🟢 Book Review: Marleigh Is Mindful by Linda Ryden

RATING: 🟢 Recommended

REVIEWER: Chance Girard

REVIEW METHODOLOGY: Louise Derman-Spark's Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children's Books from the Social Justice Books Project, Teaching for Change

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"May you be happy, may you be healthy and strong,

may you be peaceful.”

Marleigh is Mindful by Linda Ryden is a book that teaches mindfulness to children through the experiences of other kids. As Marleigh walks us through the story, we see that all the children struggle with difficult emotions—whether it's sadness, anxiety, anger, or feeling lost—but they've learned ways to get back on track by listening to and understanding these emotions. The book’s main message is about helping children become emotionally aware by providing tools to cope and understand themselves better.

The book does a great job of portraying stories from a wide range of racial identities, making it feel very inclusive and helping more children connect with the characters. Each page starts with a child dealing with a tough emotion, followed by a tip on how to overcome it. For example, Sophie struggles with sadness but understands that it will eventually pass. What helps her feel better is practicing an exercise called heartfulness, where you think kind thoughts about yourself or others.

I think many children learn to cope with emotions based on how their parents support them. There are also children who struggle with the complexities of unsettling feelings, and this book provides a helpful guide to navigate them.

Overall, I think this book touches on some great concepts, teaching children not only what emotions are but also how to deal with and learn from them. While many books address strong emotions like sadness and anger, this one does a good job of covering a wider range. In the section covering Rashad's story, one part that really stood out to me is about a kid who struggles with low self-esteem, especially when it comes to learning math. I think addressing low self-esteem in a children’s book is interesting and important, as it's often overlooked. Low self-esteem can lead to depression and other issues, but it’s rarely talked about. It’s a thought process that can linger for a long time, and if children learn from Rashad—listening to their thoughts and understanding what’s true about themselves—it’s a great way to develop self-awareness.

Another cool thing about this book is that the author, Linda Ryden, is a teacher herself. Each child's story is based on a student from her class. Linda also runs the Peace of Mind program, a weekly curriculum for pre-K to 8th grade that helps students self-regulate, be kind, and work toward building a more peaceful world. She is the founder and creative director of this program.

I would definitely recommend this book, as it effectively helps children understand their emotions, which can be a challenge to teach in the classroom. Its strength lies in featuring a diverse range of children, allowing many to connect with the characters.

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ABOUT THE REVIEWER

REVIEWER BIO: Chance is a student Portland State University and is taking Zapoura Newton-Calvert's Anti-Oppression Curriculum course. Their volunteer work was a partnership with Reading Is Resistance and the Social Justice Books Project from Teaching for Change.