New Releases by Julia Cook

A Book About Good Sportmanship. "But I HATE losing! GEEEEZE!" Wendell HAS to win at everything, and if he doesn''t, he whines about it. When Wendell has one of those days where nothing seems to go his way, his mom helps him understand that everything in life doesn''t have to be a contest and losing does not make you a loser. In fact, it can make you stronger! She also points out that although it feels great to celebrate a win, winning isn''t everything, and whining about things just makes it worse. "Whiners aren''t winners, and winners never whine. You can''t win at everything all of the time!" This creative story addresses two very challenging topics: winning and whining.

Cletus and Bocephus are back! While working on their science fair project on mealworms, they learn to appreciate and understand each other''s strengths and weaknesses. Creativity needs structure and structure needs creativity...and Cletus and Bocephus BOTH need to know how to plan and prioritize! "You learn from mistakes and use what you learn, so you don''t make those mistakes again. Every time you play a video game, you plan and prioritize to WIN!" This storybook is the second in the Functioning Executive book series. It highlights the importance of planning and prioritizing. It also spotlights the unique differences and strengths that live in all of us. This book will help teach children to determine the necessary steps, in order, towards fulfilling a goal which is a vital executive function skill. Children who possess effective prioritizing skills can learn to manage not only daily responsibilities, but also how to prepare for future success. Planning and prioritizing are two of the most difficult executive function skills for people to master. Planning effectively is the thinking skill that helps an individual develop strategies to accomplish goals. It allows a person to think about completing a task before it is started. Life is all about making choices. Prioritizing effectively helps a person make the best choices possible. Time is a limited commodity. To get the most out of your time and accomplish all that you need to do, you have to be able to plan and prioritize both on a long and short-term basis.

Award-winning author Julia Cook''s tale about diversity and prejudice comes to life inside a flower bed where Blues and Purples learn a valuable lesson about acceptance, understanding and friendship.

Why can''t he see what he did to me - to our family? This book takes a unique look at the internal struggles with which a child of an incarcerated parent is faced. My dad says that drugs and alcohol made him choose to do the wrong things. But he could have said no to the drugs and the booze, then my life wouldn''t be what it seems. Why didn''t he love us enough to say no? Aren''t we worth it to him? He had a choice...us or drugs. He chose to let the drugs win. What Do I Say About That? creatively explores and validates the roller coaster journey of emotions that children of incarcerated parents endure. It also gives insight to the process of healing and coping.

A storm is brewing... Whenever Levi doesn''t like the truth, he kinda, sorta makes up other stuff to say. One day his mother explains to him that telling lies will damage the trust of his friends and make him very sad. Whenever you tell a lie, your inside sun goes away. Then a lying cloud forms, and glooms up your day. Each time you tell a lie, another cloud starts to form, and before you can stop it from happening, your insides start to storm. This book is a great resource to help children understand not only the consequences of telling a lie, but also how one lie can often lead to telling several more. It will help parents and teachers understand that lying can be a normal and sometimes healthy response for a child and offers tools to help guide children toward truthfulness.

Bertha Billingsworth (BB for short) is basically a happy person...until she has to take a test. To her, the word test stands for Terrible Every Single Time, because that''s how she does on them...TERRIBLE! "Whenever I see or hear the word test... The hair on the back of my neck stands up. My face turns as red as a beet. I start to sweat, my stomach aches, and I can''t control my feet! What if I get every answer wrong? And I don''t get any right. I just know I''ll get a bad grade on this test, so I don''t even want to try!" BB''s teacher comes to the rescue by inviting her to become a member of the Anti-Test Anxiety Society. She tells BB that TEST stands for Think Each Situation Through! She also ends up teaching BB the Dynamic Dozen (12 amazing test taking strategies), and convinces her to use her "GET TO" brain instead of her "HAVE TO" brain. Now when BB takes a test, she is calm and focused and thanks to her teacher, the Terrible now stands for Terrific!

When faced with danger you must DO something. The teacher at the Ant Hill School wants her students to be prepared - for everything! One day, she teaches her students what to do if a "dangerous someone" is in their school. "I''ll be your shepherd, and you''re all my sheep, so you must do what I say. Pretend there''s a wolf in our building, and we MUST stay out of his way!" "We need a great plan of action in case we start to get scared. The ALICE Plan will work the best, to help us be prepared." Unfortunately, in the world we now live in, we must ask the essential question: What are the options for survival if we find ourselves in a violent intruder event? I''m Not Scared...I''m Prepared! will enhance the ALICE concepts and make them applicable to children of all ages in a non-fearful way. By using this book, children can develop a better understanding of what needs to be done if they ever encounter a "dangerous someone."

