by Jill | Dec 9, 2010 | Child Therapy, children's books, dyslexia, learning disabilities
“When Horatio has difficulty reading, his parents meet with the teacher to discover why. Horatio hears the words Dyslexia and Special Ed. “No way! Kids will think I’m dumb.” But he does go and with amazing results.”
I just received a new book by Margot Finke, Illustrated by Ellen Gurak. Horatio Humble Beats the Big “D,” is a book for children dealing with dyslexia. Dyslexia is a common learning disability among children where the brain has difficulty processing written words.
Horatio is an intelligent boy who makes good grades and many school subjects, except for reading. He just can’t make since of all the words. Horatio and his parents go to meet with his teacher and he finds out he has dyslexia. Horatio has many thoughts and emotions about this, and also is worried about what others will think when he has to attend a special class. To his delight, Horatio begins learning ways to read books and even begins to write!
I enjoyed reading this book. The rhyming has a comfortable pace, and the illustrations are colorful and vivid. Margot does a wonderful job of including the symptoms of dyslexia along with common emotions and thoughts a child might have when discovering they have this problem. It also includes a teacher, parent guide in the back with resources and also signs a child might be experiencing dyslexia. I would recommend this book for anyone working with children who have learning disabilities, and plan to use it for my own clients.
Where to buy
Margot’s Book Page
Autographed books available here.
Amazon
Powells
Guardian Angel Publishing
Links
Book Trailer
Margot Finke’s Website
Reviews
Like this:
Like Loading...
by Jill | Oct 29, 2010 | Uncategorized
I have just begun the process of applying to insurance panels and was looking to find out more information. This is a nice brief article on how to get started if you choose to take insurance for your practice.
How to Get on Insurance Panels As a Psychologist | eHow.com
Like this:
Like Loading...
by Jill | Sep 19, 2010 | Uncategorized
Books That Heal Kids: About The Blog Author: “Welcome to my blog. I’ve been working as an elementary school counselor since I obtained my Master’s Degree in Education in 2005. Bibliothe…”
Like this:
Like Loading...
by Jill | Sep 11, 2010 | book fairs, children's books, Chloe Pink, Decatur Book Festival, Diana Balck, education, Gale Border, illustrators, Little Shop of Stories, Remi Bryant, society for children's book writer
When I found out about the Decatur Book Festival this year, held on September 3-5 2010 in Decatur, GA I had to check it out. This was my first visit to the festival. I visited several authors and venders of interest. There are many more vendors and activities than those listed here. To get a full idea of the the Decatur Book Festival experience you must view this year’s web page. It is full of workshops, book readings, musical events, and much more! This is a highlight of what I found interesting, and it was a great opportunity for networking with other authors.
First, I met with
Gale Border, who just had her first book published, titled
“Totally Buzzed.” She described it as a murder mystery, you can find more about her book on her book page and blog.
Then, I met with
Diana Black, who has authored several workbooks and educational books for children, including
“Little Bitty Kitty,”, and “No Words for Wendel.”
After that, I ran into a local illustrator and artist,
Remi Bryant who illustrates children’s books, and also other graphic arts projects.
Finally, after a long day at the book fair, I popped in to a local children’s book store,
Little Shop of Stories, for a little browsing, and of course shameless book promotion! This bookstore is full of children’s books, and also young adult books of all genres. The staff is friendly and helpful. They even have a room for the youngest readers (which would include my son who is 18 months old), where we checked out their variety of puzzles, board books and toys.
I had a truly inspiring day where I found the Decatur Book Festival a must see for any author for networking, workshops, entertainment and educating the public about their book. I hope to go next year as a vendor, I can’t wait to go back!
Like this:
Like Loading...
by Jill | Jun 7, 2010 | changes, Child Therapy, children self help, children's books, ebooks, moving, parents, teachers
“Snotty Kid. Be Gone!”
“Young Ruthie’s mood changed overnight, her smiles slunk off in gloom.
She wouldn’t talk to Mom or Dad. She refused to leave her room.
Her parents scolded, begged and coaxed, but Ruthie paid no mind,
Her moods grew big and ugly – like some Hippo’s fat behind.”
At the end of my first read through, of “Ruthie and the Hippo’s Fat Behind,” by Margot Finke, I thought “this is perfect for so many of my kids!”
When Ruthie moved, and left all her friends and old home behind her personality and moods completely changed. She sulked, and became rude to her parents, argued, and had tantrums. Finally, she drove her parents crazy and her father said, “Snotty Kid. Be Gone!” Then, she had a Magic Moment that helped her reconcile with her parents. It ends on a positive note, and Ruthie feels happier.
Changes can affect children in many ways, especially a move far away from friends. Ruthie’s story is like so many children who deal with changes in every day life, and often parents become frustrated themselves. Ruthie and the Hippo’s Fat Behind, by Margot Finke, Illustrated by K.C. Snider, is a light hearted, realistic look at how children often express their emotions. The rhyming feels comfortable to read, and the story has a good pace. It kept my attention throughout. There is a short teacher/parent guide in the back to help adults talk to children about their feelings and also other resources for parents.
Many children who are angry, going through change or a move of any kind would benefit from this story. Ruthie captures these feelings on many levels, including showing anger through arguing and tantrums, and also sulking and feeling bad about herself. As a child therapist, I see many children go through lots of changes and reflect behaviors and emotions like Ruthie. I would recommend this book therapists and parents alike for any child going through change.
Like this:
Like Loading...
“When Horatio has difficulty reading, his parents meet with the teacher to discover why. Horatio hears the words Dyslexia and Special Ed. “No way! Kids will think I’m dumb.” But he does go and with amazing results.”
