Paloma is a fifth grade star goalie, a best friend, a daughter, and a big sister. As a new school year begins, difficult feelings start to creep up on Paloma, making her feel separate from her loving family. She wants to feel free again—free to enjoy hanging out with her friends and playing goalie on her soccer team. Paloma tries ignoring her sad and anxious feelings, but as they start to show at school, her classmates single her out. Will Paloma be able to find the strength to share her secret?

Testimonials

Paloma’s Secret is an important book because it reminds teachers and families to pay attention to our children’s social and emotional well-being, and not focus solely on their academics. I also like how Paloma’s friend, Marisol sticks by Paloma from the beginning to the end of the book. Friends can help a lot by showing up and actively listening without judgment. Paloma’s Secret shows us the power of schools, friends and families working together for student emotional health success.

Maribel Tineo

Assistant Principal, Bronx Collaborative High School, NY

 

 

I think Paloma’s Secret will help a range of audiences name emotions that can be so hard to pin down.  It’s important for young people, and especially teenagers to know that they have allies in mental wellness. Paloma’s community-her friend Marisol, her parents, and her teacher Ms. Rodriguez support her at all times. Paloma’s Secret shares a powerful message: You are not alone and allies in your life are there for you!

Rachel Hercule

Teacher and Literacy Specialist,
Muchin College Prep, Noble Network of Charter Schools

 

 

Paloma’s Secret is the kind of book that helps families get comfortable with talking about emotions because the book captures the experience of children who feel different than other people and from how other people see them. The illustrations help the reader understand the uncomfortable feelings of anxiety and depression growing inside Paloma.

Dr. Alice S. Nadelman, PhD

Psychologist, NJ

 

 

Paloma’s Secret is an important book because it positively portrays adults supporting young peoples’ mental health. In the book, Paloma’s teacher, Ms. Rodriguez sees Paloma struggling, brings Paloma to the counselor’s office and calls Paloma’s parents. Together, the adults support Paloma. Our schools can become compartmentalized, where resources, books like Paloma’s Secret and the feeling chart in the back, may reside in the counselor’s office, but the teachers don’t know about it. We get so specialized in our schools and things get missed when it’s not universal in a community, like resources for emotional health.

 

There’s no recipe for resilience. Some kids go through so many traumas and manage their emotional health, while others may seem okay, but struggle deeply inside. We just don’t know what’s going on unless we create the time and space to share our emotions and normalize having feelings. I would like to see a copy of Paloma’s Secret in every classroom and with every school counselor!

Beth Zacher Burke

LCSW, CA, Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

As teachers, we are always looking for books that unfold new worlds, so children can imagine the impossible.  We hope that somewhere within the hundreds of books, that each child can find at least one story connects with their experiences and nurtures their love for reading.  Within the past few years, that search for books broadens as our children face more challenges and new childhood experiences.

 

The book Paloma's Secret is timely, and a must read.  This book is an honest and graceful account of a child's emotional journey. Paloma's Secret combines narrative and poetry to create a multidimensional reading experience.  Along with the storyline, the detailed and vibrant illustrations create another layer of understanding.  It is necessary to support all children socially and emotionally.  Paloma's Secret is one way to help school communities and families create space to talk about feelings and support our youth.

Tiana Silvas

NYC Public School Teacher and Heinemann Fellow

 

 

Paloma's Secret brings to the forefront a much needed, much too closeted topic in our schools: anxiety and depression. As educators, we constantly extol the benefits of having books in our libraries that are windows and mirrors for students: books where they can see themselves and books that introduce them to the lives and cultures of others. Can it be that we have no children or families that share this experience? Absolutely not; there are many. Paloma's Secret creates an oasis in the middle of a desert.  Paloma's Secret artfully depicts difficult feelings in a visual format of a vine crawling up the protagonist's body and breaks down the walls of secrecy, so often shrouded with this experience. An imperative book to bring to our schools.

Susie Rolander

Instructor, Bank Street College

Reading Specialist, PS 234 NYC

Literacy Consultant

 

 

I wish this book were available when I was growing up. It would have made talking about feelings with my parents and friends easier. So many young people have struggles with anxiety. After reading this book, it will help me find a way into a dialogue with the parents and young people I work with about sadness and anxiety.

 

This book will be in my waiting room!

