Books That Heal Kids: zones of regulation

Showing posts with label zones of regulation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label zones of regulation. Show all posts

Book Review: Way Past Mad

Author: Hallee Adelman
Illustrator: Sandra de la Prada

From the Book Jacket: Keya is mad. Way past mad. The kind of mad that starts and swells and spreads like a rash. She kicks rocks and yells at her best friend and says things that hurt. Now Keya doesn't like what her mad made her do. Can she find a way past mad?

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Keya is so upset that on the way to school she takes it out on her friend Hooper. This hurts his feelings and he walks away from her. She immediately realizes how her hurt has now hurt him. Running after him she is determined to apologize and tell him why she was really upset. I loved this book because when our anger hurts people, we have the power to make it better. I highly recommend this awesome resource!

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Book Review: Breathing Makes it Better


Author: Christopher Willard
Illustrator: Wendy O'Leary

From the Book Jacket: We all have hard days sometimes - filled with icky feelings like anger, fear, loneliness, or a bad case of the blues. Breathe along with this interactive story to discover the one easy thing you're already doing that has the power to turn those days around. Peace is closer than you think!

Why It's On My Bookshelf: If you are trying to teach your kids when to "stop and take a breath" this is a great resource. It is a line that is repeated over and over in the book. It also teaches kids WHEN they should take a breath. I've been using this in a small group setting and it has been so helpful to help kids to take pause and breathe when emotions feel like they are too much to handle. Highly recommend!

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Book Review: Ruby Finds a Worry


Author/Illustrator: Tom Percival

From the Book Jacket: Meet Ruby - A happy, curious, imaginative girl. But one day, she finds something unexpected: a Worry. It's not a very big Worry, at first. But every day, it grows a little bigger...And a little bigger...Until eventually, the Worry is ENORMOUS and is all she can think about. 

But when Ruby befriends a young boy, she discovers that everyone has Worries, and not only that, there's a great way to get rid of them too...This perceptive, poignant story is the perfect springboard for talking to children about sharing their hidden concerns. 

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Such a great resource to help kids confront their worries. I really like how they describe a worry and how it is hard to carry on as if everything is normal. Ruby's worry is always there and it begins to stop her from doing the things she loved. It becomes even bigger when she worries about her worry. It makes her incredibly unhappy. She notices another little boy who appears to be suffering from the same thing and it comforts her knowing she is not alone in this feeling. The little boy tells her about his worry and it begins to shrink. Ruby also talks about her worry and begins to feel like her happy self again. So happy to have this one!

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Book Review: Sweep

Author: Louise Greig
Illustrator: Julia Sarda

From the Book Jacket: Ed's bad mood begins as something small. But before long it grows, and grows, and spreads through the whole town. Can Ed clear his troubles away? Or will everyone be swept up in his bad mood?

Why It's On My Bookshelf:
Absolutely love love this book! Ed's bad mood becomes out of control and starts to become bigger and bigger. The leaves represent his feelings and they grow so huge they start to overtake the town - affecting everyone and everything. As this is occurring Ed secretly wishes this would all just stop. Right after this thought his bad mood is swept away by the wind which allows Ed to see the positive things. I really enjoyed this story and I think it is going to be helpful for kids to cope with bad moods. 

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Book Review: Deep Breaths

Author/Illustrator: Carol Thompson

From the Book Jacket: Dolly the Pig and Jack the Rabbit are best friends, but even best friends don't always get along. When Dolly and Jack have a big disagreement, they learn to count from ten to one, hum like a bee, and take long, deep breaths to calm down...and be zen friends again!

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Originally I thought this was going to be a book about mindfulness but it actually is a story about two friends who get mad at each other. They say some very hurtful things to each other but really don't mean it and really don't want to be upset with each other. They declare they are no longer friends. From there they use calming techniques to get rid of their anger. Eventually they find each other and the friends are reunited by telling each other how much they missed one another. It's a sweet story and I'm always looking for stories showing friends making up. 

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Book Review: Everyone...

Author/Illustrator: Christopher Silas Neal

From the Book Jacket: Happy one moment and sad the next - everyone has feelings. Everyone, cries, everyone laughs, everyone sings, Everyone. Author Christopher Silas Neal invites young readers to explore how we feel what we feel, and how everything -- and everyone -- feels it, too. From the animals in the woods to the neighbors in their homes nearby, everyone has feelings. 

Why It's On My Bookshelf: I thought this was a wonderful book to not just talk about feelings but to recognize everyone around us shares them too. It's a great community and empathy builder also.  If you need a new one to teach feelings, the zones of regulation, or help develop empathy - this is an awesome resource. 

