Editorial Review of The Birthday Party
"Be aware of the angels that are devils in disguise. A book that helps children navigate unpleasant circumstances and people thru positivity!"
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Light and trite and yet a good read for children who find themselves in the 2nd to 3rd grades. True to life, but lacking depth, a quick read that is meant to have elementary-aged children relate to the text and storyline without experiencing overwhelm.
The author has a mother's heart and does a good job of explaining the different personalities and groups most children will encounter within their childhood school days. What will you do when you find yourself targeted by the "cool kids", excluded intentionally, or if it's a close friend of yours that's being treated unfairly who needs you to stand by their side? What are the feelings you're going to feel and how will you choose to handle them? Will you react or think before you act?
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This book highlights the role we as parents are able to have in our children's lives as our kids go to school each day. Not every day is a good day! Some days are harder than others. When our kids come to us with bad experiences that befell them due to the actions of others, how are we going to model our own reactions to them? What are we going to do to help them solve the things they come up against? How can we think outside of the box to ensure our kids are still able to participate in aspects of life that others were set on excluding them from or taking away from them entirely?
A book that children could read aloud, or to themselves quietly, on their own but also a book that a parent could read with their child. If read together as a family it would naturally open up a discussion where a parent could ask questions and inquire with their child as to their lives at school, the kids they are having to interact with regularly each week, and how your child believes they fit in within the mix of personalities and behaviors. Is your child an observer, part of the problems others face, or do they play a role within the solutions?
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A book that on the outside seems little more than something to occupy a child for a half hour, might also prove to be the kind of book that makes a parent and child think beyond its pages into how they can look out for the underdogs and save them.
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3-stars and most definitely worth reading!
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