Dr. Carly Alexander, MD, FAAP

Pediatrician at Larchmont Pediatrics
Los Angeles, California

 

 

Paloma’s Secret is an incredible tool to open up a dialogue about feelings between children and their friends, and with the grownups in their lives. Through its beautiful images and carefully crafted story, the book reinforces the powerful idea that we can all identify with feelings of sadness and anxiety no matter our circumstances. From children to elders, everyone who reads this book will walk away with a thoughtful reminder that it’s OK to feel our feelings.

Kirsten Henning

Leadership Trainer and Adversity Coach

Note from
Dr. Emma Forbes-Jones,
Clinical Psychologist

Like many of us, children can struggle to cope with sadness and anxiety. You might worry about saying the “right” thing when you talk to children about these feelings, but the space you create for open discussion, in and of itself, can signal to children that these feelings are normal.

 

When you talk to your child about sadness and anxiety, listen without interrupting or judging. Encourage them to express their thoughts by asking open-ended questions, like “How did that feel?” Resist the urge to problem-solve. You may want to read this book together and talk about the ideas in it. Try comparing your child’s growing feelings of sadness or anxiety with something familiar, like a cold or an ear infection. Show your child that you recognize and respect their feelings. You may not understand them, and they may worry you, but reassure your child that you hear them and believe them.

 

Sometimes talking through uncomfortable feelings isn’t enough, and your child may need help from a mental health professional. You might ask the school guidance counselor, a social worker, or your child’s physician to recommend mental health therapists and read Paloma's Secret together.

 

RECOMMENDED WEBSITES

 

Anxiety and Depression Association of America

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

American Psychiatric Association

American Psychological Association

The Depressed Child Resources

Healthy Children

KidsHealth

NAMI, National Alliance on Mental Illness

For Schools & Families

Authors' Statement

Dear Reader, According to the National Association of Mental Illness, self-harm, many times a result of depression and anxiety, is the leading cause of death among young people ten and older. When I was in middle school over thirty years ago, I experienced feelings of loneliness and fear, which I now realize was an expression of my anxiety and depression. I couldn’t find my experiences or loneliness depicted in any book, which added to my feelings of alienation and despair. I began to imagine the impact that a book like Paloma’s Secret might have for children going through these emotions. My hope is that this book can become a springboard for conversations about our difficult feelings that many times are held in secret. Feelings of depression and anxiety don’t discriminate against any race, ethnicity or culture. My experience as a white educator working across diverse communities has changed the book I imagined writing as a teenager. I recognize now one way that racism has been institutionalized in our country is by the exclusion of positive images and narratives of people of color in our cultural products - like in our children’s books. With this in mind, Mia, Kenneth and I worked closely with people of LatinX heritage to tell a story that offers a positive representation of a Mexican American Family. In this story about Paloma and her secret, her parents become role models for how to be responsive and supportive of the young people in our care; they help to normalize Paloma’s experience in a way that empowers her to meet the social and emotional challenges of school life that many of our students experience. I hope you receive Paloma’s Secret with all the love we intended. Amy

Amy Fabrikant

Amy Fabrikant works as an author, facilitator, coach, and circle keeper with people of all ages developing a toolbox of communication skills. Amy works with schools, organizations, and individuals on building connections and respect for all using Restorative Justice Circles, Reading/Writing Workshop, and other Mindfullness practices. Amy is the author of the award-winning children’s book, When Kayla Was Kyle and Paloma’s Secret.

Mia Hood

Mia Hood is an educator and writer. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in Curriculum and Teaching at Teachers College and serves as the Director of Middle School Literacy for KIPP NYC. She consults with schools across the country as a curriculum designer and instructional coach, focusing on balanced literacy instruction in middle schools and critical literacy.

Kenneth López

Kenneth López is an artist, designer, and illustrator. His experience in the graphic arts, desktop publishing, web design and development, art direction, and marketing spans over twenty years. He currently serves as a senior creative professional in New York City.

Contact Us

Paloma's Secret

and

El Secreto de Paloma

are now available at Amazon.com!

 

Both books will soon be available
at Barnes & Nobles and other resellers

 

 

If you have any questions about the book or the topics we've discussed, feel free to reach out to us at our email address below.

