Teaching children how to manage their thoughts and words without interrupting.

Louis always interrupts! All of his thoughts are very important to him, and when he has something to say, his words rumble and grumble in his tummy, they wiggle and jiggle on his tongue and then they push on his teeth, right before he ERUPTS (or interrupts). His mouth is a volcano! But when others begin to interrupt Louis, he learns how to respectfully wait for his turn to talk.

My Mouth Is A Volcano takes an empathetic approach to the habit of interrupting and teaches children a witty technique to help them manage their rambunctious thoughts and words. Told from Louis' perspective, this story provides parents, teachers, and counselors with an entertaining way to teach children the value of respecting others by listening and waiting for their turn to speak.

Help Children with Worry and Anxiety

My stomach feels like it's tied up in a knot.

My knees lock up, and my face feels hot.

You know what I mean?

I'm Wilma Jean,

The Worry Machine.

Anxiety is a subjective sense of worry, apprehension, and/or fear. It is considered to be the number one health problem in America. Although quite common, anxiety disorders in children are often misdiagnosed and overlooked. Everyone feels fear, worry and apprehension from time to time, but when these feelings prevent a person from doing what he/she wants and/or needs to do, anxiety becomes a disability.

This fun and humorous book addresses the problem of anxiety in a way that relates to children of all ages. It offers creative strategies for parents and teachers to use that can lessen the severity of anxiety. The goal of the book is to give children the tools needed to feel more in control of their anxiety. For those worries that are not in anyone's control (i.e. the weather) a worry hat is introduced. A fun read for Wilmas of all ages!

Includes a note to parents and educators with tips on dealing with an anxious child.

Teach Kids About Being Dishonest and the Value of Telling the Truth

A storm is brewing... Whenever Levi doesn't like the truth, he kinda, sorta makes up other stuff to say. One day his mother explains to him that telling lies will damage the trust of his friends and make him very sad.

Whenever you tell a lie, your inside sun goes away.

Then a lying cloud forms, and glooms up your day.

Each time you tell a lie, another cloud starts to form,

and before you can stop it from happening, your insides start to storm.

This book is a great resource to help children understand not only the consequences of telling a lie, but also how one lie can often lead to telling several more. It will help parents and teachers understand that lying can be a normal and sometimes healthy response for a child and offers tools to help guide children toward truthfulness.

Help Tame Tempers and Control Anger

There goes Lester. Watch him fester.

His ears start to fizz. He gets mad as a griz.

His face turns red. He's a Soda Pop Head.

You just never know when Lester will blow.

His cap will go flying. If it hits you, you'll be crying,

so you'd better stay away from Lester today!

His real name is Lester, but everyone calls him "Soda Pop Head." Most of the time he's pretty happy, but when things seem to be unfair his ears gets hot, his face turns red and he blows his top! Lester's dad comes to his rescue by teaching him a few techniques to "loosen the top" and cool down before his fizz takes control.

Soda Pop Head will help your child control his/her anger while helping them manage stress. It's a must for the home or classroom.

A Picture Book About Finding Hope and Asking for Help When Feeling Sad or Depressed

HOPE is our children's window for a better tomorrow. In terms of resilience and well-being, hope is a critically important predictor of success. This creative story from the best-selling author of My Mouth is a Volcano!, and Bubble Gum Brain, reminds children that dark clouds can be temporary and asking for help is always okay. We all have times when we need to borrow a little hope from someone else.

When your clouds get too dark,

and too heavy to push away,

Reach out and ask, "Can I borrow some light?"

"I'm having a really bad day."

It's always okay to admit to yourself,

"I just can't do it today.

Everyone needs somebody sometimes,

to help them find their way."

Sometimes the dark clouds overhead seem too heavy and you feel like giving up. Little candle knows all about this. Bad grades, blasted on social media, worried about making the team, and wondering who her real friends are so many hard things to deal with! All she can see is darkness. But her story begins to change when someone notices she needs a boost of hope. As little candle is reminded she has purpose and her own unique gifts, and that she isn't the only one with dark clouds, her dim light begins to shine brighter.

This hopeful story emphasizes for children (and adults) the many different ways to ask for help, and their ability to be a hope builder for others, too.

Elementary school kids will identify with Noodle as he makes one excuse after another for his behavior and choices that lead to unwanted consequences. It just isn’t his fault that his brother’s game ran late, and he didn’t finish his homework. Or that his mom forgot to remind him to turn in his library book. By learning to accept responsibility he finds instead how to use mistakes as opportunities for problem-solving and to turn negatives into positives.

This first book in the new Responsible Me! Series, follows Noodle through a very rough day at school.

Kids of all ages can see themselves in Noodle and are able to relate to his thoughts, feelings, and emotions and he learns about taking responsibility for his actions.

Customer Review:

Most of Julia Cook's books state they are for 4-10 year old children. As the grandparent of a young teen with Asperger's, I'm here to say her books are usually the only way we can help him to understand whatever the current or new problem might be. We can talk about what he needs to say or do, but it seldom connects, as he will tune out and shut down during a parental lecture. These books have been a godsend. Speaking out of turn and/or interrupting... yep, there's one for that.Tattling, teasing, personal space, choices, responsibility, meltdowns, anxiety, worry, frustration, grief, attitude adjustment - one for each of those too. She has written so many wonderful, easy to read and comprehend, short books on social skills - the one trait so many Aspies share - I think we have purchased them all. Maybe she'll write a few books to help older teens and younger adults refine their social skills ... I'd buy them! - Vicki Cobb

Try something new and learn from your mistakes.

