Gracie’s Guide: Staying Positive

Gracie’s Guide:

Staying Positive

Angie Wilson

Illustrated by Ashley Teets

Gracie’s Guide: Staying Positive

by Angie Wilson illustrated by Ashley Teets copyright ©2017 Angie Wilson All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any other form or for any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage system, without written permission from Headline Books.

To order additional copies of this book, for book publishing information, or to contact the author: Headline Books, Inc. P.O. Box 52, Terra Alta, WV 26764 www.HeadlineBooks.com Tel: 800-570-5951 Email: mybook@headlinebooks.com Headline Kids is an imprint of Headline Books www.AuthorAngieWilson.wix.com/author-page ISBN-13: 9781882658831

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

For all of those who help us keep our minds healthy.

4

Gracie and Kenzie had been best friends since preschool.

They were in the same class at school, attended the same church, lived within two blocks of each other, and had as many sleepovers together as their parents allowed. It seemed they never got tired of each other.

5

They liked the same TV shows, enjoyed the same flavored ice cream, insisted on the same toppings on their pizza, and could not go more than a week without whispering secrets. One of their favorite things to do together was solve mysteries - they called themselves, ‘super-spies’.

They were the poster kids for BFF’s.

6

If you wanted to know anything about Gracie, you could ask Kenzie. If you wanted to know anything about Kenzie, you could ask Gracie. They could even finish each other’s sentences at times! It was Craziness with a capital ‘C’!

7

8

Word Search

9

10

But one day, Gracie noticed that Kenzie wasn’t her usual self. It wasn’t an enormous change, she just seemed to be a little quiet. She didn’t giggle when Gracie made her fish face in the middle of math class. There was no snickering on the swings when Gracie sang their favorite tune in her highest opera voice. The biggest clue was when she didn’t want to split the yummiest piece of chocolate cake (with extra sprinkles) that the two of them had ever seen packed in Gracie’s lunch!

Gracie sat staring at her lunchbox and wondered what in the world was up?

Finally, when they got on the bus to go home and she could stand it no longer, Gracie asked her what was going on.

11

12

“Nothing,” Kenzie muttered.

Nothing? Really? Was that really her answer? Gracie could not believe her ears. She asked her again, but got the same response. She asked if she was sick, but Kenzie shook her head. She asked if someone was mean to her, or if she had received a bad grade, but all Kenzie did was shake her head.

They sat in silence until the bus stopped at Gracie’s apartment building. There was something wrong and she had to find out what it was. Gracie ran into her bedroom and dumped her spy backpack on her bed.

There had to be something in there to help her figure it out, even though she didn’t think she would get any clues from an empty notebook, pens, binoculars, and pink camouflaged Duct Tape. She sighed and wondered what she could do.

13

“Every day is a new day, and you’ll never be able to find happiness if you don’t move on.” ―Carrie Underwood

14

Word Scramble

15

16

She told her mom all about it at dinner. “Sometimes, you just have a bad day. It’s not a big deal. I’m sure Kenzie will be fine tomorrow,” Mom said with a smile.

Well, she wasn’t. It was the same thing all over again.

Kenzie did not laugh, or even smile, all day long, and Gracie was not the only one who noticed. Their teacher, Ms. T., even asked her if anything was wrong.

That afternoon on the bus, Gracie pleaded, begged, and was almost to the point of tears as she tried to pry into her BFF’s life.

“I just don’t want to talk about it,” Kenzie finally said.

“A-ha!” Gracie thought. She did not say it out loud, but to herself. She had her first clue in the mystery. She said she didn’t want to talk about it . . . it . . . that means there is something wrong. It’s not ‘nothing’ like she said yesterday. There is an ‘it’.

17

When Gracie got off the bus, she ran all the way to her apartment and began to pace around as her mind played over the past few days. She tried to think of anything that could be ‘it’, but try as she may, she did not have a clue.

It was very frustrating for a super-spy to not have a clue.

This went on for almost a week. Kenzie talked very little

18

and smiled even less. It was getting to where everyone noticed. On Friday afternoon Ms. Evans, the school guidance counselor, pulled Kenzie out of the classroom for a little talk. They had been gone for almost an hour when Gracie was called to go to Ms. Evans office as well.

Gracie did not know what was going on, but she wanted to help if she could. When she entered the office, she could tell that Kenzie had been crying. Gracie ran to her and hugged her at once and asked what was wrong. Ms. Evans began to talk and shared that Kenzie’s parents were getting a divorce.

Gracie could not believe her ears. How could this happen?

Ms. Evans told the girls that she had something to show them. She pulled a Mr. Potato Head toy off of a shelf and turned to them.

Gracie closed her eyes and thought, “Ok, she has got to be kidding.” They were not kindergarteners. This was a serious problem in Kenzie’s life and Ms. Evans is showing us a Mr. Potato Head? This had to be a lousy joke.

But it wasn’t a joke. In fact, it turned out to be a good thing. The facial features for this big-headed guy were all mixed up. It looked like someone fixed them with their eyes closed.

“Ok, Kenzie,” Ms. Evans began, “I want you to rearrange his face.”

Kenzie smiled for the first time in a week!

19

20

21

Kenzie started with a kid in their class who she felt was a little annoying, then she talked about her cousin from Montreal, and ended up with her parents.

