More Children’s Books Dealing with Violent Events Like Shootings

More Children’s Books Dealing¹ with Violent Events Like Shootings

This school year, some students in the United States have bigger worries than completing all of their homework. Demand has been growing for children's books that deal with traumatic events such as school shootings.

Sales of books for young readers on violence, grief³, and difficult emotions have increased for nine straight years. Nearly six million copies of such books were sold in 2021. That is more than double the amount sold in 2012. Those numbers come from NPD Book Scan⁵, which examines U.S. sales of printed books.

Officials say mental health issues such as anxiety and depression have risen sharply⁶ among young Americans. Educators and other supporters say children's books can play a part in helping⁷ young people deal with such issues.

Kristine Enderle is editorial⁸ director at Magination Press, the children's publishing division of the American Psychology⁹ Association. She said it may seem like "second nature" to try to protect children from tragic¹⁰ news events. But it's "proving difficult to avoid big society issues," Enderle said.

"Kids face these issues and challenges in their day-to-day life," she added.

The book I'm Not Scared...I'm Prepared was first published in 2014. In the story, a teacher shows children what to do when a "dangerous someone" is in their school. The book was reprinted several times to meet demand after the mass shooting at an elementary school in Texas earlier this year.

Barnes & Noble is a nationwide bookseller. It said that bookstores around the country see interest in some books rise and fall depending on local and national events.

Some newer books deal directly with real-world gun violence.

Michele Gay's 7-year-old daughter Josephine was killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook¹¹ Elementary School shooting. Gay turned to children's books to help her two surviving daughters. One picture book she read to them was The Ant Hill Disaster. The story tells about an ant that is afraid of going back to school after it is destroyed.

Gay, who co-founded the nonprofit group Safe and Sound Schools, said The Ant Hill Disaster and other books were a source of comfort for her two daughters.

Experts say parents should make sure that books dealing with trauma² have the support of mental health professionals.

Aryeh Sova is a Chicago-based psychologist. He is working with children who attended the July 4 parade outside of Chicago where seven people were killed in a mass shooting. He said that a child who asks many questions about a traumatic event may be feeling anxious or thinking a lot about it.

"If it's coming from the kid's need, then books could be a great way for kids to learn and to read together with their parents and to review it on their own and to process it at their own speed..." Sova said.

But bringing up violence when a child is not worried about it could increase their anxiety unnecessarily, Sova added.

In her graphic¹² novel Numb⁴ to This, writer Kindra Neely describes the 2015 Umpqua Community College shooting in Oregon, which she survived. She also describes her efforts to heal after the event, even as mass shootings continued to happen around the country.

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers published Neely's book. Andrea Colvin is the publishing company's editorial director. She said that, at first, she was shocked when Neely suggested the book idea.

"I had to remember that, yes this is what our stories are like now," Colvin said. "This is what young people have experienced."

Words in This Story

traumatic –adj. causing someone to get very upset in a way that can lead to serious problems

grief –n. deep sadness, especially at the death of someone

depression –n. a state of being deeply sad that can be a serious medical condition

challenge –n. to say that something might not be or might be true; to dispute

ant –n. a small insect that organizes into social group

afraid –adj. feeling fear

graphic novel –n. a picture book that usually deals with a serious or troubling topic

1 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

2 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

3 grief   

n.悲伤，悲痛，悲伤的事，悲痛的缘由

参考例句：

• Don't allow yourself to sink into grief,it can do no good.不要使自己陷入悲哀之中，这样一点好处也没有。
• After her mother died,she abandoned herself to grief.母亲死后，她沉浸于悲痛之中。

4 numb   

adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木

参考例句：

• His fingers were numb with cold.他的手冻得发麻。
• Numb with cold,we urged the weary horses forward.我们冻得发僵，催着疲惫的马继续往前走。

5 scan   

n.审视，浏览，扫描，押韵，细查；vt.细看，浏览，扫描，详细调查，信件扫描（指BBS处理直递邮件或会议邮件时，对所有或特定信区做检查的动作）

参考例句：

• The first scan was bad, so I had to do it again.第一次扫描不好，所以我得重做。
• A scan determines the position of the baby in the womb.扫描可以确定胎儿在子宮中的位置。

6 sharply   

adj.锐利地，急速；adv.严厉地，鲜明地

参考例句：

• The plane dived sharply and rose again.飞机猛然俯冲而后又拉了起来。
• Demand for personal computers has risen sharply.对个人电脑的需求急剧增长。

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 editorial   

adj.编者的，社论的；n.（报刊的）社论，重要评论

参考例句：

• For a full hour they argued over the wording of the editorial.他们为社论的措辞争论了一个小时。
• We now bring you the full text of the Renmin Ribao editorial.现在全文广播《人民日报》社论。

9 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

10 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

11 hook   

vt.钩住；n.钩子，钩状物

参考例句：

• The blacksmith forged a bar of iron into a hook.铁匠把一根铁条锻造成一个钩子。
• He hangs up his scarf on the hook behind the door.他把围巾挂在门后的衣钩上。

12 graphic   

adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的

参考例句：

• The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。