Bibliotherapy 1

7/21/2019 Bibliotherapy 1

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LGA3101

BIBLIOTHERAPY

A library is the hospital for the mind-

anonymous -


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Bibliotherapyis an expressive therapy that uses an

individuals relati!nship t! the "!ntent !#$!!%s and p!etry and !ther &ritten&!rds as therapy '

is the sharing of "are#ully sele"tedliterature &ith a "hild #!r the purp!se !#

helpin( the "hild &!r% thr!u(h a t!u(hsituati!n.


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BibliotherapyThe basic concept behind bibliotherapy is that

readin( is a healin( experien"e'

Children will be able to identi#y&ith thepr!$le)s!# the "hara"ters and "an &!r%thr!u(h th!se pr!$le)s $y "!nne"tin( t!the text.

They can then see h!& they are n!t al!ne and

&!r% t!&ards understandin( and res!lvin(the pr!$le) !r situati!n'

Sources can be any form of text including books,magaines, and poetry.


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Bibliotherapycan help a child a"hieve *el#+A"tuali,ati!n

by assistin( &ith issues dealin( &ithsa#ety- l!ve and $el!n(in(- and estee).

can gi!e children the "!n.den"ethey needto deal with anything that comes their way.

also gi!es parents an opportunity to discuss it

with their children and "nd out what is goingon.


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Bibliotherapycan consist solely of reading, or it can be

complemented with discussionor playacti!ity.

A child might be asked to draw a scene fromthe book or asked whether commonality is feltwith a particular character in the book.

The book can be used to draw out a child on a

sub#ect $s%he has been hesitant to discuss.


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&oals of using

Bibliotherapy'identify and !alidate children(s feelings)

realie that other children ha!e problems

similar to their own)stimulate discussion)

foster thought and self-awareness)

disco!erpossible coping skills and solutions)

anddecide on a constructi!e course of action.


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Bene"ts of BibliotherapyBibliotherapy can addressa number of di*erent

needs a child may ha!e in dealing with di+culty

Some needs can be addressed better thanothers.

The su""ess !# $i$li!therapy depends !nthe "hild, the pr!$le), and the situati!nin&hi"h $i$li!therapy is used'

The bene"ts include in#!r)ati!n, )utuality,e)pathy, !pti!ns #!r a"ti!n, and therea/r)ati!n !# li#e'


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Bene"ts of Bibliotherapy1' In#!r)ati!n

A child can gather a""urateand relia$leinformation in a su$tle and unthreatenin()anner.

t pro!ides a base of knowledge about therealities !# the &!rldthat they can rely on.

t can destr!y )yths- )is"!n"epti!ns and

untruths that a child may ha!e about certainissues $see the problem in its properperspecti!es% thus helping them to sol!e theproblem better.


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Bene"ts of Bibliotherapy' utuality 2the experien"e !# sharin(

isco!ering, through books, that !thers

share the sa)e pr!$le) redu"es thesense !# is!lati!n.

A child realises that he/she is not the onlyperson with a particular problem and this

helps the) in "!pin( &ith that pr!$le)'


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Bene"ts of Bibliotherapy3' E)pathy 2the a$ility t! share #eelin(s

!# an!ther individual

Children learn !# their !&n &!rthand !#the &!rth !# !thers, e!en others who maynot be like themsel!es.

Building empathy $e(ins &ith seein(

!thers as hu)an $ein(s &ith needssi)ilar t! !ur !&n.


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Bene"ts of Bibliotherapy4' Opti!ns #!r A"ti!n

Books pro!ide opportunities to !$serve

h!& !thers vie& a pr!$le)' They expl!re vari!us atte)pts $y

"hara"ters t! res!lve that pr!$le).

Through books, children come to realise

that there are alternative &ays #!rdealin( &ith a pr!$le).

Children can learn that "h!i"es "an $e)ade in regard to most things in life.


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Bene"ts of Bibliotherapy5' Rea/r)ati!n !# Li#e

Children need to know and understand althoughthey may ha!e problems, there are some truly

$eauti#ul thin(s a$!ut li#e.

This may not eliminate the problem but mayhelp t! put it in perspe"tive'

Children need to tal% a$!ut the #ears they

ha!e in regarding some of the things they ha!eseen.

They can a/r) the p!sitive aspe"ts !# theirexisten"e by reading books.


