Free Spirit Publishing Review

Everyday life presents many challenges for kids, from home to school to the wider world. No matter how many choices, changes, and opportunities young people face, Free Spirit has had the same mission for over 27 years: to provide children and teens—and the adults who care for and about them—with the tools they need to succeed in life and to make a positive difference in the world.

Our reputation as the leading publisher of Self-Help for Kids^® and Self-Help for Teens^® is grounded in books and other learning materials that are practical, positive, pro-kid, and solution focused. We’re not afraid to tackle tough topics such as teen depression, kids and anxiety, grief and loss, juvenile justice, and conflict resolution. Free Spirit also offers sound advice with a sense of humor on relevant issues including stress management, character building, puberty, school success, self-esteem, service learning, and more.

A former classroom teacher and gifted-education specialist, Free Spirit founder Judy Galbraith remembers looking in vain for kid-friendly information that addressed the real-life issues her students faced. In 1983, she made a decision to begin filling that void, starting her own company to offer accessible, contemporary books to help young people develop socially, emotionally, and intellectually. More than two decades later, Free Spirit Publishing continues to be the leader in Self-Help for Kids^® and Self-Help for Teens^®, building its list from just a few titles to over 285 award-winning books and products, with new titles being published every year.

My Take

I received the following items from Free Spirit: Share and Take Turns by Cheri J. Meiners, Tails Are Not For Pulling by Elizabeth Verdick, Clean-Up Time by Elizabeth Verdick, Ready to Play by Stacey R. Kaye and the cd Ready to ROCK Kids volume 2.  

Coulter is reaching the age that it is time he starts picking up his toys himself and learning that you put them away before you get another one out.  The book Clean -up Time was a great way to enforce this.  It was a simple read and I liked the fact that it had tips in the back of the book to make it easier for both of us.  I have high expectations of my children sometimes and think they can handle more than they can.  The tips in the back gave me a way to work up to my expectations and gave him the idea that he can do it.  All four books had some type of tips pertaining to what you had read in the back of the book.  That makes it nice for everybody involved because I usually learn something new from them.

My second favorite thing about this wonderful company.  Almost all of these book are offered in paperback and as board books.  Let’s face it a two year old isn’t the kindest yet to his books.  I can’t stand that!  So board books are the solution and sometimes they are hard to find in titles that interesting.  Yes we can count and know our colors, can we have more than one word on a page?  Free Spirits board books offered me this. 

Lastly, we received the CD Ready To Rock Kids volume 2.  Coulter loved this as he is really into dancing and I am into laughing at him because it’s so cute.  The songs on this CD are all about learning such as Bye, Bye, Bully or I Don’t Understand.  They are up beat and easy to understand, a great combination for my two year old.  His favorite song is Same And Different Too which I love because I know that while he is having fun he is learning life’s lessons.

Thank you to a wonderful, wholesome company for providing learning materials that I can be happy to own!