Margaret M. Holmes

I cried so bad by the end omg ;-;

The Hurt:
He saw the bad thing. He tried to forget it, and it worked for some time but it became harder and harder to forget. He would feel sad, lonely, and scared for no reason. He would have very bad dreams. He wouldn't feel hungry or have headaches. He felt angry from how he felt and hurt others for it. He felt bad for getting in trouble.

The Heal:
He was given a school counselor. They talked while playing games and it felt nice. He was asked to draw how he felt. He drew his anger, his fear, the bad dreams and eventually drew the bad thing he saw. He told the counselor everything and was told that he was strong for what he said. He felt better once his feelings were out.

Key Takeaways:
-The bad thing would've still happened, but you'll feel better once it's out.
-It's not your fault that the bad thing happened.… (mehr)

Goodreads Review:
Sherman Smith saw the most terrible thing happen. At first he tried to forget about it, but soon something inside him started to bother him. He felt nervous for no reason. Sometimes his stomach hurt. He had bad dreams. And he started to feel angry and do mean things, which got him in trouble. Then he met Ms. Maple, who helped him talk about the terrible thing that he had tried to forget. Now Sherman is feeling much better. This gently told and tenderly illustrated story is for children who have witnessed any kind of violent or traumatic episode, including physical abuse, school or gang violence, accidents, homicide, suicide, and natural disasters such as floods or fire. An afterword by Sasha J. Mudlaff written for parents and other caregivers offers extensive suggestions for helping traumatized children, including a list of other sources that focus on specific events.… (mehr)