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!

ADHD is Awesome - Review

ADHD is Awesome

By: Penn & Kim Holderness

Publication: April 30, 2024 by Harper Horizon

292 pages

Genre: Adult, Nonfiction, Parenting, Self-Help, Psychology, Mental Health

Source: Borrowed from the e-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--Hi, friend! Welcome to the ADHD club.

You're here because, like me, you've been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder—which, by the way, just might be the worst name for a condition ever—and you're trying to figure out how to make your life a little more manageable. Or because, like my wife, Kim, you love, teach, or work with someone who has ADHD, and you're trying to figure out how to best support them.

The world isn't built for ADHDers, and navigating it can wear us down. But we'll let you in on a little secret: having ADHD doesn't have to be a burden. It can actually be a superpower that propels you to creative heights and allows you to achieve more than you ever thought possible.

We want to give you a new perspective on ADHD, whether it's your own brain or a friend or family member's that you're trying to understand. We hope you come away with strategies you can employ to make things a little easier. (We also hope you laugh out loud, at least once or twice.)

Most of all, we want you to silence that voice that whispers that you're broken or a mess or a failure. None of that is true. You have ADHD—and that makes you awesome.

—Penn Holderness

My almost seven-year-old son has not been officially diagnosed with ADHD, but he has a lot of indications that he might have ADHD. He, more than my other two children, has prompted me to study and learn about child development. I just haven't figured out why he struggles so much in a few key areas. When his Pre-K4/MDO teacher suggested he might have ADHD at the age of 5, I immediately rejected the idea and thought he was just being a boy and boys having trouble sitting still and such. Well, fast forward about 2 years, and I've done a good bit more research, plus had more time to observe him, and I think she might be right. So much of  ADHD and what he's going through seems negative. When I came across a video by The Holderness Family about ADHD, Penn talked about the book they co-wrote called ADHD is Awesome. I immediately added it to my TBR list. Thankfully, the e-library got a copy of the audiobook, and I jumped on it to listen.

I am so thankful for Penn and Kim writing this book. Penn shares his experiences of having "a raging case of ADHD" with this book. Having an adult be able to describe what happens in his own brain helps me so much to relate to my son. I've never understood why he can never remember where his shoes are or why an item ceases to exist in his brain when he puts it down. How he can not remember so much has always baffled me. And I've often thought and even accused him of lying to me. And I can easily say that doing so has damaged our relationship. Penn's candor has provided me with some relief. Similar to the relief he felt after being diagnosed. I feel relief in learning more about and understanding more about things my child struggles with or deals with and how his brain works. I cried. Multiple times. From guilt over how I've handled things in the past, sadness over the struggles he has and why everything feels harder for him, hope for the future, and fear for the same. 

Penn and Kim do a wonderful job of presenting ADHD as it is. They don't sugarcoat things. Penn's struggles and the negative side of having ADHD are there in all its ugliness. But there are positives to having ADHD or being close to someone who has ADHD, and those positives are essentially never pointed out. They want everyone to know that it isn't all bad. And I can so appreciate that. As someone whose child is still very young, I feel like we have an uphill battle in front of us, but there is hope. They offer coping strategies. This was one of the most practically applicable books I've ever read on a similar topic (not ADHD specifically). I appreciate that so much. And I appreciate Penn and Kim Holderness for putting this book out there. I needed it. And I'm sure so many others do too.

The humor kept the topics light enough that this didn't feel like a heavy book even though I was quite emotional through portions of it. I suppose if it were heavy or dull the ADHD brain would abandon it, most likely. Penn definitely wrote with other ADHDers in mind. 

I also loved the discussion of the name ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The name truly doesn't describe the condition. And that contributes to the condition being so highly misunderstood. Addressing the misconceptions around ADHD was really helpful for me, and it helped me see that I had a lot of unfounded preconceived ideas of what ADHD is that are completely false. 

I can tell you that I would have had way too many quotes highlighted if I'd read this on my Kindle, but since I listened to the audiobook, I don't have any to share. I will tell you that I will 100% get a physical or digital copy of this book to have for myself to read again and probably even more than once. The audiobook version is wonderful being narrated by Penn and Kim directly. I don't know how much sidebar-type stuff they added to the physical book. It almost seemed like some things were added in their audio narration that wouldn't be in a physical copy, but I couldn't tell you that for sure without comparing the two. But their narration made the audiobook fun and easy to listen to (the goal). The only reason I want a physical copy for myself and not the audio version to own is that finding a passage for reference would be much easier in a physical copy. 