 

info@palomasecret.com

 

Buy the Book

 

PALOMA'S SECRET

Paloma is a fifth grade star goalie, a best friend, a daughter, and a big sister. As a new school year begins, difficult feelings start to creep up on Paloma, making her feel separate from her loving family. She wants to feel free again—free to enjoy hanging out with her friends and playing goalie on her soccer team. Paloma tries ignoring her sad and anxious feelings, but as they start to show at school, her classmates single her out. Will Paloma be able to find the strength to share her secret?

 

Dear Reader, According to the National Association of Mental Illness, self-harm, many times a result of depression and anxiety, is the leading cause of death among young people ten and older. When I was in middle school over thirty years ago, I experienced feelings of loneliness and fear, which I now realize was an expression of my anxiety and depression. I couldn’t find my experiences or loneliness depicted in any book, which added to my feelings of alienation and despair. I began to imagine the impact that a book like Paloma’s Secret might have for children going through these emotions. My hope is that this book can become a springboard for conversations about our difficult feelings that many times are held in secret. Feelings of depression and anxiety don’t discriminate against any race, ethnicity or culture. My experience as a white educator working across diverse communities has changed the book I imagined writing as a teenager. I recognize now one way that racism has been institutionalized in our country is by the exclusion of positive images and narratives of people of color in our cultural products - like in our children’s books. With this in mind, Mia, Kenneth and I worked closely with people of LatinX heritage to tell a story that offers a positive representation of a Mexican American Family. In this story about Paloma and her secret, her parents become role models for how to be responsive and supportive of the young people in our care; they help to normalize Paloma’s experience in a way that empowers her to meet the social and emotional challenges of school life that many of our students experience. I hope you receive Paloma’s Secret with all the love we intended. Amy

Amy Fabrikant

Amy Fabrikant works as an author, facilitator, coach, and circle keeper with people of all ages developing a toolbox of communication skills. Amy works with schools, organizations, and individuals on building connections and respect for all using Restorative Justice Circles, Reading/Writing Workshop, and other Mindfullness practices. Amy is the author of the award-winning children’s book, When Kayla Was Kyle and Paloma’s Secret.

Mia Hood

Mia Hood is an educator and writer. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in Curriculum and Teaching at Teachers College and serves as the Director of Middle School Literacy for KIPP NYC. She consults with schools across the country as a curriculum designer and instructional coach, focusing on balanced literacy instruction in middle schools and critical literacy.

Kenneth López

Kenneth López is an artist, designer, and illustrator. His experience in the graphic arts, desktop publishing, web design and development, art direction, and marketing spans over twenty years. He currently serves as a senior creative professional in New York City.

BUY THE BOOK

Paloma’s Secret is an important book because it reminds teachers and families to pay attention to our children’s social and emotional well-being, and not focus solely on their academics. I also like how Paloma’s friend, Marisol sticks by Paloma from the beginning to the end of the book. Friends can help a lot by showing up and actively listening without judgment. Paloma’s Secret shows us the power of schools, friends and families working together for student emotional health success.

Maribel Tineo

Assistant Principal, Bronx Collaborative High School, NY

 

 

I think Paloma’s Secret will help a range of audiences name emotions that can be so hard to pin down.  It’s important for young people, and especially teenagers to know that they have allies in mental wellness. Paloma’s community-her friend Marisol, her parents, and her teacher Ms. Rodriguez support her at all times. Paloma’s Secret shares a powerful message: You are not alone and allies in your life are there for you!

Rachel Hercule

Teacher and Literacy Specialist,
Muchin College Prep, Noble Network of Charter Schools

 

 

Paloma’s Secret is the kind of book that helps families get comfortable with talking about emotions because the book captures the experience of children who feel different than other people and from how other people see them. The illustrations help the reader understand the uncomfortable feelings of anxiety and depression growing inside Paloma.

Dr. Alice S. Nadelman, PhD

Psychologist, NJ

 

 

Paloma’s Secret is an important book because it positively portrays adults supporting young peoples’ mental health. In the book, Paloma’s teacher, Ms. Rodriguez sees Paloma struggling, brings Paloma to the counselor’s office and calls Paloma’s parents. Together, the adults support Paloma. Our schools can become compartmentalized, where resources, books like Paloma’s Secret and the feeling chart in the back, may reside in the counselor’s office, but the teachers don’t know about it. We get so specialized in our schools and things get missed when it’s not universal in a community, like resources for emotional health.

