All the Power Rests with You

Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (12/06) First glance at the book cover made me smile and I knew that I would be in for a treat. The book cover has a child's crayon drawing of a female with arms wide open and a smile on her face. Any child or adolescent would relate to the cover. However, a person that is child at heart would find the book "All the Power Rests with You" a delight as well as a way to appreciate poetry. This book is a great way to start writing poetry. Stutman's book begins with a section called "Adventures in Writing Poetry." Here she starts off with a poem titled "My Declaration of Rights" which starts off like this: I have the Right To be happy. I have the Right To be safe. I have the Right To protect and Keep Within my control My own body. This poem declares all the rights a child has including not being insulted or ridiculed, having the right to dream as well as a right to cherish life. At the end of each part Stutman includes exercises that the reader can participate in. Part 1 asks questions like: What does poetry mean to you? If you've never written a poem before, what made you decide to start? Stutman also adds: I want to write a poem because: [fill in the blank.] After the exercises the book has many blank pages to write poems in. Other parts of "All the Power Rests with You" include: Feeling Safe; Feeling Out of Place; Positive Feelings; The Future. Each section includes poems, exercises and blank pages. My favorite poem is "I am a candle in the light of myself": I am a candle in the light of my self. I falter, sometimes, and it looks like I am going to sputter and die. ... I will add my luminosity to the Light of the world. How positive is this! "All the Power Rests with You," which is actually a workbook in itself, is a wonderful tool for children to go within themselves and bring out feelings in a safe and ingenious way. To me, that is what writing poetry is about.

"All the Power Rests With You" is a collection of poems written for children with special needs. The medium of poetry is used as a creative resource for working with adolescents and children. The workbook exercises, journal, or diary encourage imaginative, creative expression that children can use to discover personal acceptance and self realization for themselves. Poetry provides a healing balm and becomes an instrument for exchanging despair in favor of hopefulness and anticipation. The author has masterfully designed poetry that invites the reader to look within to see themselves. This inward look then stimulates a desire to respond to the feelings generated as the words of the poem take on personal meaning and ownership. Each chapter provides the reader with their own blank pages for self expressions through poetry, songs, drawings, or other activities, following the model, suggestions and theme of the author. They may respond by expressing feelings of anger, loss, frustrations, or loneliness through their poetry. The exercises may be done alone or in small groups where the children can share their completed works. The exercises are designed in a way that lends itself to interaction. The author covers an introduction to poetry, themes on feeling safe, feeling out of place, and positive feelings, and looking ahead to the future. Stutman worked with a team of consultants with expertise in education, counseling, social services, and public health to create this important tool for use with physically abused, neglected and troubled children around the world Although the book is written to be used by adolescents, parents, caregivers, special education teachers, and children's counselors will all find Suzanne Stutman's new book noteworthy. "All the Power Rests With You" is an excellent resource for immediate implementation or future reference.

Suzanne Stutman has developed a book of poetry for abused and traumatized children all over the world. The title clearly states the goal of the book: to give children the power to mend the ragged edges of hurt and create a healing garment of hope. The sections, Adventures in Writing Poetry, Feeling Safe, Feeling out of Place, Positive Feelings, and The Future, offers readers space for their own poetry in the wide margins and blank pages. To be given the opportunity to create poetry right next to the words of a published author is quite an enticement for an emerging writer. The first poem "My Declaration of Right," sets the tone with, I have the right to be happy. I have the right to be safe. The exercises would work well in small groups. Children reading the book alone may appreciate having someone with whom to share the poems and the feelings. This book would find its place in therapy centers, homes and schools. A welcoming way for children to feel safe and explore the world of poetry. The blank pages invite interaction. Write, draw, make this book your own. A challenge and a delight. The author declares that a portion of the book sales will be donated to child portection agencies. A good book for a good cause; you can't get much better than that! Reviewed by a student for Flamingnet Book Reviews www.flamingnet.com Preteen, teen, and young adult book reviews and recommendations

"All The Power Rests With You" is a collection of poems that Suzanne Stutman has written for children who need the reassurance that they are special and okay just as they are. Stutman drew from the expertise of a team of consultants she assembled from the fields of psychiatry, psychology, social work, and public health to write poems that would serve as a creative resource for children and adolescents. After an informative introduction, "All The Power Rests With You" is divided into five major sections: "Adventures in Writing Poetry", "Feeling Safe", "Feeling Out of Place", "Positive Feelings", and "The Future". There are activities to reinforce the poetry, and more than 50 blank pages upon which the children can craft their own poems, songs, stories, and pictures, allowing "All The Power Rests With You" to serve as a kind of creative diary or workbook documenting their progress and feelings. This is a thoroughly "user friendly" and very highly recommended resource for any parent, teacher, counselor, or care-giver.