We also are working on helping kids to be responsible for their emotions and take good care of them. So when students are having really big feelings about something, we can remind them to use the tools we have taught them to manage their behavior. I appreciate how this book helped us with that important social skill training. 

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Book Review: Allie All Along

Author/Illustrator: Sarah Lynne Reul

From the Book Jacket: When Allie's crayon breaks, she stomps, smashes, crashes, and throws a tantrum, a fuss, and a fit. Her big brother wants to help her feel better. Will punching a pillow, squeezing a toy, or breathing deep breaths help Allie let go of her angry feelings, one layer at a time?

Why It's On My Bookshelf: What a great resource to teach zones of regulation, managing big feelings, and size of the problem. After her brother helps to calm her down she is now in a state of sadness. I really love this book and sometimes it takes more than one trick to help calm us down. But when it's all said and done we will be okay and can even be ready for a hug. I will definitely be using this one!

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Book Review: My Whirling Twirling Motor

Author: Merriam Sarcia Saunders
Illustrator: Tammie Lyon

From the Book Jacket: Charlie feels like he has a whirling, twirling motor running inside him...all the time! He doesn't WANT to have so much energy but sometimes he just can't settle down. When his mom wants to talk to him, he figures he's in trouble...but she has a surprise for him instead. 

Includes a Note to Parents, Caregivers, and, Teachers with more information on hyperactivity, AD/HD, behavior management, and helping children focus on the positives. 

Why It's On My Bookshelf: I thought this book was going to be about giving kids strategies to self-regulate. But it really helped highlight a very important tool we need to be using more with kids who are hyperactive. The story focuses the positive things kids do. When it's time to go to bed, Charlie's mom shares with him all of the wonderful things she observed him doing throughout the day. This really helps him feel good about himself because he's very aware he has trouble controlling his motor. A great strategy to increase positive behaviors is through positive reinforcement. I can only imagine how low a child's self-esteem goes if they are only being told to fix the negative -- they need to hear the good too. 

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Book Review: Angry Cookie


Author: Laura Dockrill
Illustrator: Maria Karipidou

From the Book Jacket: What happens when a little cookie gets up on the wrong side of bed? Prepare to fall absolutely in love with this irresistible cookie, crumbly chocolate chips and all. OH NO! Barbra the cactus won’t stop playing her recorder, the yummy strawberry toothpaste has run out, and now – to top it all off – Cookie has to have his hair cut! Which all makes for one VERY ANGRY little cookie... But perhaps you, the reader, can find a way to turn his grumpy frown upside down?



Why It's On My Bookshelf: I love this book so much! Angry Cookie explains the many reasons that he's angry. But in the end he reveals he's actually upset because he feels like nobody listens to him. He also feels no one sticks around. But as he speaks to the reader he starts to feel better. It's a great story to teacher how important it is for kids to be listened to and it's OKAY to need people. And also a reminder to kids that sometimes when their friends are upset they simply need to listen. This will be a staple in my social emotional curriculum for managing emotions. 

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Book Review: Let's Have a Dog Party!

Author/Illustrator: Mikela Prevost

From the Book Jacket: To celebrate Frank's birthday, Kate throws him a party with all her favorite things: lots of friends, dancing in circles, loud singing, and sparkly confetti everywhere. But best friends don't always have the same taste in parties. Frank prefers quiet, sun-drenched naps on his favorite rug. So he hides. Kate must find a way to bring Frank back to the party - on his own terms. A story that encourages empathy and the art of listening. 

Why It's On My Bookshelf: This has been such a help with the students at my school who are learning about self-regulation and how their behavior impacts others. If you like to teach the zones of regulation this is an awesome book to add to your lessons. Let's Have a Dog Party is a teaches kids the importance of recognizing and understanding others emotions. Frank is completely overwhelmed by the energy and excitement of the children. One of the things the kids in the story are not immediately picking up on are the social cues that Frank is giving through his body language. Finally, a girl named Kate realizes she needs to take a gentle quieter approach to Frank to help him feel comfortable and safe. This was a really good teaching moment for a small group I am working with. 

There are many different ways you can use this book with your students....self-regulation, personal space, zones of regulation, voice levels, empathy, and being a social thinker. I highly recommend this one. It's a great read with awesome illustrations to help teach these important social skills. 

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Book Review: The Happy Book - Understanding and Regulating Feelings




Author/Illustrator: Andy Rash

From the Book Jacket: When you live in The Happy Book, the world is full of daisies and sunshine and friendship cakes...until your best friend eats the whole cake and doesn't save you one bite. Moving from happiness to sadness and everything in between, Camper and Clam have a hard time finding their way back to happy. But maybe happy isn't the goal - being a good friend is about supporting each other and feeling all the feels together. 

