Cover Image: How to Be a Person

How to Be a Person

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Member Reviews

I love this little how-to book! So many topics are covered, some even a few adults I've known could probably stand to read :)

There is humor in many of the drawings and the passages that will appeal to readers while also giving them helpful information about how to do so many tasks we often don't think about -- such as addressing a letter, apologizing, and reaching out to include people.

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This is a really cute, helpful little book for kids. While it's geared towards kids ten and up, a lot of these are things that I'd hope they'd already know like how to be a good house guest or answer the phone. Most of these are things your average kid will know by the college years so this is not one of those "how to adult" books (but maybe I overestimate what we teach teens these days?). These are much more basic -- how to vacuum a room, address an envelope, wash the dishes, use a debit card, pack for a trip, care for a house plant, etc. They are also generally very basic. For instance, how to care for a pet is mostly give it love, make sure to do the gross things you are supposed to do to care for it, and find out specifically how to care for that pet.

Sections are (in my words): pets and people, cleaning, cooking, money, clothes and skills. Don't expect a lot of variety or detail. For instance, the cooking section tells you how to roast a whole chicken and turn ramen into a healthier meal, scramble eggs, add more flavor to food, make a smoothie, and a few others. I disagreed with a couple of the directions for some skills, namely how to sort laundry (she sorts laundry into two piles -- whites for hot and everything else is colored for warm or cold, which does not work at all for my family's laundry).

There are fun, colorful illustrations throughout. All in all, this is a charming little book that is likely to teach a thing or two to most kids and young teens.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.

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This guide, illustrated in shades of cream, grey, and blue, is just right for that kid of yours who needs a little help figuring out what to do in various situations. These are all skills that a kid should have before moving out of the house. From "how to cheer up sick people," to "how to wrap a present" to "how to hand wash dishes," this book walks the reader through a variety of scenarios and gives them the info on what to do.

I do think typical kids will know how to do many of these. But there are some kids who really need explicit instruction on these basics. Some kids are just not wired to know how to think about other people in social situations; other might need help in the practical matters of taking care of their home environment. Maybe these kids also could benefit from various therapies, but absent or in conjunction with that, this book can help bridge the gap.

Recommended for older kids.

Two sections I think could add extra value: How to evaluate information online for accuracy (and really, any other topic pertaining to online life); how to get the resources you need if you need to learn something new.

Thanks to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for a free digital review copy in exchange for my review.

**Will hold review for publication on review sites until May 2020**

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This book was the perfect combination of helpful and fun. While some of the "skills" may seem to us to be common sense, there are plenty of children out there who may not have perfectly functional role models. This would be a great book for a public or school library.

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This is an excellent resource for middle graders and early young adults. It covers a wide variety of practical social and life skills in a brief and entertaining way. The illustrations add to the fun. Some adults may think some of the things covered are obvious, but keep in mind they're only that way to you because at some point you learned it! I especially appreciated the sections on things like writing letters (or formal emails) and how to address envelopes. Those things used to be taught in schools but are becoming less common. Highly recommended!

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This book needs to become the standard book that you buy for any kid from the age of 10 onward. I am seriously tempted to buy a copy for each of my kids who will be 12 and 16 by the time publishing date rolls around. I love that this book covers every topic that parents try to cover with their kids, but in a way that is not the mundane routine of a parenting conversation. Everything is covered in here, money, cleaning, cooking, interacting with other people, proper email etiquette. I am amazed an in awe of this book and will be buying it anytime I need a gift for a tween or teen.

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10/5 stars!! I want to buy a copy of this for myself and every kid I know! this Is such an amazing book! it covers so many important life skills in simple terms kids old enough to read it on their own can understand it on their own too. This IS a must own book for sure!

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A book for every tween who needs to learn responsibility. A perfect guide to life skills to prepare them to be independent,

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I have mixed feelings on this book. I loved the playful illustrations and the random "fun" facts (did you know, you can mail a potato if you have the right postage on it?!).

And "How to write a thank you note" is one section I think everyone -whatever their age - should read up on.

But some of the topics (like how to be a welcome guest or gracious host) seem to me like things parents would be naturally teaching by example (hopefully!). Ditto to how to answer a phone politely or write out an envelope. With the kiddo in my life, I never "taught" these things or bought them a book about it - they just learned it as if my osmosis. But with topics like making a bed, cooking spaghetti, or vacuuming, perhaps those are the kinds of tasks that parents assign without explaining them thoroughly. This book does that - with graphics. The "How to make money" section was the one that caught my 10 year's old eye, though!

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***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

This is one of those books I think every child and adult should read! I think we all need help becoming real people. Sometimes our parents can't teach us everything and these simple tasks are ignored. I especially liked that this book focused a lot on being polite and helping others.

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