Book Review: Two Girls Can!

Author: Keiko Narahashi
Interest Level: Ages 3-7


About This Book: Beginning with the electric pink cover featuring two girls in sunglasses with plenty of attitude, the book overflows with liveliness and a multicultural, capable cast of girls. They can "hold hands,/ give bear hugs,/ be best friends." Various pairs of girls climb trees, share treats and jokes, and even "get really, really mad,/ then make up and [are] brave together." In the grand finale, all the girls join together in an exuberant conga line dance. The text occasionally substitutes activities too arbitrary to demonstrate real friendship ("Two girls can stay dry, or get wet, and dry again"). Readers will feel empowered by the confidence emanating from the girls in these pages as they celebrate the everyday things they can do together.


Why It's On My Shelf: It's amazing to me that girls start to have friendship troubles so early in life. Relational aggression is happening in our kindergarten classes. Two Girls Can is a wonderful read for girls. Start teaching friendship skills as soon as you can! This cute little story starts out with a friendship between two girls but ends with many girls being included in the friendship. I want my girl students to know that we can all be friends - we never have to stop being friends and push others out. You'll want this little wonder of a book as part of a friendship unit. I wish there were more like this out there for girls!

Book Review: Say Something

Author: Peggy Moss

illustrated by Lea Lyon

Interest Level: Ages 5-12  

About This Book: Say Something has become an anchor text for bullying prevention campaigns around the country. A young girl initially feels satisfied that she does not participate when she witnesses teasing. When the teasing turns on her, she decides she can no longer be a bystander. The final page of the story in which she talks to the girl who sits alone on the bus affirms small, every-day actions as part of social change. The illustrations in this book present children of many skin tones and body types--among the most beautifully illustrated and true to life portrayals of a diverse student body.

Why It's On My Bookshelf:  When I grew up, it wasn't very popular to tell adults about bully problems. During bus rides home from school I was often picked on by older students, not once did I tell my parents. And not once did anyone stick up for me. I wonder what those bus rides would have been like if my teachers or parents would have read me a powerful picture book like Say Something. I'm imagining I would have had the courage to put a stop to the bullies on the bus. This book teaches kids to not be a bystander and to stick up for oneself and others, in other words SAY SOMETHING. I've seen a positive impact on our student population through the use of this book. More kids are speaking up and not keeping bullying a secret. Parents, counselors, and teachers need to read Say Something to open up lines of communication, kids need to know it's okay to SAY SOMETHING. Learn more about author Peggy Moss and her other book Our Friendship Rules at Say Something Now.

Suggestions on how to use Say Something

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Book Review: Do Unto Otters: A Book About Manners

Author: Laurie Keller
Interest Level: Ages 6-9

About The Book: Mr. Rabbit is worried that he might not get along with his new neighbors. A wise owl gives him the advice, "Do unto otters as you would have otters do unto you" and proceeds to explain what this means. Thus follows a listing of traits and qualities such as friendliness, politeness, honesty, consideration, cooperation, and sharing. Each one contains humorous examples of Mr. Rabbit and the Otters following those rules. Also included are samples of how to say certain phrases such as "Excuse me" and "Please" in Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and Pig Latin. Each page bursts with colorful illustrations and is scattered with words of different sizes and fonts.

 

Why It's On My Bookshelf: I was so excited when I found this!!! I love bibliotherapy that uses humor. I've read the very beautiful children's book The Golden Rule by Ilene Cooper many times to students. So it was neat to discover such a humorous complimentary companion to teach this beautiful universal rule of life. I get many giggles and smiles when I read Do Unto Otters. I love the author's cute website. Oh, and I even discovered you can buy a little video of the book. Here is the adorable trailer. This is an enjoyable read for your shelf.


