Child Health Books

Sarah is passionate about nurturing the gifts of others. Her insightful meditations are practical tools for adults as well as children. Teaching us to trust our gifts she has developed a community that can easily translate her work and realize her intentions. Her work has provided opportunities for meditation groups around the world who have utlized her work in their schools, neighborhoods and in their homes. Thank you Sarah for teaching me that allowing an open space for my daughter's gifts was actually a mirror lesson for my own self appreciation.
I am excited to give this book to her school as the teacher will be utilizing it in her classroom, allowing this piece of work to be recognized as the invaluable tool that it is.

Breathing regularly is a bridge that ties body to mind; when breathing is made regular it calms the physical body. Learning to breath evenly and regularly can yield instant stress relief on a moment's notice. Following the sequence within a meditation develops memory and the ability to concentrate. In her book, "Sensational Meditation for Children", Sarah does an outstanding job guiding you on how to bring such benefits of meditation to your children and more. I highly recommend this book. In addition to helping your children it will help you too. Enjoy!

I have used this book in teaching mindfulness classes to children both in the community and in the school where I am a Resource Room teacher. Sarah has created some wonderfully fun, creative exercises that capture the children's imagination...always helpful in getting them to participate. She also gives ideas for modifying the exercises as necessary. This should be a "standard" for anyone interested in teaching children mindfulness or meditation techniques.

Children and parents alike benefit so very much from Sarah's book, "Sensational Meditation for Children". It creates a very close and strong bond as parent and child learn how to meditate together. Children can learn meditation techniques quickly with Sarah's short meditations and they have great fun with all the exercises and crafts that the book offers as well. I am a former student of Sarah's and have studied the book in great depth as well as taught many children through her techniques. If you have children this is definitely a must have book!

One things for sure, there are not many books like this.

As readers we get to see the world of a cancer patient through Izzy's eyes, our fourteen year old cantankerous (or regular teenage angst) main character. For six grueling months we follow her from diagnosis, treatment, to conclusion... sorry, no spoilers here. As readers we come away with both an attachment to the storyline and an appreciation of what having cancer must feel like.

I'm happy that someone has finally written a good teen book about cancer that doesn't 1. bog us down with too much medical jargon, 2. chips away at the mystery for all of us looking in from the outside, and 3. gives us a characters we can relate to. My complaint is that at times the story feels a bit disjointed. Also, if I ever talked to my Mom the way Izzy does, illness or not, I wouldn't be typing this review right now!

Izzy has cancer - and is back in school trying to catch up. Her descent into illness - and struggle to retain to a world of normalcy - makes SIDE EFFECTS an outstanding survey of cancer recovery, delving into much more than the usual physical issues of struggling with cancer. Leisure readers in grades 4-8 will find it outstanding.

From the author of The Girls (a realistic look into the inner workings of an all-girl clique) comes a novel about an almost-fifteen-year-old who is diagnosed with lymphoma. The once-healthy Izzy is suddenly hospital-bound. The faces of the nurses, doctors, and counselors who surround her blur as she undergoes chemotherapy. Meanwhile, her mom is a mess, her father is fairly steady, her little brother doesn't quite understand what is going on, and her best friend isn't allowed to visit her.

While her body battles cancer, Izzy's tongue stays as sharp as the needles that the nurses stick in her arm. Instead of a book riddled with angst, the story details Izzy's treatments and her physical and emotions reactions bluntly. Instead of being a sob story, this is the story of survival. Izzy refuses to give up, and readers won't give up this book until they've reached the final page. Well-done.

Izzy wakes up one morning concerned because her glands are still swollen from a recent sickness--and she soon discovers that she has cancer. She's placed into a children's hospital where people come talk to her until she no longer hears what they're talking about. All she can do is concentrate on drawing.

Her mother is a basket case and Izzy is in shock.

Now her life has drastically changed. People who were her friends no longer talk to her and people she's never talked to are fake around her. She doesn't quite know how to react, but it's not with the anger her best friend feels.

Izzy goes though treatments: pain, the puking, and the needles, but still never loses her sense of humor.

