The Gifted Kids' Survival Guide Book Review

I was at the library looking through the non-fiction section for some new topics to plan around for our summer learning program.  My son loves to learn so I need to be prepared instead of making up something around some library books that I find.  I came upon the section with the books on the gifted kids' and I thought that this book sounded interesting.  My kid has never been tested or anything but he is doing thing well about his grade level like reading and math and I am trying to figure out what is best to do with him while he is in school.  I know that school won't be really challenging to him so I am still going to try to do some work with him outside of school that might be more interesting to him.  I wanted to see if there was anything in The Gifted Kids' Survival Guide: For Ages 10 & Under by Judy Galbraith that might help with exactly that issue.

The book started with the table of contents which was the following:

Quick Quiz
About This Book
What About This Book
8 Great Gripes of Gifted Kids
8 Great Things About Being GT
GTs Speak Out: What's bad and good about being GT?
When did you know?
GTs Speak Out: How do you Feel about being called "gifted"?
De-fe-'ni-shens
GTS Speak Out: What does "gifted" mean to you?
What's You Definition?
Multiple Intelligences
5 Things You Need to Suceed
GT Programs: Who Gets In?
Believe It... Or Not!
GT Programs: Who Might Get Left Out?
More De-fe-'ni-shens
GTs Speak Out: What's good and bad about GT programs?
What If There's No GT Program?
YRUGT?
4 Great Ways to Turn On Your Brain
When School Isn't Cool
Last Resorts: 12 Things GT;s Do When They're Bored Silly in School
10 Ways to Make School More Cool
What If Your Teacher Says No?
GTs Speak Out: How do you feel when you can't work ahead in class?
(Not Just) For Girls Only
(Not Just) For Boys Only
When You Can't Take the Teasing
GTs Speak Out: How do you get teased?
How to Cope with Teasing
GTs Speak Out: On friends and friendships
Growing up GT
GTs Speak Out: What's the best thing your parents do for you?
The Perfection Infection (and Cure)
Feeling Free to Be GT
8 Great Rights of Gifted Kids
A Few Final Words

The table of contents really covers the topics in the book because each section is just a few pages and written easily for kids to read.  There are some sections that are a little dated because I don't think that kids today are going to know that their parents and especially their grandparents generation were raised to believe that men went out and worked and women stayed at home and watched the kids.  They don't know that there were only certain professions that girls and boys were pushed towards.  As well as a section about how lower income people don't always get picked for the gifted program because they don't have the same opportunities.  It might still be a true fact but it is a little heavy for kids under 10 to know that they got into a program because their parents make more money.  There is a section on teasing and I think that it is valuable for kids that are being teased but I think that also depends on the age of the kids because mine is clueless that kids are picking on him most of the time and this might point out things to him that he currently doesn't see as a problem.  Overall the information in the book is good and covers a variety of topics but make sure you read the book first before handing it to your kids to make sure that all of the information is age appropriate or information that you want them exposed to.

There are a few websites that the book recommends that kids check out including the following:

Kids Web- couldn't get the website to work and couldn't find through google
Yahooligans!  I found it but loaded funny on my computer and had a different web address
ExploraNet It is a website for a museum in CA but looks to have some interesting information Observatorium The website from NASA that I found seems interesting but not what they referenced
A Kid's Guide to the Smithsonian seemed like an interesting site and gives you some information about how you can turn the museums into a learning experience before you even get there.  I might have to spend a little more time on the site and find out what we can do and explore!!

I don't know if I would recommend it for young children but it is worth a read for the parents.  It was very quick to read and providing some interesting insights that you can try to avoid when raising a gifted kid.  I hope that you enjoy the book if you decide to pick it up for yourself or your young child.