Recommended Reading
Jacob’s Hope is a quarterly prevention newsletter published by Gundersen NCPTC and JWRC. It features the latest information on safety and prevention topics, to help keep frontline professionals on the cutting edge of prevention.
It is important for parents and caregivers to find opportunities to sit down with their children and teens to have connecting conversations about safety and making healthy choices. It can feel overwhelming if you aren’t exactly sure what and how to have a conversation about personal safety. Look over the recommended reading list to help choose books that your family would feel comfortable using to begin the conversations. There are books for different ages on the theme of personal safety. Your child or teen may not remember every word, but they will remember that you care about safety and are willing to have some of those hard conversations. Set the tone now for proactive, positive conversations with your kids and teens.
Don’t see a resource you’d recommend? Let us know.
Jacob's Hope
Volume 1, Issue 3: Educating to Prevent: Sexting
Volume 3, Issue 1: Understanding and Preventing Child Sexual Abuse: A Primer for Parents and Caretakers
Volume 2, Issue 1: Suffer the Children: Developing Effective Church Policies on Child Maltreatment
Volume 1, Issue 1: Help for All Parents: Improving Parenting and Preventing Child Maltreatment with the Act Against Violence Program
“I Can Play it Safe” by Alison Feigh***
(Teaching kids about personal safety without making the world a scary place)
“On Those Runaway Days” by Alison Feigh***
(Steps for children to take when life seems overwhelming)
“My Body Belongs To Me” by Jill Starishevsky
(A book for children about their bodies. It assures children it is okay to tell)
“The Runaway Bunny” by Margaret Wise Brown
(Providing children with a sense of security)
“I Can Make A Difference: A Treasury to Inspire Our Children” by Marian Wright Edelman
(A compilation of stories from a variety of cultures about children making the world a better place)
“It’s My Body” by Lory Freeman
(A book for young children on what to do about uncomfortable touches)
“A Very Touching Book” by J. Hindman
(What to do if there is “secret” touching; introduces and uses correct terms for genitals)
“Amazing You: Getting Smart About Your Private Parts” by Gail Saltz
(Basic body awareness for small children)
“Your Body Belongs To You” by Cornelia Spelman
(Suitable for young children; body ownership and touching)
“My Body is Private” by Linda Walvoord Girard and Rodney Pate
(Giving children ownership of their bodies)
“I Promise I’ll Find You” by Heather Patricia Ward
(Comforting; how a child is found if lost or separated from parents)
“My Body is Special and Belongs to Me!” by Sally Berenzweig and Cherie Benjoseph
(The conversation all parents want to have with their children about safe touch, body boundaries, secrets and the importance of their Circle of Safe Adults. Includes section for adults.) For Ages 4 through 10
“Jack Teaches His Friends to Be Kidsafe!” by Sally Berenzweig and Cherie Benjoseph
(An introduction to the KidSafe Language of Safety – allowing children and parents to open up the dialogue regarding making safe and smart choices and their personal safety.) For ages 5 through 11
“Life Freaks Me Out and then I Deal With It” by K.L. Hong
(Personal memoir about being a teenager and lessons learned along the way)
“Silver” by Norma Fox Mazer
(Fiction book about a junior high student who has a friend disclose sexual abuse)
“Katie.com” by Katherine Tarbox
(A teenager’s story about her own experience with Internet exploitation)
“Connect 5” by Kathleen Kimball-Baker, Forward by Patty Wetterling
(The importance of caring mentors in teenagers lives)
This Hurts Me More Than It Hurts You: In Words and Pictures” by Nadine A. Block, with Madeleine Y. Gomez
(Children share how spanking hurts and what to do instead)
“The Bully, The Bullied, and The Bystander: From Pre-school to High School – How Parents and Teachers Can Help Break the Cycle of Violence” by Barbara Coloroso
(Tool for parents and teachers to prevent bullying in their homes & schools)
“The Gift of Fear” by Gavin De Becker
(How to use your gut instinct and intuition to keep you safe from harm)
“Protecting the Gift: Keeping Children and Teenagers Safe and Parents Sane” by Gavin De Becker
(How to help nurture your child’s gut instinct as a protective factor – suitable for teens and parents)
“How to Talk so Kids will Listen and Listen so Kids Will Talk” by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish
(Tested strategies to use for better parent/child communication)
“Dads and Daughters: How to Inspire, Understand, and Support Your Daughter” by Joe Kelly
(Guidance for Fathers on how to be a strong support for their daughters)
“Tag You’re It! 50 Easy Ways to Connect with Young People” by Kathleen Kimball-Baker
(Commonsense ideas for supporting young people in your community)
“Parents Preventing Abuse” by Dr. Jaime Romo
(E-book that guides parents to mitigate the conditions that allow child sexual abuse and prevent abuse of their children. This title is available on Kindle, Lulu, and ibooks)
“Why DO They Act That Way? A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain” by David Walsh, Ph.D.
(Explains the biological changes in a teen’s brain during adolescence and how a parent can use that information to stay better connected to their teen)
“NO: Why Kids—of All Ages—Need to Hear It and Ways Parents Can Say It” by David Walsh, Ph.D.
(How to set age-appropriate limits for your children while emphasizing a balanced parenting style)
“Queenbees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends and Other Realities of Adolescence” by Rosalind Wiseman
(A crash course on the challenges of being an adolescent girl with specific steps for parents to take to be a strong support during the tougher times)