Bluebird, along with most everyone else at school, wants to flutter like the most popular bird in their class, Hummingbird. "You should go on a diet, and work out at the gym. You could flutter like me, if your body was thin." Bluebird takes this comment seriously and starts to develop unhealthy eating habits. Mom comes to the rescue by teaching Bluebird balance and by explaining that everyone needs to feel comfortable in their own feathers. With help from the Bird Doc and the Food Voice Counselor, Bluebird learns to control the Food Voice that is living inside. "I''m working on balance one day at a time. If I keep working hard, I should be just fine." How to be Comfortable in Your Own Feathers uses a creative approach to speak to children who may be currently struggling with body-image concerns. This story is written in a manner that gives children an opportunity to apply the characters'' experiences to their own lives. It also demonstrates appropriate adult responses that encourage the development of healthy eating habits. Includes "Live It" Dos and Don''ts.

After much anticipation, Joanie Maloney finally gets her very own cell phone! Knowing that owning a cell phone requires responsibility and sound judgment, Joanie''s mom requires her to complete a Cell Phone Safety Course. "Mom, it''s a phone... it''s not a weapon!" Joanie exclaims. Along with Joanie, children will learn the six rules of cell phone usage which are designed not only to keep them safe, but also to keep them from being tempted to hurt others. By knowing the rules, children can become masters of their cell phones and avoid becoming a "Cell Phoney!"

Meet Ricky! A cute little boy that just can''t seem to figure out that stealing is wrong: When I see something that I really want, I think, "Hey, that could be mine!" So I look both ways, reach out my hand, and take it at just the right time. If I ever get caught, I just pretend that it wasn''t me that took it. A quick little lie is just what I need, and lying helps me get through it! Taking things that I want to have at times can be very tricky. But there''s no way that I can help myself, because all of my fingers are sticky! Ricky learns first-hand what it feels like to have something stolen from him. Then he uses the "GOOD" inside of himself to overtake the "BAD" and returns the items that he took from others. Finally, a book that confronts the issue of stealing and offers a strategy to curb the desire to steal! Through a fun and whimsical story, children will learn the concept of ownership and how it feels when someone doesn''t respect what is yours. This book uses empathy in a powerful way to teach children that stealing is wrong.

The Spanish/English version of The Worst Day of My Life. A story about listening and following instructions

I''m a blueloon. I''m supposed to be a regular balloon, but I''m just not having fun like the others. I''m kinda dull, and I''m kinda flat. My string is tied up in knots. I have a case of the blues...that''s why I''m a blueloon. I''ve felt like this for weeks! Meet Blueloon a sad little balloon who is suffering from depression. With help from the wise rock, Blueloon learns what he can do to "bounce back" to being the way he used to be bright, round, and full with a very straight string! Although clinical depression is often thought of as an adult disease, it can affect children, as well. Unfortunately, children may not have the maturity to understand what is happening to them, or they may feel powerless to change their situation, so they don''t speak up about what they are going through. It is up to adults to be on the lookout for signs of trouble, and recognize when a child needs help. Finally! A book on depression that works for Blueloons of all ages!

Make Social Skills Learning Fun for Your Students! Help children learn the useful skills of asking for permission and making an apology. The activities and games in this book teach the steps to these skills featured in the Sorry, I Forgot to Ask! Storybook. Author Julia Cook gives teachers creative ideas using paper snowball fights, school litter hunts, role plays, and more. Kids have fun while practicing each skill and learn that there are things you shouldn?t do until you?ve been given permission, and that there is a right and wrong way to say you are sorry. Each activity includes: Instructions for each activity List of materials when needed Activity Sheets Homework ideas More than a dozen activities include reproducible pages and reward coupons in full color that can be used to recognize students who master and use the skills appropriately. Digital forms and worksheets are available to download. Use the creative ideas in this guide to encourage your students in grades K-5 to ask for permission first and make an apology when needed.

"My stomach feels like it''s tied up in a knot. My knees lock up, and my face feels hot. You know what I mean? I''m Wilma Jean, The Worry Machine." Anxiety is a subjective sense of worry, apprehension, and/or fear. It is considered to be the number one health problem in America. Although quite common, anxiety disorders in children are often misdiagnosed and overlooked. Everyone feels fear, worry and apprehension from time to time, but when these feelings prevent a person from doing what he/she wants and/or needs to do, anxiety becomes a disability. This fun and humorous book addresses the problem of anxiety in a way that relates to children of all ages. It offers creative strategies for parents and teachers to use that can lessen the severity of anxiety. The goal of the book is to give children the tools needed to feel more in control of their anxiety. For those worries that are not in anyone''s control (i.e. the weather) a worry hat is introduced. A fun read for Wilmas of all ages! Includes a note to parents and educators with tips on dealing with an anxious child.