BECOMING is better than BEING.

I have Bubble Gum Brain. I like to chew on my thoughts, flex, bend and stretch my brain, and expand the way I think! I make great mistakes that help me learn.

I have Brick Brain. With me, things are the way they are...and they're probably not going to change much. I am the way I am...and that's just how it is.

Meet Bubble Gum Brain and Brick Brain: two kids with two VERY different mindsets. Bubble Gum Brain likes to have fun adventures, learn new things, and doesn't worry about making great mistakes. Brick Brain is convinced that things are just fine the way they are and there's not much he can do to change them, so why try?

When Bubble Gum Brain shows Brick Brain how to peel off his wrapper, Brick Brain begins to realize just how much more fun school...and life... can be!

This creative story teaches children (and adults) the valuable lesson that becoming is better than being, which can open the door to a whole new world of possibilities!

Ready, Get Mindset...GROW!!

'No' is RJ's least favorite word...and he tries his best to turn every 'No' into "Maybe" or "We'll see." Even though he doesn't have much success, RJ keeps arguing until his teacher suggests he try to join the Say YES to NO Club. If RJ can learn how to accept 'No' for an answer and to disagree appropriately, he can add his name to the club's Star Board.

Author Julia Cook helps Kindergarten through 6 grade readers laugh and learn along with RJ as he understands the benefits of demonstrating these social skills both at home and in school. This book is the second in Julia Cook's BEST ME I Can Be! series which teaches students that socials skills can make home life happier and school more successful.

A great gift for teachers, school counselors, and parents to help put an end to arguing or negotiating with kids by teaching them how to accept "No" for an answer.

Praise for I Just Don't Like the Sound of No!

An Insightful Story

"Julia Cook understands the hearts and minds of children, and their struggles to develop appropriate social responses. Her books tell a story with fun and imagination. Julia makes addressing bad habits an exciting adventure for growing and changing, for becoming emotionally and socially healthy young people!" - Diana Waggoner, Executive Director, The Kim Foundation

Love the Creativity of this Book!

"Julia Cook does it again! She uses her creative ideas to teach kids the skills they need to grow socially. This book teaches all people how to accept “No” for an answer in a non-threatening way. I’m excited to add this to my counseling library. Finally, the Boys Town Social Skill model is being brought to life and all of us will benefit from it." - Laurel Klaassen, M.A., School Counselor

A Picture Book About Death and Dying

Grief is like a snowflake. Each snowflake is different and everyone shows grief differently.

After the death of his father, Little Tree begins to learn how to cope with his feelings and start the healing process. With the help and support of his family and friends, Little Tree learns to cope by discovering what is really important in life, and realizing his father's memory will carry on. Best-selling author, Julia Cook, and a lovable cast of trees, offers a warm approach to the difficult subject of death and dying.

RJ learns that feedback is just information that can help him improve and grow...even if it is sometimes hard to hear.

Throughout this must-read story, RJ learns what it means to receive positive and negative feedback, and how to respond appropriately to that feedback.

Parents and teachers will love taking kids on RJ's journey as he discovers feedback's many forms, and learns to accept and grow from criticism and compliments at home, school and with friends.

This book includes tips for educators and parents.
Adults and kids alike will enjoy the humor as they read along and learn how to accept criticism and complements, and how to respond to each.

This book is a winner of the MOM's Choice Awards, Honoring Excellence.

Isabella is a spirited girl who enjoys shouting out her thoughts, ideas and feelings. In fact, she loves using her loud voice so much, it's earned her the nickname "Decibella!" Young readers will be entertained as they see how Isabella learns the "five volumes" of voice and discovers that different situations require different tone.

Award-winning author Julia Cook uses a fun, yet educational, style to show kids how and when to use their five voices - whisper, 6-inch, table-talk, strong speaker and outside.

A go-to book for teaching kids manners and developing social skills.

Great for children ages 5 - 11.

Fun Book!

This book is just so fun! I am working with a few students who struggle with understanding the difference between their indoor voice and outdoor voice. This book explains five different volumes as well as when they are appropriate. I also love that the author gives an example of a silly word to practice with. I have students use "Slurpadoodle" and practice saying it in their whisper voice, 6-inch voice, table talk voice, strong speaker voice and outside voice.

Heather, blogger @ schoolcounselingconnections.blogspot.com

Noodle thinks his life just stinks! Homework stinks. Practice stinks. And family pictures - they REALLY stink.

Norman David Edwards (Noodle) is having a series of rough days. And Noodle's attitude, or 'baditude' is alienating everyone around him.

Luckily, Noodle's mom and teacher are there to help him understand how his bad attitude, or baditude is affecting his mood and those around him. Even his friends are starting to avoid him!

If only he can stop looking at everything so negatively, maybe he can turn his frown into a smile.

Follow along as Noodle learns how to turn his 'have tos' into 'get tos' and his baditude into gratitude!

Tips for educators and parents are also included to help turn your child's attitude around.

If you are a parent or teacher of a pessimistic child, this is the book for you! Help your kids learn to turn their bad attitudes about homework, chores, or anything in life. Use the parent guide provided to teach optimism over pessimism.

Author Julia Cook's Responsible Me series is a wonderful resource for how to turn around bad behaviors. If your child needs additional support for behavior problems, be sure to check out the entire series!