mental health – Kids' Blog

Get in the Pink and Make Bullying a Thing of the Past!

Sue Jane18 May, 2022

“On Pink Shirt Day, Friday 20 May 2022, Aotearoa will be transformed into a sea of māwhero/pink as we stand together to spread aroha, celebrate diversity and end bullying!” (Pink Shirt Day Rangitahi toolkit resource)

Pink Shirt Day began in Canada in 2007 when two students took a stand against bullying after another year 9 student was harassed on his first day at the school for wearing pink. The bullies called him names for wearing pink and threatened to beat him up.

In Aotearoa, Pink Shirt Day has been run by the Mental Health Foundation since 2012. They work to reduce the impact of bullying behaviour and the harm it causes.

“By taking part in Pink Shirt Day, you become a part of a powerful movement to celebrate diversity and end bullying.”

Bullying at school is a serious issue for New Zealand young people. We have the dubious record of having the third highest rate of school bullying out of 36 OECD countries.

What Can I Do?

Wear pink! The brighter the better. Then if someone comments on your “out there” clothing choices, you can talk to them about why you love the colour pink and what it stands for. You don’t have to limit your pink wearing to just one day of the year. Pink is a beautiful colour and stopping bullying and heightening bullying awareness is a 24/7 mission!
Hold a Pink Shirt Day quiz with your friends or classmates. This helps create camaraderie as well as have some fun. A Pink Quiz starter is HERE but you could make your own quiz to share.
Create a kindness wall or white board in your class or at your school where you and your classmates can leave positive messages of hope. Photograph them and feature in your next school newsletter.
Become a RAKtivist. Did you know that New Zealand also celebrates a Random Acts of Kindness day on 1 September? But you can make every day a RAK day!

Some Handy Websites

Pink Shirt Day

Mental Health Foundation

Mental Health for Kids

Bullying Free NZ

Some Wellington City Libraries Kids’ Blog Links

Wellington pride festival blog

Keep Calm and Carry on with Mindfulness blog

Become a RAKtivist blog

Some Great Reading from the WCL Catalogue

How to beat bullying at school : simple steps to put an end to bullying.
“Unfortunately, bullying is one of the biggest problems for schoolchildren, and recent technological developments have only made things worse. But there is no need to suffer in silence! The best thing you – or your child – can do is to talk about it. Although it may seem that things will never get better, there are several effective ways to deal with bullies.” (Catalogue)
Bullying / Spilsbury, Louise
“Helping children to recognise [bullying] and know what to do about it. The … series encourages children to explore their emotions and discuss topics they may find difficult to understand. There are practical tips and activities as well as advice for parents and teachers”–Publisher’s description.” (Catalogue)
Teasing isn’t funny : what to do about emotional bullying / Higgins, Melissa
“Jesse and the other animals at the bus stop make fun of Kelly’s fluffy fur and plain clothes. The constant teasing makes Kelly the cat feel sad. Young readers watch Kelly struggle with the teasing and learn safe ways to make it stop. Sensitive illustrations of gender-neutral animal characters help all children relate to the issue of emotional bullying.” (Catalogue)
You be you! : the kid’s guide to gender, sexuality, and family / Branfman, Jonathan
“You Be You! is an illustrated children’s book for ages 5 and up that makes gender identity, sexual orientation and family diversity easy to explain to children. Throughout the book kids learn that there are many kinds of people in the world and that diversity is something to be celebrated. It covers gender, romantic orientation, discrimination, intersectionality, privilege, and how to stand up for what’s right. With charming illustrations, clear explanations, and short sections that can be dipped in and out of, this book helps children think about how to create a kinder, more tolerant world.” (Catalogue)
Say something / Reynolds, Peter H.
“The world needs your voice. If you have a brilliant idea… say something! If you see an injustice… say something! In this empowering new picture book, beloved author Peter H. Reynolds explores the many ways that a single voice can make a difference. Each of us, each and every day, has the chance to say something: with our actions, our words, and our voice. Perfect for kid activists everywhere, this timely story reminds readers of the undeniable importance and power of their voice. There are so many ways to tell the world who you are… what you are thinking… and what you believe. And how you’ll make it better. The time is now: SAY SOMETHING!” (Catalogue)
Be who you are / Parr, Todd
“Picture book encouraging kids to be proud of what makes them unique, where they come from, and how they express themselves and see the world.” (Catalogue)
Be your own superhero / Meek, Laura
“A fun and practical guide of achievable micro-actions to help young readers feel more in control of their mental health, empowering them to grow their confidence and change the world for the better. Do you want someone else to help you out of a hard situation? Would you prefer another person swooped in and saved the day? I didn’t think so. You want to be a superhero. With this guide, you can. It’s full of activities to help develop your powers. It’ll teach you everything you need to know about growing your abilities, feeling happier and getting more confident. Written by child psychiatrist Dr Laura Meek, this fun and practical guide will empower young readers to become more aware of their own mental health and will help them to improve their confidence.” (Catalogue)
Wonder / Palacio, R. J
“August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school until now. He s about to enter fifth grade at Beecher Prep, and if you ve ever been the new kid, then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie s just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he s just like them, despite appearances?R. J. Palacio has crafted an uplifting novel full of wonderfully realistic family interactions, lively school scenes, and writing that shines with spare emotional power. “Wonder” is a book with such a big, wide heart it shows how we are all fragile, imperfect, and perfectly beautiful creatures. A wonderful novel by a wonder of a writer! Julia Alvarez, author of “Return to Sender,” “Before We Were Free,” “Finding Miracles,” and the Tia Lola Stories”.” (Catalogue)

