Rumor Has It... (Building Relationships)

PSSSSTTT! Rumor has it... that the girls have a couch in their bathroom! And they sometimes take naps in there!

AND GUESS WHAT ELSE?

Rumor has it... they have a TV and play video games in there, too!

Whether we’ve been the subject of a rumor or the one spreading a rumor about someone else, most of us have been involved with rumors somehow. But how many people really stop to think about the potentially damaging effects before setting the rumor marble in motion?

Fortunately, award-winning author Julia Cook does, and cleverly brings this serious subject to light in an entertaining and funny, but cautionary, tale about the importance of NOT starting or spreading rumors. Kyle Merriman helps bring the story to life with his vivid, eye-popping illustrations that tell the tale of a rumor gone viral.

Told through the eyes of the devious rumor marble , who certainly knows how to get around, the story describes how a simple misunderstanding turns into a rumor and starts a chain reaction that can’t be undone, picking up enough steam to make the nightly news and incite an angry uproar from parents. After showing the fallout of the rumor, Julia Cook teaches readers to apply the THINK test, which stands for True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, and Kind, before spreading a rumor. Kindergarten through 6 th grade students will laugh as they read this engaging and important story and are reminded that it’s much easier to prevent a train –or a rolling rumor marble -- from starting to roll forward than trying to stop one!

Rumor Has It is part of the Building Relationships book series which supports social competence. Tips for parents and educators are located a the end of the story to help teach children how to cope and react effectively to rumors.