1.

Introduction

Children and adolescents face various issues like developmental challenges, adjusting
to school, making friends, family issues, coping with fear, anxiety, anger or frustration. All
these issues need to be addressed and dealt with in a nonthreatening way (Lucas, Soares,
2013). Children’s environment should stimulate their development by addressing real-life
situations and navigating their need to explore and learn (Lucas, Soares, 2013). One powerful
tool that could address, educate (Stamps, 2003) and guide children’s needs (Goddard, 2011)
are books, which gives space to reflect, interpret and discuss (Lucas, Soares, 2013).
Bibliotheraphy is a theraphy where we read a book that can make us understand the actions,
feelings and find possible ways to cope with problems (Holmes, 2004). It could also mean that
we use literary sources to help gain deep understanding of the problems faced in life and start
getting in problem solving and cope with real life situations by identifying character who
successfully resolves a problem similar to the one the individual is experiencing.

2. Bibliotheraphy Strategy

As with most teaching strategies, bibliotherapy is a tool to be modified and adapted to

a particular context. However, the process always begins with identifying the need of the
students and selecting appropriate reading material. Teachers should take care to ensure that
the books are appropriate in terms of reading level, interest, and subject matter. It is essential
that teachers read the entire text and consider if any subjects addressed might require parental
input or consent. It may be helpful to compile a written bibliography or classroom library of
titles about common topics for that grade level. Once titles have been selected, teachers
should plan how and when reading will occur (individual/small group/read aloud) and what
activities will help students reflect on the text, gain insight, and apply new understanding to
their own situation. This process must be as carefully planned as any academic objective or
students may not benefit fully from the experience. It is important to remember that
bibliotherapy is not a cure-all, nor will it reach every student in the same manner. Instead, it is
just another tool in a teacher’s box to deal with the varied emotional, behavioural, and social
issues of this students. However, it is useful to approach students with some problems that
we can identify, where we carefully select the materials that are suitable for that particular
students that we have identified and carry out bibliotheraphy to solve this problem.

Bibliotherapy can be conducted with individuals or groups. In individual bibliotherapy,

literature is assigned to a student for a specific need. The student may read the material or
the literature may be read to him/her. The activities that follow the reading are also conducted
individually with the student. The student discusses the literature with a teacher, writes a
report, talks into voice recorder, or expresses his/her reaction artistically. Through this process
she/he is able to unblock emotions and relieve emotional pressures. Additionally, by
examination and analysis of moral values and the stimulation of critical thinking, the student
develops self-awareness, an enhanced self-concept and improved personal and social
judgment. This outcome should result in improved behaviour, an ability to handle and
understand important life issues, and increased empathy, tolerance, respect and acceptance
of others, all through identification with an appropriate literary model.

In it's use with groups, the students read literature orally or listen while the teacher
reads to them. Group discussion and activities follow. Youngsters become aware that they are
not alone in their feelings and that perceived problems are shared by others.

Although bibliotherapy encourages change within the individual, its use is not restricted to
times when a crisis is present. However, it is not a cure-all for deep-rooted psychological
problems either. These deep-seated issues are best served through more intensive
therapeutic interventions. Other youngsters may not yet be able to view themselves in a
literary mirror and may use literature for escape purposes only. Others may tend to rationalize
their problems away rather than facing them. Still others may not be able to transfer insights
into real life. However, these vicarious experiences with literary characters prove to be helpful
for many students.

3. Example of Bibliotheraphy Usage

Anyone who cares about or depends upon the addict suffers such as children depends
on their parents which are the addict suffers. Living with active addiction is too much for most
people. Thank God there are more resources now than ever before for the families afflicted
by addiction. Treatment centres have family groups and family days, and many therapists are
skilled at helping family members. There are groups of people devoted to helping family and
friends of alcoholics and addiction in nearly every area of the country. Well-written books for
families of addicts can help initiate the process of understanding and healing. These books
can give a starting point to desperate family members, literally worried sick about the addict
in their lives.

A book with the title “My Dad Loves Me, My Dad Has a Disease: A Child's View, Living
with Addiction” by Claudia Black published at the year 1997 is a good example of book that is
suitable for children dealing with parents that are having terrible addiction to alcohol. In the
book, the main character’s father is an alcoholic who constantly take alcohol every night. There
was one time where the father was sent to a treatment centre because having a deteriorating
health issues due to the addiction. The liver of her father was seriously damaged due to the
alcohol intake that happens every day. However the main character finally found ways to
accept the fate that the family have to go through.

4. Multicultural Children’s Literature

A good book for children can transcend time, space, and language, and help readers
to "learn about an individual or a group of people whose stories take place in a specific
historical and physical setting". Exposure to quality multicultural literature also helps children
appreciate the idiosyncrasies of other ethnic groups, eliminate cultural ethnocentrism, and
develop multiple perspectives. From reading, hearing, and using culturally diverse materials,
young people learn that beneath surface differences of colour, culture or ethnicity, all people
experience universal feelings of love, sadness, self-worth, justice and kindness." Quality
literature about a particular ethnic group benefits cultural and linguistic minority children as
well. From reading multicultural books about their own culture, children have opportunities to
see how others go through experiences similar to theirs, develop strategies to cope with issues
in their life, and identify themselves with their inherited culture. It is, therefore important that
educators incorporate multicultural literature into the curriculum and make it part of children's
everyday life. Multicultural literature should have positive portrayals of characters with
authentic and realistic behaviours, to avoid stereotypes of a particular cultural group.
References

Lucas C. V., Soares L. (2013) Bibliotherapy: a tool to promote children‘s psychological well-
being. Journal of poetry therapy, vol. 26, No.3, pp. 137–147.

Holmes M. M. (2004) Writing bibliotherapy books for young children. Journal of poetry therapy,
vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 39–44.

Goddard A. T. (2011) Children’s books for use in bibliotherapy. J Pediatr health care, vol. 25,
no. 1, pp. 57–61.

Stamps L. S. (2003) Bibliotherapy: How Books Can Help Students Cope With Concerns And
Conflicts. The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin.