cat tales, a public - private venture for self-publishing children's e-books
TRANSCRIPT
Cat Tales A Public-‐Private Venture For Self-‐Publishing
Children’s E-‐Books John Messina
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Executive Summary 3
II. The Opportunities & Target Market:
Future Demand and Current Need Exist 5
III. Strategy 10
IV. Marketing Plan 10
V. Financial Plan 12
VI. Things Learned 15
VII. Selected Bibliography / Acknowledgements 16 VIII. Draft Story 17
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I. Executive Summary Where are we now? (The Situation)
Bullying is repeated aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance; such behavior could include actions such as: making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose1.
Approximately 70.60% of young people say they have seen bullying in their schools 2, and studies show that young people who either bully, or are bullied, are at greater risk for mental health and behavior problems3.
According to WorldCat, a catalog of library collections worldwide, the number of
English-language books tagged with the key word “bullying” in 2012 was only 1,8914, with many of those titles written from the perspective of those bullied.
Approximately $3.1 billion in children's books are being sold annually5, and E-Book and
App sales are on the rise ($177 + million in children’s E-Book sales in 20126).
Fourth graders who reported having 25 books or more at home had higher scores on reading tests than children who reported they didn’t have that many books7.
At a set price of $2.99 per E-Book/App, the average expected royalty is approximately
$1.728.
Depending on order size, binding and quality, the average expected cost of printing a book is between $2 - $59.
1 Stopbullying.gov. "What is Bullying." Accessed July 13, 2014. http://www.stopbullying.gov/what-is-bullying/index.html 2 Stopbullying.gov. "Facts About Bullying." Accessed July 13, 2014. http://www.stopbullying.gov/news/media/facts/ 3 Pacer.org. “Bullying Statistics.” Accessed July 13, 2014. http://www.pacer.org/bullying/about/media-kit/stats.asp 4 Nytimes.com. “Publishers Revel in Youthful Cruelty.” Accessed July 13, 2014. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/27/books/bullying-becomes-hot-and-profitable-topic-for-publishers.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 5 Npr.org. “The Future of Children’s Books.” Accessed July 13, 2014. http://www.npr.org/2012/02/18/147099486/the-future-of-childrens-books 6 KoboBooks.com. “The Children’s Digital Book Market, Spring 2013.” Accessed July 13, 2014. https://media.kobobooks.com/sites/media.kobobooks.com/files/documents/childrens_digital_book_market_-_kobo_white_paper_spring_2013.pdf 7 Reading Is Fundamental. “Literacy Facts and Stats.” Accessed July 13, 2014. http://www.rif.org/us/about/literacy-facts-and-stats.htm 8 Dragonpencil.com. “E-Book Royalties.” Accessed July 13, 2014. http://www.dragonpencil.com/HTML/ebooks.html#royalties. Authorly.com “Pricing.” Accessed July 13, 2014. http://www.authorly.com/pricing.html
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Where do we want to be? (Objective) To help children better cope with the social, emotional and behavioral impacts of bullying, and improve literacy. What is the plan? (Action) To capture the target market (i.e. females 30 – 44 yrs.; $50-$75k income) of the growing children’s E-Book/App industry by self-publishing a story which uniquely addresses the emotional aspects of bullying from both the victim and the aggressor’s perspective…and use 100% of the project’s profits to further spread the E-Book’s message and battle illiteracy. How do we get there? (Strategy) Crowdfunding! By using a crowdfunding platform (Kickstarter) that rewards the project’s supporters with exclusive and unique mementos/experiences (in exchange for their pledges), the goal is to raise $20,000 in order to launch the project. How exactly do we get there? (Tactics) Once funded, the project will employ the following tactics10 as it relies heavily upon a social media marketing campaign: 1) implement an efficient “keyword” strategy to maximize search engine optimization, 2) find, build and cultivate relationships with the right “influencers”—i.e. those with significant social media following (i.e. not for profit groups, schools, libraries, etc.) who are talking online about the issues of bullying and/or illiteracy, and 3) conduct audits and listen to the audience/customers to make proper pricing, marketing, content, etc. adjustments! The 23 month implementation plan is as follows: 1. Crowdfund (9 months) 2. Compose (3 months) 3. Proof (3 months) 4. Design (6 months) 5. Copyright (1 month) 6. Print (1 month) The goal is to create enough enthusiasm to encourage these “influencers” to discuss the E-Book/App online, and thereby generate sales.
