Books published by publisher Boys Town Press

This amusing story teaches children that there is value in working together as a team and sharing with others. RJ is having another bad day... His teacher wants him to work with bossy Bernice, messy Frankie, and Norma (who just sits and picks her nose) on a report about Egyptian mummies. She tells the class TEAM stands for Together Everyone Achieves More, but RJ isn't so sure about that! After a frustrating day at school with his team, RJ goes home to find only one cookie left in the jar. And his mom makes him share it with his sister! With the help of his coach, RJ learns that working as a team and sharing are skills needed not just on the soccer field, but in school and at home too! Share this story with kids grades K through 6 before assigning the next group project! Strengthen social and emotional learning and help kids learn to interact with each other in positive and constructive ways. The steps to the skills of teamwork and sharing are presented in rhyme so they are easy for listeners to recall when needed. Tips are included for parents and educators to encourage children to practice these social skills so they will be successful and happier both at home and in school. This book is the fourth in Julia Cook’s BEST ME I Can Be! series which teaches children ages 5-11 social skills that can make home life happier and school more successful.

In today's world, kids are overwhelmed with activities and schoolwork. Use this humorous story to help then stay organized. Blake is always losing things, and everyone acts like it's his fault. Blake doesn't think it's a big deal, however. After all, he's just a kid! But when his field trip form is missing and the class pet is discovered dwelling among all the debris inside his desk, Blake realizes he has a problem.With help from his teacher, a timely baseball analogy and support from his parents, Blake discovers the benefits of being organized. Children and parents alike will find this comical, colorful storybook helpful in understanding why everything has its place. Tips for teaching and organizational skills are included.

All children will relate to Amelia's feelings of stress. Use this story to show kids how to manage it. Amelia is feeling smothered by all her responsibilities. She has softball practice, tons of homework, icky chores and, to top it off, she wasn't even invited to Samantha's Friday night birthday bash blowout. All her stress and negative thoughts produce a noticeable stench around her head. Amelia has stinking thinking! And it might be contagious because her friends have it too. Will Amelia's mom come through with a surefire cure for those rotten thoughts, or will Amelia be stuck with the stink? Follow along with Amelia as she learns strategies for dealing with stress Stress Stinks is part of the Without Limits series written by Bryan Smith for students in grades K-6. Included at the end of the story are tips for parents, caregivers and educators to help children manage their stress.

Empower kids in grades K through 6 to recognize and resist negative peer pressure and learn to say "No!" even as forces around them escalate to give in to the peer group. Norbert the namuh enjoys eating everything with jelly beans on it! One day, Norbert s teacher challenges his class to try something new. In order to encourage everyone to participate, the teacher continues to sweeten the pot. But when Norbert is less than eager to try the new food, he experiences first-hand what it is like to be on the receiving end of peer pressure. Norbert's imaginative descriptions of how it feels to have your peer pressure gauge continue to rise will draw readers in, while they witness his internal deliberation as he tries to let his inner voice shine! Award-winning author Julia Cook offers a vividly insightful look into peer pressure. Children will gain the social emotional skills of having self-confidence and listening to an inner voice while resisting influences which can change their values and behavior. Peer Pressure Gauge is the fourth installment of the popular Building Relationships series. Rampant with humor and creativity, coupled with vibrant illustrations by Anita DuFalla, teachers, parents, and kids alike will enjoy this imaginative story of how rising peer pressure feels, as they learn the skills necessary to triumph over this difficult issue. Peer Pressure Gauge is the recipient of the prestigious Mom's Choice Award. Tips for parents and educators are located at the end of the story to further address that negative peer pressure can cause many difficulties.

Noodle's really done it this time! What should have been a friendly completion among classmates turns sour after Noodle cheats his way to victory. He says he didn't really want to cheat but everyone has to once in a while, so what's the harm? Will Noodle get burned by his own deception, or will he muster the courage to confess to his trickery? Young readers will learn a valuable lesson about the cost of cheating while enjoying a few laughs in the newest storybook in the Responsible ME! series.

It can be challenging for children to know where to get started on a big project and how they will ever complete the task. Teaching students how to plan, prioritize, and post can help break down assignments and other responsibilities into more manageable tasks. Blake's baseball team is doing a bake sale fundraiser. He just can't wait for his mom to whip up a batch of her famous chocolate chip cookies! That is, until Mom reminds Blake that it is HIS fundraiser, so he needs to help. Blake has a to-do list that's just too long. How can his parents and teachers expect him to finish his homework, clean his room AND bake cookies for the baseball bake sale? Don't they know there's something urgent he has to do now - like play video games?! When Mom encourages Blake to follow the 3 Ps - prioritizing, planning and posting a reminder of what needs to be done - he's unimpressed. But as his responsibilities pile up and his deadlines quickly approach, he has to figure out what needs doing now. Can following Mom's advice and using the 3 Ps really make a difference? School counselor and award-winning author Bryan Smith reveals the answer in the relatable story about the power of preparation and planning. It's the eighth story from the author's Executive FUNction picture book series. Tips for parents and educators to help reinforce the message of time-management and self-reliance in children are included.

