Talk About Touch

{"hero_section": {"headline": "Learning Safety, Growing Stronger", "subheadline": "Equip your child with the confidence to navigate difficult conversations about personal boundaries."}, "the_vision": {"quote": "If anyone tries to touch your private parts, tell them no.", "context": "This narrative gently introduces complex topics of bodily autonomy and consent through relatable family interactions. It provides children with clear, actionable scripts for asserting boundaries in unsafe situations.", "conversation_starters": ["What are the 'good touches' that make you feel safe and loved?", "If someone says a secret touching game is okay, but it feels wrong, what is the first thing you should say?", "Who are the safe grown-ups you can tell immediately if you feel a 'warning feeling'?"]}, "therapeutic_guide": {"title": "For Navigating Bodily Autonomy and Consent", "core_utility": "Establishes a foundational vocabulary and clear action plan for recognizing and responding to inappropriate touching.", "conversation_starters": ["What would you say if someone tried to trick you into keeping a secret about touching?", "Dad taught Eric that even if someone is bigger, he can still say 'No!'\u2014when is it important for you to use your strong voice?", "What does a 'warning feeling' in your tummy feel like, and what should you do when you feel it?"]}, "visual_style_guide": {"mood_board": "Cozy, Alaskan, Grounded", "color_palette": ["#4A2C2A", "#F5F5DC", "#38761D"], "art_direction": "Illustrations should feature warm, interior scenes contrasting with crisp, snowy Alaskan landscapes, emphasizing close-up, empathetic facial expressions during serious conversations."}, "social_share": {"instagram": "From fixing snow machines to learning life's most important lessons: This story beautifully weaves safety education into the fabric of family life. Conversations about boundaries shouldn't wait. #ListenToYourGut", "hashtags": ["#KidsSafety", "#BodyAutonomy", "#ParentingTips", "#CodexSquarespaceEngine"]}, "reviews_and_awards": {"reader_praise": ["About the author Follow authors for new release and deal updates, plus improved recommendations. See updates from all followed authors in Your Books. Sandy Kleven Follow Sandy Kleven Sandra Kleven is a poet, writer, filmmaker, and editor of the literary journal, Cirque. She co-facilitates, Poetry Parley, a monthly reading event. Kleven has been published in Alaska Quarterly Review, Oklahoma Review, Praxilla, F-Magazine, Cirque, Stoneboat, and in the anthology, from University of Alaska Press, Cold Flashes. Two of Kleven's poems have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. The Celebration Foundation has twice awarded Kleven grants in support of her creative work. News: In 2015, Sandra Lantz Kleven was inducted to the Northshore School District, Wall of Honor, for her contributions to the community and the world. Kleven brought the arts and the creative process into her work in social services, beginning in the 1980s when she developed a theatrical presentation, and recruited a troupe of actors to bring it to the community. This group, the SOAPBOX Players, served Northwest Washington with a presentation titled, \"The Touching Problem.\" The program used dramatic vignettes to teach skills that protect children from sexual abuse. It won an EMMY award when produced by KVOS TV, as a docudrama. Out of this work came two books for children and families, that guide parents and caregivers through the \"prevention\" discussion with their children. The first was The Right Touch, which has won several awards. Her newest book (2012) Talk About Touch teaches the same lessons in an Alaska Native cultural context. The setting for Talk About Touch is a an Alaska Native village. Kleven says, \"Talking to kids about sexual abuse isn't easy. Parents are afraid they'll say too much or say the wrong thing. My books deliver the prevention lesson, offering concrete information in a warm and accepting context while indirectly showing the children that their parents are open to talking sexual abuse. If kids are going to tell when something happens, they need to know parents will listen, will believe them and will not turn the tables, blaming the child who tells.\" The Right Touch has been a helping resource since 1999 when it received a Benjamin Franklin Award as best parenting book. Now, in print for twelve years, it remains the best-selling prevention book in the country. It has now been published in China, Korea and Sweden. Talk About Touch reshapes the prevention story to the setting and cultures of rural Alaska. This small book takes on a big statistic - as reports of sexual abuse in Alaska occur at a rate six times the national average. Talk About Touch was funded in part by the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation and the Alaska Children's Alliance. Kleven is available for workshops, trainings and conference presentations. She can be reached at talk.about.touch@gmail.com or skleven@ak.net ~~~ More about Sandra Kleven Kleven left Washington State, in 1984, arriving in Bethel, Alaska, a town of 5000, located 80 miles from the Bering Sea. This move would forever impact her writing. HOLY LAND, was the first piece so influenced -- a dramatic monologue first performed in Valdez, Alaska, at the Last Frontier Theater Conference. It was later published in Alaska Quarterly Review and is available on Amazon. \"'Holy Land' strikes a nerve. Sandra Kleven's unflinching and compelling dramatic monologue is a journey to a sacred and painful place in Bush Alaska's human heart.\" Ron Spatz, Editor, AQR. Kleven has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Alaska, Anchorage. In 2010, she produced a short film \"To the Moon,\" an homage to the poet, Theodore Roethke. Kleven's interests extend from her original home in Bothell, WA, to remote Alaska. As a licensed clinical social worker, with a specialty in young children, Kleven has traveled extensively between Alaska's native villages, mainly in small planes, often spending the night in classrooms or clinics. At one remote site, she is greeted \"Welcome back to your hometown.