Dr. Mary Jo's Books
Author, educator, and advocate — Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski has written 42 books for teens, families, and educators on mental health, relationships, and life skills.
Nonnie Talks about Mental Health
Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski
The essence of the Nonnie Series™ is connection and communication. Talking about life's challenging topics isn't easy. This Series seeks to offer a way for trusted adults and children/young people to find common ground and talk about the 'elephant in the room'. Mental health is vital to self-worth. Addressing it has been a foundation of all 12 books. The Nonnie Series™ seeks to open the door to parent or adult/child communication by addressing complex issues with grace, humor, sensitivity and warmth. The Series seeks to explore the need for mental health throughout life by encouraging connection for parents/trusted adults, and children/young people. Nonnie Talks about Mental Health is the 12th volume in The Nonnie Series™.
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Nonnie Talks about Disability
Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski
The 9th Volume in The Nonnie Series™ looks at the world of disability. Some children and young people live in a complicated world, where they may or may not encounter disabled individuals. Other children live with disabilities. This book seeks to create a learning tool for adults and young people where open conversation about disabilities and disabled young people can freely occur. In selecting 17-year-old Kendle Haught as consulting author, Dr. Podgurski partnered with someone who lives an authentic life as a disabled teen. Kendle's insight was key to this book's birth.
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Nonnie Talks about Quarantine
Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski
The pandemic and quarantine are true teachable moments for young people. Adults must respond to their needs with honesty and openness, laced with a true listening ear. We do not know what our young people and children need to know unless we connect with them; there are times when they do not know how to articulate their needs themselves. The Nonnie Series opens doors to communication about tough topics with grace, humor and courage. The books in The Nonnie Series are interactive and encourage connection. Although targeted for readers in grades 3–8, the books can be read to younger readers and older teens can enjoy their messages. Dr. Podgurski wrote Nonnie Talks about Quarantine in ten days in March of 2020, as quarantines and lockdowns became worldwide experiences. She offered the book as a free download for nearly three months, until her county in Pennsylvania went green on June 5th, 2020. This wonderful children's book was downloaded from Dr. Podgurski's website nearly 500 times! Purchases of The Nonnie Series help Dr. Podgurski continue the Common Ground Teen Center she opened in 2008.
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Nonnie Talks about Relationships
Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski
In the 11th book in the series, Nonnie Talks about Relationships, Dr. Podgurski explores the wide variety of relationships encountered by children and young people every day. Each person is involved in many types of relationships, starting with family, teachers, and friends, and growing into romantic and sexual partnerships. Nonnie Talks about Relationships looks at numerous types of relationships to guide children and adults to a vibrant discussion of healthy and unhealthy connections.
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Road to Better Mental Health
Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski
Teens are outstanding educators. The young people in our youth programs — our Adolescent Advisory Board, Common Ground Teen Center, and Peer Education Programs — created a book for elementary school students to enhance mental health. The pandemic increased stress. The book's focus is on everyday ways to cope. Each group of teens looked at a common mental health challenge, like isolation and social anxiety, and created an original story to model coping mechanisms like communication and empathy. The stories are illustrated by teens as well. The book contains objectives, discussion questions, and resources.
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Inside Out
Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski
Inside Out: Your Body is Amazing Inside and Out and Belongs Only to You is an innovative approach to child abuse prevention that is body-positive, affirming, and empowering. Replacing programs that place the burden of prevention on the child, the diverse children in this interactive coloring book teach seven "big" lessons to their peers. With a focus of targeting third and fourth graders, Dr. Podgurski conducted four focus groups to ascertain content: third graders; parents of third graders; adolescent survivors of sexual and physical abuse; and adult survivors of sexual and physical abuse. Inside Out is meant to be a communication aid for trusted adults and children. Parents of little ones as young as 6 have used the book with their children; opening the door to a conversation about bodies, privacy and personhood is vital in today's culture. Ideally each child will have a trusted adult or parent to guide them through this material. Dr. Podgurski has been honored to work with young people and families since the Seventies; Inside Out is a gift to them. The resiliency of the children she's been privileged to serve motivates her to seek educational tools that respect diversity, honor difference, and empower youth.
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Sex Ed is in Session
Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski
Teaching over a quarter-million young people sex education, Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski shares her own life experiences and her work serving young people to help adults communicate with the young people they know. Our evolving times call us to be actively present in the lives of young people; this book shows us how. Sex Ed is in Session is more than learning how to talk about sex and other tough topics with young people; it's a guide on how to respect young people, listen to them, and create a safe environment where young people can learn and thrive. Dr. Mary Jo's faith in young people and her hope for the future will inspire others to connect.
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Legacy Lessons My Parents Left Me
Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski
A legacy is what we are given by others when they leave us. Written for children ages 8–12 and trusted adults to enjoy together, this book shares lessons about courage, love, choices, determination, integrity, reliability, decency, life, and death. Dr. Mary Jo honors her parents' lessons after more than five decades of modeling them. Ti amo, Mama and Papa!
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Nonnie Talks about Pregnancy and Birth
Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski
Pregnancy and birth are important parts of life; the fourth book in Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski's Nonnie Series looks at these vital topics with honesty and care. As a birth advocate and certified childbirth educator since the 70s, Dr. Podgurski brings a lifetime of experience in pregnancy and birth; she combines knowledge with an open, honest, interactive, joyful, respectful approach to education for young people.
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Nonnie Talks about Death
Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski
How do caring, empathic adults discuss the topic of death with children? The Nonnie Series seeks to open the door to parent or adult/child communication by addressing complex issues with sensitivity and warmth. As a former pediatric oncology nurse and a hospice nurse, Dr. Podgurski connects experience with her developmentally appropriate, wise approach to reaching children. Her inclusive language validates all people and responds to the questions children often cannot articulate and adults may not know how to answer.
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Nonnie Talks about Trauma
Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski
In Nonnie Talks about Trauma, Dr. Podgurski looks at the real world young people inhabit, full of confusing messages and potentially frightening events. Trauma comes in many forms and is caused by school shootings, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and abuse. Children are inundated with negative messages about trauma from their peers, on their phones or tablets, and in the news. This book will help adults start conversations about trauma and help children heal. All children will benefit from the kindness in this book.
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Nonnie Talks about Race
Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski
Alice Burroughs' lovely illustrations form the backdrop for the story of two best friends, Alex and Tamika, as their many questions about race are answered by Alex's grandma, Nonnie, with the help of her two friends, Marti and Renee. Nonnie Talks about Race features the character of "Nonnie" as she acknowledges her role as an ally, explains white privilege, and seeks the wisdom of her friends, who are women of color, to help guide the children. The book is interactive. It is divided into brief chapters to allow readers time to pause and consider each lesson.
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