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Finding Hope's Voice

A Choose Your Own Journey Book and Guide on Surviving and Speaking Up Against Bullying

Empower Yourself! Finding Hope’s Voice is a vital guide for kids and teens ages 9–15 navigating the challenges of bullying. More than just a typical self-help book, it serves as a lifeline for those who have endured hurtful words or actions, or felt powerless as bystanders. While you may not control bullies, you can control your response, and this book equips you with the necessary tools.

With heartfelt advice and practical strategies, it addresses bullying and its serious consequences, including suicidal thoughts, with sensitivity. It offers tips for seeking support, creating a kinder environment, and preventing bullying and suicide. A companion journal and resource guide encourage reflection, goal-setting, resilience, and self-advocacy.

Whether facing bullying directly or wanting to stand against it, this book empowers you to transform your experiences and positively impact others. Additionally, educators and youth development specialists will find valuable resources and lesson plans to facilitate meaningful discussions and training with youth.

If you are an educator, youth development professional, practitioner, or clinician trained on the effects of bullying and suicide prevention and would like to use the materials to facilitate youth discussions and training, please feel free to download the accompanying lesson plan and request a copy.

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Finding Hope's Voice

A Choose Your Own Journey Book and Guide on Surviving and Speaking Up Against Bullying

What will you learn from this book?

  • The book is equipped with a self-help resource guide that offers practical strategies, advice, tips, and resources to educate the reader on how to navigate the complexities of bullying and thoughts of self-harm.
  • The book promotes mental health interventions, such as therapy, counseling services, suicide prevention hotlines, and other resources.
  • The information is formatted in interactive questions and activities such as word search, fill-in-the-blank sentences, etc., to increase engagement and memory retention.
  • How to seek help from a professional and find the right one for you.
“Finding Hope’s Voice, written by Barbra L. Upton, is an engaging, interactive book that tackles the sensitive topic of bullying. The story invites readers to decide the fate of Applesauce and Hope as they confront bullying in their school. Finding Hope’s Voice does a wonderful job of illustrating the significant impact of bullying on both the victim and bystanders. It emphasizes the importance of empathy, courage, and resilience. What sets it apart is the manner in which it empowers readers, giving them the chance to influence the story’s direction and outcomes. While designed for both intermediate and teen readers, its themes are universal, offering valuable lessons on self-advocacy, kindness, and the importance of speaking up against bullying. This is a must-have tool for all parents, educators, and mental health professionals in helping our children navigate the complex intricacies and social dynamics of bullying!”
Angela J. deSilva, Teacher and Anti-bullying Advocate for Empowered Kids against Bullying
“A Must-Read Children’s Book on Bullying: Smart, engaging, and sensitive! In today’s world, where bullying is an ongoing issue, the author delivers an accessible and well-written story that is as easy to read as it is impactful. This book couldn’t be more timely. With bullying continuing to have devastating consequences, including rising youth suicide rates, the importance of equipping children with tools for resilience and self-advocacy cannot be overstated. This book isn’t just a story; through relatable characters, realistic scenarios, and the fantastic musical scores that accompany the story, it’s a resource for fostering empathy, courage, and meaningful change. Finding Hope’s Voice is a must read for students, parents, and caregivers!”
Terri E. Barnes, Founder & President, The Nia Project, Kansas City
“Ms. Upton tactfully touches on sensitive matter by observing from an outside perspective. The short story and choose your own adventure format create a unique to engaging experience for her young target audience. Also adding to the book’s unique appeal is an activity and journal section to help its young readers process and apply their reading to their own life and experiences.”
Julie Rodriguez
“As a school psychologist with years of experience in supporting students’ well-being, I am thrilled to review Tales of Criss Xross Applesauce: Finding Hopes Voice, a groundbreaking ‘choose your own adventure’ style book on anti-bullying. This book stands out for its relatability and unique approach to engaging middle school readers, empowering them not only to navigate bullying situations but also to make positive choices that inspire hope and resilience. One of the most compelling aspects of this book is how it places readers in the shoes of different characters, allowing them to explore the consequences of their actions from multiple perspectives. This interactive storytelling fosters empathy, encouraging readers to step into the roles of both those being bullied and the bystanders who can make a difference. By offering varied story paths, readers can see firsthand the power of standing up for others and supporting their peers, reinforcing the message that their choices matter. A particularly impactful feature of this book is its concluding section dedicated to self-reflection and journaling. This thoughtful addition helps readers process their emotions and experiences, making the book not only an engaging read but a tool for personal growth. Furthermore, the inclusion of resources for individuals experiencing bullying or having suicidal thoughts is invaluable, providing a critical lifeline and reinforcing the importance of seeking help.
Laura Flowers
“This book is a must-read for those being bullied and for those trying to help them. The characters are believable because their stories reflect true life experiences. Having walked in the shoes of both Hope and Applesauce, I wept when they wept and rejoiced in the smallest of triumphs they experienced. This book is a hidden treasure that lights up dark places created by bullying. Everyone, yes everyone, needs to read this book!”
Kimberly Jackson, Retired Banking Executive and Former Bullying Victim
“An Inspiring Read on Bullying Prevention: I recently had the opportunity to read this incredible book with my 16-year-old daughter, Ashten, and we were both deeply impressed. The story of Applesauce and her less popular friend Hope is not only engaging but also tackles the serious issue of bullying in a thoughtful and impactful way. One of the standout features of the book is its unique multiple-choice endings, which allow readers to explore different scenarios and outcomes. This interactive format kept us both engaged, sparking meaningful conversations about the choices we make when faced with difficult situations. The reflective questions at the end of each chapter were a perfect touch, encouraging Ashten and me to think critically about how we might respond to similar challenges in real life. What truly sets this book apart is its focus on teaching young readers how to stand up for themselves while seeking safe help. It balances empowerment with practicality, offering guidance that feels accessible and actionable for kids and teens alike. The dynamic between Applesauce and Hope highlights the power of friendship and resilience, making it a story that resonates long after the last page. I highly recommend this book for parents, educators, and anyone looking to open up important conversations about bullying prevention with young people. It’s not just a book—it’s a tool for fostering empathy, understanding, and strength. My daughter and I will cherish this shared reading experience for years to come.”
Dee Moore and Daughter, Ashten

About The Author

Barbra L. Upton, a beloved mentor and dedicated parent, feels a strong spiritual calling to foster positive change and healing. Committed to saving lives and empowering youth, she wrote this book as a vital resource for anti-bullying and suicide prevention. As a certified life coach, mentor, and QPR-certified suicide prevention gatekeeper, Barbra combines her extensive experience in human resources leadership with compassion, guiding others toward personal and professional growth.

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Finding Hope’s Voice is available globally at these bookstores!

FAQ

1. What Inspired You to Write This Book?

Approximately 15 years ago, I was spiritually inspired to write this book with the intention of changing the experiences of young brave souls who suffer from the effects of bullying, including saving their lives. According to the CDC, suicide has become the third leading cause of death among young people, with more than 4,000 deaths every year, and bullying is often part of the problem. This book helps by teaching youth healthier ways to cope with bullying, showing them how to speak up and stand up for themselves, and avoid staying victims.

2. What will your readers gain from your book?

The book is written as a tool to educate and empower readers, aged 9–15, on standing up against bullying and suicide prevention. Accompanied with the book is a self-help resource guide with practical strategies and advice, a journal with positive affirmations and quotes for building self-confidence, and lastly, a journal for self-reflection and discussing emotions in a healthy way. Lastly, separate for educators, parents, mental health professionals, and youth development professionals, is a lesson plan to facilitate educational discussions to further help youth navigate the complex intricacies and social dynamics of bullying and suicidal thoughts.

3. What was your unique quotient for this project?

There are several elements of my book that separate me as an author on the topic. They are as follows:

Choose Your Own Journey Format: The book is formatted as a “Choose Your Own Journey” story with three different endings. Each ending corresponds with three choices or decisions the reader is provided to choose from to change the journey or outcome of the main character’s bullying experiences. This requires the reader to apply their problem-solving and critical thinking skills, helping them to recognize how their choices can empower them to make choices to change their personal journey and experiences, specifically related to bullying.

Education Tool: The book is equipped with a self-help resource guide that offers practical strategies, advice, tips, and resources to educate the reader on how to navigate the complexities of bullying and thoughts of self-harm. The book promotes mental health interventions, such as therapy, counseling services, suicide prevention hotlines, and other resources. The information is formatted in interactive questions and activities such as word search, fill-in-the-blank sentences, etc., to increase engagement and memory retention.

Journal: The book includes self-reflection questions at the end of each chapter and a section with a journal that promotes further self-reflection, critical thinking, and personal development and growth on the subject matter. In addition, there are positive affirmations and quotes to increase self-confidence and positive thinking/mindset, which influences how the reader views themselves, their experiences, and the world around them, which is critical to how they behave and respond to the complexities of bullying.

Lesson Plan: As described above, there’s a lesson plan for educators, parents, youth development professionals, mental health clinicians, and anyone who engages with and counsels youth. Provided is a 3-day plan

with activities, group exercises, homework assignments, etc., using the book as a reference.

Rap Songs: The book comes with two rap songs (one introductory song with lyrics about the main characters, Criss, Xross, and Applesauce; one lesson song with lyrics summarizing the lessons of the book’s message titled, “Speak Up, Speak Out”), which are written into the storyline and the reader can access the songs on the printed pages by scanning QR codes.

Main Characters: Criss, Xross, and Applesauce are the main characters, who represent my 3 children: Alex, Ryan, and Olivia, respectively, who were part of my inspiration for the vision and storyline of the book and messaging. Their personal stories on bullying are included in the book. Also, they were collaborators in the creation of the book: Alex (who is a professional 3D Artist and Professor at his alumnus art college) was my illustrator of the characters, and Ryan (who is a gospel rapper, youth, and prison minister) produced and wrote the rap songs for the book. Olivia (Airforce Reservist, professional and college student) assisted with the proofreading of the book. Lastly, I’ve also included the newest addition to our family, Zoe (my new and only grandchild), who has an impactful role in the book and leads the charge by advocating for the school’s anti-bullying pep rally and assembly. A family legacy!

4. How did becoming an author help in your brand/business?

As a certified life coach, youth mentor, trained in restorative justice practices, and QPR-certified suicide prevention gatekeeper, combined with my extensive experience in human resources leadership, becoming an author further advances my expertise and experiences with guiding others toward personal and professional growth. 

5. What are your future plans as an author?

My plans are to market to school districts, grass roots youth organizations, mental health clinicians, parents, community leaders, faith-based organizations, non-profits, etc., as well as other advocacy organizations specializing in anti-bullying and suicide prevention and services for youth.  This will include serving as a speaker to advance the mission and make it a movement to influence behavioral change, laws, legislation and academic institutions to support this growing crisis – bringing hope to those who are without a voice and giving hope a voice!