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Book Review: Ruthie and the (Not So) Teeny Tiny Lie

Author: Laura Rankin

Interest Level: Ages 4-9


About This Book: Ruthie, a fox girl, loves teeny-tiny things, so when she finds a miniature camera in the schoolyard, she claims it as her own. And lies about it when fellow student Martin tells their teacher, Mrs. Olsen, that the camera belongs to Ruthie. The rest of the afternoon is long for Ruthie, and at home that night, she ruminates over her crime until she finally comes clean with her parents. Having been counseled that honesty is the best policy, Ruthie, with much trepidation, tells her teacher and Martin what she has done. Mrs. Olsen praises her for telling the truth, and Martin forgives her, too. A real-life situation might not have such a happy ending, but this gets right to the heart of what children feel when they know they've done something wrong but don't know how to set things right. The sprightly artwork is cheery in all respects, except when it comes to Ruthie. With subtle brushstrokes, Rankin captures all the varied emotions Ruthie goes through: glee, defiance, worry, fear, and eventually relief.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: This age group (4-9) needs more books like this. I use this story as an opportunity to tell children that no matter what they have done - lying is always the Bigger problem. Kids can get into a habit of automatically wanting to improve their situation by lying. I love how the author shows how impacted Ruthie is both emotionally and even physically. Honesty is the best policy - that saying just never gets old. You are going to want this one on your shelf.


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Book Review: One

Author: Kathryn Otoshi

Interest Level: Ages 5-11

About This Book: This is a deceptively simple color and counting book that turns into a lesson on bullying. Whenever they meet, Blue is picked on by Red: "Red is HOT. Blue is NOT." The other colors like Blue but are intimidated by the bluster so they say nothing, and soon Red is bossing everyone around. But then One comes. It is funny and brave and confronts Red: "If someone is mean and picks on me, I, for One, stand up and say, No." All the other colors follow One's lead and become numbers too. Yellow is two, Green, three, etc. Red begins to feel left out and tries to bully Blue, but Blue ignores him and changes to Six: "Red can be really HOT,' he says, but Blue can be super COOL.'" The rest of the numbers stick up for Blue, but offer Red the opportunity to join in the counting, and all ends well. The book is well designed with bright colored circles and numbers on stark white pages accompanied by black print. The text is very simple but meaningful, and the moral is subtly told. Red is not ostracized but included in the game, and the essential point of one person making a difference is emphasized by the ending: "Sometimes it just takes One." This is an offering with great potential for use with the very young in a variety of ways.

One turned to the colors and said,

"If someone is mean and picks on me,

I for One, stand up and say, No."

Why It's On My Bookshelf: After reading this book to a second grade class, they shouted, "read it again!" This author is brilliant. One has had a powerful impact on students. I use One to help students stand up for themselves. I get so tired of teaching kids dry bullying curriculums and they get bored with them too. This book has so much oomph and originality in it! The kind of oomph I wish more bullying curriculums had. I read it to kindergarteners but I can also read it to 5th graders, it works for all ages. If you want children to quit being bystanders, to stand up for themselves and have confidence when confronting bullying, get One on your shelf! It's creative and engaging. So well done.

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Book Review: My Best Friend

Author: Mary Ann Rodman

illustrated by E.B. Lewis

Interest Level: Ages 4-9

From the Book Jacket: It's summer, and Lily spends lots of time at the community pool, where she sees Tamika. Lily decides that Tamika will be her new best friend. But Tamika already has a best friend, and no matter how hard Lily tries - from wearing a new bathing suit to perfecting her pool dive - she can't seem to impress Tamika. Lily just doesn't understand. Without Tamika, who will be Lily's best friend? 

Why It's On My Bookshelf: I am always on the prowl for really good friendship books. This is one of those REALLY GOOD FRIENDSHIP BOOKS! Get it! There is definitely an element of bullying in My Best Friend. But I think the bigger discussion point is guiding our children towards making good friendship choices. Encourage kids to find friends that will treat them the way they want to be treated. I also introduce the term "good-fit" friend while I'm reading the story. Lily keeps trying to become friends with older girl Tamika. But she is treated quite horribly by her. Yet, she still pursues a friendship. I ask the kids, "This is not a good-fit friend. Why?" Eventually, Lily realizes who she needs to choose...Keesha - the true friend. You will not be disappointed in this book.

Book Review: One of Those Days

Author: Amy Krouse Rosenthal

illustrated by Rebecca Doughty

Interest Level: Ages 5-11


About This Book: Rosenthal enumerates ways in which a child's happiness can be squelched by a rotten day. The array of mishaps includes sibling and friendship problems, disappointing birthdays, itchy clothing, misplaced belongings, and self-doubt. Each unwelcome incident warrants a special designation. There's a Keep Spilling Stuff Day, a Nobody's Listening To You Day, a Gutter Ball Day, and a Not Big Enough Day. This succinct book is not a story but an imaginative list of calamities that culminates predictably with the promise that all bad days lead to a new dawn.

