The Wisdom Tree and the Red Swing: Thinking Outside the Box for Preteens

Thinking Outside the Box You hear it everywhere—how you think can change your life. But just telling people to think differently to improve their lives is of no help. Showing them how to think outside the box is what Carol MacAllister does. Using a wise old talking tree and its magical red swing, the author teaches kids (and adults) just how to think differently about the everyday problems they encounter. Here she offers a unique perspective on such issues as: bullying, race, loss of a parent through death or divorce, obesity, boys and their bodies, cheating and more. The Wisdom Tree and the Red Swing teaches the value of taking time to think, compassion, good manners and civility toward others; offers coping skills for feeling different, isolated and ostracized; and it teaches about being open minded and how adversaries can become allies.

Carol L. MacAllister, MSW, was born and raised in the Finger Lake region of upstate New York. She spent her career as a psychiatric social worker in New York and New Mexico. Now retired and living in Minnesota, Ms. MacAllister offers a unique lens through which to view the challenges of growing up.