feelings | Love, Laughter, and Life

Way Past Shame

Written by Hallee Adelman

Illustrated by Karen Wall

(Albert Whitman & Co., 2025)

Have you ever said or done something that you felt ashamed of doing? Oh, boy. I sure have. Kids have some of the same experiences but often don’t know what to do about it, what to say, or even what it is that they are feeling.

Enter Hallee Adelman, author of several social emotional learning (SEL) picture books. Hallee’s books are just right for helping young readers (and listeners) identify their feelings, give name to those feelings, talk about the feelings, and consider things they can do about the situations they find themselves in.

Hooper feels so much shame for something he did that he wants to hide. He is not happy with what he did. But he doesn’t know what to do.

With a compelling story and colorful illustrations, Way Past Shame lets readers experience Hooper’s feelings and discover what he does about those feelings as he finds a way past shame.

Hallee has an entire series of Way Past Books (see the sticker above, I’ve Got Great Big Feelings, for a list of all 10). She provides lesson plans for each on her website. Check out the great resources and ideas she sent me with a copy of Way Past Shame. Stickers, magnet words for a magnetic dry erase board, button, stickers, Any Way You Slice It game with actions to do with those feelings, and a lesson plan.

I’ve read several of Hallee’s books, and I wish I had them when I was a teacher. They would make great resources for families, teachers, and counselors. Each topic is an open door to begin discussing different situations and feelings.

Thank you, Hallee, for sending me a copy of this just right book and all the special tools to use with it! I love the personalized notes too!

I have featured Hallee a couple of times on the blog. Read more:

Way Past Worried

The Strongest Thing, When Home Feels Hard

Amazon Blurb:

Hooper and Bax are the final two competitors in the school spelling bee. Bax didn’t spell his word correctly, and now it’s Hooper’s turn. He’s sure he knows how to spell the word he’s given, but the pressure of all those eyes on him makes him second guess his answer. Hooper looks around the room and spots the word on a poster. Now he has a decision to make: will he tell someone about what he’s seen, or take the easy win?

Chocolate cake and her Minnie balloon.

Miss Autumn has been birthday princess for the last week. Minnie Mouse visited her birthday through cake, wrappings, and gifts. Cool balloon Minnie greetings floated in helium bliss and adorned Autumn’s wrist and bedroom.

Birthday girl has been hauling around a beloved Minnie balloon. Inside and outside. Can you see where this is going?

Yesterday, held free-hand instead of tied, the favorite balloon escaped and slipped from Autumn’s clasped fist. Helium filled Minnie quickly ascended to travel blue skies. The lesson of what happens to all free floating helium-filled balloons became reality.

Sobbing tears, this heart-broken nearly 3-year-old announced to the nearby world how upset she was with this loss.

Despite mama loves, the sobbing continued. And was quickly added to when big brother Donavyn began sobbing and came to mommy. With puppy Ginger tangled around her feet and two sobbing children, mommy Jamie staggered in the house to try and restore order and figure out why Big Brother was crying.

A Minnie cake by Gramma Schlenker, a sweater hand-me-down from Auntie Chelsie (who is 28!)

And what a caring boy to cry and sob.

Big Brother Donavyn was crushed for his sister and her balloon loss. We thought something had happened to him (bee, fall, scrape) but he was sympathizing with sissy. Such a sweetheart to take on and share the feelings of his little sister!

Are you a sympathetic cryer? I have my moments when I just can’t help myself and cry right along in sympathy (or empathy, if the occasion for tears is truly a shared experience). Shared tears offers comfort.

Good job, Donavyn, for helping Sister feel better.