Time to Get Started: A Story about Learning to Take Initiative is a book written for parents, teachers, therapists and tutors working with children who have trouble getting started on tasks. Having raised two children with ADHD, and as a pediatric speech language pathologist, this difficulty has been on my personal front burner for years. The precepts of Time to Get Started are clear. Getting things done is hard. And one step at a time is needed.

The story itself reads like fiction, but the child and parent together should be able to discuss the salient points, how everyone has trouble with getting started on tasks, and then how to "fix" that. The story is about a boy who has difficulty with being overwhelmed with tasks and completing them.

There is a an extensive part at the end for parents and educators that would be invaluable. The author discusses the need for structure and breaking tasks down so that the overwhelming nature of getting things accomplished occurs. The use of timers, explaining how behaviors impact them and others when they don't follow through is discussed, as is the need to help the child in prioritizing things that need to get done through out their day.

The illustrations help keep this a child friendly book without being too preachy. Educators might want to purchase this for their classrooms for those times when children need reminded how to approach larger tasks. Counselors who run social groups for ADHD could use this book for a jumping off point for keeping focus.

Recommend this book highly!

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

At one time or another we are all guilty of engaging with the notorious time thief known as Procrastination. This book is about taking charge of putting things off until later and substituting it with initiative to get things done ... pronto.

Blake loves spending his time playing video games and having fun. He is supposed to be cleaning his room. Instead he decides to ignore his mother who is beckoning him to do so and keeps right on playing. What's her problem he wonders? Can't she see that he is playing his game and enjoying himself now and that he will clean his room later?

Finally Mom firmly steps in and says, "It's time to get started!" She tells him that she used to be a procrastinator too. She gives him some wise advice about not taking initiative that her father related to her when she was younger.

She shares with him four steps to get him moving forward:

"1. Focus on what needs to get done.
2. Figure out what's stopping you.
3. Come up with a plan to GET STARTED!
4. Ask for help if nothing else works."

Blake implements these steps and voilà... his room is all tidy and clean. Blake discovers he can use this wisdom to help him out at school and to encourage others "get started" too. There are accommodating tips for parents and educators at the end of the book. This is the newest title in the awesome "Executive FUNction" series. The book will launch October 15, 2018 and I highly recommend it and the whole series.

This is a lesson book. That is the entire point of the “story”. But saying it’s a story, is using that word very loosely. Its too long and has no real flowing story to use at story time. This is a book you hand a parent who needs help with their kid. Not one that will readily be picked up for mindless browsing.

4 stars!

A great book for helping kids and parents alike.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy.

Being a Mom of 2 children I really wish this book had been around when my children were younger. Now I am a Grandma I am going to read it and try the tips with my Granddaughter. Sometimes you get so tired of hearing I'll do it later and wind up doing it yourself. This book gives you a 4 point system to get your child to help get projects and chores done. Blake is a young boy who is into video games and does not want to clean his room and Mom comes up with the 4 point plan. Focus, What is stopping you, Plan, and Ask for help if needed. This is then applied in school with learning and story writing. The back of the book also has tips for parents that go further. I really recommend this book for 5+. The illustrations are motivating and fun for all children.
I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

My Review: I am always looking for new non-fiction books to read with Munchkin, but had never really seen a self-help type book written for kids, so I was thrilled to be able to read this one. I was very pleasantly surprised, it takes the approach of a kid talking to the kid readers, and commiserating with them about parents nagging them to get started. It then provides a great approach for both parents and children about how to approach the issue of procrastinating and how to take initiative. It was a great conversation starter about how we can work better together and accomplish things we don't want to do without arguing or nagging. While we haven't seen much progress yet it has become a great resource to fall back on.

My Rating: I am not a huge fan of self help books for myself, but this is a great one for kids and their parents/guardians. It is short and to the point, and gives clear steps to help overcome the problem. I give this one a rating of Four Paws! I am also really looking forward to checking out Bryan's other books for kids.

Time to Get Started has good illustrations throughout and wonderful parent tips at the end. I would highly recommend this book to fellow educators and parents. This will be a welcomed addition to my counseling office library. Thanks BoysTown Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this title for review.