Rated 4.8 · 400+ ratings
#1 Bestseller · Children's Sociology
The Secret Playbook of Life Lessons for Kids
50 short stories that hand your child a plan before the hard moment arrives. Nothing to fill in, nothing to keep up with. Read it together, or let them enjoy it on their own.
- 50 stories, 50 plays for real moments
- Ages 6–10, about 15 minutes a night
- No charts, no journal, nothing to keep up with
- Written by a real author, not generated
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"Between six and ten, children build their social scripts by watching, not by being told. That's why a hard moment goes badly — they're improvising something they've never seen anyone handle. A story lets them rehearse it first, without knowing that's what they're doing, so the words are already there when the moment turns up. What I like about The Secret Playbook is that it asks the child for nothing — no journal, no chart, nothing to keep up with. That's the part families actually sustain."
Dr. Elena Barrett
Child Psychologist, 14 yrs
Low stock notice
This is a print-run title, not a warehouse staple. The last run cleared in under five weeks and the reprint took six more to reach us — we can't simply order more mid-run. If you'd rather not gamble on it being here next month, the 2- and 3-book bundles hold your copies from the current run. Every order is covered by the 30-day guarantee either way.
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There's no week 3 to quit on
Every chart, journal and sticker system asks your child to keep something up. Around week 3 they stop, and now you're nagging them about the thing you bought to help. The Secret Playbook asks nothing of them. Read it together, or let them read it alone. That is the entire commitment.
The plan lands before the moment does
Nobody learns anything standing in the middle of a hard moment. When a child is upset, the part of the brain that reasons is the part that's least available. So the plan has to arrive earlier. A story at bedtime, when nothing is at stake and nobody is watching, files the whole thing away for the day they actually need it.
For the kid who says "nobody likes me"
Being left out. Not knowing how to join in. Saying sorry and somehow making it worse. These are the moments kids have no words for, and the ones they'll argue with you about if you raise them directly. They will take it from a character. Watching another kid try it is the one route in that never feels like being told off.
Written by a person, not a machine
This corner of the bookshelf has filled up fast with titles nobody actually wrote. Claire Monroe writes hers. 346 pages, 50 stories, and characters kids come back to and quote at the dinner table. You can tell the difference on the first page.
What parents are saying
4.8
400+ ratings - families love us!
Real families, real change.
400+ ratings and counting. Here's a few of them.
Sarah M.,
34
Verified Buyer
We got this after our 7 year old had a rough run with a friend group at school. We read 1 story a night, and about 2 weeks in she used a line from it on her little sister. She wasn't copying it. She just had it ready. That's the part I didn't expect.
Grace L.,
37
Verified Buyer
My daughter and I read a couple of pages most nights now. Last week she told me she needed a minute before she got upset, instead of slamming her door. I didn't teach her that. The book did.
Jenna T.,
41
Verified Buyer
We had 2 journals before this and both died in a drawer by the third week. This one stuck because there is nothing for her to do. I read, she listens, and somehow that's the thing that finally worked.
Hannah B.,
39
Verified Buyer
My son shuts down the second anything feelings-related comes up. But he'll listen to a story about some other kid all day long. He started telling me which bits he'd have done differently, which is more than I've got out of him in a year.
Marcus & Kids,
38
Verified Buyer
Bought one for each of my boys after the oldest had a bad week. The stories about being left out are worth it on their own. I've already passed it on to 3 other parents at pickup.
Renee K.,
42
Verified Buyer
Our girl had a hard year with friendships and had no words for any of it. This gave her some, and honestly gave me some too. She asks for it now, which I never saw coming.
Priya R.,
45
Verified Buyer
I'm a school counselor. What I like is that it doesn't lecture. The kids who need it most are usually the ones who won't be talked at, and this gets in through the side door.
Why the Last OneDied in a Drawer
It wasn't your child, and it wasn't you. Every chart, journal and tracker asks a seven-year-old to stay disciplined for six months. This one asks them for nothing.
Why the Last OneDied in a Drawer
It wasn't your child, and it wasn't you. Every chart, journal and tracker asks a seven-year-old to stay disciplined for six months. This one asks them for nothing.
The Secret Playbook
Read together, or alone
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A journal or sticker chart
Needs doing every day
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A workbook
Feels like more school
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Asks your child for nothing
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Still works if you skip a night
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Your child can pick it up alone
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Nothing for you to keep running
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Doesn't feel like more school
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Still being used in week 3
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Frequently asked questions
Find answers to common questions about the book, shipping, returns and more.
What ages is this book for?
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The Secret Playbook is written for kids ages 6–10. Younger children do well with it read aloud, and plenty of parents tell us their 11 and 12 year olds still pick it up. The stories are short enough for a school night and honest enough that older kids don't feel talked down to.
What if my child is shy, or already pretty confident, or struggles more than most?
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It works across the whole range. For a shy kid it supplies the move they freeze without, like how to join a game that's already going. For a confident one it sharpens the harder stuff, like losing well, apologising properly, and saying no to a friend without losing them. Because every story stands alone, you can start anywhere and skip whatever isn't relevant yet.
How is this different from a journal or a growth mindset workbook?
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Journals put the work on the child. They have to sit down, remember, write something and keep it going, and most kids this age stop somewhere around week 3. There is nothing here for your child to keep up with. You read a story, they listen, and the plan goes in while they're calm rather than while they're falling apart. That one difference is the whole reason it lasts.
How long does shipping take?
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We offer worldwide shipping. Orders ship within 1–3 business days. Standard delivery arrives in 7–10 business days. Free standard shipping applies automatically to all orders. Expedited options are available at checkout.
What’s your return policy?
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We offer a full 30-day money-back guarantee. If you’re not satisfied for any reason, reach out to us at readbloomly@mail.com and we’ll process a full refund — no return shipping required.