Healing Days: A Guide for Kids Who Have Experienced Trauma

Gr 1–6—This book's purpose is to reassure young trauma victims who have experienced "bad and scary things"-perhaps physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. In general terms and simple language, a first-person text describes how each of four children might feel if something bad or scary happened, and how that feeling might cause them to act negatively in one way or another. It also assures readers that they will recover and offers a few strategies and suggestions to use to feel safer and more confident. The book is intended to be used with an adult or as a self-help tool; however, the print is quite small and would be difficult for a younger child to read alone. Color illustrations demonstrate the actions the text is describing; at times, the children are each shown in a series of boxes on the same page, which can be a bit confusing. Perhaps, though, the intention is to underline the idea that all kinds of children everywhere are vulnerable. Because of its usefulness as a therapeutic tool and the scarcity of material on the subject, libraries might want to purchase this title.—Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA