Street Smarts

A grown-up asks for help finding a puppy. A plan changes without warning. Someone online wants to keep chatting somewhere else. Street Smarts gives kids ages 8 to 12 something to say and do in 72 real-life moments like these.

Every moment starts with the situation and the body signal that warns them, then offers three moves. The calm one is quiet words and an easy exit. The firm one is stronger words, full stop, no explaining. The loud one uses their voice as an alarm bell and moves them toward people. Kids start where the situation is, and jumping straight to loud is always allowed. One rule sits at the bottom of every page: "Leave and tell. Always allowed. Always enough."

• Eight parts cover your built-in alarm, out and about, tricky people, friends and dares, screens, your body's rules, freezing and what comes after, and telling your safety team.
• A part on freezing explains why good kids freeze and how to get moving again. After a scare, the book is clear that it was never the kid's job to prevent it.
• Practice on every page: write-in lines and a prompt to say a move out loud once.
• For grown-ups: a note with five short ways to practice at home, plus a page with 911 and the Childhelp hotline for big moments.

Part of the Smart Kids Playbooks, alongside What Can I Say? and My First Phone.