At once funny and thoughtful, The Happy Book supports social emotional learning. It's a book to keep young readers company no matter how they're feeling!

Why It's On My Bookshelf: As a school counselor I have used a lot of different books to teach students how to regulate their feelings. The Happy Book is a great addition to my social emotional teaching curriculum. I specifically used this book to help kids learn more about the Zones of Regulation and how we can have many feelings throughout the day. Everything is going great between Camper and Clam until one of them gets their feelings hurt. From there they experience all sorts of different emotions. This was helpful to my students as they could connect to the conflict between the two characters - which was a misunderstanding. But more importantly how you can bounce right out of being happy into sadness or anger. At one point Camper feels scared that Clam no longer wants to be his friend. This is a social situation many kids can relate to. This book was a great fit for teaching the zones and also such a validating read for children to know it's okay to open up about your emotions -- eventually closure will come. 

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Book Review: Grumpy Monkey

Author: Suzanne Lang
Illustrator: Max Lang

From the Book Jacket: Jim Panzee is in a terrible mood for no good reason. His friends just can't understand it - how can he be in a bad mood when it's SUCH a beautiful day?

They encourage him to stop hunching, to smile, and to do things that make them happy. But Jim can't take all the advice...and has a BIT of a meltdown. Could it be that he just needs a day to feel grumpy?

Why It's on My Bookshelf: This has been a really helpful book to introduce coping skills when kids are having difficulty regulating emotions. I like how the story ends with the monkey meeting a gorilla who is also having a hard day. Their conversation is a good reminder that everyone feels these feelings and eventually they will pass. I used this page of the book to talk about being still and silent and wait for the calm to come. Love Grumpy Monkey!

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Book Review: I Am Peace - A Book of Mindfulness

Author: Susan Verde
Illustrator: Peter H. Reynolds

From the Book Jacket: I give myself a moment. I take a breath. And then I tell myself: It's alright. I am Peace. Mindfulness means being fully in the present moment. Children can learn how to manage their emotions, make good choices, and balance their busy lives by learning to be mindful. Express emotions through speech. Find empathy through imagination. Wonder at the beauty of the natural world. I Am Peace encourages children to breathe, taste, smell, and be present in the here and now. 

Why It's On My Bookshelf: This year I used this book in a small group setting to teach students how to regulate using positive self talk when they are feeling anger or anxiety. We also created affirmations that help students reframe and transform the negativity they are feeling. I had a couple of teachers in my school who created corners in their room students could use for relaxation and calming. So this book came in handy to help encourage kids to use those spaces to practice techniques and skills to help them be happier in the classroom and not feel like they need to avoid or escape. 

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Book Review: When the Anger Ogre Visits

Author: Andree Salom
Illustrator: Ivette Salom

From the Book Jacket: Use this playful, read-along story to teach that anger as a natural and manageable part of life.

"The Anger Ogre visits everybody's lives, just remember to be patient whenever it arrives."

When the Anger Ogre Visits gives children symbolic and concrete guidance about how to deal with anger as a natural part of their inner lives. Rather than squelching anger or pushing it away, the book invites children to sit with and observe anger, removing its overwhelming aspects. This playfully illustrated story, written in memorable rhyme, centers on discovering and using internal resources and portrays anger as manageable.


Why It's On My Bookshelf: This is a nice one to help kids work on some concrete skills around calming their bodies down when they are angry. I really struggle with helping kids learn to breathe when the Anger Ogre shows up. I like the language used in the book: breathe slow and very deeply; relax your tongue; relax your toes; relax your belly; relax your nose; relax your ears so you can hear the sound of your breath.....Lots of great directions like this. The book shows the Ogre changing form as different techniques are used to tame it. This is another great one to add to my shelf to help children. 

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Book Review: The Bad Seed

Author: Jory John
Illustrator: Pete Oswald
Interest Level: Ages 5 and Up

From the Book Jacket: There is a bad seed. A baaaaaaaad seed. How bad? Do you really want to know? He lies about pointless stuff. He cuts in line. Every time. He never washes his hands...or his feet. And he does lots of other bad things too. But what happens when a bad seed doesn't want to be bad anymore? Can a bad seed change his baaaaaaad ways?

Why It's On My Bookshelf: This book helped provide so many insights to our students about what is really underneath anger.....hurt and sadness. When I teach my students strategies to calm down or deal with anger, it's important that I am also helping  them figure out what is really triggering their behavior in the first place. It could be bullying, a problem at home, feeling left out....many many things. We have to take the time to get to the root. I highly recommend this book!!!!



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Book Review: Accident!


