Add this book to your collection: One Smart Cookie: Bite-Size Lessons for the School Years and Beyond by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

I can’t tell you how much I love this series! Amy, if you read this … I’d be thrilled to interview you!

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

Add this book to your collection: Kindergarten Diary by Antoinette Portis.

Antoinette Portis is one of my all-time favorites. If you haven’t read Not a Box and Not a Stick, you are seriously missing out. They are both highly imaginative books that are executed in simple, concrete perfection.

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

Robert Bauer

Robert Bauer is the author of the soon-to-be-released CJ in a Pickle. We reviewed it here.

Robert was kind enough to answer a few questions, here’s what he had to say.

TCBR: In preparing for this interview, I did a little background research and found that you’re an elementary school teacher and a proud dad to four children. Please tell us who inspired CJ, the main character in your first book, CJ in a Pickle?

RB: The main inspiration for the character of CJ was one of my children. This event actually happened about 8 years ago and some of the same lies were told. After the event was over, two days later, I sat down and wrote the story. Of course there was no elephant in my house….at least I don’t think so!!

TCBR: Truth is a universal theme, present in literature since time immemorial—mostly geared to adults—but we’ve read about characters searching for the truth, we’ve read about the dilemmas that telling the truth sometimes presents, we’ve read about the problems caused when the truth isn’t told. It’s the main theme in your book as well. And yet it remains a problem for many of us and I think it’s something we unwittingly transmit to our children, when we tell “little white lies.” What do you tell your children when they catch you in a little white lie?

RB: I try to be as honest as I can since our children are adopted and this has been a huge issue. I think we all are tempted to lie and when we are “caught” we need to be honest and model for our children the “right thing to do!” That’s not to say I have never lied, but I’ve had to apologize to my children many times for messing up…I hope that has made them better people today.

TCBR: How do you encourage your children to tell the truth?

RB: I’ve always encouraged them to tell the truth because…. “When you tell a lie, most of the time you get caught and get in more trouble than you would have in the beginning.” It doesn’t always work, but I think being open and honest and being a good role model for them (admitting my mistakes) is one of the most effective ways to encourage them to do the right thing!

TCBR: I read that you’ve been writing since childhood. Can you tell us your earliest memories of writing? Were you encouraged to write or was it something that came naturally?

RB: I don’t remember writing in school like I do with my students, but I was always creative as a child. I would make up stories and plays for my parents and family. I really began writing stories as a teenager. My aunt would ask me to write a story for a character she was going to dress up as at Christmas, so I would begin working and eventually make it into a homemade book. Those stories really sparked my desire to become an author. Since then, I have written for enjoyment when I get inspired and have written stories for my students to inspire them.

TCBR: Can you give us any hints as to what you’re working on next?

RB: I have other stories in my computer, but currently, I am working on CJ’s next adventure. If CJ in a Pickle does well, I would love to do a series based on different character traits like Responsibility, Perseverance, Caring, Honesty, Courage, Fairness, Respect, Integrity. I am currently working on a story about self-control and it includes the elephant again…he really needs a name, don’t you think?

TCBR: I do think he needs a name! But in the same vein, how difficult has it been for you to come up with your topics?

RB: Really it hasn’t been too difficult. I encourage my students to write about “what they know.” I follow that rule as an author. I tell them, “you can’t write about Timbuktu if you haven’t been there or haven’t learned about it.” When I wrote one of my first stories about an elf for my aunt, I had to do some research about the North Pole and elves because I had never personally met one.

TCBR: What’s the biggest obstacle you face when writing?

RB: I think that choosing just the right words is a difficult task. Whether I am describing something or picking a character name, I want my readers to be able to connect and see it in their minds. My wife and kids often are helpful in finding the right words to use. Others can be a great help when you get “writer’s block!”

TCBR: Conversely, what brings you the most joy?

RB: I get excited when someone picks up my book and loves it as much as I do! I gave my neighbor a pre-release copy of my new book the other day. A couple hours later I got a voicemail. He was so excited about the story and the concept….and he’s a grown man! When I write something I read it to my kids. If they like it, I know it is going to be good. That brings me great joy. They are my best critics!

