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Chris holds an MAEd and taught in the Cleveland, Ohio area before raising a family. She is a member of SCBWI and represented by Storm Literary Agency. As a former teacher, Chris understands the value of teaching kids how to manage their emotions and has created the BEING BREE chapter book series to help supplement the SEL curriculum. Chris resides in Northeast Ohio with her husband, three children, and two crazy dogs.
Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite
Six-year-old Bree Wilson is worried about making friends on her first day of school in Being Bree: Bree and the Nametag Worries: Book 1 by Christine Sromek Laforet. Bree is smart and intelligent and she is often misunderstood by her classmates. She makes a nametag for herself so that her classmates learn more about her. She thinks the nametag she has made is perfect and will help her make a lot of new friends. Things do not go smoothly for Bree and she is worried and stressed. The author speaks about stress coping strategies and breathing techniques through Bree's story.
Parents and children will be able to relate to Bree, especially those dealing with gifted children. Many children go through anxiety issues and stress related problems, and the author handles the topic with ease and makes it comforting to readers. It is a good book for parents, teachers, and educators to read out to children, especially during the start of a school year as it will help calm a lot of nerves. The black and white sketches are adorable and they make the story more appealing and exciting to young readers, and will help them connect to Bree and her problems better. The book is definitely a winner and is a good choice for bedtime storytelling and read aloud sessions in classrooms and school libraries. From losing her nametag to finding it, the book conveys a beautiful message that friendships are not always formed with the help of nametags.
