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Stone Faces
This is a book for middle grade readers with pictures.
"Stone Faces" is the story of a ten-year-old girl named Alice during a time in her life when her parents are considering a divorce. As a result of the tensions in the family, it seems to her that the faces of her parents and many of the people around her have turned to stone. While visiting with her Aunt in Provincetown, Massachusetts and feeling lonely and sad, Alice finds a stone on the beach that looks like a laughing man. When he talks to her, and after her initial surprise, she calls Mr. Happy Man. She soon learns that Mr. Happy Man and his beach stone friends can talk and love to play. When another visitor to the beach picks up Mr. Happy Man and claims him for her own, Alice decides that she must steal him back and free him. During the ensuing adventure, Alice learns about the true meaning of friendship and love.
The book is available on the iBookstore.
"Stone Faces" is the story of a ten-year-old girl named Alice during a time in her life when her parents are considering a divorce. As a result of the tensions in the family, it seems to her that the faces of her parents and many of the people around her have turned to stone. While visiting with her Aunt in Provincetown, Massachusetts and feeling lonely and sad, Alice finds a stone on the beach that looks like a laughing man. When he talks to her, and after her initial surprise, she calls Mr. Happy Man. She soon learns that Mr. Happy Man and his beach stone friends can talk and love to play. When another visitor to the beach picks up Mr. Happy Man and claims him for her own, Alice decides that she must steal him back and free him. During the ensuing adventure, Alice learns about the true meaning of friendship and love.
The book is available on the iBookstore.
60 pages, ebook
First published August 30, 2013
7 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 28, 2016
Anne Rothman-Hicks and Kenneth Hicks have penned another tale for middle-grade readers who enjoy a touch of fantasy along with a dose of real-world kid issues. I promise: you will never look at beach pebbles the same way after reading Stone Faces!
What Kids Will Like
Actually, children may not like Alice at first: she is mean to friends and family. But she'll grow on kids. They'll soon empathize with her struggle as the authors peel back layers of Alice’s despair when her parents separate during her summer vacation. Ouch.
The tale takes place mainly along the New England coast and captures the essence of summering there. (On a side note, I found the book’s cover of a smiling Alice against a cityscape confusing. That illustration did not match my view of the book’s plot and main setting, but that was a minor distraction.) The beach is where fun and fantasy creep in. Kids will fall for Mr. Happy Man and Alice’s other stone friends, who find the perfect way to support her. I love the authors’ creativity here with their fanciful, kid-friendly ‘rolling stones.’
The mean (but not scary) witch is a boo-worthy antagonist, who threatens Alice and her stone friends. Plus at 55 pages, the book is a fast, easy read that concludes in a positive way.
What Parents, Teachers Will Like
There’s fun to be had with frolicking beach stones; however, this book is a springboard to rich discussion. The first-person narrative helps kids get into Alice’s mind. They’ll understand her fragility and why she uses her stone face to protect her damaged psyche. Without diminishing the character’s legitimate emotions, the book opens doors to surfacing positive ways children can deal with hurt and anger.
Stone Faces also offers life lessons about divorce and changing family dynamics. Children learn there are different kinds of family units in society, and each unit is okay. No need for guilt or ridicule.
CAVEAT: Be prepared to answer your young reader's questions about divorce and separation. Children in a two-parent family may want to know if their parents could split up like Alice’s.
For children of divorce, Stone Faces might surface feelings of anger or resentment that can lead to discussion and understanding. I applaud the authors for demonstrating how divorced parents still love their children, who are blameless when adults move in different directions.
Recommendations
I highly recommend Stone Faces for children in grade 3-6. It’s a dual-level tale rich in imaginative fantasy with its frolicking stones while also addressing real struggle with complex family dynamics.
Disclosure
I was provided with a free copy this book in exchange for an honest review.
Cat Michaels, M.S., Ed.
What Kids Will Like
Actually, children may not like Alice at first: she is mean to friends and family. But she'll grow on kids. They'll soon empathize with her struggle as the authors peel back layers of Alice’s despair when her parents separate during her summer vacation. Ouch.
The tale takes place mainly along the New England coast and captures the essence of summering there. (On a side note, I found the book’s cover of a smiling Alice against a cityscape confusing. That illustration did not match my view of the book’s plot and main setting, but that was a minor distraction.) The beach is where fun and fantasy creep in. Kids will fall for Mr. Happy Man and Alice’s other stone friends, who find the perfect way to support her. I love the authors’ creativity here with their fanciful, kid-friendly ‘rolling stones.’