TCBR: If you could have a chat with any author, who would it be, and what would you ask?

RB: I would love to chat with Margie Palatini. She is a phenomenal author. Her book Piggie Pie was up for the Hoosier Book Award when I was a student teacher. I fell in love with her books then. That would be a dream come true to meet her. I would want to know about how she comes up with her ideas and ask her for tips to become a better writer.

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

The Children’s Book Review presents a guest post by Wendelin Van Draanen, author of the Sammy Keyes series. Her first book was published in 1997, and since then her titles have been nominated for State Award Master Lists all over the country. The Sammy Keyes Mysteries have been nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Children’s Mystery. Additionally, she has won the Christopher medal for Shredderman: Secret Identity, and the California Young Reader Medal for Flipped. Her books have been translated into many foreign languages, and have been optioned for film and television projects.

Thanks for inviting me to talk about Sammy Keyes. Writing this series has been quite a journey, but it would be complete prevarication to say that I knew where I was going with Sammy when I started the series. She’s like a visitor who was invited in for the night and wound up moving in. And although Sammy’s adventures always have an underlying life-lessons theme—something I’d like my readers to think about and factor into the decisions they make in their own lives—what’s interesting to me is how much I’ve learned from spending time with Sammy.

I’m not talking about research. I have learned a tremendous amount from the research involved in writing the Sammy Keyes series, but what I’m referring to here is learning about how to be a better person.  I think it’s natural to fall into physical patterns and habits, especially after you become part of the workforce. You get up at a certain time, you go to work, come home…you fall into a routine.

I think it’s the same with one’s pattern of thinking. We get used to thinking a certain way, and don’t wander outside those thinking habits unless something comes along and makes us. Reading is good for this, and so is writing…if you let it. The adage is “write what you know”, but I’ve written over 25 novels now, and believe me, I wasn’t carrying around all the necessary knowledge when I began. I picked things up along the way, through a combination of research and reflection.

The reflection has come from walking in Sammy’s shoes. Seeing things through her eyes. And I think a good example of this is when I was in the midst of Sammy Keyes and the Sisters of Mercy.

At the time my husband and I were living in a run-down 400 square foot rental in a kind of bad part of town. We were saving our money, trying to be patient about getting into our own place, and were living in this house with our two small sons. Not a great situation, by any means. Gang graffiti would get sprayed on our fence, completely drug crazed people would hide in the shadows of our porch, and the couple across the street were regularly on the verge of killing each other.  We also lived near the Salvation Army building, so homeless people were always in the neighborhood.

My defense against this environment was to lock the house, draw the shades, and long for the day when we could move out of there.  Then one Saturday when my husband was at work and I was home alone with my kids, a homeless woman knocked on my door.

Now, in Sammy’s world, Sammy had just discovered that a girl she had secretly followed was homeless, living by herself in a refrigerator box down near the riverbed. And in the midst of trying to figure out how to help her, Sammy suddenly recognizes that her own situation—living illegally with her grandmother in a small seniors-only apartment—is not the curse she thought it was. At least she has a roof over her head. And a couch to sleep on. And a grandmother who loves her.

So that’s where I was in the story when this homeless woman appeared at my door with a sack of wet clothes wanting to know if she could borrow my dryer.

This wasn’t fiction. This was real life. And my knee-jerk reaction was, Sorry, no. I mean, I didn’t know what was in her sack of clothes. What if it had…lice? And my two little boys were right there, holding my legs. Really, I just wanted to close the door.

But through my mind ran the thought… Sammy wouldn’t close the door. Sammy would help her. How can you write one thing and live another?

And then the woman said, “They’re clean. I promise. There’s just not enough sunshine left to dry them.”

So I took her clothes and while she sat on my porch bench, I got them drying.  Then I went outside and sat and talked with her. Turns out she had two children, too, who had been taken from her because she couldn’t care for them. She didn’t know where they were. She told me she slept nights in bushes near the mall, and was grateful, so, so grateful that I’d agreed to dry her clothes.

An hour later, she left my porch with what I’d given her— dry clothes and an extra jacket.

What she gave me was a new perspective on my life.

I have lots of other stories about how Sammy has affected me, but I’m sure I’ve taken up my allotment of space. Thanks for sharing your blog, and for letting me share this story.  I hope your readers will follow me to tomorrow’s tour stop. I’ll be at Write For a Reader (http://www.writeforareader.blogspot.com) where I’ll be discussing how the “quirk” winds up in my characters.  Happy reading everyone!

Wendelin Van Draanen: Sammy Keyes and the Cold Hard Cash Blog Tour

May 31^st:            Where the Books Are – http://wherethebestbooksare.blogspot.com

June 1^st:             Steph Su Reads – http://stephsureads.blogspot.com

June 2^nd:            Through A Glass, Darkly – www.throughaglass.net

June 3^rd:            Mrs. Magoo Reads – www.mrsmagooreads.com

June 4^th:            The Children’s Book Review – www.thechildrensbookreview.com

June 5^th:             Write for a Reader – http://www.writeforareader.blogspot.com

June 6^th:            Mundie Moms – http://mundiemoms.blogspot.com/

June 7^th:            Library Lounge Lizard – http://www.libraryloungelizard.com/

June 8^th:            Wendelin’s Jog Blog – http://etrtr.blogspot.com/

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

Add this book to your collection: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

May is National Teen Self-Esteem Month, a month dedicated to boosting confidence and self-image. Annie Fox, M.Ed., an award winning author and educator with 30+ years experience, sheds some light on how we, as parents and teachers, can help raise confident and secure teens.

Her books include: Be Confident in Who You Are, Real Friends vs. the Other Kind, What’s Up with My Family?, Too Stressed to Think? and The Teen Survival Guide To Dating & Relating.

Bianca: You have dedicated yourself to helping kids build their self-esteem. What inspired you to make this your life’s work?

Annie: The short answer: I’ve got a gift for connecting with kids, tweens, teens. Maybe it comes from being the youngest in my family but I’ve always related to the challenges of being a young person trying to figure out how to get along with peers and with adults.. As a writer it just seemed natural to me, from my very first book which was published when I was 20, that I love writing for kids.

Bianca: You’re a believer in the thought that technology can be used to empower kids. Can you tell us how?

Annie: My husband David and I started the Marin Computer Center in San Rafael, CA back in 1977. Even in those early days of personal computing it was clear to us that kids jumped right in… No psychological barriers for them! So as I began working with kids and computers it struck me that the social and emotional learning that has always been at the core of my teaching could be incorporated seamlessly into interactive game designs. Simply put, when kids play computer games that are thoughtfully designed and require them to take on the identity of an avatar and make choices within a gaming environment, they can learn about social interactions. Hopefully, what they learn in the game they can take with them into the real world after they step away from the computer. Of course these days, many kids never “step away” from social media… It’s as much a part of the “real” world as everything else!

Bianca: The Insite, an award-winning website you created for teens and young adults, was host to a Cyberspace Dear Abby, Hey Terra. What is the most memorable e-mail you responded to?

Annie: Wow, that’s a tough question! I’ve been answering email from tweens and teens and parents since 1997 and still do. I get over 1000 emails a year (and I personally answer each one.) It’s impossible to choose one “most memorable” email. I will say that the email exchanges with kids that are personally most rewarding are the ones that start off with the teen “Lost and Confused” in some social dilemma… Usually with a friend of a bf/gf. Then after receiving some support from me and help in sorting out their feelings and exploring some possible options, the teen writes back and says “Thanks! I talked with my friend and things are much better.” Those always make me feel pretty good about the work I do.

Bianca: Tell us about your book series, Middle School Confidential, and what message you hope readers will grasp.

Annie: My working title for the Middle School Confidential series was originally: Going Your Own Way in Middle School and Beyond. The take-away message of the first three books in the series is: there are situations you are born into and things that happen day to day that you have no control over. And yet, no matter what’s going on at home, at school, with your friends, there are always choices you can make in the way you respond that can improve your situation.

Bianca: What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating these books?