SIDE EFFECTS takes a deep look into the medical and emotional roller-coaster of cancer patients. With Izzy, you hear the knowledge first-hand, which makes you both laugh and cry.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel

This weekend, Melody and I had the opportunity to review three of the books in the Sillwee Wobbert Picture Book series. I was immediately impressed. G. Robert has done a phenomenal job at capturing the essence of special needs and putting the information into book form for children. The books are colorful and warm with illustrations that are catchy yet not overwhelmingly "busy" or distracting. Melody sat and read the books on her own. After she finished, I asked her what she thought of Sillwee Wobbert and his friends. "I liked the books. They were fun to read...and cute!" I went on to ask her what she had learned about each or the special needs covered in the books. When asked about Sillwee Wobbert, Diabetes and Jose at School and Play, she said "I learned a lot about Diabetes. If Jose doesn't eat often and watch his sugar, he could become very sick. Sometimes he has to have his finger poked. Kids with diabetes are just like me. They just have to be very careful about what they eat and about what their body tells them." Each book contained a lesson that Melody quickly caught on to. The fact that she understood the intended lesson proved this series to be a valuable tool in teaching not only that it is "ok" to have a disability or special need, but it is also "ok" to be friends with kids who have disabilities or special needs, like Sillwee Wobbert and his friends. With so many books on the market today, this series is sure to rise above the rest with its valuable lessons that are often missed in today's fad movie-related or television series spin-off books. I would recommend this series to anyone working with, treating, or caring for a child. These books will make great additions to hospital or clinic waiting rooms, school classrooms and libraries, childcare centers, and just about anywhere that you're likely to find children.

The first title in the Dream Publishing Company's new and impressive "Sillwee Wobbert" series of uplifting and non-technical stories about health issues for young readers, The Happy Heart Kid is a picturebook written especially for young children who have a heart condition, or young friends with a heart condition. With his heart-shaped head, The Happy Heart Kid is an engaging caricature that shows kids it's OK to live, laugh, be silly, and have fun with friends while taking proper care of oneself. The vividly colorful yet simple illustrations help this rhyming story and its deep, positive inner message come fully alive. Very highly recommended reading.

I have seen this book in doctors' offices and hospitals and have learned that it is used for children or adult patients with medical conditions as a way to continue the line of communication with the patients about their illness. Nurses and child life professionals especially seem to use it as an educational tool. I was very impressed with the mission of this publisher and the uplifting message that Sillwee Wobbert sends. Every friend that I show the book to just love it. I can't wait to see it in schools and libraries. Wonderful and enchanting!

Sillwee Wobbert looks forward to playing soccer with his friends. But one friend, nicknamed Wheezing Will, hasn't always been able to participate in soccer. Will's asthma made it hard to run and play, and he often has to stop for his medication. But when uses his medication properly, he can do anything his friends can do - and more!

Children with asthma often don't understand what is happing to them when illness prevents their participating normal activities with their friends. Sillwee Wobbert and Wheezing Will forge understanding asthma in this marvelous story perfect for coloring and sharing. While doctors offices, schools and libraries will find this book to marvelously informative as well as entertaining, parents will find it even more useful as it opens communication about an illness that can leaving children feeling frightened and isolated. Perfect for bedtime reading or afternoon coloring, SILLWEE WOBBERT AND WHEEZING WILL IN THE BIG GAME earns the WordWeaving Award for Excellence.

i have 3 little boys 6,4, and 2 years old and this is one of our favorite books. It it such a sweet story about a little african american boy and how all the things in his daily life make him want to sing with joy. The rhymes and precious and we just love to read this over and over again. This book also makes a great gift.

Although we brought this book to broaden our library once we had our son, our 3-year-old daughter loves it! "I burst out singing, I just gotta sing along". Beautiful illustrations and includes fathers which is often absent in some of our books. In fact, the picture and paragraph depicting the family at the dinner table is among our favorite pages. Excellent read!

Sing-Along Song has been my now 3 year old's number one book for bedtime reading for about six months straight! He never tires of the rhymes, the beautiful details in the illustrations, and he so looks forward to chiming in "I just gotta sing-along" at the end of each scene! I love the African-American family and the little boy narrator because my son can relate to him and see himself in others! Great book!

This is a great book for it's sing-song cadence, word choice, cheerful attitude and illustrations. My toddler chooses this book to be read aloud often. As an elementary school teacher, I see many writing elements that could be taught by reading this book to school-aged chldren. I hope your children enjoy it as much as mine.

I picked up Myrna Orenstein's book knowing little about LD and nothing about undiagnosed learning disabilities (ULD). Her clear and personal writing style makes it easy for the average reader to understand some of the struggles people with ULD face.

