Recommended Books
Books for Children
“I Can Play it Safe” by Alison Feigh***
(Teaching kids about personal safety without making the world a scary place)
“On Those Runaway Days” by Alison Feigh***
(Steps for children to take when life seems overwhelming)
"My Body Belongs To Me" by Jill Starishevsky
(A book for children about their bodies. It assures children it is okay to tell)
“The Runaway Bunny” by Margaret Wise Brown
(Providing children with a sense of security)
“I Can Make A Difference: A Treasury to Inspire Our Children” by Marian Wright Edelman
(A compilation of stories from a variety of cultures about children making the world a better place)
“It’s My Body” by Lory Freeman
(A book for young children on what to do about uncomfortable touches)
“A Very Touching Book” by J. Hindman
(What to do if there is “secret” touching; introduces and uses correct terms for genitals)
“Amazing You: Getting Smart About Your Private Parts” by Gail Saltz
(Basic body awareness for small children)
“Your Body Belongs To You” by Cornelia Spelman
(Suitable for young children; body ownership and touching)
“My Body is Private” by Linda Walvoord Girard and Rodney Pate
(Giving children ownership of their bodies)
“I Promise I’ll Find You” by Heather Patricia Ward
(Comforting; how a child is found if lost or separated from parents)
Books for Middle School and Teens
“Life Freaks Me Out and then I Deal With It” by K.L. Hong
(Personal memoir about being a teenager and lessons learned along the way)
“Silver” by Norma Fox Mazer
(Fiction book about a junior high student who has a friend disclose sexual abuse)
“Katie.com” by Katherine Tarbox
(A teenager’s story about her own experience with Internet exploitation)
Books for Adults
“Connect 5” by Kathleen Kimball-Baker, Forward by Patty Wetterling
(The importance of caring mentors in teenagers lives)
"This Hurts Me More Than It Hurts You: In Words and Pictures" by Nadine A. Block, with Madeleine Y. Gomez
(Children share how spanking hurts and what to do instead)
“The Bully, The Bullied, and The Bystander: From Pre-school to High School – How Parents and Teachers Can Help Break the Cycle of Violence” by Barbara Coloroso
(Tool for parents and teachers to prevent bullying in their homes & schools)
“The Gift of Fear” by Gavin De Becker
(How to use your gut instinct and intuition to keep you safe from harm)
“Protecting the Gift: Keeping Children and Teenagers Safe and Parents Sane” by Gavin De Becker
(How to help nurture your child’s gut instinct as a protective factor – suitable for teens and parents)
“How to Talk so Kids will Listen and Listen so Kids Will Talk” by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish
(Tested strategies to use for better parent/child communication)
“Dads and Daughters: How to Inspire, Understand, and Support Your Daughter” by Joe Kelly
(Guidance for Fathers on how to be a strong support for their daughters)
“Tag You’re It! 50 Easy Ways to Connect with Young People” by Kathleen Kimball-Baker
(Commonsense ideas for supporting young people in your community)
"Parents Preventing Abuse" by Dr. Jaime Romo
(E-book that guides parents to mitigate the conditions that allow child sexual abuse and prevent abuse of their children. This title is available on Kindle, Lulu, and ibooks)
“Why DO They Act That Way? A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain” by David Walsh, Ph.D.
(Explains the biological changes in a teen’s brain during adolescence and how a parent can use that information to stay better connected to their teen)
“NO: Why Kids—of All Ages—Need to Hear It and Ways Parents Can Say It” by David Walsh, Ph.D.
(How to set age-appropriate limits for your children while emphasizing a balanced parenting style)
“Queenbees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends and Other Realities of Adolescence” by Rosalind Wiseman
(A crash course on the challenges of being an adolescent girl with specific steps for parents to take to be a strong support during the tougher times)
*** A portion of sales on these two titles will be donated back to JWRC
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