If you have ADHD or have a loved one with ADHD, I think you should definitely check out ADHD is Awesome by Penn and Kim Holderness. If nothing else, you can commiserate with someone who understands your struggles. ADHD is Awesome gets 5 Stars from me. Have you read (or listened to) ADHD is Awesome? What did you think? Let me know!

P.S. I have purchased a digital copy for Kindle since writing this review.

To Love the Brooding Baron - Review

To Love the Brooding Baron

By: Jentry Flint

Publication: June 4, 2024 by Shadow Mountain

256 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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

Goodreads description--Opposites attract and sparks fly when the vivacious Arabella falls for a baron who lives under the shadow of a scandalous family secret.

Arabella Latham is a free spirit who longs to feel the spark of true love, but few men can match her passion for Shakespeare or her zest for life. Though her prospects seem slim, Arabella knows she can always count on the handsome but stoic Lord Henry Northcott, dubbed “The Brooding Baron” by the ton, to be willing to engage in intelligent conversation and even share a congenial dance with her at almost every ball. His quiet demeanor is the opposite of her vivacious personality, and she finds herself drawn to him, despite their differences.

Lord Northcott has quietly admired Arabella for years, grateful that his friendship with her brother has allowed him to share in her company. But he knows he cannot pursue a romantic relationship with any woman—let alone someone as bright and beautiful as Arabella—because of the shadow that an old family scandal has cast over his life. He has vowed to preserve what is left of his family’s reputation by holding himself above reproach apart from society and focusing the majority of his efforts at Parliament.

But Arabella is determined to show Lord Northcott that life is meant to be enjoyed, and she sets out to see what is behind the walls the Brooding Baron has built around himself. Could the spark of true love be enough to drive away the shadows holding Henry back?

I finished To Love the Brooding Baron about two months before I wrote my review of it. So I don't remember all of the details exactly. And I actually had a hard time recalling what this book was about just based on the Goodreads description and my highlights. That might tell you something you need to know. Or it might not. I will say that this book wasn't listed on Goodreads as the 2nd in a series, but it follows secondary characters from the book Games in a Ballroom by Jentry Flint. So it's at least a companion book, but I would label it as book 2. Book 1 isn't essential to understand or enjoy To Love the Brooding Baron, but it would be helpful as there are references to events from the previous book.

If I remember correctly, Arabella is Emerson's sister from the previous book. Emerson and Olivia married. Olivia and Arabella were best friends. Emerson has a group of friends which include Henry and Bradbury (I can't remember his first name). Henry has always been interested in Arabella. But he's a bit worried that he might be crazy. See Henry's big family secret revolves around mental health issues. I can't dive into them to discuss them because they're all supposed to be spoilers. Or at least secrets that need to be exposed at just the right time.

Because To Love the Brooding Baron touches on mental health issues during a time when so much was unknown and misunderstood about these issues at the time, we have some glimpses into the insane asylums. This was so sad and disturbing. I mean just about everyone knows of the horror stories that went on in the insane asylums throughout history. And To Love the Brooding Baron touched on anyone's nightmare of being trapped somewhere like that you don't belong.

Arabella was a little challenging for me. She isn't happy with the status quo. She isn't one to stay within the confines of society's role for women. She's going to go and do whatever she wants to do. This grates on me. And she has to learn that sometimes the rules are there for our protection and not just to keep us from having the fun that we might have. Thankfully, Arabella is blessed with many who care about her and would do anything to protect her or get her out of the messes she creates for herself.

There were twists concerning Henry. And like the mental health issues, I can't discuss them without spoiling anything. I will say that I was a little frustrated with him too. I can't say too much about why though.

To Love the Brooding Baron gets 3.5 Stars. I had some frustrations with the main characters. I don't love stories about mental health--mostly because I like to read happy and light stories and mental health stories are often weighty and sometimes dark. I will be looking out for Bradbury to get his own book in the future, and I would love to read it when the time comes. Have you read To Love the Brooding Baron? If so, what did you think? Let me know!