Annie: Because they’re part graphic novel (my illustrator is the enormously talented comic book creator Matt Kindt) I was surprised by a) how limited a text balloon really is and b) how much story and emotion you can express in very few words!

Bianca: Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

Annie: My inspiration for the books always comes from the email I get. By focusing on the questions tweens and teens ask me I know that I’m giving them information that they want and need.

Bianca: What one piece of advice would you offer to parents of teens?

Annie: Since our children are all grown up, I can honestly say that the best advice for parents of teens is: know what your long-term parenting objectives are and make sure you’re consistently reinforcing what you say you want your kids to learn. And… Catch them in the act of doing something right!

Bianca: What one piece of advice would you offer to teens having difficulty communicating with their family members?

Annie: Your parents are hard-wired to keep you safe. When they bombard you with questions or act like they don’t trust you… Try to cut ‘em some slack. I know it’s hard, but it’s hard being a parent. One other thing… If you’re going through a rough time and you really can’t talk to your parents, find some other adult you trust and talk to him or her. Or email me: annie:anniefox.com Bottling up your feelings isn’t a healthy option.

Bianca: What one piece of advice would you offer to educators of teens?

Annie: The relationship you have with your students, showing them that you care  because they are worthwhile human beings,  is more important than anything  you might teach them.

Bianca: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Annie: Make choices that reflect who you really are and you’ll never go wrong.

Add books by Annie Fox, M.Ed., to your collection: Be Confident in Who You Are, Real Friends vs. the Other Kind, What’s Up with My Family?, Too Stressed to Think? and The Teen Survival Guide To Dating & Relating.

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

Angela is the creator, author and illustrator of the well-known Petalwink book series for children (www.Petalwink.com) sold to bookstores, retail outlets, libraries, and schools throughout the country. She also writes the highly popular “flog” [fictional blog] chapter book series for tweens, the Fifties Chix, about the friendship of five time-traveling teen girls (www.thefiftieschix.com) and is working on multiple book series projects for children, teens and adults.

Bianca: Did you always aspire to be a writer?

Angela: I remember the very moment my mom, sitting with me at the kitchen table, taught me to hold a pencil; I had to be about 3 years old and I remember it because it was momentous, this feeling of great accomplishment and possibility. I wanted to literally “write” and I haven’t stopped wanting to write or draw since. I wrote stories throughout my entire childhood, always about someone with a unique perspective (in one instance, gave my tennis shoe the opportunity to relate what it was like to spend a day at the State Fair).

Bianca: What inspired you to write the Petalwink series?

Angela: Along with my desire to write, I’ve always been an avid reader. My aunt was a children’s librarian and always encouraged my brother and I to read, supplying us with unique and amazing books. One of my invisible childhood friends was Suzy Sunshine; our relationship was enriched by the stories I read that fed my imagination. I always felt that with SS there was a secret little someone in my pocket to share adventures with. All these things, along with a stint doing fairy murals for the clients of my art business, culminated in the concept of Petalwink. I wanted children to have the same special feeling I’ve always had that anything is possible when you believe in yourself and the greater good. Petalwink is the incarnation of that childlike sweetness and innocence and wonder.

Bianca: What made you pick a fairy for your main character?

Angela: I didn’t have a choice, she picked me! It was natural for us to team up; I think Suzy Sunshine is a mutual friend and sent Petalwink to me. Apart from that, a fairy has a great perspective (even better than a tennis shoe), and has that magical childlike wonder to bring to a story. She’s also really fun to draw, especially with that periwinkle hair.

Bianca: What do you think is the most important lesson that a young reader can take away from this series?

Angela: I hope that readers will embrace their childlike sweetness and wonder and never let it go. Learning lessons like being kind, thoughtful and persistent help us stay childlike; the cynicism or materialism sometimes associated with adulthood don’t really help us “grow up” or progress. But the youthful sense of creativity, possibility and affection for good actually benefits civilization as a whole. So ultimately, I hope readers of all ages come away with a sense of how special they are and how much they have to give.

Bianca: Should we expect to see another published book from you soon?

Angela: I’ve just finished writing and illustrating the fifth and sixth books in the Petalwink series and am starting on the seventh. Those books will go to print soon; as they are being published, I will be continuing to work on three or four other series I’m excited about (one for kids, one for teens and two for adults).

Bianca: Which books do you think influenced you the most during your childhood years?

Angela: So many books! But my favorites are
“Rain Makes Applesauce” by Julian Scheer (and illustrated by Marvin Bileck);
“An invitation to the Butterfly Ball” by Jane Yolen (and illustrated by Jane Breskin Zalben);
any and all Tasha Tudor and Beatrix Potter;
“The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett;
“Island of the Blue Dolphins” by Scott O’Dell;
And of course, any and all Judy Blume!

Bianca: Do you have a special place that you like to be while you write?

Angela: I like to write almost anywhere, but I usually end up in my art studio. The most productive place for me to write is on a plane! I just wrote the seventh Petalwink book on our patio on a lovely sunny day.

Bianca: Is there a perfect time in the day where your creative juices flow more readily?

Angela: After two or three o’clock in the afternoon I really work well and by nine o’clock at night, things are really clicking!

Bianca: What are you doing when you are not writing books?

Angela: I love to read, read, read, paint, and work in the garden. I also love watching movies (more stories!) with my husband, Whit.

Bianca: Any last words?

Angela: Everything I’ve written in the Petalwink stories I’ve had to put into practice in my own life; so while they are hopefully fun and entertaining stories, they also have an applicable lesson. I’ve found myself often going back to the first book and reviewing Petalwink’s message, “I’m glad to be me!”

Read what others have to say about Angela Sage Larsen’s Petalwink the Fairy series.

The “Author Showcase” is a place for authors and illustrators to gain visibility for their works. Titles featured in the showcase have not been reviewed by The Children’s Book Review, and reflect the thoughts of the author, illustrator, or publishing company. Read more …

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

Author Showcase: A place for authors and illustrators to gain visibility for their works.*

Bianca: Runaway Storm is the first book in a gripping adventure series. Can you tell us about it?

Dawne: When Nate’s father reneges on his promise to spend the summer kayaking with his son and his mother reveals her plans to stay in New York permanently, Nate feels let down and trapped.

He plots to sneak away to Vancouver, steal his father’s kayak, and journey through some nearby islands for a few weeks. Nate makes it to the islands and feeling confident in his survival instincts, he paddles off ready for some fun.

Inevitably, not all goes as planned, and with the help of a motley crew he meets along the way, including other runaways and a smart artistic “goth girl” with her own problems, Nate begins to come to terms with his parents’ separation and the awkward transition into adolescence.

Of course, these revelations may not come soon enough to help Nate survive a violent storm, deserted island, or a deadly smuggler in a broken-down boat…

Bianca: What inspired you to write Runaway Storm?

Dawne: I was inspired by a real runaway that I met when I was 15.  My brother and I were walking along the beach at Montague Harbor on Galiano Island when we met a boy who was about my age. He told us that his first night on the beach he’d unrolled his sleeping bag too close to the water and the tide had crept up soaking everything he owned. He also told us that as he was camping illegally, so he hid his stuff from the park ranger under the roots of an old oak tree during the day making it pretty hard to dry everything out. When my brother and I started to leave the boy asked us to stay for lunch. “I’ll feed you crab,” he said, donned a mask and jumped into the water. He surfaced moments later with a large Dungeness crab in each hand. There was something about that boy, something lonely and sad I saw through his cheerfulness, he made an impression on me that has never left.

Bianca: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Dawne: Nate, the main character, is a pretty normal boy, he doesn’t have a horrible life, but his problems feel insurmountable to him. How big or small a problem may be, it’s always relative to the person involved. In the story Nate learns that he can run from everyone and everything except himself and that ultimately it is better to face his problems and deal with them head on. Nate has to learn this on his own because his parents don’t face their issues.

Teenage runaways are large in number and the risk to them is huge. Statistically according to the National Runaway Switchboard, every day, between 1.3 and 2.8 million runaway and homeless youth live on the streets of America.  One out of every seven children will run away before the age of 18.

Bianca: What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating the “Runaway” series?

Dawne: Sometimes your characters don’t behave the way you want them too. As my characters are teenagers, that’s probably not so surprising.

Bianca: You’ve established a solid career in the “writing world.” Can you tell us about your career path that led to becoming a published author?

Dawne: I have a B. A. in Creative Writing and an M. A. in Professional Writing. I started my career as a poorly paid copywriter for a radio network, but hey, I was getting paid to write. I then became the Creative Director for another network (a little better pay, a much better title.) I’ve written for an advertising agency and have always worked as a freelance writer to some degree. I am also a partner in a small press called Toe The Line which promotes ocean conservation with fun and wacky coloring books and beach bags. (see tidalzone.org)

Bianca: What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Dawne: A quirk? I have been known to clean my entire house to avoid writing.

Bianca: Do you have any suggestions to help aspiring writers improve their writing skills? If so, what are they?

Dawne: Ideas are everywhere you go and in everything you do. Always be on the look out. I lead an annual writing Field trip called Down The Rabbit Hole for SCBWI-LA (the Society of Childrens book Writers and Illustrators). On the field trip I stress experiencing the world from your characters shoes (if he wears any). You need to know how your character would react in every situation. Every writer needs a therapy group (oops, I mean critique group, too.) Your characters do not live in isolation and neither should you. Your group will give you feedback, shore you up through rejections and celebrate successes.

Bianca: What books have most influenced your life?

Dawne: All of them!  Seriously, every book I read enriches my writing whether it’s a picture book, middle grade, or teen novel. I read horror, adventure, fantasy and romance. When I’m working on a particular story I do immerse myself in that genre; for Runaway Storm I read a lot of adventures like Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet and Thomas Hobb’s Down River and River Thunder.

Bianca: You have quite a few books that are close to publication. We’d love to hear about them.

Dawne: My picture book, No More Mischief, is about a little boy who wants to be the ‘king’ of something (read ‘best’), but nothing he tries works and to top it off he keeps getting into trouble, that is, until the very end… but I won’t give all the fun away.

Runaway Fire, the sequel to Runaway Storm is actually not quite finished, no, the characters are not cooperating and yes, the pressure is on!

Bianca: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Dawne: I hope you enjoy the adventure in Runaway Storm . I read every review that’s written by readers on Amazon and Barnes and Noble and anywhere else on the web, so I would be happy to hear from you.  Also, I love to interact with students and am happy to do skype school visits for free if a class reads the book. I can be reached through runawaystorm@earthlink.net. And don’t forget, once you’ve read the book, you can enter the contest for your chance to win a kayak at Runawaystorm.com

Adventure on!

Links of interest: http://www.deknobbe.com

http://www.emeraldbookcompany.com/authors/knobbe/

http://www.tidalzone.org

Add this book to your collection: Runaway Storm

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

Dr. Molly Barrow holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is the author of  Malia and Teacup Awesome African Adventure and Malia and Teacup Out on a Limb—an adventure series for ages 9 and up.

Bianca Schulze: You have a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and have worked in a private practice for over 20 years as a licensed mental health counselor and educator, at what point did you decide to add “writer” to your resume?

Dr. Molly Barrow: I have always enjoyed writing poetry and keeping a journal, but it was working on my doctoral dissertation that gave me the discipline to become a serious storyteller. I began by writing screenplays because I have the ability to see a film plot unfold in my mind. I wrote the Malia & Teacup books in screenplay form initially. As I am writing, I am laughing aloud and delighting in the awkward situations that I place my characters. Sometimes as I am writing, the plot shifts because the characters seem to take me in a new direction, a phenomenon that I do not completely understand, but enjoy immensely when it happens.

Bianca: What do you think has influenced your writing the most—personal experiences or your work as a psychologist?

Dr. Molly: I think my personal experiences have influenced me the most, although I have gained great insight from the lives and stories that my patients have shared with me. Each of my characters embodies pieces of my own thoughts, deeds and idiosyncrasies. Sometimes I like to throw in exaggerated parts of my friends and family for my own amusement.

Bianca: Raising children’s self-esteem is a very important issue—and one that you advocate for—was this the catalyst behind the Malia and Teacup series?

Dr. Molly: Self-esteem is the single most important factor for the safety of a child. Parents and educators would serve children better by concentrating their efforts on inspiring children to value their self-worth rather than over-disciplining them into compliance. High self-esteem is psychological armor for children. How a child values themselves is the first line of defense in dangerous situations against school bullies, predators, and abuse. Prevention psychology is what we need now. Children must believe they deserve to be treated well. Experts link low self-esteem with drug and alcohol use, rebellion, suicide and school dropouts.

During the past twenty years counseling families, I have used humorous storytelling to explain complicated therapy concepts to young children and troubled teenagers. Children responded so well to the stories that I created the Malia and Teacup books to reach more children with the Barrow Empowerment Theory. L. A. psychologist and author Gerald Amada says, “Exciting books with social and moral themes, like Malia and Teacup and Harry Potter do have the effect of improving self-esteem in children…and will become a part of the large corpus of children’s literature that fosters their emotional well-being.”

Bianca: What do you think is the most important lesson that a young reader can take away from this series?

Dr. Molly: The most important lesson in Malia and Teacup is kindness, including self-love and self-appreciation of life, kindness to other people without sacrificing your own well-being, and kindness toward animals.

Cruelty to animals by bullying children is the first indication of abusive behavior as adults. Empathy and compassion are elements of high self-esteem, demonstrated by kindness to animals, people and self, and proven to reduce violence, suicide, drug and alcohol use and cruelty. Frustration and anger from low self-esteem is often transferred to animals. The Malia & Teacup series helps to build self-esteem and teaches that kindness to animals is an essential value of a healthy personality.

Bianca: You also have a wonderful selection of relationship advice books, including: Matchlines for Singles, Matchlines for Couples, Matchlines: How to Survive Step Parenting. How does writing for adults differ from writing for children?

Dr. Molly: Writing for children is so much more fun. I can be lost in a world of make believe and literally take my characters anywhere in the world or beyond. The books for adults are about having healthy relationships that can stop the tragedy of divorce, abuse and frustration from conflicted relationships. The adult books are more serious. However, all my books are designed to help people in different ways.

I am proud of my Matchlines relationship theory developed from my work in clinical psychology that has helped so many people find love. My latest book, Matchlines for Singles is different from any self-help book on the market, empowering readers to understand their past, balance their present and future relationships, reduce conflict, and select new partners more wisely. Before a Single accepts the next date, takes a relationship to the next level or gives up on a partner, Matchlines for Singles is a must-read to avoid painful heartbreak and before one ever commits their life, body, finances, or future children’s well-being to a new partner. Almost all relationships can improve and some can have a complete turnaround. My original Matchline Theory successfully mends troubled relationships and helps lonely Singles find true love and happiness. The book has a companion Matchlines Relationship Capacity Quiz that graphs relationship strengths and weaknesses at http://wwwdrmollybarrow.com.

Bianca: What would be your number one message to share with parents who are dealing with children who suffer from low self-esteem?

Dr. Molly: We learn to like ourselves through achievement. Parents make the mistake of trying to give a child outside praise. Outside praise is giving children parental judgments, as teachers give students grades and coaches give athletes trophies. These exterior reinforcements do little to develop esteem in a person. What builds self-esteem are personal achievements that you regard as important to you.

Your choices either value and respect you or disdain and sabotage you. When we indulge ourselves with an immediate gratification, we justify our actions with “I am so tired,” “Just one more time,” or “No one cares for me” therefore, I deserve this little treat, indiscretion or revengeful act, our ability to maintain a positive and healthy self gets a little chip in it. Afterwards, we may throw on a feeling of guilt or remorse. If someone criticizes us for a wrong choice, like selecting a chocolate sundae or more bad behavior, we subtract more small pieces of our self in the form of embarrassment, frustration or defensive anger at ourselves and at the one who points out that we are taking the wrong direction again.