 Why It's On My Bookshelf: Sometimes I notice kids walking around school in sort of a slump. This book has helped me as a counselor immensely to reach out to those students. Just like adults, kids sometimes have really hard days too. One of Those Days comforts and validates children. I love to say to kids, 'Hey, looks like you are having one of those days.' They know exactly what I am talking about because we are using a phrase that we know and have learned about.  So how do we cope when we have one of those days? It's been a very thought provoking book when we read and discuss it. I highly recommend it for your shelf.

Book Review: Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns About Bullies

Author: Howard Binkow

illustrated by Susan F. Cornelison

Interest Level: Ages 4-9

About This Book: Howard the bunny is being bullied at school by the Snorton twins. Even though his intuition tells him to tell the teacher about it, he chooses different strategies. Howard tries ignoring, avoiding, making jokes and getting back at the bullies. Nothing works and things get worse. He finally tells his teacher. She takes action and makes him feel okay and safe. This book comes with a lesson and resources to deal with bully issues.

Be brave, be bold

a teacher must be told.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: I love all of the editorial reviews on amazon about this book because they are right on the button. Children need to learn the difference between small problems they can deal with themselves and big problems which need to be reported to an adult. Howard B. Wigglebottom tries to use different strategies to deal with bullies,  however, the strategies fail over and over again. He then realizes he he must report the problem. When kids repeated attempts of trying to stop bully behavior fail, I consider this a full on big bully problem. If you are a school counselor, I strongly recommend this book be part of your bully curriculum. Oh, and the author's website, The We Do Listen Foundation is chalk full of goodies like games, lesson plans, songs, coloring pages, AND the books are animated. The kids LOVE watching the animated version. I of course read this book first and use the animated version as a follow up.

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Book Review: My Mouth Is A Volcano

Author: Julia Cook

illustrated by Carrie Hartman

Interest Level: Ages 4 and Up

About This Book: Louis always interrupts! All of his thoughts are very important to him and when he has something to say, his words rumble and grumble in his tummy, they wiggle and jiggle on his tongue, and press firmly against his teeth, right before he ERUPTS ( or interrupts). His mouth is a volcano! But when others begin to interrupt Louis, he learns how to respectfully wait for his turn to talk.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Because it simply rocks!  Teaching kids to not interrupt is huge. We have many 'chronic blurters' (said with love) at our school. Dr. Laura A Jana, National Trainer for Reach Out and Read says it best, "Finally!...A book that deals with the universal challenge of teaching children the social nuances of polite conversation, not interrupting, and when to stop talking." You will have a lot of fun with this book. It's a gentle and smart way to teach children how to manage their thoughts and words without interrupting. Author's Website

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Book Review: Problems With Pete The Pencil And Eddie The Eraser

Written and illustrated by 3rd grade students of Kingsland Elementary School in Spring Valley, Minnesota

Interest Level: Ages 5-11

About This Book: Big problems ensue for a little boy named Bradly when Pete the Pencil and Eddie the Eraser begin to disagree about who is more important! Bradly is excited when his mother brings home a new package of pencils. The next day at school, problems start. The pencil and the eraser start fighting. They erase Bradly's work, put holes in it, etc. which gets Bradly in a lot of trouble with his teacher and his parents. This is a humorous book that reminds us about the importance of getting along. This children's story is written by the third-grade students of Kingsland Elementary School in Spring Valley, Minnesota.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: I nabbed this little gem at the school book fair a couple of years ago. It has never failed me on the importance of team work, respect, and problem solving. Arguing is a lose-lose situation for all involved. This book sends that message loud and clear. Plus, it's funny and engaging. Using pencils and erasers as props is also a hit with the kids. Problems With Pete The Pencil And Eddie The Eraser is written by a third grade class, the students find it inspiring that other kids are taking on social issues through writing. Very cool.

Book Review: Martha Doesn't Say Sorry!

Author: Samantha Berger

Illustrated by Bruce Whatley

Interest Level: 4-8

About This Book: This is the story of Martha, an otter, and under NO circumstance, will say she’s sorry. But, then she realizes that her lack of remorse deprives her from things she loves like piggyback rides and cookies, she finally succumbs to sorry. Most parents want their kids to really feel sorry and apologize, but sometimes it requires strategic withholding to send the message. Message received loud and clear!