The book becomes increasingly meaningful as Orenstein calls for better methods for teachers to identify children having academic trouble, and to give a second thought to the class clown or the disorganized and constantly late student. Orenstein's message is supported further throughout the book, as she urges parents, teachers and therapists to work together; to recognize that this disability is attatched to developmental issues inside AND outside of learning in the classroom. Attention is called to bridge the gap between LD specialists and psychotherapists, so that these smarter-than-average children can reach their potential.

Her personal experiences, reseach, and writing introduce the everyday reader to the world where people are wrongly labeled "lazy," or "unmotivated." Her focus on adults and ULD gives insight for LD specialists, therapists, and, like myself, the average reader.

SMART BUT STUCK

What if Horatio Alger had been a dyslexic?

Sure, he's only a fictional character, but his bootstrap mentality and "work hard and you'll succeed" ethics have become what America believes is reality. If he had been a real American, there would have been a one-in-five chance that he would have had some type of learning disability. If he had, his handiwork in certain areas would have only been met with frustration, shame, and the "chasm".

Dr. Myrna Orenstein, in her book "Smart but Stuck", challenges the American myth that a person's strengths and weaknesses are determined solely by intelligence, motivation, and hard work. Orenstein has learned from her own experience and the experiences of others that many extremely intelligent people are unable to learn conventionally in certain areas.

Through the stories of twenty very different and very bright Americans who grew up with undiagnosed learning disabilities (ULD), she explores the painful and trying emotional journey these individuals were forced to go on in order to come to terms with themselves and their learning disorders.

Dr. Orenstein's book compelled me to go down a difficult, but in the end wonderful, road of self-discovery. I have always been a slow reader - not to the point of being diagnosed with a learning disability, where most weekends of college have been spent solely in the library. It frustrated me to no end. Was I not trying hard enough? Could I be tugging those bootstraps a little higher? Was I just plain stupid? Who could explain why I excelled in things such as writing, painting, problem solving, and math and yet read as slow as the children I babysat for?

The first important thing Orenstein's book gave me was the realization that I was not alone. I unquestionably saw myself (my experience and emotions) within the stories and voices of her twenty case studies. The second invaluable thing I learned was that I wasn't going to be able to get rid of my slight disability, but that it was nothing that I should be ashamed of. My slow reading was a weakness within me that I was going to have to accept and learn to effectively live with. Myrna Orenstein's book inspired me to search for new ways to compensate for my reading speed.

SMART BUT STUCK invigorated me to use the people around me and my strength in creative problem solving to find solutions to compensate for my weakness.

In SMART BUT STUCK, Orenstein provides a powerful portrait of the emotional journey undergone by many American adults who have grown up with undiagnosed learning disabilities. Her book illustrates that if a person approaches their learning disability with the right attitude and the necessary support, they can learn to effectively live with it so that it in no way imprisons their intelligence, strength, and success.

Through the powerful accounts of real Americans, Orenstein makes it clear that it is possible to expand America's traditional myth of the path to success. Her book shows that, as both a culture and as individuals, we must be open at certain times to creatively approach conventional learning in order to compensate for learning disabilities. SMART BUT STUCK combines an approach that I appreciate with an in-depth manual for professionals, including therapists, counselors, and educators, to use when measuring the impact of undiagnosed learning disabilities on their clients and students.

For several years I have been searching for information related to my personal experience with LD. There are many excellent books that have helped me understand and cope with a diagnosis that came unexpectedly into my life when I was in my 40's.

I discovered "Smart but Stuck" quite by accident as I searched a database of doctoral dissertations. When I called to find out how I could get a copy of a dissertation about adult diagnosed LD, I was told it had recently been published. Immediately I came to Amazon and ordered a copy for myself.

Dr. Orenstein's book gave me an understanding that is fundamental to anyone trying to put all the pieces of their personal LD puzzle together.

Her concept of the "chasm" is an essential building block for LD's trying to understand their disability in the long view. We all cope with self-defining events from our childhood. Often these events have been pushed into the recesses of the subconscious mind because they are unpleasant reminders of how we were seen by peers and adults whose subtle and not so subtle negative reactions permanently altered our self images.

"Smart but Stuck" has had a liberating effect on me. I deal with the obvious issues related to my LD every day. Using this book, I have begun to go back and reaccess my experiences as a student in a more positive way.

I would recommend this book to anyone with LD at any age or stage of their diagnosis and treatment. While it is specifically related to adults, it will add another dimension at any stage of the LD learning process.

Dr. Orenstein's book should be required reading for parents and counselors as they seek to understand and support someone with LD.

