Cover Image: How to Be a Person

How to Be a Person

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Member Reviews

How to be a Person by author Catherine Newman is a fun book for children. My children and I really enjoyed this one and would definitely recommend it!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I love this book! This 160 page wonder contains 65 hugely, useful, super-important skills to learn before kids are grown up. The author has created a must-read for ages 10-14, and some adults too. The book presents valuable advice to kids before they enter into adulthood.

The author offers an amazing manual... how to become a person whom everyone will love and want to emulate. Here are the topics that are covered:

* Becoming Your Best Self, 6
* Other Beings: How to Care for the People, Pets and Plants in your Life, 9
* Saying It Right: How to be Kind and Get Your Point Across, 33
* Dirty Things: How to Clean and Care for Your Home
* Edible Food: How to Make Meals and Find Your Way Around the Kitchen, 79
* You're Wear That? : How to Clean and Care for Your Clothes, 101
* Your Two Cents: How to Get, Give, and Spend Money, 123
* Useful Skills: How to Do Basic Important Things, 14
* Thank You, 160

The cartoon-style illustrations greatly enrich the message of the book. Newman gives valuable advice which she sprinkles with humour and without parental nagging. Kids will learn basic life skills and life lessons and the proper way to do them. The book explains how to write a thank you note, a condolence card, use a screwdriver, be caring and kind, how to vacuum a room, use a debit card, pack for a trip, wrap a present, build a fire, and do housework, just to name a few. It states these skills not in a preachy way, but in a practical, helpful way that most kids can accomplish.

This book will boost a child's confidence and self-esteem. It informs the reader in a playful, easy, and understandable way. "How To Be A Person" would be great in every middle-school classroom and in each school library. I highly, highly recommend this wonderful book!

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I think so many kids will benefit from this book! It is approachable and friendly, not bossy and know-it-all. Loved it! Can’t wait to get the book and put it in the library!

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How To Be A Person is a guide for kids that shows them how to do lots of everyday things, such as housework, cooking, wrapping a present, building a fire, using tools, etc. It even tells kids how to help others and how to be kind.

This would be a wonderful gift for any kid, and for some adults too (Myself included . I still can't wrap a present.) The instructions are presented in an easy to understand, but also sometimes humorous way that is fun to read.

I received a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley and the Publishers. My review is voluntary.

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This is a much needed book for many kids! There are so many basic tasks explained in a simple, easy to use format that they will want to keep this book to take to college with them! Thanks to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for allowing an advanced read in exchange for an honest review.

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This is a fantastic and fun book to gift to a pre teen or teen. It has plenty of graphics to go along with the topics. Advice they give is how to clean things, how to wrap a present, what to do with money and so on.

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How to be a Person by Catherine Newman is a book of instructions that encourages kids to ask, "What can I do to help?". Chapters are brief and humorous with bright illustrations. It contains concrete ideas of what to do in certain situations like making a card for someone sick, or needing to say sorry. The Dirty Things and Edible Food chapters are particularly helpful for around the house. Step by step directions are clear and informative for activities such as how to wrap a present or how to was dishes. Pretty soon your tween will be making quesadillas and doing laundry. "Fun Fact" boxes are sprinkled throughout book as extra trivia that kids will enjoy. Short Pop Quizzes test comprehension with funny scenarios. The book ends with the How To Be Happy chapter which could be made into a poster of good tips: Be Generous, Smile More. Both tweens and parents will enjoy this brilliant how-to manual for living.

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Review for Netgalley

How to Be a Person by Catherine Newman is a delightfully, engaging book for young people about how to master life skills with aplomb. Subject matter like "how to be a good guest" or "how to take care of a cactus" just might help that young person in your life to gain a few more life skills before they are completely grown up. This book contains colorful, simple illustrations and cute thought bubbles to help maintain reading interest between the short, approachable passages.

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If you have a middle schooler living with you, this book will be a life saver. Filled with must know instructions on being a responsible adult, it's not preachy but it is direct. Readers will enjoy the amount of illustrations which makes the book less intimidating. From learning to how load a dishwasher to the proper way to address an envelope, this book is a must when you have a young adult who is just beginning to want that Independence they so crave.

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*thank you to Netgalley, Catherine Newman and Storey Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*


4 stars.

