PPBF: A Terrible Thing Happened

Today's a landmark day for me, the one-year anniversary of the car collision that left me broken, bruised and terribly traumatized.

Read how I was feeling on Day 14 post-collision {here}.

I have made a lot of discoveries on my road to recovery.

And abundant blessings in the burden have found me.

I've seen some very dark and incredibly difficult days.

It was, indeed, a terrible thing.

But, with the help, support and prayers 

of family and friends, I survived.

And, in twenty days, we'll go to court so I can share 
my Victim Impact Statement and put the case to rest.

Then I can continue to recover, restore, heal, and move on.

That being said, I've got a meaningful connection to my PPBF pick.

Title: A Terrible Thing Happened

Author: Margaret M. Holmes

Illustrator: Cary Pillo

Publisher: Magination Press (1st edition)

Date: February 2000

Suitable for: ages 4 and up

Realistic Fiction

Themes: trauma, feelings, empathy

Brief Synopsis: A terrible thing happens to Sherman. Because he does not like feeling afraid, he does his best to ignore it, which works at first. Eventually, however, his feelings become physically symptomatic and Sherman has to come to terms with what he saw and learn how to move through his trauma (and ultimately past it) in a healthy way.

Opening page: Sherman Smith saw the most terrible thing. He was very upset. It really scared Sherman to see such a terrible thing.

Resources: 

Read a review on Seven Ponds blog {here}.

Let your students predict what happened to Sherman. Explore how they think he feels. Encourage them to write about how they'd help Sherman. Find out what they'd need if they were walking in Sherman's shoes.

Enjoy Now Is The Start, a hopeful ballad 

about recovering and starting over.

Why I like this book: The author never tells her readers exactly what it is that Sherman saw, so all we know is that it was something terrible. The beauty of that is its boundless discussion possibilities. So many of our children today experience trauma or anxiety as a result of the terrible things they have to handle, so I think they'll readily connect to and relate with Sherman and his struggles.

Sometimes it's something that has happened to them personally; other times it's something vicarious that they've seen on television. Regardless, because we can't unsee things, we must process those events so that they don't become rotting garbage in our heads. Sherman goes through the same adverse reactions that can happen to kids under extreme anxiety or stress - loss of appetite, stomach aches, difficulty sleeping. Uncomfortable or unresolved feelings can show up become somatic and cause unfavorable physical symptoms or behavioral acting out. 

Then he goes to see a counselor, who gives him some ideas of things to try that might help him through the trauma. They tried thinking about the feelings, talking about the feelings, playing, and drawing out the feelings. Eventually, Sherman gets to the root of his anxiety and he's able to journey through it with his counselor, Ms. Maple. She also reassures Sherman that it wasn't his fault. When his anger starts to go away, he feels stronger and can be a happier and healthier he.

Just yesterday, I set up Jenga on my floor and played several rounds with students that I see. The game serves as such a powerful metaphor of things that can weaken us and leave holes in our hearts and souls. Once the tower falls, we talk about the safe people and success strategies that help us if/when things in our life starts to crumble. As we talk, we build the game back up and restore it to its original strength.

This book is a school counselor's dream, but its text can also serve as a great teaching tool for teachers, guardians and parents alike since it's got built-in strategies for recovering from traumatic events. Additionally, there is an Afterward for caregivers offering helpful suggestions for working with traumatized children.

As always, if you suspect abuse or neglect, you must follow your state's guidelines for reporting. In Texas, for example, school personnel are mandatory reporters, so if Ms. Maple determines that what Sherman saw put him in danger of neglect or abuse, then she must report the incident to Child Protective Services.

To check in with other blog authors and their PPBF selections, 

go to Susanna Leonard Hill's blog next. Happy reading!