Review: Healing Days: A Guide for Kids Who Have Experienced Trauma

Healing Days: A Guide for Kids Who Have Experienced Trauma by Susan Farber Straus

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This was one of the first self-help books I've been able to review, and it branches out into the social sciences (beyond conventional Social Studies disciplines). Because it is about working with traumatic events, tone makes a big difference. I thought Straus did a good job of using very plain language without sounding condescending. Bogade's illustrations kept the tone from being overly dark, sending a message consistent with the text--that these are kids with the potential to be happy, and that people are mostly good. Resources for adults helping children through trauma are queued up on the publisher's web site.

While Bogade was careful to present equal amounts of gender in her illustrations, the gingham stitched cover border will identify this as a girl book to boys (most likely the work of the designer, not Maria Bogade). The cover should have been more neutral. The illustrations also have a style and tone that identifies this as a pre- through primary grades (K-2) book, which seems to match the text as well.

I did not know the American Psychological Association (APA) had its own children's imprint. Magination press may be a good resource to find more books in this area of informational text!



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