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Bene"ts of Bibliotherapy0ith !arious confrontations they see in the worldtoday,

it is important to pr!)!te n!n+vi!lent$ehavi!ur in

children. Bruce . 1erry $2334% suggests six corestrengths to foster non-!iolent beha!iour

being a friend

thinkingbefore acting

#oiningand contributingto a group thinking about the needsof others

accepting the di*erences of others

respectingyourself and others


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0hen to use

Bibliotherapy'Anytime a child is dealing with a tough

situation5

- i!orce- eath

- 6o!ing

- Bullying

- Special health needs- 7eeling di*erent

- 1re#udice/8nderstanding di*erent cultures


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0hen to use

Bibliotherapy'Bibliotherapeutic inter!ention may beundertaken for many reasons

$4% to de!elop an indi!idual9s self-concept)

$2% to increase an indi!idual9s understanding ofhuman

beha!iour or moti!ations)

$:% to foster an indi!idual9s honest self-appraisal)

$;% to pro!ide a way for a person to "nd interests

outside of self)

$


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0hen to use

Bibliotherapy' $=% to show an indi!idual that he or she is notthe "rst

or only person to encounter such a problem)

$>% to show an indi!idual that there is more thanone

solutionto a problem)

$?% to help a person discuss a problem morefreely) and

$@% to help an indi!idual plan a constructi!ecourse of

actionto sol!e a problem.


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0ays to use

Bibliotherapyarge or small group read aloud

&i!en to a child for independent reading

Story on C in the listening centerecommend to parentto read and discuss

with child

iterature circles $group according to content

for discussion%Anytime a child is dealing with a tough

situation5


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0ays to use

Bibliotherapy6any series deal with situations appropriate

for bibliotherapy.


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0ays to use

Bibliotherapy6any authors ha!e books useful in bibliotherapy such as

1atricia 1olacco.

Patri"ia Bar$er P!la""!$b. uly 44, 4@;;, ansing,

6ichigan% is the author and illustrator of numerous picturebooks for children.

She struggled in school because she was unable to readuntil age 4; due to dyslexia) she found relief by expressingherself through art.

1olacco endured teasing and hid her disability until aschoolteacher recognised that she could not read andbegan to help her.

Der book Thank You, Mr. Falkeris 1olacco9s retelling of thisencounter and its outcome.


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Dow to pick the right

book'dentifythe problem.

Select literature rele!ant to the problem.

Da!e a main character that the child canidentify with $similar age, gender, situation%

The text should be age appropriate andculturally sensiti!e.

Text and pictures should be free of pre#udiceand stereotypes.


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Book SuggestionsBeing di*erent from the rest of your class makes you uniEue. e.g.Billy Ba"% t! 6r!nt by Sam 6cCullen$Dodder%

F!erybody in Billy(s !illage knows him because Billy is

di*erent. That makes e!eryone else laugh but not Billy - allhe wants is one day of not feeling di*erent. Delp is seeminglyat hand when he encounters 6aurice the 6agician and hismagic mirror. The mirror gi!es Billy a chance to see things inanother way G e!en his di*erence.Sam 6cCullen(s idiosyncratic mixed media artistic style is

perfect for the character he has created and will make thisdistincti!e book appeal across a wide age range. Hi!e ladi*erence5


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Book SuggestionsA good book for explaining that e!eryone has

a bad day.

F.g.Alexander and the Terri$le- H!rri$le-

7! G!!d- 8ery Bad 9ay


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Alexander and the Terri$le- H!rri$le- 7! G!!d-

8ery Bad 9ay7rom the moment Alexander wakes up with gum in his hair,

things #ust don9t go Alexander9s way. 0hen Alexander gets out

of bed, he trips on the skateboard and drops his sweater into

the sink while the water was running. At breakfast, Alexander9s

brothers, Anthony and Iick reach into their cereal boxes and

"nd amaing pries while Alexander ends up with cereal.6any

bad things happen to him that day and at bedtime, his

nightlight burns out, he bites his tongue, Iick takes back a

pillow, and the family cat chooses to sleep with Anthony. Iowonder Alexander wants to mo!e to Australia.The book ends

with 6om9s assurance that e!erybody has bad days, e!en

people who li!e in Australia.


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Book SuggestionsBooks to help a child deal with mo!ing.

e.g.:e;re !vin(

Amy, a preschooler, doesn9t want to mo!eand feels angry as she says good-bye to herbest friend and to the garden she planted withher dad. After some time, she starts to feel

better, putting her things into her new room,planting a new garden with her father andmaking new friends.


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Book SuggestionsBooks to help children understand di!orce.

e.g.At 9addys !n *aturdays By LindaWalvoord Girard This is a story about a young girl namedJatie whose parents are going through adi!orce. eal emotions are wo!en throughoutthe story - like the boredom Jatie sometimes

feels when she !isits her dad, and her fears thathe might soon forget their !isits. This is awonderful story for introducing and discussingthe fears a child may ha!e.