9 Diggypod.com. “Instant Book Printing Price.” Accessed July 13, 2014. https://www.diggypod.com/book-printing.html 10 Lieb, Rebecca. Content Marketing: Think Like a Publisher—How to Use Content to Market Online and in Social Media. Indianapolis: Que Publishing.
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Can we get there? (5 “Next Steps11” to Implement Success & SWOT Analysis) With a recent survey indicating that the average self-published author makes about $10,000 / year from sales12, it is expected that the project’s “Break-Even” point of approximately 11,628 units could be reached within 24 months, at which point approximately 4,000 - 10,000 + printed books could potentially be provided to needy children. In order to reach this goal, the following 5 “Next Steps” must be undertaken: 1. Conduct “keyword” research to ensure search engine optimization. 2. Setup/design the appropriate landing page, blog, digital content accounts, etc. for the project. Examples: Kickstarter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Flickr, etc. 3. Develop a strong story/characters, and find an illustrator who can best capture and convey the story’s message. 4. Find the “influencers” and build relationships with them. 5. Conduct audits and listen to the audience/customers by making the proper pricing, marketing, content, etc. adjustments! S trengths: Uniqueness, Simplicity, Charitableness, Universality Weaknesses: Unknown Author, Self-Publishing (resources, consumer trust, and quality generally suffer when self-publishing) Opportunities: Lack of competition, Merchandising Threats: Copycats, Negative Public Response: Lesson(s) Learned The most important thing I learned from this experience is that, in trying to resolve confrontations, we must first try to truly listen and place ourselves in the mindset of both the bully and the bullied—and somehow address the needs of each to resolve the conflict. II. The Opportunities & Target Market: Future Demand and Current Need Exist
11 Lieb, Rebecca. Content Marketing: Think Like a Publisher—How to Use Content to Market Online and in Social Media. Indianapolis: Que Publishing. 12 CNN Tech. “Self-published e-book author: 'Most of my months are six-figure months'.” Accessed July 14, 2014. http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/07/tech/mobile/kindle-direct-publish/
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The Digital Media: Future Demand According to Kobobooks13: While a 2012 parent co-reading survey conducted by the U.S.- based Joan Ganz Cooney Center, a non-profit agency dedicated to studying how digital media might help children learn, found that nearly three-quarters of iPad owners who read eBooks with their children still prefer reading print books with them; there were important micro-trends that may point to strong future growth. For example, while their parents might prefer print, only about half of the children preferred print, and 40% said they like eBooks and print the same. As well, publishers and retailers should take note that despite a print preference, 73% of the respondents still read books to their children on a device. Further, the Center noted that those parents tended to feel the features in eBooks such as read-along can actually help children learn to read on their own. In fact, the Center found that children ranging in age from three to six reading both print and basic eBooks preferred the eBook, and comprehension was the same for both formats. Part of the reason to resist reading on the iPad? Parents reported a concern that once their kids got their hands on it, “their children would want to use their e-Reader all the time.” They’d like it too much, in other words. Moreover, consider the following14: The Association of American Publishers reported substantial growth in 2012 revenues for children’s digital publishing (a nearly 200% increase year over year) in what has become a $177-million + business. A 2012 Bowker Market Research survey indicated that the number of e-Reading parents increased to 43%, versus just 26% the year before. Thirty-one percent of parents polled, with children aged 0 – 6, reported that they either had no preference between e-Books and print, or preferred e-Books—up from 28% the year before. Meanwhile, a 2012 Scholastic Kids report indicated that the number of children who have read an e-Book almost doubled since 2010 (25% vs 46%), and 72% of the parents polled said they were at least a little interested in having kids read e-Books. Of the children who have read an e-Book, 1 in 5 said they were reading more books.
