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Teach Resilience and Practical Strategies to Cope with Trauma by Jessica Sinarski, illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff All around us, children are carrying backpacks that are heavy with more than just textbooks. Each day, they also bear the weight of difficult life experiences and intense feelings. Zoey Harmon just wants to feel light-hearted and carefree. Unfortunately, she keeps getting weighed down by pesky "books" in her backpack, like Worry and Shame. Much to her surprise, she's not the only one! Zoey learns that the adults in her life deal with difficult feelings too! Luckily, they have some ideas that can help her set aside the books she's not meant to carry. Will it be enough to help her unload the heaviest book of all? "You look a little worried, kiddo," Zoey's mom said, giving her a squeeze. "Sometimes I need a bright thought to help me when I'm feeling upset. Here, try this." She slid a bookmark into Zoey's hand. Zoey looked down and read: Imagine with Hope. "What's this?" asked Zoey. "When we don't know what to expect, worry wants us to imagine with fear, to think about all the worst possibilities. This is a little reminder I use to think of the good things that might happen when I imagine with hope instead." While there are no quick fixes for all of life's complex problems, What's Inside Your Backpack? highlights some of the ways we can nurture resilience in body and mind. Using the metaphor of books and bookmarks, author Jessica Sinarski offers gentle, effective strategies to help children impacted by trauma. By sharing their burdens with people they trust, kids can lighten their load and realize just how strong and courageous they really are! -
by Jessica Sinarski, illustrated by Zachary Kline Riley the Brave is a little bear with big feelings. He really wants to have fun at the fair, but sometimes he struggles just making it to school, especially on the STINKY, BUMPY, NOISY bus! It is hard for Riley to focus and have fun when he is feeling so many confusing sensations! He has porcupine moments and grumps at his friends, or turtle moments when he just wants to be alone. He even had a tiger moment, roaring at his teacher. With all these big feelings, how can he ever go to the fair? Riley the Brave's Sensational Senses teaches children about their senses through a playful story with real-life strategies for emotion regulation. It also features an educational afterword for grown-ups that explains our eight senses and includes tips for getting the most out of the book.
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A young boy learns to validate and accept his feelings as he comes to understand the different parts of himself. by Richard Schwartz, Ph.D. and Bethany Hegedus; illustrated by Kate Fedos As a boy goes through his day, he encounters all sorts of people and experiences. He reacts differently depending on the situation. Whether it’s The Manager who takes charge and organizes, The Exile who makes himself small and disappears, or The Firefighter who employs a lot of noise and distractions, each of these “parts” is useful in helping him cope. Based on the popular teachings of the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model of therapy developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz, this book is not only a great introduction to our feelings and behaviors but a way for all kids to talk about what they are experiencing. Children will learn to accept all parts of themselves and understand that within us there are no bad parts!
