The Addiction Monster and the Square Cat by Sheryl Letzgus McGinnis
Pumpkin tells the story of Scotty Boy's fall into the drug world with sadness, but without the horrid details that addiction entails. It is an effective tool for families to talk about drug use and addiction. In an interview with McGinnis, she says, "Educate yourself about addiction. Learn what the latest techniques are for treating this brain disease. Understand that addiction is a legitimate brain disease. Don’t torture yourself with the what ifs and why didn’t I’s. You are not to blame for your child’s addiction. You can’t cure cancer so don’t torture yourself by thinking that you can cure addiction."
Like Clean, The Addiction Monster and the Square Cat is a one-of-a-kind. There a a few books about addiction for young children, but very few at this reading level. This book can be read by a young reader alone, but should be done in relation to either a program at a Library or a family reading night at home. It allows the reader to understand that addicts are not bad people. Addiction is a disease.
Tags: Children and Drugs Addiction Mental Health Autobiography Pet as Narrator
Another age group that is difficult to reach when talking about addiction is young children (preschool to age seven). Addiction is an abstract concept that is very scary for children. Follow to the next page to see a wonderful story to read to this particular age group.