Author/Illustrator: Andrea Tsurumi
Interest Level: Ages 5 and Up

From the Book Jacket: Oops! When Lola the armadillo accidentally knocks a jug of juice all over her parents' best chair, it's a calamity, a catastrophe, a FIASCO! She panics and decides to run away to the library. Along the way, she gathers a group of equally alarmed friends who have gotten into similar pickles. But they're not the only ones in trouble: a stoat's snarled in spaghetti; a bull's broken a whole china shop, a llama's up a tree, and someone should tell that platypus to watch out for that hose! It's the end of the world! Or is it?

While "sorry" still might be the hardest word, this silly and sincere book will help readers realize that making a mistake isn't a disaster. And Lola just might find that a small accident can snowball into a big opportunity for forgiveness - of herself and others. 





Why It's On My Bookshelf: This is such a HELPFUL HELPFUL book to teach kids the difference between small and big problems, making mistakes, and how to recover from a failure or accident. There are a lot of students who need help with their reactions to the size of their problem. I see this book really helping kids who are overreacting and having big emotions to little problems. 

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Book Review: Life Without Nico

Author: Andrea Maturana
Illustrator: Francisco Javier Olea

From the Book Jacket: Best friends Maia and Nico are inseparable. So when Nico's family must move away for a while, life without him leaves a big hole in Maia's world. 

But little by little, Maia's sadness eases, thanks to a kitten, a new friend and the magic of music. When it's finally time for Nico to return home, Maia worries. Can she find room in her life for him again?This is an endearing story of friendship and the infinite capacity of the heart. 

Why It's On My Bookshelf: I've had a few students have to deal with a friend moving away and really feeling devastated by the loss. This is a sweet story that validates these circumstances and feelings. It also shows you can fill the void in your heart by making a new friend and finding hobbies. I don't have too many books on this subject so glad I found it. This will also be a great resource to teach The Zones of Regulation. Great find!

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Book Review: When Miles Got Mad

 
Author: Sam Kurtzman-Counter
Interest Level: Ages 4 and Up

About This Book: When his little brother breaks his favorite toy, Miles gets MAD. As his anger swells, he catches sight of himself in the mirror -- but instead of his own reflection, a furry red monster stares back at him! By encouraging Miles to use words to express his anger, the Mad Monster helps Miles calm himself until eventually the anger -- and the monster -- disappears. 

Why It's On My Bookshelf: This is an awesome resource for self-regulation around controlling anger. It encourages a strategy of voicing feelings when you are upset. Miles becomes borderline out of control with his anger until he is confronted by it and he tries to deal with it by avoiding it and then trying to hit it. Finally he admits that he just doesn't know what to do other than he feels SO SO MAD. He starts talking about why he is mad and immediately begins to calm down and his anger shrinks. This will work great in many of my lessons around the Zones of Regulation and how to solve problems.




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Book Review: The Color Monster - A Pop-Up Book of Feelings

By: Anna Llenas
Interest Level: Ages 4 and Up

About This Book: We teach toddlers to identify colors, numbers, shapes, and letters—but what about their feelings? By illustrating such common emotions as happiness, sadness, anger, fear, and calm, this sensitive book gently encourages young children to open up. Kids will LOVE the bright illustrations and amazing 3-D pop-ups on every page!






Why It's On My Bookshelf: Super cool!! This is such a visually stunning pop-up book. When we received it my daughter was ooohhhing and ahhhhing each time we turned the page. This will be a fun addition to my social skills lessons on feelings identification. Can't wait to share it with students. 

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Book Review: Charlotte and the Quiet Place


















Author: Deborah Sosin
Illustrator: Sara Woolley
Interest Level: Ages 4 and Up

About This Book: Charlotte likes quiet. But wherever Charlotte goes, she is surrounded by noise, noise, noise — her yipping dog, Otto; the squeaky, creaky swings; the warbling, wailing sirens. Even in the library, children yammer and yell. Where can Charlotte find a quiet place? Sara Woolley’s magnificent watercolors bring Charlotte’s city to life when Otto leads her on a wild chase through the park. There, Charlotte discovers a quiet place where she never would have imagined!

Sometimes children need a break from our noisy, overstimulating world. Charlotte and the Quiet Place shows how a child learns and practices mindful breathing on her own and experiences the beauty of silence. All children can relate to the unfolding adventure and message of self-discovery and empowerment. Parents, teachers, and caretakers of highly active or sensitive children will find this story especially useful.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: This is such a helpful resource for self-regulation. I am using this to teach kids to take a break and find a quiet space in the classroom to get back to a calm state. There is also an awesome discussion guide you can use. So happy to have this new tool. It also fits perfectly with my Zones of Regulation lessons. 







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