Homeschool Friday - How to Take the Grrrr Out of Anger

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review/review for each.

How to Take the Grrrr Out of Anger

By: Elizabeth Verdick and Marjorie Lisovskis

Publication: December 15, 2002 by Free Spirit Publishing

128 pages

Genre: Children, Parenting, Nonfiction, Emotion, Self-Help, Mental Health

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate link. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Anger is a part of life. We can’t avoid it, we shouldn’t stuff it, and we can’t make it go away.

Kids need help learning how to manage their anger. This book speaks directly to them and offers strategies they can start using immediately.

Blending solid information and sound advice with jokes and funny cartoons, it guides kids to understand that anger is normal and can be expressed in many ways—some healthy, some not.

It teaches them how to recognize anger in themselves and others, how to handle situations and emotions (loneliness, guilt, frustration, fear) that lead to or mask anger, and how to deal with the anger they feel.

Young readers learn that violence is not acceptable and there are better, safer, more positive ways to resolve conflicts.

They also discover what to do when people around them are angry, how to get help, and how to locate other resources (books, hotlines, school groups) when they need more support.

How to Take the Grrrr Out of Anger was not really what I thought it was going to be. I was expecting a fictional story for some reason. That might be because it was so long between requesting this book and reading it that I forgot what it was supposed to be about. Also, I've tried to read quite a lot of fictional books about anger to my children--specifically my child who struggles with his emotions.

I quickly realized that this was more of an instructional manual for kids on how to help them with their anger. I highlighted a ton. I appreciated that actionable things were included. Anyone reading this book (adult or child) will be able to find something they can put into practice to help. The words a person uses to talk to themselves matter as much or more than words said to them by others. I love that this was addressed. I know my child can get frustrated with himself and gear towards the negative with his self-talk. Children are encouraged to find an adult they can talk to at certain times. The author tells them to find someone they can trust, but also, if they don't get the help they need from that person (for whatever reason), then find someone else to talk to. Not giving up after the first person doesn't help is so important. I like the positive messages given to kids: "you are stronger than your anger," and "you have the power to overcome your anger!"

Favorite quotes:

-Anger can stay with you for a very, very, very long time. This may be hard to believe, but some of the adults you know and talk to every day are still angry about stuff that happened when they were kids. Because they never dealt with their anger, it just stuck around like a bad smell. You probably don't want this to happen to you.

-Sure, other people may sometimes try to make you mad on purpose. But often they're just being themselves, or kidding around, or making mistakes. They may not even know they're angering you.

-Did you know that even just making an angry face may make you feel mad? ... So angry face, angry thoughts, and angry words often lead to more angry feelings. It's that simple.

-But you can't "smoosh" anger. What happens when you do? The anger won't stay down for long.

-That's the thing about angry or rude texts, emails, instant messages, and handwritten notes: you can't undo "send." Just remember: what goes on-screen stays on-screen. Forever.

-It's true that anger can really make you mad. But anger is never an excuse for being mean.

-Angry behavior doesn't solve problems. Most times, it makes things worse.

I also appreciate the resources (extra books to help on this topic) listed at the end for the parents. I will be checking out multiple of the books listed.

I haven't tried reading this book to my child or letting him read it himself, but I am trying to do the best job I possibly can with modeling the behavior I want to see. I would like to either read this to him or have him read it one day on his own. But from a parent perspective, I give How to Take the Grrrr Out of Anger 5 Stars. Have you or your child read How to Take the Grrrr Out of Anger? What did you think? Let me know!

Can't Wait for The House Saphir

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

The House Saphir

By: Marissa Meyer

Expected Publication: November 4, 2025 by Feiwel & Friends

432 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--From the #1 New York Times bestselling "Queen of Fairytale Retellings" and author of Cinder and Heartless, this is the tale of Bluebeard as it's never been told before—a thrilling romantasy and murder mystery.

Mallory Fontaine is a fraud. Though she comes from a long line of witches, the only magic she possesses is the ability to see ghosts, which is rarely as useful as one would think. She and her sister have maintained the family business, eking out a paltry living by selling bogus spells to gullible buyers and conducting tours of the infamous mansion where the first of the Saphir murders took place.

Mallory is a self-proclaimed expert on Count Bastien Saphir—otherwise known as Monsieur Le Bleu—who brutally killed three of his wives more than a century ago. But she never expected to meet Bastien's great-great grandson and heir to the Saphir estate. Armand is handsome, wealthy, and convinced that the Fontaine Sisters are as talented as they claim. The perfect mark. When he offers Mallory a large sum of money to rid his ancestral home of Le Bleu's ghost, she can’t resist. A paid vacation at Armand’s country manor? It’s practically a dream come true, never mind the ghosts of murdered wives and the monsters that are as common as household pests.

But when murder again comes to the House Saphir, Mallory finds herself at the center of the investigation—and she is almost certain the killer is mortal. If she has any hope of cashing in on the payment she was promised, she’ll have to solve the murder and banish the ghost, all while upholding the illusion of witchcraft.

But that all sounds relatively easy compared to her biggest learning to trust her heart. Especially when the person her heart wants the most might be a murderer himself.

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

Top Ten Fall 2025 TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. This week's topic is Top Ten Fall 2025 TBR List

1. The Folklore of Forever (Moonville, # 2) by Sarah Hogle
2. Save Me (Maxton Hall, # 1) by Mona Kasten
3. The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar
4. The Ever Queen (The Ever Seas, # 2) by LJ Andrews
5. We Met Like This by Kasie West
6. A Carol for Mrs. Dickens by Rebecca Connolly
7. The Mist Thief (The Ever Seas, # 3) by LJ Andrews
8. Fallen City (Fallen City Duology, # 1) by Adrienne Young
9. Gilded in Vengence by Lyssa Mia Smith
10. And Then There Was You by Sophie Cousens

Which books are you hoping to read this fall? Let me know!

City of Gods and Monsters - Review

City of Gods and Monsters (House of Devils, # 1)

By: Kayla Edwards

Publication: January 25, 2022 by Independently Published

762 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Romantasy

Source: Amazon Prime Reading

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Welcome to the city of Angelthene. We hope you survive.

Loren Calla has only ever been ordinary. As a human struggling to survive in a city that caters to the needs of vampires, werewolves, witches, and other supernatural creatures, she always assumed her life would remain simple, predictable, and as safe as her world would allow.

Until she barely escapes abduction at the hands of Darkslayers—supernatural bounty hunters that possess the Sight, a magical tracking ability that allows them to see a person’s aura—and one of her friends is taken in her place. The abductors are demanding a ransom: Loren's life in exchange for her friend's safe return. Loren will do whatever it takes to get her friend back—even if it means accepting help from Darien Cassel, the leader of the Seven Devils, the most feared Darkslaying circle in the city.

Darien specializes in tracking down demons and criminals that are better off dead than alive, so when he takes a job to track down Loren and finds out she is human—and couldn't hurt a fly if her life depended on it—he decides to protect her instead of turn her in for a reward. As much as Loren doesn't want to admit it, Darien is her best and only chance at finding her friend alive, if she can somehow manage to get along with him—and not fall head-over-heels in love with him in the process, which is far easier said than done.

When more women start disappearing, and some of them slowly turn up dead, Loren and Darien's search for answers takes them deep into Angelthene's corrupt underbelly, where they discover a dark secret that threatens to unravel their world. And when tragedy strikes, Loren learns that love can make an ordinary person do extraordinary things.

From the author of Dreams of Ice and Iron comes a new fantasy romance perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas, Ilona Andrews, and Cassandra Clare.

Please note: This book contains explicit content, including violence, mature language, drug abuse, and sexual assault. It is not intended for anyone under the age of 18.

Let me be honest. I read City of Gods and Monsters because someone I saw on Instagram said this was their top favorite book boyfriend of all time. That was high praise. I don't even follow this girl to know if we really have the same tastes in books. I finished this book on May 29, 2025, but I didn't write my review until September 17, 2025. So I won't have the most comprehensive review. I knew it would probably be a while before I wrote my full-length review so I wrote what I called a series of "rapid fire" reviews for books that I was behind on reviewing. This is what I wrote:

- FMC is annoying. MMC is a big softie that is supposed to be a big bad. The baddest group around, but the whole lot of them are softies. The twists kind of surprised me and kind of didn't. The will-they-won't-they drove the book but also drove me crazy. I'm not 100% sure why some rate the MMC as their top book boyfriend. Maybe I need to finish the series to find out. But they are so stinking long.

I'll do my best to write a little more in-depth from there.

Loren is friends with two other girls at her magic school. They were out partying one night and ended up walking home after dark. Apparently, in this fantasy world, being out after dark is extremely dangerous. All mythical creatures seem to be open to this fantasy world. But someone has put a target on Loren's back. Instead of kidnapping Loren, some bad guys kidnap her friend instead. Loren feels terrible that her friend has been taken instead of her. Loren is supposed to be a completely normal human in a world of supernatural beings. She can't understand why anyone would want to kidnap her.

Darien gets the target request. He typically hunts down criminals, but he quickly realizes Loren isn't that. He reluctantly decides to protect her and help her find her friend instead. Darien is supposed to be this big scary boss of a big scary gang, as I mentioned above. But I just didn't see it at all. He wasn't scary, and neither was his gang. I don't doubt they could put a hurting on some bad guys, but they're supposed to also be some of the bad guys. This wasn't a situation where the bad guys happen to do something good but are still bad. This was one of those cases where they are good all along but just supposed to look bad. Convenient.

As for the trigger warnings, I don't really remember much of any of them being included in the book. I definitely remember that the scenes weren't as frequent as I expected give the title, the trigger warnings, and the build up of this big bad gang. All of the things mentioned in the trigger warning were included, except I don't remember much about the SA mentioned. They just weren't the pieces I remember. I have a good ability to block that stuff out as I tend to skim it while reading anyway.

I don't remember too much of the twists and turns. I remember being somewhat surprised and somewhat not. I mostly remember that this book was so stinking long. I know fantasy books often need extra pages for world-building. I remember some pieces felt conveniently handled and not the best writing or plotting. I am intrigued about what will happen next, but I'm also not dying to know, especially given that book two is 778 pages. I am in no rush to pick up book 2, and at this point, I can't even say that I ever will. All of that being said City of Gods and Monsters gets 3.5 Stars from me. Maybe my expectations were too high going into it? Have you read City of Gods and Monsters? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday Post - 09/21/25

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

I don't even remember most of this week. Monday afternoon, Big Girl had pitching practice. Tuesday, we spent the day at my parent's house and did grocery pickup. We thought martial arts belt ceremony was that night, but it got moved because belts ordered hadn't arrived yet. The Big Kids ended up having practice that night. Wednesday, Big Boy had batting practice. Thursday, I thought we were going to have a chill at home day, but I ended up having to run a lot of errands. I dropped Scout off at the groomers. Then took the kids to Spirit Halloween. They wanted to see the animatronics and look for costumes. Then we ran a load of donations to drop off. We picked Scout back up from the groomer, and then we ran by a lady's house to pick up some books I'd bought off Marketplace. Thursday night was belt ceremony. Both kids moved to senior green--one by the skin of his teeth. Friday, Husband was off work. I started feeling sick. And Husband's new album published. This one is an update on the classic nursery rhymes. Saturday, was a super lazy day. I finished a book. But with feeling crummy I didn't do much.

THE PAST WEEK

Monday: Review of Shadow and Storms (The Legends of Thezmarr, # 4) by Helen Scheuerer (4.5 Stars)
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Woman Down by Colleen Hoover
Thursday: Review of The Little Wild Library: Elder by Clare Gogerty (3.5 Stars)
Friday: Homeschool Friday - A Crown for Kate (5 Stars)

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of City of Gods and Monsters (House of Devils, # 1) by Kayla Edwards
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait Wednesday?
Friday: Homeschool Friday - How to Take the Grrr Out of Anger

NEW BOOKS:

The Martian

By: Andy Weir

Expected Publication: February 11, 2014 by Ballantine Books

384 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.

Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first.

But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills — and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit — he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!