Meet Dneirf: An Interview with the Author

I am happy to share another author interview with you today! Mike Resh is an elementary school counselor from Lancaster, Pennsylvania where he works with primary aged students grades K-3.  He is also a brand new children’s book author, having his first book entitled “Dneirf” published by Mascot Books in November 2017.  Dneirf is the word friend spelled backwards and the story is about a boy named Otto who after having a difficult morning, goes to school and struggles with having positive interactions with his friends.  He learns that he's been doing things “backwards” also known as being a “Dneirf.”  With the help of his peers and school counselor, Otto is able to turn himself around and move in the right direction towards becoming a true friend to himself and others.  A cool twist to the book is that it includes palindromes (words that when spelled backwards create the same word when spelled forwards) and semordinlaps (words that when spelled backwards create a new word) throughout the text and hidden in the illustrations. So Fun!

• What motivated you to write dneirf?

After my first year as an elementary school counselor, I took time to reflect on how things went and lessons learned.  One thing stood out immediately to me, the amount of time spent educating and sorting through incidents reported as “Bullying.” The buzz of bullying in the media and community is great for bringing awareness to a problem but caused another problem in itself.  Parents and even kids used this word almost as an escape solution to fix problems or rather have them fixed by others (adults) at the fear of not handling a “bullying situation.”  This caused an even greater gap of kids being unable to think and act for themselves.  Much of my time was spent being a mediator between kids and helping them with self-awareness of their own actions.  You did “A” so “C” happened…what else could you have done so that “B” could have happened?  Dneirf grew out of the idea of escaping the labeling of “bullying” and focusing rather on behavior and behavioral change that is normal in social relationships. Dneirf makes the connection of cause/effect of friendships problems for young children.    

• How did Dneirf come about?

 As a school counselor I saw a need for a social skills book that covered normal social conflicts between friends that is a normal part of growing up and not always an act of bullying. I partnered with a parent of a former student in my school to do the awesome illustrations for the book and am happy to have it being release by my publisher Mascot Books this fall.

• What suggestions do you have for school counselors who want to use Dneirf in their school counseling programs?

 
Information about Dneirf can be found by visiting: www.mikeresh.com. There are also free printable handouts on the website that can be used in groups, classroom lessons, and individual counseling sessions. 
 
This story can be a support source for those reading it not only to those who have acted as a “Dneirf” but those who may have experienced the backwards behaviors of others.  When someone turns into a “Dneirf” it is like they are wearing their shoes backwards and trying to walk and have a normal day…it just is not going to work. 

Doctors prescribe/recommend exercise and healthy eating as preventative measures or precursors to good physical health.  School counselors and teachers can recommend this book and its ideas in the same way for good social and mental health development and maintenance. The prevention of bullying can occur with a primary focus and goal of creating caring and kind social relationship that are dictated by self-recognition of one’s own behaviors towards others.  BE A FRIEND, NOT A DNEIRF!

Thanks Mike! Dneirf is such a fun book. I love the idea of using the phrase "Being a Dneirf" as a way to redirect kids in a friendly manner that doesn't label them as unkind or a bully. We all have Dneirf days for sure. Make sure to check out Mike's site because he has a ton of lesson plans, printables, and other fun (Free!) goodies for you. To sweeten the deal, Mike has also generously offered to GIVEAWAY 4 copies of the book - 1 print copy and 3 digital copies. As always, all of my email subscribers are entered into any giveaway. To gain an **extra** entry, leave a comment on the post with your #1 friendship drama tip.  Giveaway will end Friday January, 26th and I'll announce the winners on Instagram stories. Winners will also receive an email.