Monday, March 16, 2015

HOW TO.....

The books, sites and agencies listed are not necessarily preferred or suggested.  For a more
comprehensive listing, please refer to your family, friends and the local listings in your area.

How to Take the Grrr Out of Anger 
by Elizabeth Verdick
Anger is a part of life. We can’t avoid it, we shouldn’t stuff it, and we can’t make it go away.   Kids need help learning how to manage their anger.  This book speaks directly to them and offers strategies they can start using immediately. Lending solid information and sound advice with jokes and funny cartoons, it guides kids to understand that anger is normal and can be expressed in many ways—some healthy, some not. It teaches them how to recognize anger in themselves and others, how to handle situations and emotions (loneliness, guilt, frustration, fear) that lead to or mask anger, and how to deal with the anger they feel. Young readers learn that violence is not acceptable and there are better, safer, more positive ways to resolve conflicts.   They also discover what to do when people around them are angry, how to get help and how to locate other resources (books, hotlines, school groups) when they need more support.

MAD:  How to Deal with Your Anger and Get Respect (eBook) 
by James J. Crist, Ph.D.
Everyone gets angry sometimes. Feeling mad is a normal human emotion. But some teens go too far and get into trouble with their parents, their school, or the law. Their anger controls them and affects their lives in negative, sometimes long-lasting ways. This practical, supportive book on anger management for teens helps teens understand and handle their anger. They learn whether they have an anger problem, why we get angry, and how anger affects our bodies and relationships. Practical tools and strategies help them control their anger and avoid poor decisions and actions; insights from real teens let them know they’re not alone.

CHILLAX!  How Ernie Learns to Chill Out, Relax and Take Charge of His Anger 
by Marcella Marino Craver
When Ernie gets mad, he gets really, really mad. This kid-friendly graphic novel follows Ernie as he learns, with the support of his family and school counselor, where his outbursts come from and discovers that he has the tools to control and calm himself. A back-of-the-book resource suggests additional tools.

Stick Up for Yourself: Every Kid’s Guide to Personal Power & Positive Self-Esteem   
by Gershen Kaufman
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. 

The 6 Most Important Decisions You’ll Ever Make 
by Sean Covey
Covey's guide addresses the six challenges most commonly mentioned, giving advice on how to succeed in school, choose good friends, get along with parents, wisely handle dating and sex issues, avoid or overcome addictions, and build self-esteem. The author's undiminished knack for advising teens without talking down to them is the chief strength of this fun-to-read book that is jam-packed with original cartoons, inspiring quotes, quizzes, and fascinating real stories from kids around the world.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens 
by Sean Covey
Following in the tradition of his father's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, the author uses common sense and blunt honesty leavened with humor and genuine empathy to show how any teen, regardless of circumstances, can become a responsible, fulfilled individual. Presented with plenty of cheeky cartoons, irresistible anecdotes, and insightful quotes, the seven "habits" (or guiding principles) are: proactivity rather than reactivity, goal-orientated living, prioritizing, positive mental attitude, genuine listening, cooperation, and taking care of oneself. A companion workbook (216 pages) features questions, activities, and readings that augment the paperback content. Daily Reflections for Highly Effective Teens offers digestible quotes and ideas for each day

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families 
by Stephen R. Covey 
This refreshingly down-to-earth guide from a renowned expert instructs families on how to develop and strengthen their relationships with one another by changing simple aspects of their day-to-day behavior. Emphasizing the importance of a healthy family environment for the success of children and parents alike, Covey explains—through a compelling combination of insightful anecdotes and practical wisdom—how to attain each component of a happy home. Topics include holding family meetings, solving family disputes, balancing individual and family needs, healing broken relationships, and replacing a negative family atmosphere with one of understanding, support, and enthusiasm. "...this smoothly written book provides excellent advice for the 'highest role and most important stewardship' of parenting," says Publishers Weekly

The Survival Guide for School Success:  
Use Your Brain’s Built-In Apps to Sharpen Attention, Battle Boredom and Build Mental Muscle 
by Ron Schumsky, Psy.D, Susan Islascox, M.A., and Rob Bell, M. Ed.
From struggling students to academic all-stars, everyone can do better in school. Research shows that executive functions such as focus and organization are more valuable to school performance than intelligence or talent. Fortunately, these functions are skills, so students can learn them. This book provides ten tools to improve executive functioning, described as “mental apps” that will appeal to digital natives. Featuring plenty of examples, practice assignments, and a playful tone, this book can provide an academic boost to any student.

Annie’s Plan:  Taking Charge of Schoolwork and Homework 
by Jeanne Kraus
Annie is really smart, but she needs a plan for focusing on her work at school and getting her homework done and turned in. "Annie's Plan" spells out a 10-Point Schoolwork Plan and a 10-Point Homework Plan that will help her - and her readers - master the organizational and study skills that spell school success. Each point of the two plans is detailed in a ten-page Note to Teachers and Parents in the back of the book.