I picked up Myrna Orenstein's book knowing little about LD and nothing about undiagnosed learning disabilities (ULD). Her clear and personal writing style makes it easy for the average reader to understand some of the struggles people with ULD face.

The book becomes increasingly meaningful as Orenstein calls for better methods for teachers to identify children having academic trouble, and to give a second thought to the class clown or the disorganized and constantly late student. Orenstein's message is supported further throughout the book, as she urges parents, teachers and therapists to work together; to recognize that this disability is attatched to developmental issues inside AND outside of learning in the classroom. Attention is called to bridge the gap between LD specialists and psychotherapists, so that these smarter-than-average children can reach their potential.

Her personal experiences, reseach, and writing introduce the everyday reader to the world where people are wrongly labeled "lazy," or "unmotivated." Her focus on adults and ULD gives insight for LD specialists, therapists, and, like myself, the average reader.

My 15 month old (who can't talk yet) adores this book, which we checked out from the library. So much of the subject matter and vocabulary are words that he recognizes and that I use everyday with him (going to bed, bottle, blanket, going to the park, colors and simple phrases). He gets a big kick out of the end when the mommy falls asleep and the baby (who looks just like him in a little red sleeper) calls for daddy instead. Highly recommended!

My 4 and 6 yr olds love this book, and so do I! They have liked it for years. They love the words, and the pictures, and it flows so well. I just love how it sounds, and the oh so simple life portrayed in this book. It makes us all happy to get into this child's family's world. Thank you Amy Schwartz!

My four-year-old laughed until her sides hurt. She was pounding on the floor, sobbing with laughter. Which made ME laugh hard too, which made HER laugh even harder, and then we both almost wet our pants from laughing. This is a great book to enjoy with your toddler or preschooler, especially if they have a "baby" sibling. The illustrations are adorable, and the dialog is very true to life. Can't wait to read more by the talented Amy Schwartz.

This book is a must-have for any parent of a child who does not like to go to sleep. It is as much a book for parents as it is for children, perhaps more! We cracked up at the too-true scenario depicted. You will too!

Still with Me is a wonderful read, beautifully written and warmly delivered. It is universal in its message and will touch anyone who has lost a parent. I began reading the book in a restaurant as I dined alone; but became somewhat self-conscious as I cried almost as many times as I laughed, and sometimes that happened on the same page. This book promises to be not only a best seller but would make a splendid movie.

I felt as though I was in the same room with Andrea King Collier listening to her tell this story. It is a true account of the roller coaster of emotions that accompany caring for an ill parent. The book demonstrates the importance of preventative health care and the reasons to advocate for one's own health. It is fortunate that Andrea had the support of her husband, the distraction of two young children, the strength to care for her mother, and a sense of humor to help make it through even the darkest of days. This book is a tribute and an inspiration to all women.

I was so moved and so utterly totally shaken by this book that I have been crying though the reading, my nose running and my chest tight. Now I am just raw with my grief. This book isn't so much about Ms Collier's mother as it is about all our mothers.
I am one of those daughter's who has taken on the care of an elderly parent. My mother is still living and I have been her "assisted care" for several years. In the years since my mother suffered a debillitating stroke I have struggled with the varying feelings of helplessness, inadequacy, andger, resentment - all of those and more.
This book is a gift to all of the daughters, all of the caregivers. It gave me permission to cry, to let it all out.
Beyond a clearly superior ability to write - the author posesses an indefinable quality that allows her to dip into universal truths and make them personal and immediate. "Unflinching" as one review characterizes it, does not even come close.

"Still With Me" is a story of love, life, illness, loss and healing. It is an emotional journey that made me smile, laugh out loud, talk back to the book, and shed a few tears as I read.
This is a well-rounded look at how an illness affects the entire family, not just those closest to it. The depth of the love between the author and her mother is so clear in this story. The importance of annual exams and taking full advantage of access to medical care could be considered the moral of this story.

As a mother, I pray that my daughter will not have to face this experience; as a daughter, I pray that if I am faced with this, I will handle it with in such a loving and caring manner. This is a "must read" for anyone interested in health issues, dealing with a terminal illness, or just an old-fashioned story of the special bond shared between mothers and daughters.

I look forward to future work by this author as her style of writing allows the reader to visualize the setting and the story will tug at your heart and beg you finish it. This is not "light reading", more a story with a message of love. It was wonderful!

Great job! Got the book fast and the book was in a great condition with the CD!

