Everyone knows a child who needs the first book in our series, The Letter. If you are a mental healthcare professional, social worker, school teacher, or concerned parent explore our websites and consider picking up a copy of this book to keep in your toolbox. Annie’s Appalachian Adventures is a literary children’s series of empowerment for today’s youngsters in a world of substance use and other hardships. The first book, The Letter, is a colorfully illustrated book designed to engage young readers and adults in conversations about difficult topics and issues to promote resilience, reduce stigma and provide a vocabulary for further dialogue.
The Letter is centered around the life of Annie, who resides with her grandparents because her mother is seeking treatment from a substance use disorder. Annie has a vast imagination and is a tomboy at heart. This strength based book does not spread shame, but provides a message of hope and love for Annie and her mother. Substance use is explained in kid friendly words and characters so that children between the ages of seven to nine year olds can understand. Lastly, the reader is shown how to write his or her own letter to express their feelings. This coping skill can be used by the reader in life to process his or her feelings. The purpose of The Letter is to open hard to talk about conversation without fear or judgment for the reader and the child.
The author of the series is from Chestnut Ridge which is nestled within the Appalachian Mountains in Southwestern Pennsylvania. She is a teacher, first serving within West Virginia and now in Pennsylvania. Throughout everyday teaching, Hannah still notices similar emotional issues from her life that are l impacting her students. Modern day traumas have been exacerbated by the Opioid Epidemic. Hannah Evans sought to write stories that uplift children by spreading empowerment and self worth, repeating themes in the book are, “You are loved and you are special”. Evans believes that if a child can love oneself and choose different coping skills from his or her environment, then the cycle of substance abuse can be stopped. .
To learn more about the mission of Curious Kiddos Education Resources, Inc. and watch a sneak peek clip of The Letter explore www.curiouskid.org. You can purchase your own book at our online store at www.curiouskid.org/store. Children please explore www.anniesadventures.org to learn more about Annie and how you can participate in our first challenge located in the, “What’s New” page.
“Everyone knows a child who needs this book. The Letter is a tender treatment of addiction and its effects on parenting.” – Susan Johnson, reporter for the Nicholas Chronicle, owner of Lucy Butterfly, and retired English Teacher
“The stories encourage children to seek emotional support from caring adults and peers. Through creative and thoughtful dialogue, Evans’s readers are reminded to take care of themselves and to communicate their feelings, thoughts, and problems to foster healthy relationships, self esteem, and resiliency. Evans uses sensitive insight, age appropriate language, and empathetic storytelling to handle a tough topic.” – Abigail Reichart, Certified School Counselor and Addiction Counselor
