Review of You Can’t Come to My Birthday Party!

by Jessica Bonner, Director, Pearson Teacher Fellowship, Jumpstart for Young Children

In helping prepare newly graduated college students to teach preschool in low-income communities through the Pearson Teacher Fellowship program, Betsy Evans’ book, You Can’t Come to My Birthday Party!, has become an invaluable resource. From the step-by-step conflict resolution process itself to the numerous verbatim examples that are included, this book is a must-read for anyone working with young children. By giving new teachers actual language to try out when dealing with difficult conflict situations, they are better able to implement the whole conflict resolution process and put the problem-solving control into the children’s hands. More importantly, Betsy helps new teachers understand that like any academic skill, conflict resolution can be learned only through numerous experiences, guided and facilitated by a caring adult who understands the importance of allowing children to practice and learn to use these skills on their own.

Betsy’s passion and belief in the capabilities of young children shine through in this engaging book so that you, too, move from dreading conflict to embracing it as an essential learning opportunity for children and adults alike.