 

There’s no recipe for resilience. Some kids go through so many traumas and manage their emotional health, while others may seem okay, but struggle deeply inside. We just don’t know what’s going on unless we create the time and space to share our emotions and normalize having feelings. I would like to see a copy of Paloma’s Secret in every classroom and with every school counselor!

Beth Zacher Burke

LCSW, CA, Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

 

 

As teachers, we are always looking for books that unfold new worlds, so children can imagine the impossible.  We hope that somewhere within the hundreds of books, that each child can find at least one story connects with their experiences and nurtures their love for reading.  Within the past few years, that search for books broadens as our children face more challenges and new childhood experiences.

 

The book Paloma's Secret is timely, and a must read.  This book is an honest and graceful account of a child's emotional journey. Paloma's Secret combines narrative and poetry to create a multidimensional reading experience.  Along with the storyline, the detailed and vibrant illustrations create another layer of understanding.  It is necessary to support all children socially and emotionally.  Paloma's Secret is one way to help school communities and families create space to talk about feelings and support our youth.

Tiana Silvas

NYC Public School Teacher and Heinemann Fellow

 

 

Paloma's Secret brings to the forefront a much needed, much too closeted topic in our schools: anxiety and depression. As educators, we constantly extol the benefits of having books in our libraries that are windows and mirrors for students: books where they can see themselves and books that introduce them to the lives and cultures of others. Can it be that we have no children or families that share this experience? Absolutely not; there are many. Paloma's Secret creates an oasis in the middle of a desert.  Paloma's Secret artfully depicts difficult feelings in a visual format of a vine crawling up the protagonist's body and breaks down the walls of secrecy, so often shrouded with this experience. An imperative book to bring to our schools.

Susie Rolander

Instructor, Bank Street College

Reading Specialist, PS 234 NYC

Literacy Consultant

 

 

I wish this book were available when I was growing up. It would have made talking about feelings with my parents and friends easier. So many young people have struggles with anxiety. After reading this book, it will help me find a way into a dialogue with the parents and young people I work with about sadness and anxiety.

 

This book will be in my waiting room!

Dr. Carly Alexander, MD, FAAP

Pediatrician at Larchmont Pediatrics
Los Angeles, California

 

 

Paloma’s Secret is an incredible tool to open up a dialogue about feelings between children and their friends, and with the grownups in their lives. Through its beautiful images and carefully crafted story, the book reinforces the powerful idea that we can all identify with feelings of sadness and anxiety no matter our circumstances. From children to elders, everyone who reads this book will walk away with a thoughtful reminder that it’s OK to feel our feelings.

Kirsten Henning

Leadership Trainer and Adversity Coach

Dear Reader, According to the National Association of Mental Illness, self-harm, many times a result of depression and anxiety, is the leading cause of death among young people ten and older. When I was in middle school over thirty years ago, I experienced feelings of loneliness and fear, which I now realize was an expression of my anxiety and depression. I couldn’t find my experiences or loneliness depicted in any book, which added to my feelings of alienation and despair. I began to imagine the impact that a book like Paloma’s Secret might have for children going through these emotions. My hope is that this book can become a springboard for conversations about our difficult feelings that many times are held in secret. Feelings of depression and anxiety don’t discriminate against any race, ethnicity or culture. My experience as a white educator working across diverse communities has changed the book I imagined writing as a teenager. I recognize now one way that racism has been institutionalized in our country is by the exclusion of positive images and narratives of people of color in our cultural products - like in our children’s books. With this in mind, Mia, Kenneth and I worked closely with people of LatinX heritage to tell a story that offers a positive representation of a Mexican American Family. In this story about Paloma and her secret, her parents become role models for how to be responsive and supportive of the young people in our care; they help to normalize Paloma’s experience in a way that empowers her to meet the social and emotional challenges of school life that many of our students experience. I hope you receive Paloma’s Secret with all the love we intended. Amy

RECOMMENDED WEBSITES

 

Anxiety and Depression
Association of America

 

American Academy of Child
and Adolescent Psychiatry

 

American Psychiatric Association

 

American Psychological Association

 

The Depressed Child Resources

 

Healthy Children

 

KidsHealth

 

NAMI, National Alliance
on Mental Illness

 

