A Work of Heart: Connecting with Kids in a Chaotic World is an emotional - and necessary - book for adults who guide our most valuable resource: our children. Each chapter of this pause-resister builds with momentum to motivate parents, teachers, coaches, scout leaders, social workers, nurses, occupational therapists, and anyone who interacts with youth to model the book’s concept of real-time mentorship. Simply stated, real-time mentoring is the immediate gift of guidance and support for those in need of a positive and trusted role model.

In this narrative journey, each chapter intricately unfolds mentor/mentee relationship-building stories, such as a child’s passageway from homelessness and aggression to honor roll student, or the journey of a nonverbal child with autism from explosive outbursts to peaceful interactions. Yet, the chapters also detail those students with hidden needs, such as the campaign to assist a soft-spoken boy with a baffling learning disability to read fluently, or a commitment to steer a bouncy, popular, and gifted singer to recognize the importance of humility. These remarkable stories with unremarkable origins will inspire others who interact with youth to acknowledge the ease and benefit of these natural interactions, and thus, be able to effortlessly put the ideas into practice. Instead of promoting yet another “how-to” intervention program to target at-risk students, veteran educator Susannah C. Richards, EdD, exemplifies how seemingly insignificant and informal exchanges can produce endearing connections that in turn make significant and positive changes in the life of a child.

In a world that is overly focused on jamming more and more (and even more) stress on youth, this provocative book challenges us to pause and look at - not through - our children. A Work of Heart: Connecting with Kids in a Chaotic World will embolden all - beginning today - to cultivate positive, individualized relationships with children as we hear their soft whimpers for help or piercing screams to be noticed.