I used this book for my Ob semester of nursing school. This book along with the disk helped me get wonderful grades in the semester. This semester is very hard, but using this book made it very easy. I HIGHLY recommended this book to everyone who is in or going to nursing school. This book is great. It actually covers material the instructors lectured on. The questions on the disk were very similiar to the questions on the nursing tests. It helps you understand maternity and neonatal.

This is a great book......would recommend this to any nursing student. It really helped me get through nursing level 2. It really breaks the important material down and makes it easier to understand. The CD has Nclex type questions that are really helpful as well.

If you have one of those large texts that you have to read and just dont have the time- this is the perfect middle man! It cuts to the chase- gives you all you need to know in relation to the facts- I read my big text for the nursing know how's for how to care for the new mom- but this is great to get just what you need to know for the tests! I love this book- in fact all of the straight a's books are great as well- my teacher in fact wanted to use this book as the actual text, she liked it so much. Really a great investment- This was a great read too- not boring like some other texts- kept me very interested!

Even if you are an experienced athlete yourself, and former power lifter (like me), this book is great for the research it presents about children and weightlifting, and for the organization of the material. I found the medicine ball portion particularly helpful. Very good pictures.

Strength and Power for Young Athletes is a tremendous help to athletes with both high and low athletic standards and abilities.It is very easy to read and follow.It has appendixes for each sport and categories for each age group.Pictures and a key of what each machine works helps you understand each machine easier.Nutrition guides of carbs and protien is also a big help.This book is great for keeping you in shape.

This book was an excellent reference that I relied heavily upon to create a strength training program for our Pop Warner football team. Faigenbaum has published results of studies documenting the benefits of strength training for children. This book provides good description of exercises for each muscle group and provides variations using different equipment, .i.e. free weights- dumbbells and barbells, resistance bands and weight machines. One ommission in the book was that his published paper revealed a program that proved superior to others in controlled experiments in terms of results gained.
Program: 3 sets with set #1 being 50% of 10 rep maximum resistance (warm-up), followed by set # 2- 10 reps with 75% of 10 rep max (moderate), and set #3 - max number of reps with 10 rep max resistance.

As a former Olympic Athlete I appreciate the importance of keeping children healthy and strong. This book provides all the tools you need to develop safe and effective strength programs for boys and girls. It is an easy read and the photographs are outstanding. This book is a real WINNER!

This book provides clear, easy to use strategies for teaching and communicating with children on the autism spectrum. The author's contend that behavioral problems exhibited by children with autism are most often the result of frustration that comes from their inability to communicate effectively. Behavioral problems can be successfuly addressed by focusing on what the child is trying to communicate. Rationale for the strategies suggested is provided. I recommend this book for educators and parents.

There are so many books on autism and not all are applicable to our family's situation. I tend to read a library copy before purchasing. When it came time to return this book, I decided that this was one for our personal library. It's easy to read and I will refer to it over and over. Methods are easy to understand and implement. As a parent of an autistic child, it's one of the few books I've felt that will be invaluable.

This is the best book to own if you are working with a child with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder(ASD). It is amazing how much the editors fit into this little book. The overall philosophy of the book is towards an eclectic approach to ASD. It presents many different ideas from different people, all of which could be added to a program, method, approach for a particular child. If you are dogmatic about one method, this is not the book for you. The book starts out with several chapters looking into what we know about autism, a Temple Grandin chapter on what it is like to have autism and a Charles Hart chapter on what parents want (required reading for educators!). Then there are chapters on enhancing communication in nonverbal children, echolalic, and verbal children. These chapter are by Prizant, Rydell, Twachtman . Then there are a bunch of chapters on strategies for social stuff. Carol Gray wrote one chapter on social stories. This book is readable, full of ideas. I hope the authors plan to keep the book fresh with a new edition in a few years. As a parent of a child with ASD, I own two copies, and lend out the second to others who work with my son.

This book is a wonderful resource for learning how to approach children with autism. It is very easy to read and deals with a variety of different methods that can be used to deal with just about any level on the autistic spectrum. As a speech therapist working with variety of children with autism, I continually return to this resource to help plan my assessments and intervention. It is an excellent resource that addresses communication, play, pragmatics, parent desires, and self-control at a variety of levels. The chapters that deal with specific areas, such as enhancing social communicative interactions, often provide you with the necessary paperwork for assessment and/or intervention in the appendix. This is a must buy book! I would highly recommend this book to anyone working with children with autism.