Author’s award-winning book series teaches kids important life lessons

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - A Tri-State author and educator is using her book series to teach younger generations the important lesson of self-love and respect.

Many life lessons can be learned from Dr. Christine Gibson’s children’s book series, “Christine’s Big Hair Adventures.”

She says she was inspired to write the book series after teaching for several years and noticing a trend among her students.

“One of the things I did see were a lot of my babies, they struggled with their self-image and self-esteem all around,” Dr. Gibson explained.

That struggle was one Dr. Gibson said she easily identified with.

“Growing up, I suffered from being dark and not wanting to be light because that was the cool thing at that time,” the author said. “I had to learn, and I really wish I had books and people aside from my mom in my life.”

So, she began the journey, creating characters in each of her books to reflect the beauty of all of the children in her classroom.

She didn’t stop there.

Each of the five books in the “Christine’s Big Hair Adventures” series also delivers important lessons based on social-emotional learning (SEL): From Self-awareness to social awareness, relationship skills, self-management, and responsible decision-making.

“I’m real big on SEL, which is social-emotional learning, and to me, that’s how we become who we are,” Dr. Gibson says. “SEL focuses on how we go through life and how we maneuver through life.”

Dr. Gibson says the greatest joy is bringing her books into classrooms to see how students resonate with each book.

“In each book, there’s an affirmation, so with the affirmation, we say it every day when we were in school,” explained Dr. Gibson. “It was like over the announcement every day. It was the coolest thing ever, and you could even hear the other kids encourage each other saying the affirmations like you better know your worth and to see them come alive. I’m doing what I’m supposed to do.”

After spending 14 years teaching for Head Start programs and working with Cincinnati Public Schools as a special education intervention specialist, Dr. Gibson is now working with educators to help write curricula in schools.

While she has been on a mission to build up the self-esteem of future generations, she’s also developed a greater love for the woman she’s become.

“Knowing you’re unique and it’s okay to be different, learning that your flaws are okay,” says Dr. Gibson. “I learned that through my struggles and through my journey of becoming who I am, that it’s a blessing to go through what you go through to become who you are.”

Dr. Gibson recently won the Champions for Children book award from 4-C for Children for her book series.

You can find all of her books at your local bookstore or Amazon.

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