Customer Reviews

Personal Space Camp

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is great for those k-3rd grade kids who don't seem to understand that not everyone wants them in their face. Lois goes about his day crashing into people (flying through space) and is told he would have to go to Personal Space Camp. He is all excited because he imagines that he'll be flying rockets or getting to eat astronaut's ice cream. When he sees hoola hoops on the floor, he is confused... I love the gray pictures of Lois's imagination and how he views his world (or more appropriately, his out-of-this-world) experiences. At the end he finally realizes that he had misunderstood what others had been saying all along. The humor is just what this topic needs and it allows the kids to grow without being embarrassed.

I use this book as a teaching tool in social groups to talk about personal space and respecting others space. The book gives great examples of what is personal space when sitting, standing, waiting in line, etc. I love the humor used by the author to help kids understand that not everyone gets it at first about space. The main character finally gets it at the end about his relationship to others and that he wasn't attending a planetary space camp! Great story!

Julia Cook's books are an absolute hit with our students. I was ecstatic when I found Personal Space Camp. I'd already been using My Mouth Is A Volcano to reinforce school skills like raising your hand and waiting your turn to talk. But what about when kids are in each others space during 'carpet time' or pushing and shoving in the cafeteria line? These behaviors can make instruction difficult and cause a lot of teacher angst. I don't know how many times I've had to say, 'Please, keep your hands to yourself.' Personal Space Camp is a life saver book. Angst will be decreased!

Okay, so in defense of the kids - developmentally it's really difficult to sometimes be in control of yourself. Kids need to move and wiggle around. However, they need extra guidance building awareness of themselves and those around them before the wiggling offends another student. When there are 20 some bodies in a classroom - we have to learn to work and live together. And newsflash - negative reinforcement doesn't build awareness - it just makes kiddos feel bad. I use Personal Space Camp as a social awareness teaching tool because it makes kids feel GOOD about themselves. They love learning about the concept of personal space and how it can affect others positively and negatively. Most importantly, the story is engaging and Louis is a VERY likeable character. We also copy Louis and use the same strategies in the book. The kids love being jammed into a hula hoop and reflection gets those light bulbs flashing about personal space. And here is the best part, author Julia Cook wrote a supplementary activity and idea book!! Activities galore! I got my hands on it this Spring and started integrating the lessons in small groups. The main reason the guide rocks is because the activities provide cool visuals for the students. Yep, your lessons on personal space just got even MORE engaging! Educators, get this one on your shelf. When teaching classroom routines, make this part of your curriculum.

I am a huge fan of Julia Cook! I have just recently discovered her books.

Louis has a problem with personal space, so he is sent to personal space camp. Louis thinks he is a space expert, outer space expert, so he is excited to go to space camp. It takes him awhile to realize that the principle is not talking about outer space. She is talking about personal space. The author gives examples that children can easily relate to about personal space.

Louis is a funny, and charmingly sweet character. I enjoyed the story as much as my children!

I purchased this book for my 4 year old daughter as a reminder to be respectful of other people's personal space. My daughter has requested that we read this book several times over the past few weeks. Her favorite part is a poem that is repeated throughout the book. We alternate reciting the lines of the poem. With the exception of the poem, the text is mediocre and not as strong as the playful illustrations. In places, the text reads like a teacher's lesson guide on personal space. Also, the inconsistent punctuation distracts me every time I read this story.

Love experimenting just like the story with my children. This book presents awareness for personal space in an excellent fashion that entices children to want to learn and explore their body space.

As a counselor, I'm always looking for resources focused on personal space and boundaries. This is the only book I have found that truly addressed the social skill and offers students hands-on ways to deal with the problem. The hula hoop, bubbles, rope for standing in line, etc. are all great tangible ways to teach kids about boundaries. I wish there were more resources out there!

Love this book! As a clinical social worker who works with young children with a variety of behavioral and psychological problems, I am always looking for books that are easily understood by children while providing a therapeutic component. This book definitely meets those criteria. The kids enjoy this book and there is always ample opportunity for me to expand our discussion about personal space.

I currently teach Early Childhood at a school where we have a lot of behavior problems. This book can help children understand what others have as a personal space. It is a bit wordy but you can just cut out what you don't see is relevant.

This book is a great resource for teachers, guidence counselors, and librarians! Children need to learn the importance of "personal space," and this book explains it very well in a fun way, that can be put into practical use in the classroom! A 5-star salute!