Zach Hangs In There

by William Mulcahy, Darren McKee (Illustrator)

Overview

Picture book that teaches kids how to persevere when things get difficult through positive self-talk.

Zach has set a goal for himself—to get across the tricky trapeze rings on the playground. Every time he tries, he falls off before making it to the end. But with encouragement from his best friend Sonya and positive self-talk, Zach uses a four-step approach to persevere to the end:

1. Start with a goal
2. Make a plan
3. Make a new plan if needed
4. Keep trying to the end

Zach feels so great about his success that he writes down the steps he used so he can repeat them next time he faces a tough challenge. A short note is included to help teachers, parents, counselors, and other adults reinforce the book’s messages and help kids practice positive self-talk and develop a growth mindset as they learn how to persevere.

Zach Rules Series
Zach struggles with social issues like getting along, handling frustrations, making mistakes, and other everyday problems typical of young kids. Each book in the Zach Rules series presents a single, simple storyline involving one such problem. As each story develops, Zach and readers learn straightforward tools for coping with their struggles and building stronger relationships now and in the future.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781631981623
Publisher:	Free Spirit Publishing
Publication date:	04/18/2017
Series:	Zach Rules Series
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	580L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

William “Bill” Mulcahy, MS, LPC, LMHC, NCC, is a licensed professional counselor, psychotherapist, author and of books and tools for teaching children to cope with the challenges of life in the 21st century.

Bill has served as a supervisor at Family Services of Waukesha, WI, as a counselor at Stillwaters Cancer Support Services, at Empathia Inc., as an employee assistance professional, and has worked with children with special needs. He has been in private practice since 2016.

He is also the father of seven children including two children on the autism spectrum and lives in Venice, Florida with his wife, Melissa.

Editorial Reviews

Zach Hangs In There does an impressive job teaching kids how to persevere—while providing specific steps to achieve their goals—in easy-to-understand terms. The Zach Rules series is a must-read for parents, educators, grandparents, and anyone who cares about helping young people become responsible, resilient, and compassionate human beings. I highly recommend this series.

Barbara Coloroso

Highly recommended for family, preschool, elementary school, and community library collections.

Children’s Bookwatch

Highly recommended for family, preschool, elementary school, and community library collections.

Children’s Bookwatch

Highly recommended for family, preschool, elementary school, and community library collections.”—Children’s Bookwatch


“Zach Hangs In There does an impressive job teaching kids how to persevere—while providing specific steps to achieve their goals—in easy-to-understand terms. The Zach Rules series is a must-read for parents, educators, grandparents, and anyone who cares about helping young people become responsible, resilient, and compassionate human beings. I highly recommend this series.”—Barbara Coloroso, best-selling author of Kids Are Worth It! Giving Your Child the Gift of Inner Discipline

From the Publisher

2017-03-20
Zach wants to swing successfully on the trapeze rings.Zach is white, Sonya's brown, and their multiracial classroom is multiply diverse—one girl wears hijab, and one boy is in a wheelchair. Sonya knows how to grab each of the four overhead rings in turn, but Zach can only do the first one. Sonya tells her friend: "My dad says when I try something hard it helps to have a plan." (She is shown remembering when she helped her dad with plumbing.) As she and Zach brainstorm, Sonya reminds him that he has great skill in Robo Rocket Quest. Just as Zach "found a new way" to reach a higher level in the game, he realizes that he must "come up with a new way to do the trapeze rings." The plan falls into place, and, as the title says, "Zach hangs in there." Their brown-skinned teacher helps them reflect and encourages them to "remember their steps for next time." Sonya uses the four trapeze rings as the four steps of the plan. Brightly colored cartoonish digital illustrations accompany the overlong and overtly didactic text. One of a series of books about Zach and various social issues written by a psychotherapist, this includes a note to adults on helping children persevere; a planning tool is available on the publisher's website. Teachers and parents may find this purposeful book useful, but most children will not. (Picture book. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews