Award winning 'Personal Child Stories' by Shara Lawrence-Weiss

Personal Child Stories. The name is self-explanatory. The result is simply amazing. These books are so personalized that you would think that Shara Lawrence-Weiss, the creator of PCS, knows each of the children for whom she writes the books. Clearly, she does her homework when it comes to their creation.

The stories are creative and the prose is catchy. Each book stars your child as the main character, with a storyline that relates to whatever you wish. PCS books can assist you in helping your child adjust to any number of transitions:

~ a new sibling
~ preparing for surgery or other medical procedures
~ understanding death
~ behavioral issues
~ coping with divorce
~ dealing with moving
~ special needs of any sort
~ being a sibling of a special needs child
~ or any other issue that you are helping your child tackle

PCS, the brainchild of Lawrence-Weiss, grew out of a very personal need to help her own child cope with a medically-related issue. You can read about it here.

The books are child-proof and virtually indestructible. They are ring-bound, laminated and very sturdy. They can be written on and easily wiped off. That makes them even more perfect than traditional "paper" books.

While holding these books in my hands to review, I could almost feel the love that was poured into them. REALLY! They were sweet, with a very powerful message.

PCS books build self-esteem, encourage social and emotional development and help kids solve problems. With your child as the main character, a PCS book is sure to become one of his or her favorite reads.

To get a glimpse at just how well-crafted these books are, take a peek at one of my faves. It’s a bittersweet memoir of a little girl’s beloved dog. Be sure to get the tissues…you’ve been warned. After viewing this, and others available on the PCS site, you'll see why they were a natural for the Kidlutions Preferred Product Award.

While the books I reviewed were created for younger children, I personally witnessed an almost 10-year-old and a 12-year-old enthralled with them. (Note that the books were not even about them...they featured other children.) Following is a conversation between the two kids that I overheard, "Wow. How cool is that? These are neat!" "I know, I really like these!"

These books are more than books, they are treasures...and because they are so durable, they are also family heirlooms. You won't find 'em in a store, though...you'll only find them at Personal Child Stories.

You can also view a cute video of a young child reading her PCS here: