Love Thyself

Best Books for Children


Stick Up for Yourself: Every Kid's Guide to Personal Power & Positive Self-Esteem
by Gershen Kaufman, Lev Raphael and Pamela Espeland

Reading level: Ages 9-12

First published in 1990, this perennial best-seller has helped countless children build self-esteem and assertiveness skills.

Newly revised and updated, it’s the ultimate resource for any kid who’s ever been picked on at school, bossed around, blamed for things he or she didn’t do, or treated unfairly—and for any kid who sometimes feels frustrated, angry, powerless, or scared. Simple words and real-life examples show how children can stick up for themselves with other kids (including bullies and teasers), big sisters and brothers, even grown-ups.

Kids learn how to build relationships, become responsible, manage their anger, grow a “feelings vocabulary,” make good choices, solve problems, set goals, and “store” happiness and pride. Questions from real kids are paired with answers about how to handle specific situations calmly, confidently, and effectively. A special note to parents and teachers explores the “self-esteem backlash” and explains what self-esteem really is—and why kids today need it more than ever.

A wealth of practical, encouraging, realistic advice, this empowering little book is also recommended for parents, teachers, and counselors.





I Want Your Moo: A Story for Children About Self-Esteem
by Marcella Bakur Weiner, Ph.D. and Jill Neimark

Reading level: Ages 4-8

This is a new edition of one of the bestselling books from Magination Press, featuring new illustrations, catchier text, and a new Note to Parents written by the authors. It takes a lighthearted - and visually appealing - look at a serious subject. It features new - and irresistible - illustrations by a well-known illustrator. It is a book that can be read and enjoyed over and over again.

REVIEW:

Toodles the Turkey is a dissatisfied fowl willing to take on anyone's attributes except her own. She might have been content to remain a little yellow feather-ball with a neat "cheep-cheep." But now she's full grown with brown feathers, stick legs, and a gobble-gobble that is neither cute nor sweet, and she's in search of an alternate identity. She would do anything to have a great "Moo," but Cathy the Cow won't hear of it. So the turkey turns to others, begging for an "Oink," a "Neigh," a "Quack," a "Caa-aaw," and so on. The story is told with a light singsong, snappy rhythm that will keep children on their toes: Toodles "asked the duck for his Quack,/the goose for his Clack." The animals' expressions of disbelief are hilarious. Of course, there is wise advice from the owl, but it isn't until Toodles must employ all of her assets, including her "gobble-gobble," to rescue some young chicks that her strengths become self-evident. Lots of white space surrounds the mixed-media, cartoon-style drawings. This is a lighthearted take on a worthy subject, and a smart read-aloud.--Teresa Pfeifer, Alfred Zanetti Montessori Magnet School, Springfield, MA --School Library Journal, March 2010





I'm Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem
by Jamie Lee Curtis

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Celebrate liking yourself! Through alternating points of view, a girl's and a boy's, Jamie Lee Curtis's triumphant text and Laura Cornell's lively artwork show kids that the key to feeling good is liking yourself because you are you. Like the duo's first New York Times best-seller, Today I Feel Silly and Other Moods That Make My Day, this is an inspired book to rejoice in and share. I'm Gonna Like Me will have kids letting off some self-esteem in no time!

REVIEW:

The dynamic duo behind Today I Feel Silly returns for another lively, emotionally reassuring picture book. This time out, Curtis looks to the source of what makes children (of all ages) feel comfortable in their own skin. Cornell pictures the perky rhymes being delivered by a pair of young protagonists confident enough to shake off embarrassment and to feel proud (though not overly so) of personal achievements. "I'm gonna like me when I'm called on to stand. I know all my letters like the back of my hand," announces a girl dressed in plaid, flowers and a cape. "I'm gonna like me when my answer is wrong, like thinking my ruler was ten inches long," says the boy as both youngsters stand before the school blackboard. Ultimately, the author concludes "I'm gonna like me 'cause I'm loved and I know it,and liking myself is the best way to show it." Though the message is both catchy and effective in its delivery, it's Cornell's humorous, detailed, ink-and-watercolor illustrations that give this volume true pizzazz. She hits just the right note of fear-tinged bravura with the characters' vividly imagined antics. Their portraits, embellished with all manner of costumes and fun accessories (a fire-extinguisher-like toothpaste tube, an Esther Williams lunchbox, a "Dalmatian Kit" for polka-dotting pets), will delight the audience. Ages 4-8. -- Publishers Weekly, 2002. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.





Speak Up and Get Along!: Learn the Mighty Might, Thought Chop, and More Tools to Make Friends, Stop Teasing, and Feel Good About Yourself
by Scott Cooper

Reading level: Ages 9-12

What if every kid had a handy toolbox of ways to get along with others? That’s just what this book is: a collection of 21 concrete strategies kids can pull out and use to express themselves, build relationships, end arguments and fights, halt bullying, and beat unhappy feelings. Like the Mighty Might, which takes all the fun out of teasing. And the Thought Chop, which helps kids resist self-defeating thoughts. And the Squeaky Wheel, a type of persistence that gets results. And the Coin Toss, a simple way to resolve small conflicts. Each tool is clearly described, illustrated with true-to-life examples, and accompanied by dialogue and lines kids can practice and use. Stories and anecdotes show each tool in action. A terrific resource for any young person—and any adult committed to teaching social skills. Includes a note to adults.





Hot Issues, Cool Choices: Facing Bullies, Peer Pressure, Popularity, and Put-downs
by Sandra McLeod Humphrey

Reading level: Ages 9-12

Did you know that there are kids out there who don t even want to get out of bed in the morning because they know what going to school means for them?

• being teased and taunted ...
• being excluded and rejected ...
• being afraid that you're going to be assaulted and possibly hurt...
• Sometimes it can even mean that you just can't hang in there any longer,
    so you give up and take your own life.

If you are one of the cool kids at school, this book is for you.

But if you're not one of the cool kids, this book is especially for you.

Emerson Elementary isn't a real school, but it could be your elementary school. And the students at Emerson aren't real kids, but the problems they face are real, and so are the choices they make.

The Golden Rule is an old rule, but it's still a good rule to live by, and after reading this book, you may just possibly become a kinder, more compassionate human being, someone who treats others the way you want them to treat you.

So come along and join the students at Emerson Elementary and help them make some cool choices!





Hooray for You! A Celebration of You-ness
by Marianne Richmond

Reading level: Ages 4-8

One of our top-selling books, Hooray for You! is a celebration of you-ness the grand sum of body, mind and heart that makes every person truly unique! The perfect gift of congratulations, encouragement or just because, Hooray for You! says there simply is no other like you.

This is easily our favorite children's book of the year. Marianne Richmond speaks to the specialness and uniqueness in each of us. In both her verse and her delightful painted illustrations, she celebrates the individual in such a fashion as to make each of us believe she wrote it just for us. As this book made its way through our office, each person who read it, from our 16 year old intern to our 62 year old programmer, returned the book with tears in their eyes, feeling better about themselves, and wanting to share it with someone else. This book made me want to have children just so I'd have someone to read it to. It is the perfect book for any child, the perfect book for that friend of yours who is feeling a bit down, and the perfect birthday present for just about anyone. It is destined to be a classic." Zanne Marie Gray, editor-in-chief --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.








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