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Book Suggestionst(s KJ to be scared. e.g


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Book Suggestions6aking new friendsN

e.g. a%in( 7e& 6riends is a book that capti!ateschildren and makes them want to read5 A boy named

T mo!es into a new neighbourhood and lea!es his oldfriends behind. espite his mother9s encouragement,he is hesitant about meeting the boys across thestreet at the park. 0hile playing with one of themo!ing boxes, T is surprised when the box comes to

life. Browny explains that he is there because of T9simagination and wants to be his friend. Children $andtheir parents% will en#oy disco!ering how Browny helps

T de!elop self-con"dence and make new friends.


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Book SuggestionsDow to deal with bullies.

e.g.Oliver Button Is a Sissy> Over"!)in(Bullyin(

This children9s picture book written and illustrated byTomie de1aola, is the story of a boy who stands up tobullies, not by "ghting, but by staying true tohimself. Based on the childhood experiences of

Tomie de1aola, it is a simple story.


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Kli!er Button doesn(t like sports like the other boys do.De likes

to read, draw pictures, dress up in costumes, and singand

dance. t hurts his feelings when the other boys makefun of

him. Kne day when he arri!es at school, he sees thatsomeone

has written on the school wall, MKli!er Button is asissy.M espite

the teasing and other bullying, Kli!er continues dancelessons.

n fact, he increases his practice time in hopes ofwinning the

big talent show. Although Kli!er hopes to win and doesnot,


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Book Suggestionscan be used to help change unacceptable beha!iours such as

teasing or lying.

e.g.The B!y &h! "ried :!l# 2Aes!p;s 6a$les

The tale concerns a shepherd boy who tricks nearby!illagers into thinking a wolf is attacking his Oock. De

repeats this so many times that when the sheep are actually

confronted by a wolf, the !illagers do not belie!e his cries for

help and the Oock is destroyed. The moral at the end of the&reek !ersion is that 9the story shows that this is how liars are

rewarded e!en if they tell the truth, no one belie!es them.9


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iteraturecan help children understand that all families are special including their own.

e.g. a)a L!ves e 6r!) A&ay- by 1. Brisson.

This is a child9s story of !isiting an incarcerated parent. The warm, "rst-

person narrati!e and realistic double-page art show the lo!ing bondbetween Sugar and her single-parent mom, as Sugar remembers 6ama9s

lo!ing stories about the #oy of Sugar9s birth--on 6ama9s own birthday.

Sugar now li!es with &rammy, and they tra!el e!ery Sunday on three long

bus rides to !isit 6ama. 7or their shared birthday, 6ama makes Sugar a gift

book full of the stories Sugar remembers. There9s no mention of 6ama9s

crime or of the length of her sentence) the focus is on the sadness of the

separation. Children who know this world, as well as those who don9t, will

be mo!ed by the longing in the close-up of the parent and child9s warm

embrace in the room crowded with other !isiting families.


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iteraturecan help children learn to understand a

medical diagnosis by reading about anotherperson who shares that disease or disorder. tis helpful to know that they are not the onlyones with a special need or condition.

F.g.Little Tree> A *t!ry #!r ?hildren &ith*eri!us edi"al Pr!$le)s $y @!y"e ?'ills


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Little Tree> A *t!ry #!r ?hildren &ith *eri!us edi"al

Pr!$le)s

Kne night, during a terrible storm, ittle Tree9s branches

are hurt. Der friend Amanda the sEuirrel calls upon the

Tree 0iards of the 7orest to help, and they explain that they

will ha!e to remo!e ittle Tree9s branches in order to sa!e her

life. 0ith Amanda9s help, ittle Tree learns to accept her new,changed self. Chesworth9s illustrations pro!ide a magical

backdrop to this mo!ing story. t is based on the story of a

ittle girl the author met, who had to undergo multiple

amputations.

This inspiring healing story is intended for children withpermanent, life-changing in#uries or illness who will learn coping

techniEues such as !isualiation and relaxation exercises. ncludes

a MIote for 1arentsM section.


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Some suggestionsNTourette Syndrome Sensory 1rocessing isordere.g. Tic Talk: Living With Tourette Syndrome:A 9-Year-Old

Boy's Sory in !is O"n Wordsby ylan 1eters, illustrated by

Pachary 0endland, painted by Jris Taft 6iller)


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Some suggestionsN K!ercoming physical limitationsNF.g. !ses G!es t! a ?!n"ert$y Isaa" ill)an

A class of deaf children attends an orchestral concert' This leads to a

re!elation that the ability to hear is not a prereEuisite for en#oyingmusic. Dolding

balloons that their teacher passes out to help them Mfeel the music,M6oses and his

classmates are thrilled to pick up the !ibrations. Afterward, they !isitwith the

orchestra9s deaf percussionist, who, intriguingly, performs in stockingfeet so she,

too, can feel the beat. She lets the students play her instruments and,using American

Sign anguage $precisely illustrated in easy-to-read diagrams%, explainshow she

worked hard to achie!e her career goal. She explains to the children

how she


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Some suggestionsNife threatening food allergies can be scary for a child.

