This book was really insightful. It was different than anything I've read in the past. It really did impact my reading life in a positive way.

An important book for helping not just your tween and teen get through the rough years but also how to act yourself. I want to jump in and solve their problems for them but that will not help them learn and grow into strong adults. I think the book was repetitive but by design so the message sinks in. I dont recommend reading it in one sitting but over time as the issues arise and when you can talk about it with your kids.

This book is very direct and easy to understand, something I appreciate in a parenting book! There's a horrible irony in very long, academic books for people in critical-feeling situations who don't have a lot of time, but this book is to the point. While the advice it offers is quite scripted, the author also notes that there's an opportunity to pick out strategies from various scenarios and put something together that specifically fits one's child and the situation they are in.

Some of the advice may seem obvious, but when your child is in a situation where they need emotional resilience it can feel overwhelming so I do appreciate the reminder to get back to basics. I think this book will be helpful for parents wanting preemptive strategies for emotional resilience, and for those in the thick of it.

I was originally drawn to this book as a teacher who works with tweens, as well as a parent who will eventually having tweens/teens. A ton happens emotionally and developmentally during this time frame, and it can be an extremely formative time frame. I appreciated how this novel drew from individuals (now college-aged) who experienced challenges with bullying, social exclusion, and/or teasing during their tween/teen years.

I’m not going to lie, at times it felt extremely cookie cutter (for example, the dialogue between parent and child felt too scripted), but otherwise I was able to pull out quite a few strategies for how to approach socially challenging situations as a parent and educator. I liked the slight variety in scenarios; you could easily pick up this book and use whatever scenario is most applicable to your current situation. I did find some were very similar to each other, which could feel redundant at times.

One thing I did not agree with was the author’s statement that kids now a days use the term “bullying” very seriously. From my personal experience, I have noticed the opposite. I have had many conversations and lessons on what is the difference between being rude/nasty, mean, hurtful, and what is bullying. I have many students who yell “they’re bullying me” when one mean comment is said to them. Yet that is just my personal experience.