Get Organized Without Losing It 
by Janet S. Fox
This is a humorous and helpful guide to managing one's personal effects for a life with less stress and more success. Packed with you-can-do-it techniques and tips, this book shows students how to clean out and maintain order in their school spaces, backpacks, and binders. Handy checklists and plans also teach students to better manage their time for studying, after-school activities, and life in general.

How to Do Homework Without Throwing Up 
by Trevor Romain
Solid advice about how to attack that growing pile of homework is presented along with clever illustrations and delivered with an inventive wit that guarantees kids will actually listen. Managing to be playful and no-nonsense at the same time ("Warning: homework has serious side effects. You might become smart and successful if you do all your homework."), this simple book’s funny insights include how to make a homework schedule, how to get in the right homework-doing mindset, how to remind yourself to do homework, why it’s awesome to do your homework in the first place, and more

You’re Smarter Than You Think:  A Kids Guide to Multiple Intelligence's 
by Thomas Armstrong. Ph.D.
Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences has revolutionized the way we think about being smart. Written by an award-winning expert on the topic, this book introduces the theory, explains the different types of intelligences (like Word Smart, Self Smart, Body Smart), and helps kids identify their own learning strengths and use their special skills at school, at home, and in life. As kids read the book, they stop asking “How smart am I?” and start asking “How am I smart?” This powerful learning tool is recommended for all kids—and all adults committed to helping young people do and be their best. Resources describe related books, software, games, and organizations. This revised and updated edition includes information on a newly researched ninth intelligence, Life Smart—thinking about and asking questions about life, the universe, and spirituality.

The Survival Guide for Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Their Parents 
by Elizabeth Verdick and Elizabeth Reeves, M.D.
This positive, straightforward book offers kids with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) their own comprehensive resource for both understanding their condition and finding tools to cope with the challenges they face every day.

Some children with ASD are gifted; others struggle academically. Some are more introverted, while others try to be social. Some get “stuck” on things, have limited interests, or experience repeated motor movements like flapping or pacing (“stims”). The Survival Guide for Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders covers all of these areas, with an emphasis on helping children gain new self-understanding and self-acceptance.

Meant to be read with a parent, the book addresses questions (“What is ASD?” “Why me?”) and provides strategies for communicating, making and keeping friends and succeeding in school. Body and brain basics highlight symptom management, exercise, diet, hygiene, relaxation, sleep, and toileting. Emphasis is placed on helping kids handle intense emotions and behaviors and get support from family and their team of helpers when needed. The book includes stories from real kids, fact boxes, helpful checklists, and resources. Sections for parents offer additional information.

Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders 
by Elizabeth Verdick and Elizabeth
This positive, straightforward book offers kids with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) their own comprehensive resource for both understanding their condition and finding tools to cope with the challenges they face every day. Some children with ASD are gifted; others struggle academically.  Some are more introverted, while others try to be social. Some get “stuck” on things, have limited interests, or experience repeated motor movements like flapping or pacing (“stims”).  The Survival Guide for Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders covers all of these areas, with an emphasis on helping children gain new self-understanding and self-acceptance.

Meant to be read with a parent, the book addresses questions (“What is ASD?” “Why me?”) and provides strategies for communicating, making and keeping friend and succeeding in school. Body and brain basics highlight symptom management, exercise, diet, hygiene, relaxation, sleep, and toileting. Emphasis is placed on helping kids handle intense emotions and behaviors and get support from family and their team of helpers when needed. The book includes stories from real kids, fact boxes, helpful checklists, and resources. Sections for parents offer additional information.

How to talk to an Autistic Kid
 by Daniel Stefanski
    While many young people know kids with autism, they often find it hard to relate to them. That’s because the behavior of autistic kids can seem off-putting and antisocial, even though the person with autism wants to be friends. This is frustrating for autistic kids and for their peers, and often leads to avoiding, ignoring, excluding—or bullying and teasing.  In How to Talk to an Autistic Kid, a 14-year-old boy describes what it’s like being autistic. With frankness and optimism, author Daniel Stefanski provides personal stories, clear explanations, and supportive advice about how to get along with kids with autism. 

How to Talk to an Autistic Kid answers many questions readers might have about their autistic peers, like: 
Why does my autistic friend sometimes talk too loud or stand too close? 
Why does she talk so much about the same topic over and over? 
He won’t even look at me. Does he really want to be friends? 
Why does she complain about the lights (or the noise, or the smell)? 
Why does it seem like my friend doesn’t understand what I’m saying? 
Is he smart? 
How should I act when we’re together? 
What can we do together? 
What can I do to help autistic kids?