These books help explain food allergies, as well as pro!ide ways to keepa child safe.

They also pro!ide support by showing that the child is not alone.

e.g.One of the Gang: Nurturing the Souls of Children With ood!llergiesby &ina ClowesDelping young children understand what it means to ha!e food allergies

without scaring them silly is a tough line to walk. This sweet picture book

by &ina Clowes of Allergy 6oms discusses some of the downside of

ha!ingto watch what you eat, but emphasies all the great things food-alllergic

children #ando with their friends -- and in life, too, with some famous

food-allergic adults pitching in. t applies a gentle approach to explaining

disabilities and life issues to children.

Rude Mule


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Some suggestionscan be humorous5

e.g. 1amela Fdwards, illustrated by BarbaraIascimbeni

?an a little $!y &ith i)pe""a$le etiuette and a very rude)ule en!y an a#tern!!n t!(etherCWha "ould you do i$ a %ule kno#ked on your door one day and said,&'ve #o%e $or lun#h&( You'd say, &!ello) *o%e in, Mule.&But what if the mule was !ery badly beha!ed'

This extremely funny story shows young readers exactly how to

handle such a situation. 0onderfully bold and bright illustrations anda child-in-charge perspecti!e make this a tale of manners that e!enthe rudest will en#oy.


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Some suggestions

8nderstanding culturesN

ts hard to be the only child without a Christmastree in ecember.

F.g. The H!use :ith!ut a ?hrist)as Tree by&ail ock


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F.g. The H!use :ith!ut a ?hrist)as Tree by &ail ock

The loss of a lo!ed one is ne!er easy and memoriesoften make the

holiday season especially di+cult. Addie lost her mother whenshe was

!ery young and, while she sometimes yearns for her mother,she is a happy

well-ad#usted ten-year old who wants nothing more than toha!e a

Christmas tree in the li!ing room. Addie9s father absolutelyrefuses to

ha!e a Christmas tree in the house, but o*ers no explanationfor his

stubborn resol!e which leads Addie to Euestion his moti!esand his lo!e

for her. t falls to Addie9s &randmother to explain that herfather is still

immersed in grief o!er the loss of his wife and that thememories of


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e.g. of multiculturalbook

D7! En(lishD is all that Blanca, the new girl from

Argentina, says. She spends her time drawing picturesinstead of doing class work, and that hardly seems fair tosecond-grader iane. Kne misunderstanding follows anotheruntil iane begins to see how afraid Blanca must feel intheir classroom. Their teacher, 6rs. Bertram, helps her classunderstand that Mdi*erentM is #ust di*erent, not strange orweird. She encourages the students to learn about Blanca9shome country. iane must make things right, but how willshe do that when they don9t speak the same language'&reat for F7 children5


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7ollow up acti!ities6any acti!ities can enhance the e*ecti!eness of thetext.

raw a picturerelated to the text.

0rite what happens to the characters next.1erform a puppet show.

0rite a songabout how the character feels.

0rite a poemabout the sub#ect matter.

ewritethe story from another character(s !iewpoint.iscuss other ways the characters could ha!e

handled the situation. 0hat could they ha!e donebetter' Dow would you ha!e handled the situation.


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Jeep in mind N8se caution when dealing with contro!ersialsub#ect matter $drugs, sexuality, incarceration%

Qou might meet some resistance.

Become familiar with the text before sharing itwith a child.

earn about the child and what they need.


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6ore suggestionsNn a school setting, read to a small group ofchildren as to not single an indi!idual child out.

Bibliotherapy is meant to be therapeutic5

&ood luck helping our children o!ercome theirproblems5


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BibliographySawyer, 0.F. $233@%. Gro"in+ u "ih Lieraure hed./.Iew Qorkelmar

Tomlinson, C.6. $2332%. 0ssenials o$ *hildren1s lieraure2hed./. BostonAllyn R Bacon

All book co!er pictures were retrie!ed frombarnesandnoble.com

www.best-childrens-books.com/bibliotherapy.html

www.childrens-beha!ior-book.html $pro!ides a place towrite your own personalied bibliotherapy story%

www.indiana.edu/reading/ieo/digests/d?2.html

http//maxweber.hunter.cuny.edu/pub/eres/FS1C>4


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Adapted fromBarbara . ripps-0ilson &raduate StudentSlippery ock 8ni!ersity Teacher/7amilyFducator Bea!er County Dead Start

Bibliotherapy 1

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