Gracie was in shock when Kenzie included her parents.

She didn’t know Kenzie’s cousin, and she agreed with her about the kid in their class . . . but, her parents??

It didn’t seem to catch Ms. Evans off guard. She told her that it was a natural reaction to hold anger inside at times. The big issue was how she handled that anger.

“Why are you angry at your parents?” Ms. Evans inquired.

“Because all they think about is themselves. They haven’t even thought about me. What will I do if they split up?”

Kenzie asked.

Ms. Evans replied, “Things don’t always go as we want them to, Kenzie. There are some decisions parents make that are upsetting to children, but this is not something they decided on the spur of the moment. I know that change is difficult, but I want to help you make it through this challenging time.”

22

Emoji Sheet

Draw your own emojis that show different emotions.

23

Kenzie began to fix the face of Mr. Potato Head. Ms. Evans handed her a box that held some additional parts.

She put angry eyes and a frown on him and gave him back.

“It’s ok to feel anger and sadness. The most important part is for you to not hold all of those feelings inside. It’s good to talk about them. I’m here to listen, and I’m sure that Gracie will listen as well,” Ms. Evan stated.

“You know I will,” Gracie added, “Anytime!”

24

“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!” ―Aubrey Hepburn

25

Sudoku Number Puzzle

Directions for puzzle: Fill the grid with the numbers 1 to 9 so that each number appears only once in each row, column and region (3 by 3 block).

26

Kenzie talked and shared her feelings for a few minutes.

There were some things that made her mad about the situation, and some things made her sad. The fact that her parents would be happier in the end, even made her feel better. Ms. Evans explained how everyone has different reactions and emotions they feel in life.

Ms. Evans told Kenzie to come back and talk as often as she wanted, and said she could even bring Gracie. She set up a weekly time for the two of them to come to her office to talk. Each time, Kenzie rearranged Mr. Potato Head’s face - everything from anger to a smile and sometimes back again.

27

28

Gracie was glad that Kenzie was doing better. There were some days when it seemed like nothing was wrong at all, but even on the not-so-good days they still hung out.

“Sometimes you just have to work through the rough days and keep going,” Ms. Evans said. “All you have to do is find someone to talk to.”

As a super-spy, this wasn’t the kind of case Gracie liked to solve. She was happy when she found out what was wrong, but sad at the same time. There was one thing she learned: that it really helps when you find someone you trust to talk to - even when things do not go the way you want.

It wasn’t long before the two BFF’s were once again making fish faces, singing in opera voices, eating cupcakes, and of course solving mysteries. Things were pretty much back to normal. Kenzie still had some sad days, and Gracie knew that was ok - and they would talk about it. There were even days when Gracie needed to talk, and they always knew they had caring adults in their lives that would help.

But most of all they had each other, because that’s what friends are for.

29

Focus on Feelings “The way a person feels inside is important. It can be really hard not to tell anyone that you’re feeling sad, worried, or upset. Then, it’s just you and these bad feelings. If you keep feelings locked inside, it can even make you feel sick!

“But if you talk with someone who cares for you, like your mom or dad, you will almost always start to feel better. Now you’re not all alone with your problems or worries. It doesn’t mean your problems and worries magically disappear, but at least someone else knows what’s bothering you and can help you find solutions.

“Your mom and dad want to know if you have problems because they love you and they want to know what’s happening in your life.

But what if a kid doesn’t want to talk with mom or dad? Then find another trusted adult, like a relative or a counselor at school. Maybe this person can help you talk with your mom and dad about your problem or concern.” (kidshealth.org)

Tips for Good Mental Health

(Taken from the West Virginia ESADD Activity Guide)

• Everyone feels different emotions every day, and that’s okay!

• We are all happy and sad sometimes, but it’s important to handle those emotions differently.

• Kids should find a caring adult, like a parent or grandparent, who they can talk to all of the time.

30

• Eating healthy and exercising regularly helps you feel better.

• It’s important to find healthy things in your life that make you smile.

To download the entire ESADD Activity Guide, go to www.wvsadd.org.

31

Check out ALL of Gracie’s Guide Books!

32

Gracie is great at solving mysteries and superb at spying around, but when her best friend is super sad, she doesn’t know how to make it better. In this story, Gracie finds out that everyone feels different emotions at times. She learns the importance of finding a trusting adult to talk to about things going on in your life.

About the Author

Award winning author, Angie Wilson, is a veteran elementary school reading teacher. She is the creator of two children's book series, Appalachian Heritage Books and Gracie’s Mysteries Series.

Her books have received a London Book Festival Award, Readers' Favorite Award, and three Mom’s Choice Awards. She is very active in the Headline Kids School Show Program and visits classrooms throughout the year. She can often be found traveling with her husband, Derek, a church consultant minister.

For more information visit www.AuthorAngieWilson.wix.com/author-page

About the Illustrator

Award-winning author and illustrator, Ashley Teets, is a summa cum laude graduate of Alderson-Broaddus College where she earned a bachelor's of visual arts degree with a minor in creative writing. She has illustrated multiple award winning children's books. Ashley is also a portrait artist and muralist. For more information visit www.AshleyTeetsIllustration.com