These little chips begin to accumulate. Each choice that you make begins to carve a well–worn path in you memory. Each time we repeat a behavior or a thought, we carve the path in our brain a little deeper and soon we create a habit out of those little indulgences. Soon we may behave grouchy, eat junk food and do self-destructive behaviors every day instead of the random treat we once enjoyed. That is how perfect children end up with addictions, obese and friendless – all so gradually that no one seems to notice before the problem becomes major. The loss of self-esteem is often slow, with repetitive small behaviors rather than an attention-grabbing event that puts everyone on notice.

If we make the error of dismissing a small choice as insignificant, we may lose an opportunity to change direction of a downward spiral. Each time we choose in a certain direction that particular behavior gains strength, the brain path is deeper and all other good positive behaviors begin to shrink.

If you want to stop a negative behavior, you simply throw all your energy and effort into a new positive behavior and through a process of attrition, the offensive behavior will fade away. Substitute positive for negative and you will begin to respect your choices. Just a little at first. The choices begin to have a synergistic effect to the good when you begin to choose health, exercise, kindness and happiness regardless of what other people do, say or expect of you. That is when your self-esteem begins to climb. Remember, the first few choices are going to be the most difficult as you change direction.

As your self-esteem climbs, the decisions that are self-enhancing rather than self-destructive begin to dominate your life. So remember each time that you choose a negative behavior, you allow your bad habits to build and gain power and influence, and conversely, each positive behavior choice gains power and influence in a self-enhancing direction. If you learn this concept and prepare to make a positive self-enhancing choice in place of negative habits, you will know that with every choice made in the better direction you will gain joy, energy, beauty and quality of life. The movement is imperceptible at first, you may fail many times but now you can see why even the smallest positive choice can be life changing.

Bianca: You have a very strong media presence. You have a blog, multiple websites, have been seen on, quoted in, or written articles for many prestigious publications and television shows—NBC, PBS, O Magazine, etc… Can you tell us which of these experiences has been the most rewarding?

Dr. Molly: A challenging, yet exciting opportunity has been The Dr. Molly Barrow Show, streaming from New York City every Tuesday morning on Progressive Radio Network owned by Gary Null. The show is live for an hour and I have guests who are leaders in their fields. I have to be prepared, be able to handle unexpected events and keep the show interesting and professional. Also, I played myself in the independent teen film, My Suicide, that is sweeping film festival awards. I love acting and I am a long-standing member of AFTRA and SAG acting unions.

Bianca: Which books do you think influenced you the most during your childhood years?

Dr. Molly: I relished Sherlock Holmes mysteries, Black Beauty, Old Yeller and my big brother’s college textbook on psychology. My favorite summer day was a walk to the library and then climbing the large apple tree to settle in and read my new book in the treetops. I love Arabian horses and read everything I could about horses.

Bianca: What can we expect to see from you next?

Dr. Molly: The next book in the Malia & Teacup series is Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon set in faraway Bhutan. Tahir and Teacup cause trouble, Grandpa is deported for bad behavior, and Malia finds herself lost in a terrible snowstorm only to be rescued by a Yeti Snow Monster.

Bianca: Any last words?

Dr. Molly: I deeply appreciate this opportunity to share Malia and Teacup with children. I hope everyone learns to love each other, show great kindness to his or her family and behave compassionately toward all animals, our communities, other nations and our planet.

THANK YOU!

Bio: Dr. Molly Barrow holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is the author of  Malia and Teacup Awesome African Adventure and Malia and Teacup Out on a Limb. An authority on relationship and psychological topics, Dr. Barrow is a member of the American Psychological Association, Screen Actors Guild, and Authors Guild and is a licensed mental health counselor. Dr. Molly has appeared as an expert in the film, My Suicide, documentaries Ready to Explode and KTLA Impact, NBC news, PBS In Focus, WBZT talk radio, Walden University, and in O Magazine, Psychology Today, Newsday, New York Times, CNN, The Nest, MSN.com, Yahoo, Match.com, Women’s Health, Harvard Business School, Women’s World, has a radio show on Gary Null’s progressiveradionetwork.com and blogtalkradio.com, and is a columnist for Menstuff.org.

Blog: http://www.drmollybarrowblogspot.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/drmollybarrow

Live & Archived Radio Shows: http://barrow.progressiveradionetwork.org/

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©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

©2010 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.