Classroom ideas and activities for teaching the skills of "Accepting ''No'' for an Answer" and "Disagreeing Appropriately." These 24 games and activities call upon students to use imagination, teamwork, and creativity. Reproducible activity sheets included on a CD.

Meet Brown, the least used pencil in the box. He discovers that in order to have friends, he needs to be a good friend. If Brown learns to use all of the friendship skills the other pencils have, he can make friends and have fun, too.

"There goes Lester. Watch him fester. His ears start to fizz. He gets mad as a griz. His face turns red. He''s a Soda Pop Head. You just never know when Lester will blow. His cap will go flying. If it hits you, you''ll be crying, so you''d better stay away from Lester today!" His real name is Lester, but everyone calls him "Soda Pop Head." Most of the time he''s pretty happy, but when things seem to be unfair his ears gets hot, his face turns red and he blows his top! Lester''s dad comes to his rescue by teaching him a few techniques to "loosen the top" and cool down before his fizz takes control. Soda Pop Head will help your child control his/her anger while helping them manage stress. It''s a must for the home or classroom.

The perfect companion to Julia Cook''s Grief is Like a Snowflake picture book. The purpose of this book is to offer grief facilitators, educators, and parents hands on activities that explore the grieving process. Participants will gain a better understanding of what grief is, how to personalize it, and how to endure it. The activities are practical, easy to implement, and meaningful.

Otis used to have the "perfect" family. That all changed when his parents told him that they were getting a D...D...D... The "D" Word he can''t even say it! At first Otis blames himself. With the help of his Gram, Otis discovers the reasons why people get divorced. He also learns about the Three C''s of Divorce: - I didn''t CAUSE it - I can''t CONTROL it, so - I''m going to have to learn to COPE with it! This book offers both children and adults the tools and insights that are needed to effectively deal with the difficult challenges that a family goes through when parents get divorced.

Meet Stanley...an energetic three-year-old who has not quite mastered using the potty. Stanley is way too busy playing to stop having fun. He would rather hop, skip and wiggle than get the job done. Then Stanley learns a new game called You and Me Against the PEE...and Me and You Against the POOP! Armed with a powerful secret for potty-training success and eager to play, Stanley proudly transforms into a Potty Expert. This fun and colorfully illustrated book will turn all kids into Potty Experts while providing grown-ups with an important reminder that potty learning can and should be a team effort.

This supplementary teacher''s guide will give your students a hands on opportunity to apply and process The Four Tattle Rules discussed in Julia Cook''s A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue picture book.

Being a verb is hard! Especially for Louis, who can''t seem to control himself when he gets the urge to move at the wrong time and situation. My knees start itching. My toes start twitching. My skin gets jumpy. Others get grumpy. Louis'' mom comes to the rescue by teaching him techniques to help keep his inner itching, twitching and jumping to be a verb in check. A positive resource for anyone dealing with ADHD or challenged by someone who has ADHD.

Teaching children the concepts of personal space. Louis is back! And this time, he''s learning all about personal space. When Louis, the world''s self-proclaimed space expert, is invited to Personal Space Camp by the school principal, he soon learns that personal space really isn''t about lunar landings, Saturn''s rings, or space ice cream. Written with style, wit, and rhythm, Personal Space Camp addresses the complex issue of respect for another person''s physical boundaries. Told from Louis'' perspective, this story is a must have resource for parents, teachers, and counselors who want to communicate the idea of personal space in a manner that connects with kids.

(Grades K-5) Louis is back! And this time, he''s learning all about personal space. Louis, a self-taught "space expert" is delighted to learn that his teacher has sent him to the principal''s office to attend Personal Space Camp. Eager to learn more about lunar landings, space suits, and other cosmic concepts, Louis soon discovers that he has much to learn about personal space right here on earth. Written with style, wit, and rhythm, Personal Space Camp addresses the complex issue of respect for another person''s physical boundaries. Told from Louis'' perspective, this story is a must have resource for parents, teachers, and counselors who want to communicate the idea of personal space in a manner that connects with kids. Available in hardcover and softcover.

Teaching children how to manage their thoughts and words without interrupting. Louis always interrupts! All of his thoughts are very important to him, and when he has something to say, his words rumble and grumble in his tummy, they wiggle and jiggle on his tongue and then they push on his teeth, right before he ERUPTS (or interrupts). His mouth is a volcano! But when others begin to interrupt Louis, he learns how to respectfully wait for his turn to talk. My Mouth Is A Volcano takes an empathetic approach to the habit of interrupting and teaches children a witty technique to help them manage their rambunctious thoughts and words. Told from Louis'' perspective, this story provides parents, teachers, and counselors with an entertaining way to teach children the value of respecting others by listening and waiting for their turn to speak.