren't a Baptist; her Presbyterian grandparents would never approve. Then again, Maud isn't sure she wants to settle down with a boy -- her dreams of being a writer are much more important.

But life changes for Maud when she goes out West to live with her father and his new wife and daughter. Her new home offers her another chance at love, as well as attending school, but tensions increase as Maud discovers her stepmother's plans for her, which threaten Maud's future -- and her happiness forever.

Access the in-depth standards-aligned Discussion & Activity Guide HERE. Links to purchase the book and to download the teacher guide are also available.

Eva Mozes Kor was 10 years old when she arrived in Auschwitz. While her parents and two older sisters were taken to the gas chambers, she and her twin, Miriam, were herded into the care of the man known as the Angel of Death, Dr. Josef Mengele. Mengele's twins were granted the privileges of keeping their own clothes and hair, but they were also subjected to sadistic medical experiments and forced to fight daily for their own survival, as most of the twins died as a result of the experiments or from the disease and hunger pervasive in the camp. In a narrative told with emotion and restraint, readers will learn of a child's endurance and survival in the face of truly extraordinary evil. The book also includes an epilogue on Eva's recovery from this experience and her remarkable decision to publicly forgive the Nazis. Through her museum and her lectures, she has dedicated her life to giving testimony on the Holocaust, providing a message of hope for people who have suffered, and working toward goals of forgiveness, peace, and the elimination of hatred and prejudice in the world.

Access the in-depth standards-aligned Educator Guide HERE. Links to purchase the book and to download the teacher guide are also available.

Written by the author of the Stonewall Award-winning book, This Day in June, Feminism From A to Z is an alphabetical primer on feminism for teen girls. Each chapter examines a topic that offers call-to-action exercises incorporated into each lesson. Together, the chapters take a look at history and current events through the lens of feminist theory and introduce an inclusive and wide range of feminist thoughts and perspectives. Includes an introduction to readers on how to use the book and an alphabetical list of ways to take feminist action.

Access the in-depth standards-aligned Discussion & Activity Guide HERE. Links to purchase the book and to download the teacher guide are also available.

“If you’ve got a good idea, and you know it’s going to work, go ahead and do it.”
The inspiring story of Grace Hopper—the boundary-breaking woman who revolutionized computer science—is told in an engaging picture book biography.

Who was Grace Hopper? A software tester, workplace jester, cherished mentor, ace inventor, avid reader, naval leader—AND rule breaker, chance taker, and troublemaker. Acclaimed picture book author Laurie Wallmark (Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine) once again tells the riveting story of a trailblazing woman. Grace Hopper coined the term “computer bug” and taught computers to “speak English.” Throughout her life, Hopper succeeded in doing what no one had ever done before. Delighting in difficult ideas and in defying expectations, the insatiably curious Hopper truly was “Amazing Grace” . . . and a role model for science- and math-minded girls and boys. With a wealth of witty quotes, and richly detailed illustrations, this book brings Hopper's incredible accomplishments to life.

Access the in-depth standards-aligned Discussion & Activity Guide HERE. Links to purchase the book and to download the teacher guide are also available.