I gave the 7th Edition of the MLA Handbook to my graduating 8th graders. (O.K. Not so great to a cool 8th grader, but on some dreary, blurry-eyed night, they will say, "Thank you!".
I had demonstrated the use of the MLA Handbook and provided students with the opportunity to practice using it. Using such research handbooks is not an intuitive task for young researchers. I created a game in which a student would ask how to reference an unusual source and another student would use the MLA Handbook to teach the class how to provide both in-text and works-cited references. Since most high schools require MLA, my students learn to use the MLA Handbook rather than 'wing' referencing. Students found the MLA Handbook a very useful tool when forced to write without internet access, and a wonderful grammatical `reminder' as well. '
For advanced students, I would prefer to use the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 7th Edition and selected books/works than textbooks!