New York Times bestselling author Kim Brooks will discuss her book Small Animals: Parenthood in the Age of Fear on March 4, 2020, at 6:30 pm at Hillview Middle School, 1100 Elder Avenue, Menlo Park. The public is invited to attend this free event presented by the Menlo Park City School District.

Named an NPR Best Book of the Year 2018, Small Animals is Kim Brooks’ personal story. She will discuss her experiences and her book, which Goodreads calls “a provocative, compelling portrait of parenthood in America and calls us to examine what we most value in our relationships with our children and one another.”

On March 4, Ms. Brooks will talk about how parenting has changed in the era of smart phones, social media, parent shaming, and the hyper-concern many parents feel about ensuring their children’s success. Ms. Brooks wrote in her recent New York Times opinion piece, We Have Ruined Childhood: “I’ve come to believe that the problems with children’s mental and emotional health are caused not by any single change in kids’ environment but by a fundamental shift in the way we view children and child-rearing, and the way this shift has transformed our schools, our neighborhoods and our relationships to one another and our communities.”

Ms. Brooks will share her thoughts on how we can reexamine the act of parenting to restore the healthy relationships we desire with our children, families, and communities. Free childcare thanks to a partnership with Steve & Kate’s Camp.

The MPCSD Speaker Series is made possible by support from the District Council, the Encinal, Laurel, Oak Knoll, and Hillview PTOs, and the Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation.

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