All My Books

1. Anxiety, Fear, & Depression

Type of Emotional/Crisis Issues Addressed: Fear and anxiety
Author(s): James J. Crist, Ph.D.
Year of Publication: 2004
Book Title: What to Do When You’re Scared & Worried: A Guide for Kids
ISBN#: 1-41764-458-3
Age Level: Junior High ages 13-15 and High School ages 15-18
Number of Pages: 128
Quality of Illustrations: very few pictures, bold words, word lists, bubbled info.
Brief Summary:
The book is broken up into chapter that are more information based than read as a story. There is a part one which introduces the idea of getting to know your fears and worries and a part two which talks about getting help for hard-to-handle problems. Some of the chapters cover different kinds of fears and worries, discuss types of pencil and paper exercises to work on fears and worries, and the specific types of problems such as phobias, separation anxiety, and panic attacks.
Post-Reading Activity:
One of the chapters’ talks about different exercises you can do with paper and pencil and these would be great activities to work on with the students as you go through the book with them.

2. Difficulties Making & Keeping Friends

Type of Emotional/Crisis Issues Addressed: Making Friends (Child who is Shy)
Author(s): Charlotte Zolotow
Year of Publication: 2003
Book Title: A Tiger Called Thomas
ISBN#: 0-786-80517-X
Age Level: Lower Elementary for ages 5-8
Number of Pages: 40
Quality of Illustrations:
The pictures are a mixture of watercolors, acrylics, and black ink. Pictures depict an African-American child experiencing loneliness.
Brief Summary:
A little boy, Thomas, moves to a new neighborhood and is concerned no one is going to like him. He avoids going out to play with any of the other children. At Halloween, he dresses up as a Tiger confident no one will know who he is but as all the other neighbor children approach him and talk to him and feels included and able to join in with their group of friends.
Post-Reading Activity:
Discuss ideas of ways the children feel comfortable approaching children they do not know or have never met.


3. Divorce

Type of Emotional/Crisis Issues Addressed: Divorce
Author(s): Laurene Krasny Brown and Marc Brown
Year of Publication: 1986
Book Title: Dinosaurs Divorce: A Guide for Changing Families
ISBN#: 0-87113-089-0
Age Level: Lower Elementary for ages 5-8
Number of Pages: 32
Quality of Illustrations:
colorful, many different types of facial expressions, all pictures in the form of dinosaurs
Brief Summary:
This book is broken down into very short chapters. The chapters cover different topics such as why parents divorce, after the divorce, living with one parent, having two homes, celebrating holidays and special occasions, meeting parents’ new friends, and having stepsisters and stepbrothers. The book discusses this topic in a brief, matter of fact manner using easy terminology for children to understand.
Post-Reading Activity:
One chapter focuses on emotions felt when parents are going through a divorce. Discussing those feelings, drawing pictures, talking about experiences that brought about those feelings is one activity you can do with this book. Also, it talks about what you can do with each parent that is special – brainstorm ideas with the child about their particular situation. Also, helping them make a calendar to keep track of when they are with each parent may be helpful.



4. Mental Illness &/or Emotional Instability of Parent(s)/Guardian

Type of Emotional/Crisis Issues Addressed: Parent w/ Mental Illness
Author(s): Bebe Moore Campbell
Year of Publication: 2005
Book Title: Sometimes My Mommy Gets Angry
ISBN#: 0142403598
Age Level: Lower Elementary for ages 5-8
Number of Pages: 32
Quality of Illustrations:
uses watercolor to make a contrast between light and darkness to capture the feelings expressed within the story
Brief Summary:
Annie lives with her mother who deals with a mental illness. Sometimes her mom is very happy and other times she is loud and angry. Annie was learned ways to deal with coping with the changes in her mother’s moods. Annie often calls her grandmother to help her when he mom is having a difficult time.
Post-Reading Activity:
Briefly explain different types of mental illnesses the students may encounter in their families. Discuss ways they are able to cope with their family member’s mental illness. Make a list of ideas or draw pictures of ideas.


5. Abuse & Neglect

Type of Emotional/Crisis Issues Addressed: Child Abuse
Author(s): Lucille Clifton
Year of Publication: 2001
Book Title: One of the Problems of Everett Anderson
ISBN#: 0805052011
Age Level: Lower Elementary for ages 5-8
Number of Pages: 32
Quality of Illustrations: colorful illustrations depicting several types of emotions
Brief Summary:
Everett is a little boy who has made friends with Greg and begins to notice Greg coming to school with bruises and scars and doesn’t know what to do about seeing those. He wants to say something but doesn’t know what to say so he asks his Mom what he can do to help his friend, Greg. Everett’s mom talks about being a friend and a good listener are ways to help his friend.
Post-Reading Activity:
Explain to class a little bit about abuse and the affects it has on children. Ask the class what they think they can do to help a friend they may think is being abused. Most importantly, help them understand the importance of talking to an adult.


6. Family Financial Difficulties

Type of Emotional/Crisis Issues Addressed: Family Financial Difficulties
Author(s): Edith Hope Fine & Judith Pinkerton Josephson
Year of Publication: 2007
Book Title: Armando and the Blue Tarp School
ISBN#: 158430278X
Age Level: Lower Elementary for ages 5-8
Number of Pages: 32
Quality of Illustrations:
Uses detailed watercolor illustrations to depict the poverty experienced by a young boy.
Brief Summary:
This story tells about a young boy living in Mexico in very meager circumstances. He rummages through garbage with his father looking for anything that is worth using or selling. When a man comes to teach school in his community, Armando begs his parents to let him attend. The story focuses on the importance of education and hope even when facing a situation as impoverished as Armando’s.
Post-Reading Activity:
Draw picture of student’s current situation and then draw a contrasting picture of what they would change. Talk about what they can do to change their situations or help their parents.

7. Parent/Child Relationship Problems

Type of Emotional/Crisis Issues Addressed: Parent/Child Relationship Problems
Author(s): Nancy E. Krulik
Year of Publication: 2003
Book Title: I Hate Rules!
ISBN#: 0448431009
Age Level: Upper Elementary for ages 9-12
Number of Pages: 80
Quality of Illustrations: color and black and what pictures, more words than pictures
Brief Summary:
Katie is a girl who wished she could be anyone but herself. Because of this wish, she now has the ability to keep turning into other people. After getting caught several times breaking the rules at school, she has had it with the school rules and turns into the principal and makes a new rule – there are no more rules! After this new rule is instituted, chaos ensues.
Post-Reading Activity:
Parents can apply same situation to rules at home and discuss what would happen if there were no rules at home. Let children be a part of deciding what the house rules will be at home.



8. Disrespect & Insensitivity for Individual and Group Differences

Type of Emotional/Crisis Issues Addressed: Group Differences
Author(s): Todd Parr
Year of Publication: 2001
Book Title: It’s Okay to Be Different
ISBN#: 0-316-66603-3
Age Level: Lower Elementary for ages 5-8
Number of Pages: 32
Quality of Illustrations: very bright pages with simple drawing outlined in heavy black lines
Brief Summary:
The book goes through a bunch of different ways that people are different, culturally, physically, how they behave, etc. and with each difference the author says it’s okay to….. It helps children see just how many different ways we can be different.
Post-Reading Activity:
With this book, you could go around the room and talk about the differences between the group members or talk about ways they are different from their family members.



9. Bullying or Sexual Harassment

Type of Emotional/Crisis Issues Addressed: Bullying
Author(s): Stan and Jan Berenstain
Year of Publication: 1993
Book Title: The Berenstain Bears and the Bully
ISBN#: 0679848053
Age Level: Lower Elementary for ages 5-8
Number of Pages: 32
Quality of Illustrations: brightly colored, depicts bears and other animals as characters
Brief Summary:
This book is from a series of books with which most children will be familiar. In this particular story, sister comes home crying because the “new” kid in town has been a bully to her. Brother decides to take care of the situation but is surprised to find out the identity of the bully.
Post-Reading Activity:
Question and answers – what is a bully? What do bullies do? How can we handle a situation that involves bullying? What ways can we prevent bullying from occurring?



10. Anger &/or Conflict Resolution

Type of Emotional/Crisis Issues Addressed: Anger
Author(s): Cornelia Maude Spelman
Year of Publication: 2000
Book Title: When I Feel Angry
ISBN#: 0807588881
Age Level: Lower Elementary for ages 5-8
Number of Pages: 24
Quality of Illustrations: bright colors, animal characters
Brief Summary:
The story is about a bunny who encounters several different situations that children face every day. The bunny is unable to draw a picture the way she wants, her mom pays more attention to the new baby, she is teased on the playground, she is asked to stop her activity and help do chores. These are realistic examples to which young children can relate. The bunny talks about ways she can positively deal with her anger.
Post-Reading Activity:
Ask the kids what sort of situations make them angry or have them draw a picture of the situations that make them angry. Draw a second picture of a way they can handle that anger.


11. Serious/Chronic/Acute Illness, Death, & Loss –

Type of Emotional/Crisis Issues Addressed: Death of a friend
Author(s): Katherine Paterson
Year of Publication: 1977
Book Title: Bridge to Terabithia
ISBN#: 0-06-440184-7
Age Level: Upper Elementary for ages 9-12
Number of Pages: 144
Quality of Illustrations: few black and white pictures places randomly throughout book
Brief Summary:
This book is about two friends, Jess and Leslie, which meet due to being neighbors and are in the same class at school. Jess doubts Leslie as a likely friend but soon discovers she is a nice girl with a wonderful imagination that helps him deal with the struggles of his everyday life. When Leslie dies, due to an accident, Jess must navigate his feelings and learn to deal with the loss of his best friend.
Post-Reading Activity:
Question and answer session about the content of the book – Have you ever felt similar feelings to Jess’? Have you ever lost a best friend? What do you do to remember him/her? (Relate back to Jess building the bridge as a way to remember his friend Leslie).


Type of Emotional/Crisis Issues Addressed: Death of a friend, family member, pet, etc.
Author(s): Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown
Year of Publication: 1996
Book Title: When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death
ISBN#: 0-316-10917-7
Age Level: Lower Elementary for ages 4-8
Number of Pages: 32
Quality of Illustrations: fun, colorful, depicts dinosaurs, several multicultural illustrations
Brief Summary:
The picture book is divided up into very short chapters discussing different topics such as what is alive, what is dead, how do people die, how do different cultures remember those who have died, traditions, etc. The book is brief and easily understandable for children 4 to 8 years old. It even has a set of definitions at the back if the reader has a difficult time defining a word for the child.
Post-Reading Activity:
One chapter within the book discusses ways to remember the person in your life that has died. This is an excellent resource to use when planning activities to do with the child or children to whom the book is read. Write a poem, story, draw a picture, remember and discuss favorite memory of the person who has died, etc.

12. Suicide

Type of Emotional/Crisis Issues Addressed: Suicide (Depression)
Author(s): Carol Ann Loehr
Year of Publication: 2006
Book Title: My Uncle Keith Died
ISBN#: 142510262X
Age Level: Lower Elementary for ages 5-8
Number of Pages: 24
Quality of Illustrations: simple, colorful
Brief Summary:
Cody discusses with his mother the death of his Uncle Keith. Cody’s mother talks to her son about depression, the signs and symptoms of this disorder, and how some people do not seek help and suffer from the symptoms of the disorder. It is in the format of questions and answers between the mother and son. There is also a discussion included to help parents and professionals talk with children who will have questions about suicide.
Post-Reading Activity:
Use the discussion found within the book to address different questions the student, child may have about suicide.


13. Natural Disasters (Crisis Plans) –

Type of Emotional/Crisis Issues Addressed: Fire and Anxiety
Author(s): Margery Cuyler
Year of Publication: 2001
Book Title: Stop Drop and Roll
ISBN#: 0-689-84355-0
Age Level: Lower Elementary for ages 5-8
Number of Pages: 32
Quality of Illustrations: colorful, expressive
Brief Summary:
Jessica, a 3rd grader, worries about everyday life events. In school they are studying about fire safety and has discovered a new topic about life to worry over. Throughout the book, Jessica learns about fire safety and learns to cope with her worry and fear over the anticipation of fire due to the skills she learns in class.
Post-Reading Activity:
Practice fire drills at school, have students go home and practice fire drill with family members, check smoke detectors at home, practice the technique of stop, drop, and roll, invite local fire department to come in and speak to class about material they have learned, etc.