Dear Reader, According to the National Association of Mental Illness, self-harm, many times a result of depression and anxiety, is the leading cause of death among young people ten and older. When I was in middle school over thirty years ago, I experienced feelings of loneliness and fear, which I now realize was an expression of my anxiety and depression. I couldn’t find my experiences or loneliness depicted in any book, which added to my feelings of alienation and despair. I began to imagine the impact that a book like Paloma’s Secret might have for children going through these emotions. My hope is that this book can become a springboard for conversations about our difficult feelings that many times are held in secret. Feelings of depression and anxiety don’t discriminate against any race, ethnicity or culture. My experience as a white educator working across diverse communities has changed the book I imagined writing as a teenager. I recognize now one way that racism has been institutionalized in our country is by the exclusion of positive images and narratives of people of color in our cultural products - like in our children’s books. With this in mind, Mia, Kenneth and I worked closely with people of LatinX heritage to tell a story that offers a positive representation of a Mexican American Family. In this story about Paloma and her secret, her parents become role models for how to be responsive and supportive of the young people in our care; they help to normalize Paloma’s experience in a way that empowers her to meet the social and emotional challenges of school life that many of our students experience. I hope you receive Paloma’s Secret with all the love we intended. Amy

Amy Fabrikant

Amy Fabrikant works as an author, facilitator, coach, and circle keeper with people of all ages developing a toolbox of communication skills. Amy works with schools, organizations, and individuals on building connections and respect for all using Restorative Justice Circles, Reading/Writing Workshop, and other Mindfullness practices. Amy is the author of the award-winning children’s book, When Kayla Was Kyle and Paloma’s Secret.

 

Mia Hood

Mia Hood is an educator and writer. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in Curriculum and Teaching at Teachers College and serves as the Director of Middle School Literacy for KIPP NYC. She consults with schools across the country as a curriculum designer and instructional coach, focusing on balanced literacy instruction in middle schools and critical literacy.

Kenneth López

Kenneth López is an artist, designer, and illustrator. His experience in the graphic arts, desktop publishing, web design and development, art direction, and marketing spans over twenty years. He currently serves as a senior creative professional in New York City.

Dear Reader, According to the National Association of Mental Illness, self-harm, many times a result of depression and anxiety, is the leading cause of death among young people ten and older. When I was in middle school over thirty years ago, I experienced feelings of loneliness and fear, which I now realize was an expression of my anxiety and depression. I couldn’t find my experiences or loneliness depicted in any book, which added to my feelings of alienation and despair. I began to imagine the impact that a book like Paloma’s Secret might have for children going through these emotions. My hope is that this book can become a springboard for conversations about our difficult feelings that many times are held in secret. Feelings of depression and anxiety don’t discriminate against any race, ethnicity or culture. My experience as a white educator working across diverse communities has changed the book I imagined writing as a teenager. I recognize now one way that racism has been institutionalized in our country is by the exclusion of positive images and narratives of people of color in our cultural products - like in our children’s books. With this in mind, Mia, Kenneth and I worked closely with people of LatinX heritage to tell a story that offers a positive representation of a Mexican American Family. In this story about Paloma and her secret, her parents become role models for how to be responsive and supportive of the young people in our care; they help to normalize Paloma’s experience in a way that empowers her to meet the social and emotional challenges of school life that many of our students experience. I hope you receive Paloma’s Secret with all the love we intended. Amy

Amy Fabrikant

Amy Fabrikant works as an author, facilitator, coach, and circle keeper with people of all ages developing a toolbox of communication skills. Amy works with schools, organizations, and individuals on building connections and respect for all using Restorative Justice Circles, Reading/Writing Workshop, and other Mindfullness practices. Amy is the author of the award-winning children’s book, When Kayla Was Kyle and Paloma’s Secret.

Mia Hood

Mia Hood is an educator and writer. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in Curriculum and Teaching at Teachers College and serves as the Director of Middle School Literacy for KIPP NYC. She consults with schools across the country as a curriculum designer and instructional coach, focusing on balanced literacy instruction in middle schools and critical literacy.

Kenneth López

Kenneth López is an artist, designer, and illustrator. His experience in the graphic arts, desktop publishing, web design and development, art direction, and marketing spans over twenty years. He currently serves as a senior creative professional in New York City.