Bibliotherapy with Children
From Doll and Doll. 1997. Bibliotherapy with Young People. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited.
- Work with a child psychologist or school counselor. Get to know and understand the child/children before selecting materials. Don't assume you know and understand.
- Become familiar with good quality materials which show characters coping successfully with problems familiar to children.
- The indirect approach may well be best. (A child coping with parental divorce may not want to read about divorce. A story about an animal or child coping with loss of another kind may be better accepted.)
- The material should be realistic but should have a hopeful outcome. (No magical solutions!)
- The child should have an opportunity to share his/her reactions to the material with the librarian, media specialist, child psychologist, or school counselor.
Resources - Books
Anderson, Marcella F. Hospitalized Children and Books: A Guide for Librarians, Families, and Caregivers. 1992. 2d ed.
Brett, Doris. More Annie Stories: Therapeutic Storytelling Techniques. 1992. (Brett has also written Annie Stories, but it was out of print by the time I discovered it.)
Coon, Cheryl. Books to Grow With: A Guide to Using the Best Children's Fiction for Everyday Issues and Tough Challenges. 2004.
Crowley, Richard J. Cartoon Magic: How to Help Children Discover Their Rainbows Within. 1989.
Doll, Beth and Carol Doll. Bibliotherapy with Young People: Librarians and Health Professionals Working Together. 1997.
Gaffney, Maureen. Using Media to Make Kids Feel Good. 1988. (Another book from the perspective of working with children in hospitals.)
Hynes, Arleen McCarthy and Mary Hynes-Berry. Bibliotherapy The Interactive Process: A Handbook. 1986. (An important book on the basics of bibliotherapy.)
Livo, Norma J. Who's Afraid? Facing Children's Fears with Folktales. 1994.
Ziegler, Robert G. Homemade Books to Help Kids Cope: An Easy-to-Learn Technique for Parents and Professionals. 1992.
Resources - Links
Lutra Press - http://lutrapress.com
Lutra Press publishes a number of useful books, including Cheryl Coon's Books to Grow With. Click on Newsletter to see current and back issues of the Books to Grow With Newsletter. The Newsletter presents interviews with people involved in bibliotherapy as well as book lists.
Helping Books Connection - http://www.helpingbooks.lib.oh.us
This is a searchable database for bibliotherapy titles.
Bibliotherapy and Children's Books -
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/bibliotherapy.htm
Books to Help Young Children Cope in Today's World - http://www.clpgh.org/kids/booknook/bibliotherapy
Bibliotherapy Education Project - http://bibliotherapy.library.oregonstate.edu
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