With good cheer and from a standpoint of "we", The Etiquette of Kindness - It's Not Just About the Right Fork is a lively, useful guide to Skills and Courtesies for Our Time -- A Manual for Young People (and Others!). Adaptable for little kids through teens, in twenty illustrated chapters The Etiquette of Kindness brings together the author's over two decades of classroom teaching of first through eights graders. With the same richness of content, accessibility, practical simplicity and interactive good humor experienced with the students in the classroom, The Etiquette of Kindness shares ideas, information and tips to help young people feel more at ease and self-confident in their daily surroundings. It speaks to the students straight-across, with respect for young peoples' hopes, dreams, talents and challenges; it helps them gain opportunity-creating knowledge and skills for smoother, happier, more positive living and relationships.On every page, the focus is on gaining skills and paying attention to how we treat each other. Just as in the classroom, mindful kindness-in-action is the basis for all suggestions and information we share.Chapters cover subjects such as: bullying; wise, courteous phone and e-device use; kindly, capable communication; meeting-and-greeting; the importance and various forms of saying "Thank you!" and "Hello!"; presenting ourselves well; social and dining skills; simple grammar checks; making healthful choices; creating a life-enhancing "Attitude of Gratitude" . . .One chapter, one heading, one sub-heading can easily be taken in small or large teaching bites to bring this timely, transforming, life-enhancing subject to students and to the adults who care about them. The Etiquette of Kindness provides inspiration and support for lively classroom and family conversations and exercises to expand critical thinking and student skills. Additionally, at chapter ends there are concise summations and suggestions for further role-playing (students and teachers love this), contemplation, practice, or discussion opportunities.Young people searching for help with their what, why, who, when and how questions about daily living, interacting with others and fitting-in; teachers seeking to find simple ways to broaden and deepen the skills they bring to their students; families wishing to bring added life skills to their children - all will find The Etiquette of Kindness - It's Not Just About the Right Fork! a ready source for answers, ideas, interaction, humor and inspiration. With The Etiquette of Kindness, young people become enlivened with skills and possibilities, with self-confidence and a positive, can-do attitude! With The Etiquette of Kindness we see young people catch fire with kindness!
Author, Suzanne-Marie English, has brought Etiquette Classes to sixth, seventh and eighth graders for fourteen years. Working with the young people and their teachers, helping to identify and refine etiquette skills and manners, sharing ways to interact kindly and courteously has been a delight and passion for her! Long a writer of poetry and short stories, she took seriously the requests of numerous parents and teachers to put the Etiquette Classes into book form. About the two years of writing The Etiquette of Kindness, Suzanne-Marie says: "In sharing the etiquette classes, I had the delightful experience of seeing the students catch fire with kindness! It was this mutual enthusiasm for the powerful possibilities of kindness-in-action that was my initial spark and that fueled my passion as I wrote for the young people I'd met and taught - and for those as yet unknown. The process of writing The ETIQUETTE of KINDNESS has given me many hours to deliberate and meditate on this thing called kindness; on how it might translate for people in varying situations in our world; on the young people who have taught me so much and on their generosity and joy! It's my hope that I return the favor by helping more and more young people to open doors of opportunity for themselves - and to hold them open for others!" Suzanne-Marie is a mother of four; together with her husband, Richard English, she's a grandparent of nine. She and her family live in the foothills of the Northern California Sierras. Along with her love of children and family, she delights in Nature, gardening, hiking, her dogs, cats, animals in general and anything to do with the ocean, rivers, streams and lakes! She may be contacted through etiquetteofkindness.com. Illustrator, Alexander Orion Sparks captured in his artwork the sense of fun and enthusiastic spirit that the author wanted to convey. He brought fresh takes and great ideas to the illustrations for The Etiquette of Kindness - It's Not Just About the Right Fork! Alexander completed his degree as a concept artist at San Jose State University, California and is currently a studio art director in Dallas, Texas. His passion for observation suffuses his artwork and guides his studies in science, philosophy and world affairs. An extensive sampling of his artworks may be seen online at alexandersparksblogspot.com.