13 KoboBooks.com. “The Children’s Digital Book Market, Spring 2013.” Accessed July 20, 2014. https://media.kobobooks.com/sites/media.kobobooks.com/files/documents/childrens_digital_book_market_-_kobo_white_paper_spring_2013.pdf 14 KoboBooks.com. “The Children’s Digital Book Market, Spring 2013.” Accessed July 20, 2014. https://media.kobobooks.com/sites/media.kobobooks.com/files/documents/childrens_digital_book_market_-_kobo_white_paper_spring_2013.pdf
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According to a 2012 Pew Research Center survey, the average reader of e-Books said he/she read 24 books (the mean number) within the 12 months preceding the survey (compared with an average of 15 books by a non e-Book consumer). Bullying & Illiteracy Statistics15: Current Need
Nearly 1 in 3 students (27.8%) report being bullied during the school year (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2013).
Students who experience bullying are at increased risk for depression, anxiety, sleep
difficulties, and poor school adjustment (Center for Disease Control, 2012).
Students who bully others are at increased risk for substance use, academic problems, and violence later in adolescence and adulthood (Center for Disease Control, 2012).
Compared to students who only bully, or who are only victims, students who do both
suffer the most serious consequences and are at greater risk for both mental health and behavior problems (Center for Disease Control, 2012).
Thirty-three percent of 4th grade public school students are at or below the “Basic” level
on the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading tests. (NCES, 2009).
Forty-nine percent of 4th graders eligible for free and reduced-price meals finished below
“Basic” on the NAEP reading test. (NCES, 2009).
Fourth graders who reported having 25 books or more at home had higher scores on reading tests than children who reported they didn’t have that many books (NCES, 2003).
Where parent involvement is low, the classroom mean average is 46 points below the
national average. Where involvement is high, classrooms score 28 points above the national average. (NEA, 2009).
15 www.pacer.org; www.rif.org
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Target Market for E-Books & E-Readers16: Females 30-44 Years; $50-$75k income
16 Slideshare.net. Understanding Today’s Children’s Book Consumers http://www.slideshare.net/BookExpoAmerica/bea-‐2013-‐childrenspresentation052913final
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III. Strategy The project will employ the following tactics17 as it relies heavily upon a social media marketing campaign: 1) implement an efficient “keyword” strategy to maximize search engine optimization, 2) find, build and cultivate relationships with the right “influencers”—i.e. those with significant social media following (i.e. not for profit groups, schools, libraries, etc.) who are talking online about the issues of bullying and/or illiteracy. The goal is to create enough enthusiasm to encourage these “influencers” to discuss the E-Book/App online, and thereby generate sales, and 3) Conduct audits and listen to the audience/customers to make proper pricing, marketing, content, etc. adjustments! The 23 month implementation plan is as follows: 1. Crowdfund (9 months) 2. Compose (3 months) 3. Proof (3 months) 4. Design (6 months) 5. Copyright (1 month) 6. Print (1 month) IV. Marketing Plan Overview Utilizing the strategy described in Section III (above), the project will employ a multi-tiered reward scheme to thank its supporters/backers:
Reward Scheme18
Level 1 Contributor ($15)—An E-Book, Digital Wallpaper of illustrator’s art, name listed in back matter of both the E-Book and printed editions.
Level 2 Contributor ($25)—Everything from Level I, plus a printed edition of the book.
Level 3 Contributor ($50)—Everything from Level II, plus match-donate a copy of the printed edition of the book to a worthy non-profit.
17 Lieb, Rebecca. Content Marketing: Think Like a Publisher—How to Use Content to Market Online and in Social Media. Indianapolis: Que Publishing. 18 Kickstarter.com “Grandmother Fish.” Accessed July 14, 2014. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1849623603/grandmother-fish-a-childs-first-book-of-evolution?ref=category
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Level 4 Contributor ($125)—Everything from Level III, plus limited edition art print signed by the illustrator. Your copy of the printed book will be signed by the author and the illustrator.
Level 5 Contributor ($200)—Everything from Level IV, plus 10 copies of the printed edition to be donated to the non-profit of your choice.
Level 6 Contributor ($500)—Everything from Level V, plus one custom illustration (to be included within the book).
Level 7 Contributor ($750)—Everything from Level VI, plus two custom illustrations (to be included within the book).