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Too many kids say sorry as lip service. I am a strong believer in teaching your child to not only say sorry, but more importantly to BE or FEEL sorry. It's all about the empathy and being social thinkers. I often tell kids, 'when you tell someone you are sorry - it's like giving them a gift'. The number one way (in my opinion) to teach children how to give that gift is to model it yourself (it also helps to have a good reinforcing book like this). Martha is a spunky little otter that will definitely remind you of behavior you might be seeing at home. There are not many books out there on the skill of apologizing, so this is worth reading with your child. Our kindergarten kids love it. Parents Magazine offers some good advice, on learning to say sorry.

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Book Review: My Mother's House, My Father's House

Author: C.B. Christiansen

illustrated by Irene Trivas

Interest Level: K-3

About The Book: A little girl tells how she lives with her mother during the week and her father on the weekends. . . . The girl feels comfortable and at home in both places, but has definite ideas about how she will live when she grows up.

Why It's On The Bookshelf: This is a common situation for many children who go back and forth between parents. Or as one student said to me, "They share me." In my school, this book is very popular with children of divorce. They relate to the little girl in the story and are able to share what their 'back and forth' looks like and feels like. If it gets kids to open up about their lives, I feel like it's a winner. My Mother's House, My Father's House offers validation and hope. I say hope because of the last page in this book. The little girl has a vision of growing up and having her own home one day and not having to go back and forth anymore. It's an older book.....but a good one. I'm not always impressed with divorce bibliotherapy, but this one will never leave my shelf.


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Book Review: Not My Fault

Author: Leif Kristiansson
IIlustrated by Dick Stenberg
Interest Level: Grades 2-6


From the Book Jacket: The collective memories of childhood will always include the scene of a classmate being bullied and victimized. In such a situation, do we choose to stand up and protect him or her? Do we watch silently from the sidelines? Or do we join the ranks of the bullies? This book is written from the perspective of schoolyard interactions, intended to stimulate thought on the matter of "responsibility." the simply worded narration ends with a question, leaving the reader room for reflection.


Why It's On My Bookshelf: This is a powerful, impactful, little book. It has really empowered kids to report bullying, especially physical bullying.  One of the things I notice when I read Not My Fault is how silent the students become. Each page shows the same child, who is being picked on, with an audience of kids standing by doing nothing. My students were very bothered that a child is being targeted. I feel unity in the room when we finish reading this one. A lot of discussion and feelings come up followed by solutions on how to stop cruel behavior. Don't pass up on this book, your kids will thank you for educating them on how to break the silence. 

PS. Don't freak out about the last few pages with the realistic pictures of what can happen when bullying reaches a larger scale. I don't show those pages to the kids. If you are a parent, go for it. In a classroom setting it's a little trickier.


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Book Review: Winners Never Quit

Author: Mia Hamm
Illustrated by Carol Thompson

Interest Level: K-3


About This Book: Mia's favorite sport is soccer but she hates losing. In fact, she dislikes it so much that she quits in the middle of a game. Upset about her attitude, her siblings do not let her participate the next day. Mia learns quickly that there will be times when she will score a goal and those when she will not, but playing the game is the most fun of all. Can Mia learn that being a team player is more important than whether you win or lose? The text represents the mixed feelings of all athletes learning the game. Parents or coaches wanting a story about the joy of playing soccer without emphasizing winning or losing will find an appropriate read-aloud here. Review from School Library Journal

Why It's On My Bookshelf: I'm amazed at the number of kids who don't even know what the word 'sportsmanship' means. Just another reason to add this one to your shelf. Whatever happened to - 'It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game.' Sportsmanship can be a HUGE troublesome issue at my school. I have often seen competitiveness get the best of students.....yelling at each other, stomping away from a game, just generally becoming super disrespectful and caring more about winning than one another's feelings. We've taken this issue on at our school by posting the rules, modeling respect, and even drafting a Sports Constitution that all classes sign. Is this an issue at your school? Is your child struggling with sportsmanship? Winners Never Quit is a great example of poor vs. good sportsmanship. Children are highly engaged as I am reading and it opens up the conversation of how they can alter their behavior.  

PS. Way to go Mia Hamm! Thank you for using your celebratory in the right way. There are also pictures of Mia as a little girl playing soccer in the back of the book. Way cool.


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Book Review: Is A Worry Worrying You?

Author: Ferida Wolff

Illustrated by Marie le Tourneau

Interest Level: K-5

About The Book: This book addresses children's worries with humor and imagination, as hilarious scenarios teach kids the use of perspective and the art of creative problem-solving. Addresses common childhood worries—a bully, a first day at school, and a monster residing under the bed—with the not-so-common worries—an eagle making a nest in your hair, a rhino walking down the street, and a herd of elephants waiting for their tea.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: I love using books that take a funny angle when dealing with a universal issues. The author does a great job of balancing humor while defining 'worry' for children. Is A Worry Worrying You gets kids to open up. More than ever before, children are WAY overstressed.  As I read the story, I will hear from my audience: 

I'm worried my parents are getting divorced.
I'm worried my brother is going to beat me up.
I'm worried about my new stepsister.

The book offers strategies but it also hints at not letting your worries through the door in the first place. Love that. 

Book Review: When They Fight

Author: Kathryn White
Illustrated by Cliff Wright 
Interest Level: K-3

About This Book: In a stressful family situation, children can find it difficult to express their feelings. This book provides a wonderful opportunity for children and parents to talk about their feelings together....It confirms for children many of the feelings they experience during parental fights - the fear, isolation and sadness - and yet ends with an uplifting resolution. Not only families but also mental health professionals can use this impressive book as a jumping-off point for healing discussion. Dr. Barbara Kezur, Ph.D, Psychology

When they fight,

the world shakes.

The house quakes.

When they are friends,

the sun comes out.

I float on the clouds.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: I purchased this book for a 8 year old boy who was going through an extremely rough time when his parents split up. There was a lot of fighting going on in front of him.  Kids often don't have the words to articulate the pain they are feeling when they witness a fight (argument, verbal abuse) between parents. When parents bad-mouth each other it goes straight to the core of the child and destroys their self-esteem. Who knew that a story about a badger could be so healing for kids.......get this one on your shelf.


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Book Review: Simon's Hook: A Story About Teases and Put-downs

Author: Karen Gedig Burnett
Illustrated by Laurie Barrows
Interest Level: Grades 2-5


About This Book: Simon is having a bad day; a bad hair day. First his sister gives him a strange hair cut, then his friends tease him. Simon doesn't know what to do. Lucky for him he runs into Grandma Rose. After listening to his sorrowful story she helps him learn an important life lesson; how to handle teases and put-downs. By comparing teases to fishing hooks she tells him a tale of how fish learned not to bite. With fanciful characters such as Harmony Hippy Fish, Freddie Fang, Max the Mouse Fish and more, Simon learns that he, too, can swim free from the teasing hooks that people toss his way.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Hands down one of the best books to teach REAL strategies on how to stick up for yourself without putting the other person down. Kids Love Love Love Simon's Hook. Even better, the author (who just happened to be an elementary school counselor for over 20 years) has a really neat website where you can see all of the books she has published. I have visited the Simon's Hook page and purchased the poster to use as a teaching tool with my lessons. This resource is full of strategies for kids. I've also purchased Katie's Rose and If The World Were Blind from her website.

Book Review: Mom and Dad Glue

Author: Kes Gray
Illustrated by Lee Wildish
Interest Level: K-3


About the Book: Divorce is an unhappy fact that affects many children's lives, and the story told in this picture book was written for just such little boys and girls. Its message can help soothe their feelings and make them aware that their parents' separation is in no way their fault. A little boy tells his story in simple verse as he discovers that . . .

"My mom and dad are broken,
I don't know what to do.
My mom and dad have come undone,
I need to find some glue."

He goes into a store that sells many different kinds of glue, but of course, there is no glue that will repair a broken marriage. With some gentle words from the store's proprietress, he learns that he can pull his life together and smile again. Parents who are divorcing will value this book as a story they can read to their child and help him understand that although their marriage has not worked out, they still love him as they always have and always will.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: The first time I read this book, I got really emotional. Not many bibliotherapy books do that to me. This is a good one. When I grew up, no one ever talked about divorce. Kids just kept all of their feelings bottled up. Mom and Dad Glue opens the door to healing and helping kids realize it's not their fault and also not their job to fix the parents.  This is one of the best children's books about divorce I have ever read. Visit the Kids In The Middle website, it's a helpful resource for parents and children who are struggling with divorce.