She’s gone from teaching primary school children to running a publishing company, and now Claudine Zuker is combining her skill set in an effort to pave the way for the puzzled parents out there.
The mother of four is bringing a series of concise books from the USA, each one in the line-up crammed with life hacks for struggling families, to Aussie shores.
Drawing on her 30 years’ expertise as an educator, Zuker realised the potential of the range and began adapting it for the market down under.
“The books were full of wisdom and advice I was constantly giving my children, so, after much tweaking, we have a set of which we can be very proud,” she said.
“I am drawn to topics that evoke an emotional response. When I read these books with my children, they generated some really meaningful conversations, and I hope to share this with other families.”
Each title covers either a stage of development, situation or life change that can pose universal challenges for both adults and children.
A quick flick through Being a Teenage Girl or Being a Teenage Boy, for example, offers apprehensive teens inside knowledge on the tricky business of making it through adolescence. The books cover topics like self-confidence, taking care of yourself and other important reminders for young people in their early teenage years.
Casting an eye over Being a Friend shows kids how to build healthy relationships and to recognise traits that indicate someone might make a good friend. Simple tips, such as finding a balance between alone-time and time with friends, guide youngsters on how to build and maintain their social lives, while looking out for themselves, too.
Another key lesson for young people is resilience, which is explored in Grit for Boys and Young Men and Grit for Girls and Young Women. These titles teach girls and boys how to best overcome hurdles in life and to learn and grow from your mistakes, highlighting the importance of ones own confidence and strength.
“The books are ‘living’, meaning they’re designed to allow readers to take notes and write in the margins then re-read as needed,” said Zuker.
“They’re meant to be quick and easy to read, so if you want to quickly refer back to a topic or suggestion when times are testing, you’ll know exactly where to look.”
But it’s not just the younger members of the family who can benefit from the Being A… series. Adults transitioning into new stages of their lives can find simple tips in books such as Being Newly Wed and Being a New Parent. Want to know what true love really is or how to choose a stroller from the hundreds that are available in the baby warehouse? These sorts of helpful tips and nuggets of advice can all be found in the handy guides.
There are a total of 15 Being A… guides to be released on 1 March 2018.
To view the full range of titles, head to beaglierbooks.com.au. Each of the Being A…books costs AU$26.99 RRP and is available from bookstores and Kidstuff.