Level 8 Contributor ($1000)—Everything from Level VII, plus three custom illustrations (to be included within the book).
Level 9 Contributor ($5000)—Everything from Level VIII, plus 100 copies of the printed edition to be donated to the non-profit of your choice, plus a hand-bound, one-of-a-kind edition of the book signed by the author and the illustrator.
SWOT Analysis19 Strengths: a) Uniqueness: Addresses both aggressor and victim’s perspectives. b) Simplicity: Narrative is simply stated (less than 1,500 words). c) Charitableness: Book sales profit worthy causes. d) Universality: The story is a universal message that transcends cultures. Opportunities: a) Lack of competition: Currently, most bullying books do not address the issue from both the perspective of the victim AND the aggressor. b) Merchandising: Children’s marketing is BIG business. In 2002, U.S. four- to twelve-year-olds (parents) spent $30 billion. Youths also shape the buying patterns of their families. From vacation choices to car purchases to meal selections, they exert a tremendous power over the family pocketbook. Experts estimate that two- to fourteen-year-olds have sway over $500 billon a year in household purchasing. Thus, to influence youth is to influence the entire family's buying decisions. Threats: Copycats: Other, more well known and widely read children authors may write books from the bully’s perspective, thus diminishing my audience. Negative Public Response: The author’s choice to introduce concepts/words that young children do not often deal with may be upsetting to some, causing a negative response amongst parents, teachers, etc.
19 Future of Children.org. Accessed July 21, 2014. http://www.futureofchildren.org; The Marketing Strategy of Harry Potter by Srimoyee Dasgupta
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Weaknesses: Unknown Author: there is no author recognition. Self-Publishing: resources, consumer trust, and quality generally suffer when self-publishing. V. Financial Plan Consider the following:
At an average set price of $2.99 per E-Book/App (2013), the average royalty is $1.7220.
Depending on order size, binding and quality, the average cost of printing a book is between $2 - $521.
Accordingly, as the below financial calculations and projections will show, assuming: a) fixed costs of $20,000, b) a set price of $2.99 per E-Book/App sold, and c) variable costs of $1.27 per E-Book/App sold, approximately 11,628 E-Units will need to be sold to break-even.
20 Dragonpencil.com. “E-Book Royalties.” Accessed July 13, 2014. http://www.dragonpencil.com/HTML/ebooks.html#royalties. Authorly.com “Pricing.” Accessed July 13, 2014. http://www.authorly.com/pricing.html; PBS.org. “How to Set the Right Price for Your Self-Published Book.” Accessed July 21, 2014. http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2013/09/how-to-set-the-right-price-for-your-self-published-book/ 21 Diggypod.com. “Instant Book Printing Price.” Accessed July 13, 2014. https://www.diggypod.com/book-printing.html
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VI. Things Learned Cat Tales: A Public-Private Venture for Self-Publishing Children’s E-books, was a rewarding experience. As a real estate analyst and a former transactional real estate attorney, my experiences grew me accustomed to gathering and analyzing a complete set of data before forming detailed responses to questions. This project, however, placed me in a role which I was unaccustomed to—that of entrepreneur. Consequently, I learned that entrepreneurs need to make quick, informed decisions, while maintaining a solid line of argument, where free and reliable market data is hard to obtain. Equally as important, however, as I reflect upon my individual project experience, I was surprised in discovering that I learned more about life and human nature than I did about the business of self-publishing. We probably have all, at some point in our lives, experienced or witnessed a form of bullying. Yet, how many of us think of ourselves as a bully? More likely than not, at one point or another in our lives, we all had a “little bully” inside of us…whether it was failing to associate with certain people or groups, abusing them verbally, or physically…the examples are endless. Thus, though we often seek to address the feelings and needs of those bullied, what happens to those who fail to let go of the “little bully” inside of them? Though it is important to help the victim, if our goal is to prevent bullying (at school, at home, or at work), how can we accomplish this objective if we don’t equally take into consideration, and address, the mindset of the bully? What about the bully’s feelings and needs? In conclusion, and as my draft story intimates, perhaps the most important thing I learned from this experience is that, in trying to resolve confrontations, we must first try to truly listen and place ourselves in the mindset of both the bully and the bullied—and somehow address the needs of each to resolve the conflict.
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VII. Selected Bibliography Harvard Business Essentials: Entrepreneur’s Toolkit. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press, 2005. How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character. Boston, MA: Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt, 2012. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York, NY: Ballantine Books, 2006. Start Something That Matters. New York, NY: Random House, Inc., 2012. Acknowledgements I would also like to acknowledge, and thank, the following people for their input, support and advice: Al-Habech, Ali. Student, United Arab Emirates Al-Habech, Mohamad. Chief Commercial Officer, Hydra Properties, United Arab Emirates Dolo, Nico. Senior Partner, 37 Capital, Paris, France Kates, Betsy. Teacher, George Washington Elementary School, Mohegan Lake, NY Messina, Karen. Teacher, George Washington Elementary School, Mohegan Lake, NY Plateroti, Erica. Teacher, George Washington Elementary School, Mohegan Lake, NY Polichetti, Deana. Teacher & ELA Coach, George Washington Elementary School, Mohegan Lake, NY Saunders, Heather. School Psychologist, George Washington Elementary School, Mohegan Lake, NY Weitman, Michael. Social Worker, George Washington Elementary School, Mohegan Lake, NY
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VIII. Draft Story (Copyright 2014) 22 Shadow cried quietly beneath the corner carrel in Mrs. Bailey’s first grade classroom. “Shadow,” his teacher asked, “what is the matter? It is time for recess!” “Mrs. Bailey,” Shadow bawled, as he buried his furry face into his puny paws, “that big bad bully, Bandit, was bothering me again! He pushed me to the ground and made fun of my tail! He won’t stop! What do I do?” “Don’t worry, Shadow.” Mrs. Bailey replied, as she knelt down to comfort her young student. “Class?!” she called out, “Please follow Mrs. Simon, the hall monitor, to recess. Shadow? Bandit? Would you like to stay and have lunch with me?” “Yes, Mrs. Bailey.” Shadow whimpered back. “O….OK Mrs. Bailey.” Bandit, the big Burmese cat, said hesitantly. As the rest of the class followed Mrs. Simon down the hall, Mrs. Bailey, Shadow, and Bandit began their lunches as they sat around Mrs. Bailey’s table. Upon finishing their meals, Mrs. Bailey asked, “Bandit? Shadow claims that you have repeatedly pushed him to the ground and made fun of his tail. Is this true?” “Y…ye…yes, Mrs. Bailey,” Bandit replied softly, as he looked down at his feet. “I was angry at Shadow because he wouldn’t give me the building blocks he was playing with.” “Well,” Mrs. Bailey gently smiled, “being angry is OK.” “IT IS ?” both Bandit and Shadow replied, as their eyes widened. “Of course it is!” Mrs. Bailey laughed, “We all get angry at times! Even Mrs. Bailey!” “So it is OK for Bandit to push me and make fun of me?” Shadow asked. “Of course not Shadow!” Mrs. Bailey exclaimed. “Being angry is OK….but how we express our anger may not be OK!” Shadow and Bandit looked at each other with a puzzled look and replied, “We don’t understand. What do you mean?” “Well,” Mrs. Bailey began to explain, “expressing your anger negatively by hurting others is not OK. So, Bandit, what you did to Shadow was wrong.” “So,” Bandit asked aloud, “how do you express anger in a good way Mrs. Bailey?” “That is a great question Bandit!” Mrs. Bailey smiled approvingly. “Expressing anger in a good way will depend on the individual. For me, running, writing, drawing, or talking with a friend about what makes me angry helps me express my anger in a good way, without physically hurting someone, or their feelings.” “Ohhhhh…..,” Bandit and Shadow replied, as they began to think about what Mrs. Bailey had just explained to them.
22 This story was inspired from Buzzfeed.com “Awesome Bullying Lesson From A New York Teacher” Accessed July 19, 2014. https://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/awesome-bullying-lesson-from-a-new-york-teacher?s=mobile and comments posted by one or more people suggesting the use of a $1 bill to convey the message of self worth.
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“You see, Bandit,” Mrs. Bailey softly began, “when you express your anger in a bad way, what you say and what you do may eventually be forgotten…however, the person you take your anger out upon may never forget how you made them feel….it marks them forever.” “I am confused Mrs. Bailey,” Bandit replied. “How will Shadow forget what I said or what I did, but not forget how I made him feel? How did I mark him? What if I were to apologize?” “I thought you might feel that way,” Mrs. Bailey chuckled, as she pulled out a crisp $1 bill from her wallet and handed it to Bandit. “Take this $1 bill and squish it up into a little ball.” As Bandit eagerly took the bill and did as his teacher asked, Shadow watched carefully. “Now, Bandit,” Mrs. Bailey explained, “please apologize to the bill for squishing it, and flatten it out to its original shape.” As Bandit did as Mrs. Bailey asked, Shadow shouted out, “Mrs. Bailey! The bill is now wrinkled! It won’t hold its shape!” “Exactly, Shadow,” Mrs. Bailey said reassuringly. “Bandit,” she said gently, “pretend that Shadow is the $1 bill that I gave you. Now do you see how expressing your anger in a bad way leaves a mark on the person you take your anger out on, even though you apologized? How your anger makes them feel stays with them forever…just like the wrinkles in the $1 bill.” Bandit’s eyes welled up with tears. He now understood the consequences of his actions and he was sad. “It’s OK, Bandit,” Mrs. Bailey said, “You chose poorly today, but that does not make you a bad cat. At least now you can change your ways.” “Thank you Mrs. Bailey.” Bandit said as he wiped away the tears from his eyes. “Mrs. Bailey,” Shadow interjected, “I don’t want to be marked forever! What do I do?” “Shadow,” Mrs. Bailey began, “take a closer look at the $1 bill. Though the bill is marked with wrinkles and has changed its shape, is it still worth $1?” As he frowned thinking about the question, Shadow replied, “Yes; it is still worth $1 Mrs. Bailey.” “The same thinking applies to you Shadow,” Mrs. Bailey gently said, as she knelt down to comfort her student. “Though your experience with Bandit today left its mark on you by making you sad, it did not change who you are or what your value is as an individual. Though experiences such as the one you encountered today leave a mark, they do make us unique…as they help shape who we are. The important thing to remember, Shadow, is that your self worth is not defined by others, or their opinions of you.” “So, Mrs. Bailey,” Bandit smiled, “Can I talk with you about what makes me angry?” “Of course Bandit!” Mrs. Bailey said. “Tell me…what makes you angry?” “Well,” Bandit began, “I get angry when I don’t get what I want. Like today, I got angry because Shadow wouldn’t give me the building blocks he was playing with.” “OK,” Mrs. Bailey said, “but why did you want the building blocks when you saw that Shadow was playing with them?” Bandit scratched his head as he thought long and hard about the question. “Mrs. Bailey?” he said, after a few minutes passed, “I think I know why.
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Since everyone wants to play with the building blocks, I figured that if I had the blocks, everyone would want to play with me.” “Ohhh!” Mrs. Bailey exclaimed. “Bandit,” she asked, “don’t you have any friends to play with?” “No, Mrs. Bailey,” Bandit said softly as he stared at his feet, “I don’t. Nobody likes me, and it makes me sad.” “I understand, Bandit,” Mrs. Bailey said gently. “Sometimes it is easier to be angry at someone than it is to tell them that you are sad. It sounds like you want a friend to play with, but you don’t know how to make friends! How can you make friends if you push and make fun of others? These poor choices stop you from getting what you want! Why not simply ask Shadow if he wanted to play with you? You don’t really want the blocks! You want a friend!” “I never thought about it that way!” Bandit smiled. “Thank you for listening and not judging me as an individual Mrs. Bailey. I now understand that by talking to someone about my feelings, I can express my anger in a good way! And, I also learned how to make a friend!” “You are welcome Bandit,” Mrs. Bailey smiled. “Shadow,” Bandit asked, “may I play building block with you during recess?” “Sure, Bandit!” Shadow smiled, “I would like that!” “Run along boys and go play!” Mrs. Bailey smiled. “Recess is almost over!”
The End