\" Top reviews from the United States Tina", "This sequel to Sandy Kleven s bestselling abuse prevention book, The Right Touch, provides vital information on how to handle dangerous situations if they occur. Set in a remote Alaskan village, this engaging story helps parents and teachers facilitate the discussion of sexual abuse and inappropriate touching. Editorial Reviews Review Talk About Touch is a ground-breaking children s book that provides families and educators with an honest discussion about sexual abuse. Peer into the lives of Eric and his sister, Bean, and baby brother, Oscar, and their dog, Sugar, as Dad and Grandma talk about a difficult subject with compassion and forthrightness. The culturally relevant setting in an Alaskan village, and the beautiful illustrations by Yupik artist Patrick Minock, create an authentic and heartfelt story. Vivian Faith Prescott, M.F.A., Ph.D. --Individual The materials Sandra Kleven has developed since the early 1980s have made important contributions to the prevention of child sexual abuse through the education of children themselves, empowering them with the personal tools necessary to recognize if and when an abusive situation may be developing. Talk About Touch offers parents avenues to talk to their children, particularly in their younger years about the prevention of this epidemic of child sexual abuse. Gene Peltola, President and CEO Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation --Individual As a gynecologist, I am acutely aware of the life-long impacts of sexual abuse. One of the most important things we can do is to be open and honest about this issue, thereby removing the secrecy and shame. Talk About Touch is a wonderful tool to help us have conversations with our children Its remarkable illustrations and gentle language provide a safe way to bring up a difficult subject. I am looking forward to sharing this book with my patients, friends, and co-workers.\" Stephanie Eklund, MD, OB/Gyn, Southcentral Foundation --Individual About the Author A resident of Anchorage, Alaska, Sandy Kleven is a writer, poet, and filmmaker. She is also a licensed clinical social worker with a long history as a family clinician. Sandy s first book, The Right Touch, was published by Illumination Arts in 1998. This award-winning children s book was based on her work as the founding director of a community-based theatre group in Bellingham, WA. Featuring Jody Bergsma s colorful illustrations, The Right Touch has become the best-selling prevention book in the United States, and translations have been published in Chinese, Swedish, and Korean. When Sandy began working in Bethel, Alaska in 1984, she recognized the importance of teaching children safety lessons in the context of their own culture and community. With this as a goal, she created a four-page reader set in a remote Alaskan village which has now been expanded into Talk About Touch. Sandy has also earned a Masters degree in Creative Writing. Her poetry and essays are widely published. As the editor of Cirque Literary Journal, she supports established as well as emerging writers in the Northwest and Alaska. Product details Publisher \u200f : \u200e Illumination Arts Publication date \u200f : \u200e November 15, 2012 Edition \u200f : \u200e First Edition Language \u200f : \u200e English Print length \u200f : \u200e 36 pages ISBN-10 \u200f : \u200e 0985541717 ISBN-13 \u200f : \u200e 978-0985541712 Item Weight \u200f : \u200e 7.2 ounces Dimensions \u200f : \u200e 11.25 x 0.25 x 9 inches Best Sellers Rank: #3,384,304 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #1,627 in Child Abuse (Books) #2,342 in Parenting & Family Reference Customer Reviews: 4.5", "Clear and Comforting I love this book. I bought it for my adult daughter and son-in-law to use with my grandkids. The story and pictures are engaging, the language is clear, and the adults in the story model comforting ways to talk with boys and girls about what to do if they are exposed to sexually abusive situations. The story emphasizes the need for children to get help from safe adults as soon as they can. I think my grandsons will relate to this story because, like the boy in the book, they love to ride on the snow machine with their dad. Deborah J. Bock"], "editorial_reviews": ["Review\nTalk About Touch is a ground-breaking children s book that provides families and educators with an honest discussion about sexual abuse. Peer into the lives of Eric and his sister, Bean, and baby brother, Oscar, and their dog, Sugar, as Dad and Grandma talk about a difficult subject with compassion and forthrightness. The culturally relevant setting in an Alaskan village, and the beautiful illustrations by Yupik artist Patrick Minock, create an authentic and heartfelt story. Vivian Faith Prescott, M.F.A., Ph.D. --Individual\n\nThe materials Sandra Kleven has developed since the early 1980s have made important contributions to the prevention of child sexual abuse through the education of children themselves, empowering them with the personal tools necessary to recognize if and when an "]}, "author_bio": "A resident of Anchorage, Alaska, Sandy Kleven is a writer, poet, and filmmaker. She is also a licensed clinical social worker with a long history as a family clinician. Sandy s first book, The Right Touch, was published by Illumination Arts in 1998. This award-winning children s book was based on her work as the founding director of a community-based theatre group in Bellingham, WA. Featuring Jody Bergsma s colorful illustrations, The Right Touch has become the best-selling prevention book in the United States, and translations have been published in Chinese, Swedish, and Korean. When Sandy began working in Bethel, Alaska in 1984, she recognized the importance of teaching children safety lessons in the context of their own culture and community. With this as a goal, she created a four-page reader set in a remote Alaskan village which has now been expanded into Talk About Touch. Sandy has also earned a Masters degree in Creative Writing. Her poetry and essays are widely published. As the editor of Cirque Literary Journal, she supports established as well as emerging writers in the Northwest and Alaska.", "product_specs": {}, "general_audience_layer": {"narrative": "This sequel to Sandy Kleven's bestselling abuse prevention book, The Right Touch, provides vital information on how to handle dangerous situations if they occur. Set in a remote Alaskan village, this engaging story helps parents and teachers facilitate the discussion of sexual abuse and inappropriate touching."}}

This sequel to Sandy Kleven's bestselling abuse prevention book, The Right Touch, provides vital information on how to handle dangerous situations if they occur. Set in a remote Alaskan village, this engaging story helps parents and teachers facilitate the discussion of sexual abuse and inappropriate touching.