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Talking with CASA Volunteer Steve Boullianne last week, I was reminded of how powerful books can be in a child's emotional life. Steve had been talking with his 11-year old CASA boy's teacher about how "Joey" was doing in school. The teacher remarked that Joey had become particularly interested in one book, which told a story about a boy who watched a mean man hurt two smaller children. The hero of the story then managed to punish the bad man. Not surprisingly, this story closely replicates some events in Joey's life. Of course, Joey was never able to beat up the bad man who had abused his cousins, but the story helped Joey deal with both his wishes and his fears.

Marin CASA Volunteer Carol Sweig was very aware of the healing potential of books, especially for children who have been through traumatic experiences. That is why she created BOOKS HELP! A Reading List for Children in Crisis. To quote from her introduction:

BOOKS HELP! Is a list of books meant to help children in pain to heal, to come to terms with their grief, and to understand on the deepest level that they are not alone. Others have suffered. Others have despaired. Others have become whole.

Books can help clarify and objectify a child's feelings. Books can validate emotions and demonstrate a way out. Children may build their own courage through examples of sheer grit. For those children unwilling or unready to confront their problems directly, stories in books offer an indirect approach to those issues.

Adults working to help a child in pain can choose a book from this list, read it first to be sure it is appropriate, pass it on to the child, and be there to listen as the child responds. The books were chosen for their high level of interest, for their truthfulness, and for their literary value. The writing is excellent. Many of the illustrations are wonderful to see. Many books on the list are fiction, as children frequently find "unreal" characters easier to accept as models. Only a few of the books are overtly instructional. All of the books are available in public libraries, so helping adults may take a child there and offer the library as a safe refuge. Alternatively, the books can be purchased from any bookseller, as they are all in print as of February, 1998.

The list is organized by age of group and topics, which were selected for their appropriateness to children in trouble. Topics include: Adoption, Foster Care, Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Separation and Loss, etc. Copies of BOOKS HELP! Are available at the SFCASA office for five dollars.

—Libby Colman, Ph.D.