Books for Elementary Children & Parents About Drugs

No parent wants to think about her precious child ever being tempted to take drugs, but that's the reality for many parents. One reason why certain children take drugs is that they didn't receive sufficient lessons in why drugs are bad and how to avoid them. Education is a powerful resource that teaches children the negative ramifications of taking drugs and empowers them to just say no. As a parent, you can read books with your elementary age child to introduce the topic, teach her how to stay safe and provide age-appropriate information about the dangers of drugs.

  1. Nonfiction Books

    • "Danger: Cocaine"; "Danger: Crack"; and "Danger: Marijuana," by Ruth Chier, are fact-filled but short tomes for elementary-age children about the dangers and risks associated with specific drugs. Each book describes the drug, discusses the health effects of the drug and defines what it means to be addicted. Claudia B. Manley is the author of a series of books about the disgusting effects of taking drugs. Her series includes "Crack and Your Circulatory System: The Incredibly Disgusting Story," which chronicles exactly what the drug does to the body. The goal with the series, which also includes books about barbiturates, ecstasy and inhalants, is to scare children into staying away from drugs.

    Fiction Books

    • Fiction books aren't as explicitly educational as nonfiction studies, but they are valuable resources because they have underlying messages that are presented in engaging ways. "My Big Sister Takes Drugs," by Judith Vigna, tells the story of a little boy who has an older sister who sneaks off to the park to take drugs with her friends. Throughout the story, children learn what drugs do to people and how drug use impacts entire families. "The Dragon Who Lives at Our House," by Elaine Mitchell Palmore, takes a fictional approach to drug use by using Al, a dragon, to represent drugs. As children learn more about drug use and its negative ramifications, the dragon gets smaller and smaller, which represents hope for the future. The book also helps children realize that drug use is dangerous and that it hurts loved ones.

    Additional Elementary-Age Books

    • "An Elephant in the Living Room," by Jill M. Hastings and Marian H. Typpo, provides inside information about living with a family member addicted to drugs. It takes the form of a workbook and encourages children to read age-appropriate information about drugs and then answer questions. The book also aims to help children deal with the emotions associated with watching someone they love take drugs. To give children a proactive way to deal with drug use, read "Good Answers to Tough Questions About Substance Abuse," by Joy Wilt Berry. The book chronicles questions many children have about drugs, including how to say no, how to resist temptation and why drugs are so dangerous.

    For Parents

    • "Getting Wise to Drugs," by David Emmett and Graeme Nice, is written for parents of children between the ages of 8 and 12. The book gives parents various scenarios to discuss with their child and quizzes to teach both parents and children more about drug use. Emmett and Nice provide lists of warning signs for parents, too. "Just Say Know: Talking With Kids About Drugs and Alcohol," by Cynthia Kuhn, gives parents effective ways to teach their children about drugs and provides strategies for empowering children to say no. The book includes several chapters about individual drugs and what parents can do to protect their children from them. For a straightforward approach to teaching children about drugs, read "How to Talk to Your Kids About Drugs," by Stephen Arterburn and Jim Burns. The book provides facts about drug use, what to do to prevent your child from taking drugs and information about individual drugs and their prevalence among children.

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