Book Review: Stuck With the Blooz

Stuck With the Blooz

by Caron Levis
illustrated by Jon Davis
Book Website: Click here

A Note From the Publisher: What do you do when you're feeling blue--especially when your mood takes the form of a drippy, oozy monster called the Blooz? Do you ignore it? Do you ask it lots of questions? Do you give it an ice-pop and hope it goes away? Through trial and error, the child in this story discovers that while it may not be easy, it's not impossible to shake the Blooz. 

Why It's On My Bookshelf: There are students in my school who will really benefit from reading this book. They are dealing with life situations that are contributing to increased feelings of sadness. One way to help them cope is by giving them awareness of their emotions and finding ways through discussion on how to deal with it when it pops up in their life. Perfect book for this! You could also do some creative art therapy by drawing the Blooz monster from the book.

I don't know what the statistics are regarding depression and children but I personally feel this generation is at risk. With the recent shootings in Newtown we are all feeling really down. My niece who is a 5th grader said to me, "I just feel so sad." It is such a traumatic event and has filled so many kids with a deep sadness that they don't know what to do with it. I know the healing will take a long time but turning to books can sometimes bring comfort and provide help for those who are hurting.

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On My Reading List

Can't wait to read this book. This is the time of year when I need motivation and inspiration. A teacher that uses literature to help change lives....I'm in!

The Road Out: A Teacher's Odyssey in Poor America
by Deborah Hicks

From the Publisher: Can one teacher truly make a difference in her students’ lives when everything is working against them? Can a love for literature and learning save the most vulnerable of youth from a life of poverty? The Road Out is a gripping account of one teacher’s journey of hope and discovery with her students—girls growing up poor in a neighborhood that was once home to white Appalachian workers, and is now a ghetto. Deborah Hicks, set out to give one group of girls something she never had: a first-rate education, and a chance to live their dreams. A contemporary tragedy is brought to life as she leads us deep into the worlds of Adriana, Blair, Mariah, Elizabeth, Shannon, Jessica, and Alicia seven girls coming of age in poverty.

This is a moving story about girls who have lost their childhoods, but who face the street’s torments with courage and resiliency. “I want out,” says 10-year-old Blair, a tiny but tough girl who is extremely poor and yet deeply imaginative and precocious. Hicks tries to convey to her students a sense of the power of fiction and of sisterhood to get them through the toughest years of adolescence. But by the time they’re sixteen, eight years after the start of the class, the girls are experiencing the collision of their youthful dreams with the pitfalls of growing up in chaotic single-parent families amid the deteriorating cityscape. Yet even as they face disappointments and sometimes despair, these girls cling to their desire for a better future. The author’s own life story—from a poorly educated girl in a small mountain town to a Harvard-educated writer, teacher, and social advocate—infuses this chronicle with a message of hope.

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Book Review: Red Cat Blue Cat

Author/Illustrator: Jenni Desmond
Interest Level: Ages 4 and Up

From the Book Jacket: Red Cat: nimble cat. Blue Cat: clever cat. When they meet: jealous cats! Does Blue wish he could be like Red and Red want to be like Blue? They do! Find out what happens when...Blue tries to become red, and Red tries to become blue. Or, could it be that what both cats need to discover is: what is the color of a happy cat?

Why It's On My Bookshelf: These two cats act like they don't like each other. They fight and mean mug each other but deep down they are envious of the other's strengths. It's a humorous story of learning to get along when you are so completely different. We are all born with unique and special gifts so don't get in the losing game of trying to compare - great message. I think this would also work great for dealing with sibling rivalry. Red Cat and Blue Cat reminded me of my relationship with my older sister. Although we fought like cats - we secretly admired the other person.

PS. You'll appreciate the cute ending when Yellow Cat shows up!

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