The mean (but not scary) witch is a boo-worthy antagonist, who threatens Alice and her stone friends. Plus at 55 pages, the book is a fast, easy read that concludes in a positive way.
What Parents, Teachers Will Like
There’s fun to be had with frolicking beach stones; however, this book is a springboard to rich discussion. The first-person narrative helps kids get into Alice’s mind. They’ll understand her fragility and why she uses her stone face to protect her damaged psyche. Without diminishing the character’s legitimate emotions, the book opens doors to surfacing positive ways children can deal with hurt and anger.
Stone Faces also offers life lessons about divorce and changing family dynamics. Children learn there are different kinds of family units in society, and each unit is okay. No need for guilt or ridicule.
CAVEAT: Be prepared to answer your young reader's questions about divorce and separation. Children in a two-parent family may want to know if their parents could split up like Alice’s.
For children of divorce, Stone Faces might surface feelings of anger or resentment that can lead to discussion and understanding. I applaud the authors for demonstrating how divorced parents still love their children, who are blameless when adults move in different directions.
Recommendations
I highly recommend Stone Faces for children in grade 3-6. It’s a dual-level tale rich in imaginative fantasy with its frolicking stones while also addressing real struggle with complex family dynamics.
Disclosure
I was provided with a free copy this book in exchange for an honest review.
Cat Michaels, M.S., Ed.
October 4, 2016
Stone Faces: An Alice and Friends Book (Volume 1) by Anne Rotham-Hicks and Kenneth Hicks is a childrens book that adresses the topic of divorce and complex emotions in a way that can be easily understood and relatable to the young reader. The charachter Alice is meant to be distant and shrood when we first meet her. Of course when you experience something so upsetting, sorting through various emotions may not come off in the most flattering of ways. When meet Alice she notices her parents have stone faces and is unsure why. Once she learns of her parents divorce she adpats the same coping mechanism. She applies a stone face or more commonly may some know it also as a "poker face". An unreadable mask is one way of dealing with our emotions when we dont want someone to know how we are feeling or to fool one into thinking we are better than we are. That is what Alice is doing, or so she thinks she is doing.
As we follow Alice, she goes on vacation to her Aunts home. Thinking the vacation may do Alice some good in time of confusion and hardships. It does not immediately unfreeze her "stoneface", as Alice walks along the beach one day she finds that she can understand the stones and she thinks that may be who she is.
No matter young or old, when we encounter something that challenges us so profoundly, we need to find a way to minimize the psychological damage or long-term effects of the ill feelings building up within. Using the "stone face" is Alice's "avoidance behavior", her coping mechanism. Though how does Alice let down her walls? How does Alice learn to cope with what is happening in her life without letting the negative consume her? How does Alice learn proper coping skills? Well for any young reader going through a tough time or for even for any young reader learning coping skills of their own...this is a approach where they learn empathy, and a approach on how not to handle and how to handle hard situations.
As we follow Alice, she goes on vacation to her Aunts home. Thinking the vacation may do Alice some good in time of confusion and hardships. It does not immediately unfreeze her "stoneface", as Alice walks along the beach one day she finds that she can understand the stones and she thinks that may be who she is.
No matter young or old, when we encounter something that challenges us so profoundly, we need to find a way to minimize the psychological damage or long-term effects of the ill feelings building up within. Using the "stone face" is Alice's "avoidance behavior", her coping mechanism. Though how does Alice let down her walls? How does Alice learn to cope with what is happening in her life without letting the negative consume her? How does Alice learn proper coping skills? Well for any young reader going through a tough time or for even for any young reader learning coping skills of their own...this is a approach where they learn empathy, and a approach on how not to handle and how to handle hard situations.
October 6, 2016
Stone Faces: An Alice and Friends Book takes readers on an emotional journey as they connect with Alice during her struggle to come to terms with her parents separation.
Alice is devastated when she learns that her parents are separating and decides she needs to go on their annual family vacation to Cape Cod by herself. Her parents reluctantly agree and she bids them farewell wearing the same stone cold face she's seen them displaying lately. Once in Cape Cod Alice spends most her time at the beach and one day finds a stone that looks like a laughing man. Alice names him Mr. Happy Man and is surprised when she learns he and the rest of the beach stones can talk. Mr. Happy Man and his friends vow to help Alice, but when an evil witch interferes it's Mr. Happy Man that needs help. Can Alice help Mr. Happy Man and mend the relationship with her parents before it's too late?
