Book Review and Giveaway: Be Where Your Feet Are by Julia Cook

Enter to win a copy of Julia Cook’s Be Where Your Feet Are by “Liking” my School Counselor Stephanie Facebook page at this link AND then entering your email address at this link School Counselor Stephanie Enewsletter so I’m able to contact you if you win (and send you updates on the next book giveaway!) The giveaway is open to continental US residents. Entries close 12am Saturday, August 4. Winners will be randomly selected and then notified by email on Sunday, August 5. Good luck!

Mindfulness & Julia Cook

Last month’s post on mindfulness came as many of us were relaxing and enjoying our summer break- a time when practicing mindfulness might have been easy at home and unnecessary at school. Well, all that is about to change as the Back-to-School Season thunders down on us! So, in the hopes of reminding you to practice your own mindfulness and of giving you a tool to teach your students mindfulness, I’m writing my August post about the mindful-themed picture book, Be Where Your Feet Are, by Julia Cook.

Be Where Your Feet Are: A Visual & Mindful Delight!

Recently, I had the amazing opportunity to get my hands on a few advance copies of this book when Julia Cook’s publisher asked me to write a review. This is a heartwarming, uplifting, and informative story about using mindfulness to improve your life, as told from the perspective of a young boy with curly-Q legs. As the story opens, he faces setbacks when he is not mindful of his present situation, when he is not living the mindful mantra of “ be where your feet are”. He comes to realize that this is a problem for him while having a heart-to-heart talk with his mom after failing a math test. His mom explains mindfulness to him and gives him practical tips for always “being where your feet are”. As the boy changes his habits to focus on one thing at a time, he starts to feel better, be more successful, and even straighten out his legs! In typical Julia Cook style, an endearing plot twist comes at the end when the boy points out that his mom has developed her own case of curly-Q legs as she talks on her cell phone while cooking dinner.

There are so many wonderful aspects to Be Where Your Feet Are, that it is hard to know quite where to start! The poem and prose combination that is so characteristic of Julia Cook’s style is equally present and powerful here in this book. The quote, “Give yourself a mindful moment, and make your feet and brain a team” is so catchy and useful that I know I will teach it to my own students in guidance lessons and encourage them to make it their mantra this year. Jon Davis’ illustrations are lovely and add so much to the story- his images are sweet and fresh as he paints the students, teachers, and family in gentle hues of blues and greens, pinks and browns. The book includes a helpful segment on the basics of time management that make it a perfect candidate for a bibliotherapy-infused guidance lesson or group counseling session. And I really love that his mom is the one who gives him the mindful advice and instruction- thus showing the strength of the family. In just 31 pages, this powerhouse picture book also manages to address compassion and being considerate of others by giving them your full attention.

In conclusion, this delightful book just made my night as I read it with a cup of tea and some dark chocolate. I can’t wait to share it with my middle schoolers later this month as they start back to school. I encourage you to share with your students, of any age, as well! Happy reading!

Here are some links if you’d like more information on the book:

LINK TO BOOK: https://ncyi.org/product/be-where-your-feet-are/
LINK TO JULIA COOK: https://ncyi.org/about/julia-cook/

Newsy & Noteworthy

• Free monthly guidance lessons are coming! Starting the first week of August, I will be including a free guidance lesson in my monthly newsletter. Sign up here to get the newsletter and freebie guidance lesson every month.
• Our Facebook group, Mental Health Marketplace, is running all kinds of exciting weekly posts such as Freebie Fridays, Funny Meme Mondays, Self-Care Wednesdays, Current Events Thursdays, Latest-in-the-Literature Tuesdays, and more!   Join our group at this link to keep up with these fun and informative posts relating to the world of mental health!
• Here’s a full curriculum of 6 group counseling guides for your Back-to-School counseling needs. Click on the pictures below for more details or to order them!

  

Looking Ahead

That brings me to the end of this August book review post.  Please leave a comment because I’d love to hear about how you’d like to use Be Where Your Feet Are in your counseling program. Catch up with me again in September for my monthly counseling post that I share during the first weekend of every month!

In the meantime, you can find out about my latest promotions, free stuff, or counseling adventures by following me on my School Counselor Stephanie Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest pages!