Empowering Children with One Simple Act of Kindness

Twice published author, Andrew Holt, has done it again! A Shooting Star is the Sunshine Coast local’s newest children’s book that encourages the core value of kindness in giving and receiving. This is no ordinary book, though, as the illustrations will be supplied by child illustrators from all over the globe and will the basis for educational programs to enhance feelings of self-worth, self and social awareness, and provide an antidote to bullying behaviour.

The premise of this story is the backbone of a mental health and wellbeing program for our youth created by Andrew, whose twenty-five-year career as a teacher has seen him interact with students in over four-hundred schools, spanning many cultural backgrounds.

His simple but effective program uses applied positive psychology and strength-based learning to encourage each individual (child or adult) to give and receive a “shooting star” to aid in developing and acknowledging positive character traits in themselves and others.

This program has been trialled in schools over the last five years and was already fully integrated into one school in 2019, with other teachers expressing their eagerness to implement the program in 2020. Andrew sees the classroom as the ideal environment for what he calls a movement, which aims to build mental wellbeing and resilience; key factors in preventing self-harm and suicide in young people.

Suicide is the leading cause of death among young Australians aged 15-24. In 2018, 22 children under the age of 14 committed suicide.

Andrew has launched and successfully concluded a Kickstarter campaign, which will cover the publishing and distribution costs of the books, and to facilitate training for teachers, schools, and parents on how to implement the program.

This is Andrew Holt’s third book on empowering children, following on from the first two releases from his Wise Kids Series: A Wise Water World Inspires Me and A Wise Apple Tree Helps Me.

You can find more about Andrew and A Shooting Star, register your interest, or purchase a pre-sale copy at the link below:

https://www.andrewgholt.com