Pink is for boys / Pearlman, Robb
“A celebration of how colours are for everyone depicts characters engaging in their favourite activities.” (Catalogue)
Along came a different / McLaughlin, Tom
“Reds love being red. Yellows love being yellow. And Blues love being blue. The problem is that they just don’t like each other. Maybe being different doesn’t mean you can’t be friends… But one day, along comes a different colour who likes Reds, Yellows and Blues, and suddenly everything starts to change. A very special picture book that supports the adage that there is more that unites us than divides us. Along Came a Different just goes to show how much better we can all be when we come together to find common ground as friends.” (Catalogue)
Friendships and bullying / Head, Honor
“Kids can find the world we live in daunting and a bit scary. There’s just so much going on with climate change, social media and pressures to work out what it is you want to do in life – even at this young age! This book will help young readers explore some common areas of anxiety and conflict on the topic of FRIENDSHIPS and BULLYING in a fun and gentle way.” (Catalogue)

Keep Calm and Carry On with Mindfulness

Katie18 February, 2022

Hey Kids! With New Zealand under Red Settings, it can be an uncertain and stressful time. However, keep calm and carry on under RED because Wellington City Libraries has a wide range of books for children on mindfulness.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness has become a trendy word that is used to describe everything from yoga exercises, meditation, breathing to colouring activities.
Mindfulness is simply… noticing what is happening right now.
Mindfulness is taking notice of how your body feels and what you see, smell and taste. Maybe you even feel emotions in your body, perhaps through a tightness somewhere, or a good sensation.
Mindfulness is also noticing what your mind is doing.

To find about more about mindfulness and the tools needed to keep calm and carry on, have a read of the following:

Meditation is an open sky : mindfulness for kids.

“Feeling mindful is feeling good! You know when you’re having a bad day, you have that wobbly feeling inside and nothing seems to go right? Find a quiet place, sit down, and meditate! In this daily companion, kids of any age will learn simple exercises to help manage stress and emotions, find focus, and face challenges. They’ll discover how to feel safe when scared, relax when anxious, spread kindness, and calm anger when frustrated. Simple, secular, and mainstream, this mindfulness book is an excellent tool for helping kids deal with the stresses of everyday life”– Provided by publisher.

The panic button book for kids : an interactive guide to help kids deal with worries and feel calmer.

“All kids go through tricky times. Bright kids can struggle to switch off their mind, creative kids often heap pressure on themselves and sensitive kids may be easily overwhelmed. When our kids worry, it’s as though they give away some of their happiness. Does a child in your life need help tackling anxiety? The Panic Button Book for Kids is an interactive, step-by-step guide for children aged 7-11 and their caregivers. Written in everyday language and beautifully illustrated, this book is designed for grown-ups to read with their child, and is full of helpful ideas to kick anxiety to the curb and create a common language between the generations.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Breathe like a bear : 30 mindful moments for kids to feel calm and focused anytime, anywhere.

“We all want to bring more calm into our lives. We all want to feel more focused and positive. Mindfulness is the key to making it happen. Breathe like a bear guides us through fun exercises to help us relax and stretch our imaginations. Because just like we need to exercise our bodies, we need to flex our mindfulness muscles!”–Jacket.

Calm : mindfulness for kids.

“Calm: Mindfulness for Kids has everything you need to know about focusing your child’s mind to help them enjoy and appreciate things that they take for granted every day, while boosting their confidence and self-esteem. Children are guided through each activity, to make sure they achieve maximum enjoyment and awareness. All children will learn and react to each activity in a different way and parent’s notes give advice on how to encourage children to embrace mindfulness in the modern world. Each specially designed activity is flexible for each child’s needs and inspires them to seek calmness and tranquility in all situations.” (Catalogue).

Aroha’s Way.

