Books That Heal Kids: frustration

Showing posts with label frustration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label frustration. Show all posts

Book Review: When Sophie Thinks She Can't


Author/Illustrator: Molly Bang
Interest Level: Ages 4 and Up

From the Book Jacket: Everybody faces problems that seem impossible to solve. For children, it can be very frustrating to put together a puzzle, solve a math problem, or learn to read a new word. When Sophie gets stuck, she feels she isn't smart. "I can't do it!" she says. Her friends feel the same way. But their teacher gives them some simple tools, including the Most Important Word. they all try harder - together, until..."WE DID IT!" Now they want to tackle more. 

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Growth Mindset is such an important part of what we teach kids in school. I was so excited to see a new Sophie book around this concept. Sophie's teacher shows the kids the power of YET and how using a positive way of thinking changes their learning - dramatically! They go from wanting to give up to persevering. This is such an awesome resource and it will be a key part of my counseling curriculum in helping kids change their self-talk. Highly recommend!!

A Link to This Book and Others You Might Find Useful:
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Book Review: What to Do when You Grumble Too Much A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Negativity (Interactive Workbook)


Author: Dawn Huebner PhD
Illustrator: Bonnie Matthews
Interest Level: Ages 6-12

About This Resource: Did you know that life is like an obstacle course? It's exciting and fun, but full of tricky spots to get through. If you're a kid who feels so frustrated by those tricky spots that it's hard to enjoy the good things in life, this books is for you. 

What to Do When You Grumble Too Much guides children and their parents through cognitive-behavioral techniques used to treat negative thinking. Lively metaphors and illustrations help kids see life's hurdles in a new way, while drawing and writing activities help them master skills to get over those hurdles. And step-by-step instructions point the way toward becoming happier, more positive kids. This interactive self-help book is the complete resource for educating, motivating, and empowering children to work toward change. 

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Even though this is a workbook geared towards individual use, I have started implementing it into small group counseling and classroom lessons. It's been a fantastic supplement to my growth mindset lessons. The kids love all of the metaphors that teach what negative thinking is and how to beat those thoughts. This is a really empowering resource and the kids are really drawn to it because it sheds light on emotions they may not have been able to understand or cope with.  





A Link to This Book and Others You Might Find Helpful:
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Book Review: Sam's Pet Temper




















Author: Sangeeta Bhardra
Illustrator: Marion Arbona
Interest Level: Ages 3 and Up
Free Activity Page Click HERE

From the Book Jacket: Sam has a new pet. It's a TEMPER, and he found it on the playground. At first, the Temper is great company. But before long, it becomes hard to handle, and Sam starts to wish it would leave him alone. One dreadful day, the Temper takes things TOO FAR, and Sam knows he has to do something. He tries one thing after another, but the Temper won't back down. Will Sam find a way to tame his Temper?

Why It's On My Bookshelf: This is a great book for kids who are struggling with emotional regulation. Especially those kids who are really trying and frustrated with their anger because they feel like they can't control it. I liked all of the examples of how the anger pops up in his life at home and school and one day it goes too far. Sam is sent home from school. At the end of the story Sam is able to handle his anger and stop the misbehavior cycle. He tells the Temper he is stronger and does breathing. This is an awesome resource for helping kids manage their anger. 

A Link to This Book and Others You Might Find Helpful: 
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Book Review: Moody Cow Meditates
















Author/Illustrator: Kerry Lee MacLean
Interest Level: Ages 4 and Up

From the Book Jacket: It all started one stupid, rotten day when everything went wrong…
Peter the cow is having a BAD day. After missing the bus and wiping out on his bike he loses his temper and gets in trouble. To make matters worse all the other kids are teasing him, calling him Moody Cow. Peter’s day just seems to get worse until his grandfather comes over and teaches him how to settle his mind and let go of his frustration through a simple and fun exercise. This vibrant and funny children’s book is a playful way to introduce children to the power of meditation. With full color illustrations by the author, Moody Cow Meditates is a wonderful book for parents and children to share together.
Why It's On My Bookshelf: At the beginning of the school year I attended a district counselor meeting to share what successful resources we have been using. A few counselors gave praise to the book Moody Cow Meditates and how the use of Mind Jars in their schools was impactful with kids. I kept thinking - how can I not have this book yet?? 

I bought it after the meeting and can't wait to put it to use. This is a great book to teach kids calming skills through the use of a Mind Jar. Moody Cow is lacking the tools on how to deal with anger and frustration. He also says 'okay, maybe I overreacted.' I was really glad this concept was introduced because we have a lot of kids that treat small deals like huge ones. Moody Cow also says he does things on purpose. What a great way to open up the discussion about making good choices. Can't wait to make Mind Jars with our students!





I also love this video on Mindfulness. If you don't have time to make a Mind Jar....just use a glitter ball. Love!



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Book Review: The Most Magnificent Thing


From the Book Jacket: Award-winning author and illustrator Ashley Spires has created a charming picture book about an unnamed girl and her very best friend, who happens to be a dog. The girl has a wonderful idea. "She is going to make the most MAGNIFICENT thing! She knows just how it will look. She knows just how it will work. All she has to do is make it, and she makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!" But making her magnificent thing is anything but easy, and the girl tries and fails, repeatedly. Eventually, the girl gets really, really mad. She is so mad, in fact, that she quits. But after her dog convinces her to take a walk, she comes back to her project with renewed enthusiasm and manages to get it just right. 

