About the Author\nJessica Sinarski, LPCMH is a clinical supervisor, consultant, author and educator, as well as a thought-leader in connecting neuroscience with practice in adult-child relationships. She has trained thousands of parents and professionals across the country and maintains a private practice in Delaware. She has also been a Certified Adoption Therapist for over 10 years.\nHelp your little one unlock their inner courage! 
Riley the Brave is the story of a little bear with big feelings! Join this super-cool, cape-wearing cub as he embarks on a journey to face his fears. 
Riley is joined by all of his animal friends who care for him as he faces his difficult feelings. Along the way, Riley learns how sometimes, being tough or loud isn't the bravest thing to be - sometimes it's asking for help, or being brave enough to let someone into your heart. 
Written for any child who is looking to unlock their inner courage, and particularly those healing from difficult life experiences or trauma, this book creates a safe space for conversations about complex thoughts and feelings. It also features an educational afterword for grown-ups which explains how the book helps children, and how to get the most out of it.

Riley the Brave - The Little Cub with Big Feelings!: Help for Cubs Who Have Had A Tough Start in Life

Children's Books

Sinarski, Jessica

Growing Up & Facts of Life

Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Review\nWe all have rough mornings. Smooth out the wrinkles with Riley the Brave! This story and the educational afterword provide a brain boost of empathy, connection, and fun!--Kendra Morris-Jacobson, MA, Director of Oregon Post-Adoption Resource Center\nA wonderful story tackling real-life issues - this book is a gift for parents and early childhood teachers everywhere.--Terry Ball, Executive Director, Maryland Association of Elementary School Principals\nKids will see themselves in the pages of this book! And caregivers will find new tools to keep their mornings from falling apart. 
Riley the Brave Makes it to School is a book children will love and caregivers will read with recognition and relief. Kids will feel understood and supported in their big feelings during transitions. After all, it's even hard for Riley to go to school some days. Parents will be empowered to try new ways of approaching these moments with playfulness, acceptance, compassion, and empathy as modeled by Riley's safe big critters. The Afterword (for grown-ups) is packed with information and practical tools. I highly recommend this insightful, realistic, and encouraging book for kids and caregivers alike.--Lisa Qualls, Author of 'The Connected Parent'\n"I'm NOT going to school today!"\nRiley the Brave is a little bear with big feelings. Some days he wakes up feeling cheerful and ready to brave the day. He has energy to get dressed, eat breakfast and have some fun!\nBut some days he wakes up feeling like a grumpy porcupine. His brow is scrunched and he thinks that it is going to be a terrible day. Today, Riley is having one of those days! What can be done to help him?\nAll children struggle to make it to school some days, and this can be even tougher for children who have had difficult life experiences and extra challenges at school. This book creates a safe space for conversations about big thoughts and feelings, and offers positive tips for families to try. It also features an educational afterword for grown-ups which explains how the book helps children, and how to get the most out of it.\nBook Description\nA story for when kids just don't want to go to school - with help for grown-ups!

Riley the Brave Makes It to School: A Story With Tips and Tricks for Tough Transitions (Riley the Brave's Adventures)

Jessica Kingsley

Roaring, grumping, knots in tummies...Making sense of big feelings can be tricky. Riley the Brave and his safe big critters are here to help! Enjoy 60+ fun activities and trauma-sensitive strategies to help children understand the brain science behind those big MAD, SAD, and SCARED emotions...and what to do about it!\nBright illustrations and familiar characters encourage children as they dig into their prickly porcupine moments, timid turtle moments, and all the feelings in between. An introduction for grown-ups will help you make the most of this treasure trove of games, printable masks, colorful cards, word searches, action plans, and more! Work one-on-one or easily adapt these strength-based activities for group settings. Lesson plans and frequent "Try This!" sections make this the ultimate resource for parents, teachers, counselors, and anyone else supporting children with big feelings.

Riley the Brave's Big Feelings Activity Book: A Trauma-Informed Guide for Counselors, Educators and Parents (Riley the Brave's Adventures, 4)

Activities, Crafts & Games

Riley the Brave is a little bear with big feelings. He really wants to have fun at the fair, but sometimes he struggles just making it to school, especially on the STINKY, BUMPY, NOISY bus!\nIt is hard for Riley to focus and have fun when he is feeling so many confusing sensations! He has porcupine moments and grumps at his friends, or turtle moments when he just wants to be alone. He even had a tiger moment, roaring at his teacher. With all these big feelings, how can he ever go to the fair?\nRiley the Brave's Sensational Senses teaches children about their senses through a playful story with real-life strategies for emotion regulation. It also features an educational afterword for grown-ups that explains our eight senses and includes tips for getting the most out of the book.

Riley the Brave's Sensational Senses: Help for Sensory and Emotional Challenges

Are you ready to increase learning opportunities, reduce negative behaviors, and improve staff and student morale? Then it's time to become a brain builder! We all are aware of an alarming increase in reported behavioral disruptions in school settings. Often less understood is the critical role that the brain plays in shaping all behavior, including the challenges we face in our classrooms and beyond. Light Up the Learning Brain illuminates the many ways that teaching through a brain-based lens can breathe new life into your work. In these pages, you will discover: <ul> <li>how the brain's two main "operating systems" interact - and often compete</li> <li>the amygdala's vital role as an alarm system and gatekeeper</li> <li>ways that brain function is closely connected to our senses</li> <li>the power of play, curiosity, and safety in fostering brain development</li> <li>tips, scripts, and tools to make your job easier and more fulfilling</li> </ul> &nbsp; Blending the latest neuroscience with practical application, this book will be your guide to wake up the creative, curious, problem-solving "upstairs" brain of staff and students. Brains are dynamic and diverse, and so are the solutions presented in this accessible resource. Facts and insights are balanced with hands-on ideas that can be implemented immediately. As educators, we have a timely opportunity to empower our students to build their own big, brave, beautiful, world-changing brains - and isn't that, after all, why we chose this profession?

Light Up the Learning Brain: 7 Keys to Reducing Disruptive Behavior in the Classroom

Education & Teaching

Schools & Teaching

National Center for Youth Issues

All around us, children are carrying backpacks that are heavy with more than just textbooks. Each day, they also bear the weight of difficult life experiences and intense feelings. 
Zoey Harmon just wants to feel light-hearted and carefree. Unfortunately, she keeps getting weighed down by pesky "books" in her backpack, like Worry and Shame. Much to her surprise, she's not the only one! Zoey learns that the adults in her life deal with difficult feelings too! Luckily, they have some ideas that can help her set aside the books she's not meant to carry. Will it be enough to help her unload the heaviest book of all? 
"You look a little worried, kiddo," Zoey's mom said, giving her a squeeze. "Sometimes I need a bright thought to help me when I'm feeling upset. Here, try this." She slid a bookmark into Zoey's hand. Zoey looked down and read: Imagine with Hope. 
"What's this?" asked Zoey. 
"When we don't know what to expect, worry wants us to imagine with fear, to think about all the worst possibilities. This is a little reminder I use to think of the good things that might happen when I imagine with hope instead." 
While there are no quick fixes for all of life's complex problems, What's Inside Your Backpack? highlights some of the ways we can nurture resilience in body and mind. Using the metaphor of books and bookmarks, author Jessica Sinarski offers gentle, effective strategies to help children impacted by trauma. By sharing their burdens with people they trust, kids can lighten their load and realize just how strong and courageous they really are!

What's Inside Your Backpack?: Coping Skills For Kids Who Have Experienced Trauma (Your Magic Backpack)

Natl Center for Youth Issues

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