This book helps kids understand the hurtful feelings of excluding others, and helps them see their own self-worth. Penny tries to hang with the Coin Clique, but she usually feels left out. The other coins, especially Quarter and Half Dollar are best friends, do everything together, and tell Penny she isn't worth much. Then one day Penny lands in a pocket with the beautiful, gold dollar coin. Dollar is different from the silver coins too, and she starts to teach Penny how special and valuable she really is. With Dollar's help, Penny learns to feel as shiny on the inside as she looks on the outside. Cliques Just Don't Make Cents is a book that helps kids understand the emotional toll that cliques can have on those who are excluded from popular social groups. It also teaches children how to build better relationships by accepting differences, including others, and making friends. This is the second children's book in the Building Relationships series by Julia Cook. Tips for teachers, parents, coaches, caregiver, and counselors are included.

RJ learns that feedback is just information that can help him improve and grow...even if it is sometimes hard to hear.When a couple of friends give RJ compliments, he isn't sure how to respond. And when he hears from his teacher and parents that there are some things he needs to work on, he argues and makes excuses. Throughout this must-read story, RJ learns what it means to receive positive and negative feedback, and how to respond appropriately to that feedback. Parents and teachers will love taking kids on RJ's journey as he discovers feedback's many forms, and learns to accept and grow from criticism and compliments at home, school and with friends. This book includes tips for educators and parents. Adults and kids alike will enjoy the humor as they read along and learn how to accept criticism and complements, and how to respond to each. This book is a winner of the MOM's Choice Awards, Honoring Excellence.

Is your child a team player? Do they listen to others, or are they positive their ideas are the best? This story can help kids see the importance of recognizing and valuing the contributions of others. When it comes to group projects, Amelia has little time for anyone's input. She just knows her ideas are best, so she smugly takes the lead and all the credit. But Amelia's high-handed attitude puts her on the receiving end of cold shoulders and icy stares. Maybe going solo in a group effort isn't such a good idea? With help from a caring teacher, Amelia begins to see why it's important to recognize and accept the contributions of others. Will this new perspective be enough to undo the hurt she's caused, and make her want to be a team player? Award-winning author and school counselor Bryan Smith adds another insightful tale to his popular Without Limits series for children in grades K-5. This story can help your child understand that working as a team and valuing the contribution of others will help bring them success at home, school and in the community. Everyone's Contributions Count, helps kids learn to be more giving, more understanding, and more resilient! Tips for educators, parents and counselors are included.

Organization does not come naturally to many children. Show kids how with this fun story Blake is struggling to keep his schoolwork, his papers and his things in order. Assignments and permission slips always go missing. Even the class pet disappears (only to be found nesting inside Blake's overstuffed, completely cluttered, bursting-at-the-seams school desk)! Soon Blake realizes that maybe his disorganization is more of a problem than he realizes! With a much-needed assist from his teacher and a timely baseball analogy, Blake finally learns how to get organized. This story is part of the Executive FUNction children's book series written for kids in grades K-6. Tips for parents, educators and counselors are included in the back of the book. Remember that getting organized looks different from one person to the next, so finding an organization style that works for you is important.

Teach kids how to use the right voice level with this fun and entertaining children's book from Julia Cook.Isabella is a spirited girl who enjoys shouting out her thoughts, ideas and feelings. In fact, she loves using her loud voice so much, it's earned her the nickname "Decibella!" Young readers will be entertained as they see how Isabella learns the "five volumes" of voice and discovers that different situations require different tone.Award-winning author Julia Cook uses a fun, yet educational, style to show kids how and when to use their five voices - whisper, 6-inch, table-talk, strong speaker and outside.A go-to book for teaching kids manners and developing social skills.Great for children ages 5 - 11.Fun Book!This book is just so fun! I am working with a few students who struggle with understanding the difference between their indoor voice and outdoor voice. This book explains five different volumes as well as when they are appropriate. I also love that the author gives an example of a silly word to practice with. I have students use "Slurpadoodle" and practice saying it in their whisper voice, 6-inch voice, table talk voice, strong speaker voice and outside voice.Heather, blogger @ schoolcounselingconnections.blogspot.com