“”Nau mai, hoake tātou ko Aroha, i a ia e kaupare ana i te taiatea, i te mataku, i te māharahara, me te anipā, ki ana tukanga māmā ka taea e te katoa.” From award-winning New Zealand author, Craig Phillips, creator of The Adventures of Jack Scratch and Giants, Trolls, Witches, Beasts (winner of the Russell Clark Award for Illustration at the New Zealand Book Awards 2018). Aroha’s Way is a beautiful, descriptive and relatable book – an important book – helping children to normalise, understand and even develop their own tools for dealing with their feelings.” (Catalogue) Also available in Te Reo.

How do I feel? : a dictionary of emotions for children : with 60+ definitions to help children identify and understand their emotions.

“A dictionary of emotions for children ; with 60 definitions to help children identify and understand their emotions. Includes parent/teacher notes.” (Catalogue)

Mindfulness activities for kids (and their grown-ups) : learn calm, focus, & gratitude for a lifetime.

“Mindfulness Activities Kids can do with their Grown-ups to be Focused, Peaceful, and Grateful together! Mindfulness reduces anxiety and stress, improves focus, and creates calm—all attributes parents want for their kids. But what’s the best way to teach it to your child? Mindfulness Activities for Kids (And Their Grown-ups) provides 40 mindfulness activities for you and your child to do together, so you both reap the benefits as you develop a deeper connection.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Just breathe : meditation, mindfulness, movement, and more.

“For kids ages 8 to 12, this is an accessible and fun meditation how-to book filled with full-color illustrations, written by Mallika Chopra. Meditation and Mindfulness for Kids is a fun and accessible, fully illustrated go-to meditation guide written by none other than Mallika Chopra, wellness expert and the daughter of Deepak Chopra. For kids ages 8 to 12, this book is full of specific exercises to help deal with day-to-day challenges and tips to lead a healthier, happier, and more connected life. With a foreword written by Deepak Chopra, this will be the go-to book for kids who want to learn more about mindfulness and meditation.” (Catalogue)

Crafting calm : art and activities for mindful kids.

“In Crafting Calm : Art and Activities for Mindful Kids, kids engage in and practice mindfulness through fun and easy exercises, crafts, and activities, with the goal of learning a deeper sense of calm, peace, joy, and connection to the world around them, all while improving emotional intelligence, boosting self-esteem, and reducing anxiety.” (Catalogue)

For more books about mindfulness, click here.

Picture Books: New Releases in October 2021!

Katie5 October, 2021

Spring is around the corner! Why not spring on down to Wellington City Libraries for some new children’s picture books to keep you amused . So what are you waiting for? Go down to your local branch and borrow the following books:

Outfoxed.

“Harold is unlike any other fox. He hates eating chicken, for one thing. He much prefers reading detective novels. When Harold’s father challenges him to catch a chicken as part of his initiation into adulthood, Harold is faced with a dilemma–should he obey his father and endanger the chicken’s life, or do what his heart tells him is right? The latest title from award-winning illustrator Claudia Boldt, Outfoxed introduces a smart, independent-minded character in Harold the fox and is sure to become a bedtime favorite.” (Catalogue).

Attack of the Giant Baby.

“This is a book about a baby destroying his sister’s make-believe play from the perspective of the castle’s occupants. A Giant Baby has been spotted in the kingdom! Summon the special advisors. Send out the knights in shining armour. Let loose the monster-size bear!” (Catalogue).

A shelter for sadness.

“A small boy creates a safe space for his sadness, a shelter where it can curl up small, or be as big as it can be, where it can be noisy or quiet, or anything in between. The boy can visit the shelter every day, sometimes every hour and he knows that one day Sadness may come out of the shelter and they will look at the beautiful world together”–Back cover.

Stop that dinosaur!

“I was in my Granny’s kitchen eating extra-special cake, when the walls began to tremble and the roof began to SHAKE. KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! Ring! Ring! Ring! Oh MY – a dino’s at the door. And now it’s taken Granny … SOMEONE STOP THAT DINOSAUR! Chase down the GRAN-NAPPING brontosaurus in this rollicking, rhyming, ROAR-some romp. Can you catch the naughty dinosaur and get back to Granny’s house before Mum comes home at six o’clock?”–Provided by publisher.

Different : a great thing to be!

“This joyful rhyming book encourages children to value the “different” in all people, leading the way to a kinder world in which the differences in all of us are celebrated and embraced. Macy is a girl who’s a lot like you and me, but she’s also quite different, which is a great thing to be. With kindness, grace, and bravery, Macy finds her place in the world, bringing beauty and laughter wherever she goes and leading others to find delight in the unique design of every person.” (Catalogue). Also available as an eBook.

Bodies are Cool.

