A Smart Girl's Guide to Worry: how to feel less stressed and have more fun
American Girl nonfiction/advice books
Judy Woodburn and Nancy Holyoke, illustrated by Brenna Vaughan
ISBN: 9781609587451
Very specific and science-based (mostly CBT) techniques for conquering anxiety.
A very clear and straightforward advice book that focuses attention on the reality-warping aspects of worry and anxiety, and provides Cognitive-Behavioral-Therapy-based mental and physical techniques to counteract those negative impulses and move beyond fear-based thinking.
This isn't a match for a good therapist, but for your run-of-the-mill kiddo who is suddenly anxious about a particular subject or activity, or is growing awkward and walled-off as she grows older and feels less confident in herself, this is a great starting point, making it clear that everyone has to deal with worries, and while some people suffer more than others, there are techniques that will work over time to negate or quiet down those fearful or insecure thoughts.
Recommended.
Showing posts with label American Girl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label American Girl. Show all posts
Thursday, September 1, 2016
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Juv Nonfiction: School Rules (American Girl) by Emma MacLaren Henke & Stacy Peterson
Just in time for the school year, we've got new copies of some of the American Girl advice books. These are really great books, and I'm very glad to have them. As a bonus, the nonfiction books don't actually advertise for American Girl at all, which makes it much easier to review them with a clear conscience.
School Rules! tips, tricks, shortcuts, and secrets to make you a super student
American Girl nonfiction/advice books
Emma MacLaren Henke, illustrated by Stacy Peterson
ISBN: 9781609587437
A generalized preparatory handbook of habits, with a few "quizzes" to show basic tendencies.
This book is a very straightforward school prep guide. It addresses mental and physical habits to drop and to pick up, talks about procrastination and perfectionism, about the value of appearances vs content, and gives information about study habits and how to best learn new topics. It also talks about how to request help when needed, and how to handle the stress when projects or topics are difficult to master.
Basic, clear, straightforward, and science-based. An excellent book that balances excitement about school and learning with clear reassuring facts and advice.
School Rules! tips, tricks, shortcuts, and secrets to make you a super student
American Girl nonfiction/advice books
Emma MacLaren Henke, illustrated by Stacy Peterson
ISBN: 9781609587437
A generalized preparatory handbook of habits, with a few "quizzes" to show basic tendencies.
This book is a very straightforward school prep guide. It addresses mental and physical habits to drop and to pick up, talks about procrastination and perfectionism, about the value of appearances vs content, and gives information about study habits and how to best learn new topics. It also talks about how to request help when needed, and how to handle the stress when projects or topics are difficult to master.
Basic, clear, straightforward, and science-based. An excellent book that balances excitement about school and learning with clear reassuring facts and advice.
Saturday, January 16, 2016
2015 Review Round-Up: Juv Nonfiction: A Smart Girl's Guide - Babysitting The Care and Keeping of Kids, American Girl
American Girl's Smart Girl's Guide
Babysitting: The Care and Keeping of Kids
Harriet Brown, illustrated by Karen Wolcott
ISBN: 9781609583934
A short but information-dense and updated guide to 21st century babysitting.
Read October 2015
The over-polished illustrations aren't my style, but they are diverse, and are also generally illustrative of concepts presented in the book itself, which makes them useful as well as (presumably) attractive to the target audience of pre-tween and tween girls making their first forays into the wild world of babysitting.
The book doesn't shy away from dealing with the nitty-gritty - how to set a pay scale, how to ask for money, how to handle emergencies or kids who won't go to sleep or siblings who fight. All of the information is presented in a "you've got this down" up-beat peppy style that is encouraging while still being helpful.
Babysitting: The Care and Keeping of Kids
Harriet Brown, illustrated by Karen Wolcott
ISBN: 9781609583934
A short but information-dense and updated guide to 21st century babysitting.
Read October 2015
The over-polished illustrations aren't my style, but they are diverse, and are also generally illustrative of concepts presented in the book itself, which makes them useful as well as (presumably) attractive to the target audience of pre-tween and tween girls making their first forays into the wild world of babysitting.
The book doesn't shy away from dealing with the nitty-gritty - how to set a pay scale, how to ask for money, how to handle emergencies or kids who won't go to sleep or siblings who fight. All of the information is presented in a "you've got this down" up-beat peppy style that is encouraging while still being helpful.
Friday, June 27, 2014
American Girl: Isabelle, Designs by Isabelle, To the Stars Isabelle, by Laurence Yep
American Girl's 2014 Doll of the Year is Isabelle, and while I've never owned an American Girl doll (I wish I had that kind of money) I am always very impressed with the books that go along with them.
Isabelle is a ballet dancer living in Washington DC with her older sister (also a ballerina) and her museum-curator/fabric-artist mother and hospital administrator/jazz-musician father. Despite her skills in costume and fashion design, Isabelle feels like she's shadowed by the dancing talent of her older sister Jade, and also struggles with a classmate who is prickly and meanspirited.
All read June 25, 2014
Isabelle
ISBN: 9781609583712
Introduces the character as she practices for a school recital, performing choreography that is proving difficult to master.
Designs by Isabelle
ISBN: 9781609583729
Chosen as part of the cast of a modern-day Nutcracker, Isabelle helps her older sister adjust to a growth spurt, and uses her design talents to help improve the costumes, but her own part in the show is causing her trouble.
To the Stars, Isabelle
ISBN: 9781609583736
After mastering her role in the Nutcracker, Isabelle is thrilled when her dance idol chooses her as part of a small outreach program to perform in nursing homes and hospitals, but performing in impromptu locations proves to be a challenge, and Isabelle needs her sister Jade's support to feel inspired.
These three are written by the award-winning (and very good) author Laurence Yep, and he does a very good job within the obvious strictures of the extremely socially-conscious American Girl framework. With him at the helm, obviously-included mentions and characters almost seem like grace-notes, and less like a rigid requirement. Doubtful that younger readers will even notice, making these nearly-seamless inclusions even more important.
Isabelle is a ballet dancer living in Washington DC with her older sister (also a ballerina) and her museum-curator/fabric-artist mother and hospital administrator/jazz-musician father. Despite her skills in costume and fashion design, Isabelle feels like she's shadowed by the dancing talent of her older sister Jade, and also struggles with a classmate who is prickly and meanspirited.
All read June 25, 2014
Isabelle
ISBN: 9781609583712
Introduces the character as she practices for a school recital, performing choreography that is proving difficult to master.
Designs by Isabelle
ISBN: 9781609583729
Chosen as part of the cast of a modern-day Nutcracker, Isabelle helps her older sister adjust to a growth spurt, and uses her design talents to help improve the costumes, but her own part in the show is causing her trouble.
To the Stars, Isabelle
ISBN: 9781609583736
After mastering her role in the Nutcracker, Isabelle is thrilled when her dance idol chooses her as part of a small outreach program to perform in nursing homes and hospitals, but performing in impromptu locations proves to be a challenge, and Isabelle needs her sister Jade's support to feel inspired.
These three are written by the award-winning (and very good) author Laurence Yep, and he does a very good job within the obvious strictures of the extremely socially-conscious American Girl framework. With him at the helm, obviously-included mentions and characters almost seem like grace-notes, and less like a rigid requirement. Doubtful that younger readers will even notice, making these nearly-seamless inclusions even more important.
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