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Thoughts |
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| Leisha Cochran |
It's been a while since we
talked but I just had to tell you a little story. I have
a client who has been doing community service work in our
office. Her mother has been extremely ill for a long
time and just passed away week before last. My clients
son is somewhere between 8 and 10 years old and has lived with
his grandmother and grandfather all his life because his
mother has been in and out of jail. His name is
Christopher. Christopher is taking his grandmothers
death really hard and my client, her name is Crystal is was
just beside herself in how to handle this situation. She
says that she is just trying to get herself straightened out
and now all this has to happen to her. She is really
rather pitiful in her situation. Anyway, Christopher was
having such a hard time, that we gave Crystal one of your
books and she took this home and began to read the story to
him and allow him to do some of the worksheets and things in
the book. After only two nights of reading to him and
working with him, Crystal is extremely happy. She says
that Christopher has opened up and is talking about his
grandmother and is finally beginning to seem like he
understands what has happened and is excepting it. He
sent me a little thank you note by Crystal yesterday morning.
All it said was thank you for the book. I really like
it. Love Christopher.
I wanted you to know that
"IT REALLY WORKS". If it never helps another child, you
have done something wonderful for this child. He is now
going back to school without a fight and is doing much better
within just a few days.
This has touched my heart
so much and I just knew it would do the same to yours.
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Susan
M. Johnson,
Franklin, VA
reviewed on Amazon.com |
This book will be very helpful for adults
working with children who have suffered a loss, as well as for
children themselves. There are sections to record special
memories of the child's lost loved one, as well as
inspirational stories of others who have lost important people
in their lives and have gone on to live positive lives.
Although it was written for a boy, it is also useful to girls.
I bought mine as a gift to a child at my school who recently
lost her mother; I intend to buy another as a gift to my
church library.
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Reviewed by Nancy
Riggins-Hume 12/03 for Denise's Pieces Author Site & Book
Reviews
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Pamela Adams has
written a sensitive, thoughtful
self-help manual intended to help children deal with loss
issues. The beginning of the book is the
story of the loss from the perspective of her son.
The middle section of the book includes
word searches, journaling, and sentence completions. All
these are included to assist a child to identify and
cope with his feelings. It normalizes the experiences of
anger, sadness, numbness and feelings of loss. At the end
of the book is a section for the adults in the life of the
child. This focuses on how an adult can help the child to
deal with their experience and emotions.
This workbook is well written, and explores the many
aspects of loss, healing and moving on with life. It gives
permission to both adult and child to feel what they feel when
they feel it without shame or
embarrassment. The exercises approach the issues in
ways that are non-threatening. I would recommend it to
families going through loss.
And I also recommend it to adults who experienced the loss of a
parent as a child. The exercises and the stories can reach
beneath the adult surface
and tap into their childhood pain.
http://www.denisemclark.com |
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Pamela D.
Wilbanks, Ed.S., Elementary School Counselor |
I received your book today.
I read it immediately upon opening the package. Thank
you so much for such a lovely and uplifting book about grief.
I am eager to use the activities with students who are
grieving many things, not just the death of a parent. I
happily added my comments to Amazon. I wish you much
luck, and if it is OK, I plan to recommend your book to my
fellow school counselors through the American School
Counselors Association listserve. Thank you again and my
best wishes to you and your family!
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Angie Perkins
Independent Educational Consultant EDC Publishing/ Usborne Books |
This is an
awesome book. I wish I had it when my dad died. My
favorite page is the one where the child can pick a tree to
plant that most describes their love one. I donated a copy
of this book to my church and local battered women's shelter.
They both were very appreciative and excited to have a useful
tool to help grieving children. |
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Julie Donner
Anderson, author of "PAST: Perfect! PRESENT: Tense!
Insights From One Woman's Journey As The Wife of a Widower"
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Children have a hard time
understanding death and loss. When it happens to them
personally, the multitude of emotions can sometimes be
overwhelming as the child tries to process feelings he doesn’t
understand. And since children handle grief differently
than adults, it’s refreshing when a new book comes along that
speaks empathetically to a child’s mentality. Once Upon
A Family is such a book.
Pam Adams book about a
child’s journey beyond bereavement is, in one word, fabulous!
It is sectioned in three parts. The first part of the book
was inspired by the author’s son, Jordan, after the loss of his
father. His thoughts and feelings are honest and sincere,
often moving, and always poignant. Children who have lost
a beloved parent to death will be able to relate immediately,
and their surviving parents will bless the day they bought this
wonderful book!
The second part of the
book is a self-help workbook designed to encourage the grieving
child to journal his/her thoughts and feelings. The
accompanying puzzles, mazes, and stories from others who have
experienced loss, offer validation and hope.
The last section of the
book is a guide for the parent(s) of a grieving child, offering
practical advice from professional grief counselors and teachers
who encourage parent/child interaction and communication.
The book itself is a
flexible, laminated, 8.5 x 11 format with simple illustrations,
making it appear as a coloring book for bereaved children.
Considering its audience, this concept works well for this book.
Don’t be fooled by its
simplicity, though – the messages contained within make for a
powerful tool to ease a child through the many stages of grief,
offering hope as the light at the end of the tunnel.
I recommend this book for
children aged 5-14, their parent(s), and as a resource for grief
counselors and child psychologists. |
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Julie Donner
Anderson, author of "PAST: Perfect! PRESENT: Tense!
Insights From One Woman's Journey As The Wife of a Widower"
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Got your book on
Friday morning in the mail. Thank
you so much! I loved it!! It is without a doubt the
most compassionate, exquisitely empathetic grief
book for kids that I have ever read. But it's not
just a book - it's a workbook! How creative! So
uplifting and inspiring!! God has blessed you with
such a beautiful talent as well as a beautiful
heart!
www.authorsden.com/juliedonnerandersen |
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| Marc Klaas, Advocate
for Child Safety Education |
As the father of
a child lost to violence, I can understand the difficulty of
acknowledging, accepting and ultimately dealing with grief.
Therefore, I can appreciate Ms. Adams' ability to gently lead
children into a grieving process that is seemingly impossible
for sophisticated adults to successfully navigate. Society is
well served whenever caring adults are able to explain to
children the dark side of reality with clarity borne of
experience. Once Upon A Family is an accessible, valuable and
long-needed resource |
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| Joe Lychner, Board
Member Justice for All |
When I lost my
father at a young age, I felt that I was all alone and unique in
my pain. If I had a resource like this book back then, I would
have learned that I was never alone and that love never dies. |
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| Pat Martin, Retired
Teacher Tazewell County Public Schools |
While reading
Once Upon A Family, I realized that Pam has written just the
right book to address helping families deal with grief. Her book
is so simple and yet so comprehensive in its scope because it
includes everyone -- children, parents, counselors, and a
community of people who have also experienced overwhelming
grief. This book is a complete counseling course! |
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| Kristina Welch,
Elementary School Principal Tazewell County Public Schools |
What a book! Pam
has turned her tragedy, which was a tragedy and loss for our
whole community, into a valuable tool for others going through
any type of loss. Her book will provide an effective and
comprehensive tool for families, counselors, and educational
programs in dealing with the grieving process. |
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