Stone Faces: An Alice and Friends Book is well thought out and the story is told in simple terms so young readers will be able to identify with Alice and the emotional turmoil she's facing. The characters are creative and engaging and children will enjoy Mr. Happy Man and his beach buddies.
As a child of divorced parents I understand what Alice feels and how desperately she wants her parents to fix their family. I applaud that authors for the "happily ever after" they chose for the book. It's a realistic ending that shows children they are much stronger than they realize and that things don't always work out they way they hope, but they can still find happiness.
I highly recommend picking up a copy of Stone Faces: An Alice and Friends Book.
Alice is devastated when she learns that her parents are separating and decides she needs to go on their annual family vacation to Cape Cod by herself. Her parents reluctantly agree and she bids them farewell wearing the same stone cold face she's seen them displaying lately. Once in Cape Cod Alice spends most her time at the beach and one day finds a stone that looks like a laughing man. Alice names him Mr. Happy Man and is surprised when she learns he and the rest of the beach stones can talk. Mr. Happy Man and his friends vow to help Alice, but when an evil witch interferes it's Mr. Happy Man that needs help. Can Alice help Mr. Happy Man and mend the relationship with her parents before it's too late?
Stone Faces: An Alice and Friends Book is well thought out and the story is told in simple terms so young readers will be able to identify with Alice and the emotional turmoil she's facing. The characters are creative and engaging and children will enjoy Mr. Happy Man and his beach buddies.
As a child of divorced parents I understand what Alice feels and how desperately she wants her parents to fix their family. I applaud that authors for the "happily ever after" they chose for the book. It's a realistic ending that shows children they are much stronger than they realize and that things don't always work out they way they hope, but they can still find happiness.
I highly recommend picking up a copy of Stone Faces: An Alice and Friends Book.
August 22, 2016
I received a book for my honest review.
Alice’s parents are separating to see if they want to get divorced or stay together. Alice is very upset at the news and her parents allow her to go on vacation to her aunt’s house on the beach. She finds herself hiding her feelings and pushing everyone away from her because she is so upset and hurt about her parent’s separation.
After finding a special rock on the beach that she can talk to, she learns that she can talk to all of the stones and play games with them. Because she has allowed her face to turn to stone, the rocks think that she is like them and together they create a plan to get her parent’s back together. Unfortunately, a woman steals her special rock and takes it back to her home. Alice learns that she is really a witch and promises that she will get her rock back no matter what.
Stone Faces is a middle-grade book that is written to help children that are going through a divorce. They’ll be able to identify with Alice and her feelings and learn the lessons that she learns at the end of the story. I really enjoyed the story of Stone Faces and the ending completely surprised me. If you have a child who is going through their parents’ divorce or separation, they will be able to identify with Alice’s story.
Alice’s parents are separating to see if they want to get divorced or stay together. Alice is very upset at the news and her parents allow her to go on vacation to her aunt’s house on the beach. She finds herself hiding her feelings and pushing everyone away from her because she is so upset and hurt about her parent’s separation.
After finding a special rock on the beach that she can talk to, she learns that she can talk to all of the stones and play games with them. Because she has allowed her face to turn to stone, the rocks think that she is like them and together they create a plan to get her parent’s back together. Unfortunately, a woman steals her special rock and takes it back to her home. Alice learns that she is really a witch and promises that she will get her rock back no matter what.
Stone Faces is a middle-grade book that is written to help children that are going through a divorce. They’ll be able to identify with Alice and her feelings and learn the lessons that she learns at the end of the story. I really enjoyed the story of Stone Faces and the ending completely surprised me. If you have a child who is going through their parents’ divorce or separation, they will be able to identify with Alice’s story.
September 24, 2016
I felt the book was written well. It flowed smoothly and kept my interest. It was easy to understand and was quite fitting for the age group it was written for.
I believe the characters were very believable and seemed very real.
The title and book cover totally fit the story.
I liked the imagination in the story and how it ended. I believe that young people would be very drawn into the book.
I would give the book a 5/5 literary rating.
by Vickie
I believe the characters were very believable and seemed very real.
The title and book cover totally fit the story.
I liked the imagination in the story and how it ended. I believe that young people would be very drawn into the book.
I would give the book a 5/5 literary rating.
by Vickie
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews