Tag: Depression

I Can Handle it! Book Review

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Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book to facilitate this review. As always, all opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way.

I always say that Molly, my four year old, is my mini me. The similarities really come out when she’s being emotional, which happens more frequently the older that she gets. As a parent, I use all the patience I can muster to calm her down and allow her to express her thoughts. As my readers know, I tend to use books for pretty much everything, and I’m happy to report that I have found the perfect book to help my child cope with her emotions.

I Can Handle it!, written by Laurie Wright and illustrated by Ana Santos, is a practical picture book that breaks down emotions and coping strategies for kids to help with mental health.

Readers follow Sebastien, a little boy, as he tackles emotions that he feels based on different events and situations he experiences. Each scenario provides three or four possible solutions for dealing with the issue, some are absolutely meant to be funny, and some are solid suggestions.

I really like that the story is told like a pattern. Readers anticipate what the next emotion will be and look forward to reading the different options Sebastien has for tackling his feelings. The wording and language is clear and concise, making it so even the littlest reader can understand the story. The illustrations do a fabulous job of capturing the facial expressions that all parents and educators will be familiar with when it comes to emotions that kids feel. It makes the character come to life and seem more realistic.

The scenarios mentioned are 100% on point. For instance, my child absolutely gets cranky when she can’t watch her TV show (she will react if you threaten to put on an adult show). Every single reader can relate to Sebastien and his feelings, thus creating trust between the character and reader. This is really important for this picture book because it shows kids different ways to handle situations that they can use in their life. It’s teaching kids in a fun and creative way.

One of my favorite scenes is where Sebastien is feeling bored when he is stuck at home. The suggestions for handling this situation include making slime, building a fort or video calling friends. I really appreciated how trendy and realistic these ideas for combating boredom are as a parent.

I recommend this book for kids ages 2-6. I can see it being used in the classroom as a read aloud activity to connect with social-emotional learning.

To purchase the book, click here.

Little Reading Coach is a certified Teacher of English (K-12) and Reading Specialist (P-12) offering online reading,  writing and home-based learning support tutoring services for students in grades 6-12. For more information click here.

The Ones That Got Away Book Review

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Even though I love YA and children’s books, every once in a while I like to change things up and read an adult book. This is my third review for BLKDog Publishing, and I have to say the books from this company just get better and better. The Ring  and I Am This Girl were both fantastic reads.

The Ones That Got Away, by Lisa Hill, is a charming adult novel about love, family, secrets, and mental illness.

Tilly lives with her mom, Elaine, and her gran, Lil. After an amazing opportunity is offered to her by her estranged aunt, Ruby, Tilly decides to leave her fiancé and job to live by an aunt she’s never met, with her next door neighbor Archie, who is like a grandfather to her.

As the story follows this family we learn a great deal about Gran’s dementia, and the family’s history of mental illness. Ruby opened a home for those with mental illnesses using money from her divorce settlement. Ruby is an extremely well put together woman, who is blunt, caring and genuine. Ruby became pregnant with Elaine years ago, and since abortions were illegal at the time, Ruby gave Elaine to Lil and her husband Stan to raise. When Elaine became pregnant with Tilly, Ruby came back and told Elaine the truth about being her mother, and Elaine did not believe her. To thicken the plot even more, Archie, the next door neighbor, really is Tilly’s grandfather, but no one knows that except Archie and Ruby.

Can you tell this intricate plot just keeps getting better and better?

Along with a crazy family tree, there’s also a lot of focus on mental illness. Dementia runs in the family, but as the story goes, we also learn of an ADHD diagnosis, depression, and anxiety. Readers also uncover some deep family secrets that are based on mental illness.

While family members do use pills to help cope with their struggles, they also partake in various therapies, especially Tilly. Her determination to not take medication and to try and change her habits really help her become a new woman. She has clarity and a purpose, and even begins her own business.

Along with family secrets and drama, there are also a few little love stories going on. I’m hesitate to discuss these because they are so intertwined with secrets and the past. Just know that they are all brilliant and will fill your heart with joy.

With mental illness being such a big topic right now, I truly love how Hill gave such a realistic portrayal of life with one of these illnesses. Society is so accustomed to believing that a pill can fix anything, when in reality that is not the case. I love how Hill embraced such a difficult topic and made it relatable for all readers. Personally, I really enjoyed seeing how family and friends feel and handle situations caused by mental illness, especially because I don’t have any of my own experiences to connect with.

I recommend this book for anyone with a connection to mental illness, or if you’re looking for a book filled with family secrets and an intricate plot. This is definitely a great mom read.

To purchase the book click here.