Wow. This book is so informative about so many different everyday things us adults do on a daily basis. It's a wonderful book that I think will also boost children's self-esteem as they find they are able to accomplish these daily tasks. I wish I had a book like this when I was a kid. It's such a great idea!

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This is a great how to guide that will be helpful for kids of all ages. Clear and concise directions along with charming illustrations keep the reader engaged. Newman's sense of humor and light touch keeps the book from being too patronizing. Great for kids (and adults!) 10 and up.

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How to be a Person by Catherine Newman is an awesome book. it covers so many important life skills in simple terms that kids can read and understand. This is a valuable tool all parents need!

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A very cute book. I think a lot of young people could benefit from this book. Many comments are hilarious from How to Plunge a Toilet to How to Fold a Fitted Sheet (Hint: You don’t.) Lots of useful advice for adulting in this book of How-tos. I would suggest washing the chicken before you roast it though and benevolence to the poor or church community would have been a bonus rather than just “organizations.” Also, a couple other books have the same title.😬

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Loved the introduction, particularly the request for feedback from the children. Overall I thought this was a lovely concept, beautifully executed. I thought the content was pitched just right and that the tone was perfect. I will be purchasing a copy for my child and recommending to my friends and family for their little cherubs.

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A fantastic volume of really useful hints and tips for kids to cover things they should know as they grow up. Covering topics as diverse as how to write a thank you note to how to use a screwdriver, the tone stays light and the cartoons are well done. This is a great volume and I'll be buying copies for the young people in my life.

(However, half a point off because the 'clean the bathroom' section explains sinks and counters, then starts the toilet part with 'squirt some cleaner in and do the rest of the cleaning while it soaks.' Why not put toilets first, then? 4.5 stars, rounding down.)

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This is a funny sweet quirky guide to LIFE! This is a fun gift idea for kids of any age. The author is also super kind! I love the art style. Each life tip is so practical while still being silly.

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As a mom I think this is a great book for kids. It is very relatable to real life and is written in a way that kids will want to read it. I wish this book was around when my son was younger as it would have helped reinforce the things we were trying to teach regarding being a responsible person. Thank you for writing such a great book for younger kids.

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**Thanks to the Storey Publishing, LLC., Catherine Newman, the author, and to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

This book is wonderful for middle school age children to learn basic every day life skills. This book teaches the proper way to do everything from household chores to writing letters, filling out forms, caring for the lawn, cooking some food, how to interact properly on the telephone, taking care of pets, being polite to others, and just how to do so many other life skills. In my opinion, this book is the perfect gift for every middle grade age person. It would help them learn to become a better person. I also love the images used in the book, they really help add to the descriptions and are drawn in a cartoon way that is enjoyable for the content. To be published May 26, 2020. I highly recommend this book!

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How to Be a Person is an adorably crafted how-to book. From beginning to end, your young readers will love utilizing this informational text to learn all sorts of grown-up responsibilities.

The beginning of the book focuses on manners and social etiquettes. It has everything from how to address a new person, send a requesting e-mail, and help those around in the community. Additionally, the book addresses hot to show respect to elders and how to care for little ones.

After focusing on manners and social etiquettes, the book cascades through a wide variety of everyday skills. It dedicates a chapter to teaching students how to do basic chores. From there, it transitions to easy recipes and life skills, such as managing money and opening a bank account.

Throughout the entirety of this book, the advice within this book is practical, age-appropriate, and it speaks to the readers in a clear and kind manner. Thought and time were clearly put into the presentation of every one of the skills addressed. Many were given in a step-by-step organizational pattern, and they had basic illustrations to help communicate with its readers.

As a parent, the time I spent reading this book was a real eye-opener. It made me realize there are a lot of everyday skills that I need to be focusing on teaching my children. With the fast pace of life today, it is easy to realize that you are missing your opportunity to teach your children the basic life skills they will need to be successful on their own someday. How to Be A Person is a great book for families to utilize as they prepare their children to grow up and set out on their own someday.

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This book is magnificent! It includes instructions for everything a young person could need, from how to visit someone in hospital or write a letter to how to chop an onion or care for a pet. It has cooking and money tips and help with using a washing machine or unblocking a toilet. The book is very funny and nicely illustrated throughout.

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