Book Nook: Tips for Teens on Life and Social Success

I recently had a chance to review a book in the How to Make and Keep Friends series, Tips for Teens on Life and Social Success. Written by best-selling authors and social-emotional learning experts, Nadine Briggs, Director of Simply Social Kids, and Donna Shea, Founder of The Peter Pan Center for Social & Emotional Growth, this book is a well-written, knowledgeable resource for either the teen or adolescent struggling to figure things out, or one who's already well-adjusted that can refine and continue to improve their skills.

The book reads well for teens. It doesn't seem to talk down to them, yet the language is understandable for teens of all reading levels. It uses concrete examples that can apply to a variety of situations to illustrate tips on social drama, finding real friends, navigating relationships, balancing the rights of teens and their parents, and social media and cyberbullying.

Honestly, this is also a good book for those who are about to enter their teen years, to provide some proactive guidance on how to navigate common pitfalls. It works well as a book to read with your kid and discuss things; the tips are broad enough to fit into any set of family values, but parents can refine and add to them as they see fit.

The series has books for kids and teens of all ages, on really useful topics that are often overlooked - social and emotional well-being. Even if you don't have a teen, check out the site for information about their other books.

Nadine Briggs, Director of Simply Social Kids, holds dual-graduate level certifications in Coaching Children & Teens and Coaching Children and Teens with ADHD. She is also certified in the Girl Meets World curriculum and has had training through the Child Anxiety Network. Donna Shea, is the Founder of the Peter Pan Center for Social and Emotional Growth and holds a BA in Behavioral Science from Lesley University in Cambridge and is a pioneer in the concept of a non-clinical approach to social-emotional learning. Shea’s award winning programs have been helping children achieve social success for over fourteen years. Briggs and Shea are also certified in bullying prevention through the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center.

Both Briggs and Shea are parents of children with special needs that include Down Syndrome, ADHD, Anxiety, OCD and Sensory Processing Disorder. They are passionate about helping kids make and keep friends and together formed How to Make and Keep Friends, LLC. Each facilitates community-based social learning groups at their centers in Massachusetts and have created the Social Success in School initiative. This comprehensive group of programs for students, educators, and parents is designed to foster positive social skills and interactions at school and among students. Their focus is to pro-actively prevent bullying before it happens with a focus on strategies and tools to build confidence, promote kindness and empathy, accept differences and teach conflict resolution.

Connect with Briggs and Shea on www.howtomakeandkeepfriends . com,

Twitter, and Facebook.