Jasper Lizard Wants to Stay Home (Diamond, Opal and Friends)

Jasper Lizard Wants to Stay Home (Diamond, Opal and Friends)

Jasper is jittery, queasy, and panicky. Must be time for school! For weeks, he has fussed, moaned, and sometimes even refused to go to class. He has outbursts each morning, tells Mom and Dad he’s sick, and hides in his room. He uses any and every reason he can muster to stay at home, but then spends hours playing video games and watching his favorite reptile shows. The longer Jasper stays out of school, the more anxious he gets about going back. His homework is piling up, and his parents are increasingly concerned and frustrated. They insist he go to school, and Jasper promises he will tomorrow. It’s always tomorrow. But when morning comes, he sobs and says he has to stay home for just one more day. Missing school also means missing football practice, so Jasper isn’t allowed to play in the big game. When the team loses, he wonders if he is to blame? Everyone wants an answer for why Jasper keeps skipping out on school. Is there a bully on the bus? - Is school scary? - Is homework too hard? - Is he really sick? - Is it a cry for attention? With playful rhymes and colorful characters, author Ashley Bartley explores why sometimes young kids refuse to go to school and what can give them the confidence to try school again. A special page written specifically for parents and teachers offers insightful and practical tips on helping children who suffer from separation anxiety and school-related stress. Jasper Lizard Wants to Stay Home is the fourth title in the Diamond, Opal and Friends book series. Written for students in grades PreK-5, these popular stories are used by educators and parents to teach children self-care, self-control, and self-determination. The series includes: Diamond Rattle Loves to Tattle - Opal Octopus Is Overwhelmed - Remi in Overdrive. "Jasper Lizard Wants to Stay Home" is a cute, rhyming children's tale about a lizard who overcomes his fear of school. It is a great resource for helping children confront their separation anxiety and nerves about going to school. The illustrations are cute and the story is engaging. It also features a useful guide at the end for parents and educators to help children with their school anxiety. -Reviewer I am quite impressed with the team's ability to understand kids and how adults can intervene when they face problems they can't express. This story is one such example. Our Jasper doesn't want to go to school. He does everything at home in his room but his parents are quite worried. They finally try to intervene and know the root cause of this situation. I am quite impressed with how his father tries to deal with it and finds an acceptable solution for both parties. I feel the book is quite good and helpful. The illustrations is simply amazing! - Reading T, Reviewer This is a cute book and also a very helpful book. I think it is a good read for and with your child when they suffer from separation anxiety or school anxiety or for another reason don't want to go to school. The tips in the back for parents are very useful as well. - Reviewer Ashley Bartley, M.Ed., NCC is a school counselor whose writing has been published in The Joyful Life Magazine and on the Kindred Mom Blog. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from The University of Virginia and her M.Ed. in School Counseling from The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA, where she grew up. She also has a diploma from The Institute of Children’s Literature and is a National Board-Certified Counselor. Ashley is the author of the popular Diamond, Opal, and Friends book series. She lives in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with her husband and three young boys. Learn more at www.counselorstation.com.