Good Answers to Tough Questions: A Book Review

I am not being paid to write this review and wanted to share some information about these great books. I recently read the books from the Good Answers to Tough Questions Series by Joy Berry. The author has written books to help parents and children deal with issues for the past thirty years. Her classics are broken into six series which are:

Teach Me About (ages 1-3)
Let’s Talk About (ages 4-5)
Help Me Be Good (ages 5-7)
A Fun and Easy Way (ages 7-10)
Winning Skills (ages 11-12)
Good Answers to Tough Questions (age 6-12)

In the Good Answers to Tough Questions series, I read the books on Moving, Disasters, Death, Divorce, Trauma, and Substance Abuse. These books were well written, easy to understand, and written in a positive way that would not make the reader uncomfortable. I would highly recommend these books to parents and teachers.

As a teacher, I really liked the book on Disasters. It broke the disasters down into natural disasters and manmade disasters. Then when it describes each type of disaster, the author tells how to prepare and survive each one. I like the way these were given in easy to follow steps. There can be a class discussion about each step.

The book on Substance Abuse is also a good book to use in a classroom of older children. The book deals with the different types of substances that can be abused. It also gives children a way to handle different situations such as being tempted to abuse drugs or if around those who are abusing them.

Children who are facing personal issues like moving, death, or divorce will really find these books to be helpful. The facts are given clear so that a child can understand. This would help parents who are feeling emotional when dealing with these issues along with the child. If this was read together, it could open the lines of communication between the parent and the child.

In addition to the great stories in these books, the illustrations are great too. They would appeal to readers of all ages. There are some humorous ones also to look for as your read along.

If you get a chance to use this in a classroom, I think the lessons you can develop from them will be successful. If you have used this, please let me know what you think.