For the early grades' exploration of character education, this funny book offers a perfect example of the rewards of perseverance and creativity. The girl's frustration and anger are vividly depicted in the detailed art, and the story offers good options for dealing honestly with these feelings, while at the same time reassuring children that it's okay to make mistakes. The clever use of verbs in groups of threes is both fun and functional, offering opportunities for wonderful vocabulary enrichment. The girl doesn't just "make" her magnificent thing — she "tinkers and hammers and measures," she "smoothes and wrenches and fiddles," she "twists and tweaks and fastens." These precise action words are likely to fire up the imaginations of youngsters eager to create their own inventions and is a great tie-in to learning about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.


Why It's On My Bookshelf: This was a charming book discovery towards the end of the school year. It is DIVINE and I will be heavily using it. A few months ago I talked about Mindsets in the Classroom which has really pushed me to find more books to help kids overcome challenges they perceive they have. Or if they get stuck and can't figure something out. School can feel hard. How many times have you seen a child just give up out of frustration? The little girl in this book represents this so well. She decides to quit her project and carries the mindset that she has no ability. Her trusty little dog helps her work things out and TRY AGAIN. Failure is a stepping stone to success. This is a message I will be working on next year with kids. I hope to find more books in this area. I noticed the new ASCA standards include Mindset. Exciting!





A Link to This Book and Others You Might Find Helpful: 


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Book Review: Back to Front and Upside Down

by Claire Alexander
Interest Level: K-2
Winner of the 2012 Schneider Family Book Award
 
From the Book Jacket: It's the principal's birthday, and the class is busy writing cards for the special occasion. But Stan's letters tumble out in a muddle. 

With a friend's help, Stan finds the courage to voice his fears. And after lots and lots of practice, Stan's letters come out the right way round and the right way up. 

This warm, sympathetic book deals with a common childhood frustration and will remind readers that everyone has to ask for help sometimes.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Sometimes in life you get exactly what you need at the right moment. I feel that way about books all the time. Back to Front and Upside Down could have not come at a better time. We have a student who is VERY frustrated for lots of reasons. One of his challenges revolves around academic tasks and becoming frustrated when he is stuck or upset when the teacher can't help him right away.

I used this story in his classroom as a social skills lesson on how to overcome your frustrations. Stan uses the skill of asking for help to move forward. This is a really helpful book if you are working with K-2 grades on school readiness skills.

Watch the Book Trailer Here:


A Link to This Book and Others You Might Find Helpful:

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The Zach Rules Series: Zach Apologizes & Zach Gets Frustrated

Author: William Mulcahy
Illustrator: Darren McKee
Interest Level: Ages 5-8 
Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing (lots of great resources on their website)

A family counselor and psychotherapist teaches kids how to tame their frustration and how to deliver a proper apology in the first two books of the newly released Zach Rules series.

Zach Apologizes
From the Publisher: In Zach Apologizes, when Zach shoves his little brother to the floor, he knows he did something wrong. Even so, it's hard to apologize - especially when he feels Alex kind of deserved it! With his mom's help, Zach learns the "four-square" apology: (1) say what you did; (2) say how it made the other person feel; (3) say what you could have done instead; and (4) make it up to the person.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Coaching students when it comes to an apology is so important. Otherwise we'd probably just hear a lot of quick "I'm sorry's." We know that kind of apology does more harm than it does good. Reading Zach Apologizes reopened my eyes to how absolutely critical it is to help kids go deeper when they are making amends. Author William Mulcahy introduces kids to the "four-square" apology. This approach helps kids to be remorseful and have empathy about their actions. 


Kids are very visual so this is really going to stick with them. Cannot wait to teach this to the students and staff! Plus the kids play four-square out at recess so their ears will REALLY perk up.

Make sure to read the WONDERFUL advice in the back of the book for adults. There are some great tips on how to guide children through the four squares. Download a printable copy of the four-square apology HERE.

Zach Gets Frustrated
From the Publisher: In Zach Gets Frustrated, Zach is having a lousy day at the beach. Zach kicks sand, yells angry words, and asks his dad if they can just go home. Instead, his dad teaches him the "frustration triangle" - a simple, three-step approach to get a handle on frustration: (1) name it; (2) tame it; and (3) reframe it. Each book concludes with a short note to adults to help parents, teachers, counselors, and other grown-ups reinforce the book's messages and practice the skills with their kids. 

Why It's On My Bookshelf: This is SUCH a helpful resource to the students in my school. So many kids don't know what to do with their frustration and often times this leads to a negative behavior choice. Zach Gets Frustrated teaches children frustration doesn't need to ruin their day and it can even be channeled into something positive if they take the time to understand it. The frustration triangle technique is a new discovery for me and it's going to definitely have an impact.

The Frustration Triangle
Name it!
Tame it!
Reframe it!

Download a printable copy of the frustration triangle HERE

I CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS SERIES ENOUGH! IT'S AWESOME!!!!!

A Link to These Books: 

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