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The Addiction Monster and the Square Cat by Sheryl Letzgus McGinnis
12016-12-04T12:21:31-08:00Joy Wohlman Boyce25d2c599a587d37adfbc3f0183489673ec22e174134424A book about addiction for childrenplain2016-12-04T19:06:42-08:00Joy Wohlman Boyce25d2c599a587d37adfbc3f0183489673ec22e174Recommended for ages 8-10, this 54-page book is "honest without being gruesome." Told from the perspective of the family cat, Pumpkin, the reader learns what happens to her Scotty Boy as he grows up and turns to and into the Addiction Monster. Pumpkin talks about how Scotty would hang out on The Square with his friends and he, and his brother, were very popular. They would play air guitar and text with their friends. Those were "The Good Times." Then, Scotty Boy started changing. Pumpkin did not understand. Scotty is a good boy-- care free, fun, loving... What is happening to him?
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.
This page has paths:
12016-12-03T19:11:21-08:00Joy Wohlman Boyce25d2c599a587d37adfbc3f0183489673ec22e174Introduction to Youth and AddictionJoy Wohlman Boyce6If adults do not understand, how can children understand...and cope?plain2016-12-10T16:21:27-08:00Joy Wohlman Boyce25d2c599a587d37adfbc3f0183489673ec22e174
