Children's Books

   “Daddy Lives in a Different House” is about a child dealing with the emotions of seeing her parents divorce and live in separate homes. Often children witness the events leading up to the separation and then the actual separation of the family.  This story is remarkable because many children experience divorce and are often silenced by it. They must feel their way around and adapt to a new environment due to no fault of their own. This is usually a tough time for the children, and they may not open up and speak on it. This book shows how children are resilient, and if they are shown proper love and attention during this time, they could continue to be happy children.

    “I Am Biracial, and That’s Okay” is about a girl dealing with being biracial. Biracial children often go through emotions such as having physical differences from their parents and family members. As a biracial child, I dealt with feeling like I did not fit in with either side; I was “too” dark when with my Puerto Rican side and “too” light with my African American side with stringy/curly hair. This book shows biracial children that what matters the most is what is on the inside. 

  “Mommy Went Away” is about how a child deals with her mother’s addiction and having to be responsible for her younger sister and take on many adult responsibilities. In the world of psychology, this would be termed the “hero” child who is hardworking that tries to create some normalcy, especially for the younger children in the home. Some children feel embarrassed by their parent’s addiction and may not even share their feelings, often trying to cover up for the parent or be in denial of the addiction itself. This book shows that life can continue even in the absence of a parent who eventually goes away for treatment and comes back ready to parent again in a healthy manner. 

“Secrets We Don’t Keep” is about sexual and physical abuse of all children. In my experience with juvenile sexual offenders and with counseling of juveniles and even adults, many discuss how they were often told not to tell anyone or to keep the abuse a secret. Additionally, many children are not aware of what is considered their “private” parts therefore do not know when boundaries are crossed. This book seeks to help children identify abuse, private parts, and secrets that should not be kept in hopes of telling someone if they have been abused. 

 “Brown Boy You Are Loved” is about affirmations to our young African American boys. They are often faced with many issues that children of all races also experience. However, the African American men experience these situations at a disproportionately higher rate than other races. This book harps on the good qualities of these young men and give them hope for the future and then when a potentially bad situation, do their best to diffuse it and not agitate it.