“From the acclaimed creator of Dancing at the Pity Party and Roaring Softly, this picture book is a pure celebration of all the different human bodies that exist in the world. Highlighting the various skin tones, body shapes, and hair types is just the beginning in this truly inclusive book. With its joyful illustrations and encouraging refrain, it will instill body acceptance and confidence in the youngest of readers. “My body, your body, every different kind of body! All of them are good bodies! BODIES ARE COOL!” (Catalogue).

Don’t hug Doug (he doesn’t like it).

“Doug doesn’t like hugs. He thinks hugs are too squeezy, too squashy, too squooshy, too smooshy. He doesn’t like hello hugs or goodbye hugs, game-winning home run hugs or dropped ice cream cone hugs, and he definitely doesn’t like birthday hugs. He’d much rather give a high five–or a low five, a side five, a double five, or a spinny five. Yup, some people love hugs; other people don’t. So how can you tell if someone likes hugs or not? There’s only one way to find out: Ask Because everybody gets to decide for themselves whether they want a hug or not.” (Catalogue).

Some great new kids fiction for Term 2!

admin7 May, 2018

Term 2 is well under way, so take some time to sit back, relax and enjoy some of these fantastic new kids fiction books available through your local library!

Stanley will probably be fine by Sally J Pla

After fainting during a school assembly, Stanley uses his time in a safe room to begin drawing a comic book superhero and then enters a treasure hunt so that he can win passes to Comic Fest.

Stonebird By Mike Revell

When ten-year-old Liam moves house to be closer to his dementia-suffering grandma, he’s thrown into an unfamiliar place, with a family that seems to be falling apart. Liam doesn’t remember what his grandma was like before she became ill. He only knows the witch-like old woman who snaps and snarls and eats her birthday cards. He wants to fix it, but he can’t. Walking his dog one day, Liam discovers an old stone gargoyle in a rundown church, and his life changes in impossible ways. The gargoyle is alive. It moves unseen in the night, acting out Liam’s stories. And stories can be dangerous things…Seeking revenge against the bullies at his new school, Liam tells a story about the gargoyle attacking them. When one of them ends up in hospital, a regretful Liam vows never to go near the gargoyle again. But his grandma’s illness is getting worse, his mum isn’t coping, and his sister is skipping school…What if the gargoyle is the only thing that can save Liam’s family?

The wishmakers by Tyler Whitesides

Ace unwittingly releases a genie from a peanut butter jar and gets unlimited wishes that he must learn to use with their consequences before all the world’s cats and dogs turn into zombies who will eat mankind.

The short but brilliant career of Lucas Weed by Chrissie Walker

“Lucas Weed hasn’t really made any friends at his new school, so when the ‘cool kids’ suggest he carry out a prank in class, Lucas thinks it might be his path to being accepted. And when the pranks keep getting more and more outrageous – and with videos uploaded to YouTube – Lucas Weed’s popularity soars! But after an embarrassing stunt that doesn’t quite go according to plan – in front of a very important person – Lucas decides it’s time to call it a day. But how?”–Publisher information.

Nothings fair in fifth grade by Barthe De Clements

A fifth grade class, repelled by the overweight new student who has serious home problems, finally learns to accept her.

Cave bear mountain by Jo Sandhu

At Cave Bear Mountain, Tarin is given tragic news about his Clan, and wants to return to them immediately. But Kaija and Luuka have discovered an astonishing truth about their mother. It seems the friends will be divided. But when the wolf cubs are kidnapped to fight in the Bear Festival. Only together will they have a chance of saving them.

Star friends: Secret spell by Linda Chapman

“Do you believe in magic? Maia and her friends do! And when they meet the Star Animals, a whole world of magical adventure unfolds. Lottie and her star animal, a squirrel called Juniper, must use their special powers to stop the forces of dark magic. Someone in the village is using dark magic and the Star Friends need to work together to figure it out who it is. But things keep going wrong! Sita is convinced a Shade is following her, Lottie is sure she’s going to fail her piano exam and Ionie thinks the others don’t want to be her friends. Only Maia seems her usual self. She needs to find out what is happening and how to stop it! Perfect for fans of My Secret Unicorn and The Rescue Princesses, and for Rainbow Magic readers looking to move on to a more challenging adventure.” –Publisher description.

Wings of fire; a winglets collection by Tui T Sutherland

“In Pyrrhia, every dragon has a story … Before the dragonets, beyond the war of the SandWing queens — the dragons of Pyrrhia each have their own story to tell. Like Fierceteeth, stuck in a SandWing prison, obsessed and full of thwarted ambition. Deathbringer, at the very beginning of his journey, desperate to prove himself. And Six-Claws, a loyal SandWing who will soon find out that loyalty comes with a price. Fly further into the dangerous territories of Pyrrhia than ever before to learn the secrets behind Wings of fire”.