Gabe is ready to give up... like always. But today, he's in for a big
surprise.
At breakfast, he wants to impress his mom by making mouthwatering
pancakes and then flipping them onto her plate. But his
flapjack-flipping skills are stale. When he tosses the biggest,
fluffiest cake, he completely misses the target. Now, the
tastiest-looking pancake is a broken brown blob on the kitchen floor.
It's a crummy situation and reminds Gabe of every mess and mistake he's
ever made. He thinks he ruins everything, and decides to quit**.**
But as Gabe is about to hand over the family's special pancake-flipping
utensil to his mom, the utensil talks back! And Gabe stops cold.
Turner is its name, and Turner tells a stunned Gabe he needs to reset
his mindset instead of giving up. Turner encourages him to come up with
at least one positive thought or idea instead of thinking it's a
hopeless situation. With more reflection, Gabe figures out that maybe he
just needs extra practice. He tries another toss, and this time the
pancake lands smack in the middle of Mom's plate!
Gabe's positive thinking doesn't last long, however. While doing his
homework at the kitchen table, he can't solve a single math problem and
throws his pencil down in a huff. He wants to quit - again. Turner
watches Gabe giving up and tells him he needs to relax and flip his
thoughts like a pancake so he can see what's right instead of what's
wrong.
Will "flipping the pancake" in his mind help Gabe break free from all
his doom-and-gloom thinking, especially when he finds himself in
challenging and difficult circumstances?
Finding the Flipside is a hope-filled, confidence-building story that
shows young readers the power of seeing the brighter side of life and
turning negative thoughts into positive ones. A special page written
specifically for parents, counselors, and educators offers practical
tips on helping children be more optimistic, resilient, and confident.
