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How to Be a Person: 65 Hugely Useful, Super-Important Skills to Learn before You’re Grown Up

Recommended Ages

4th–8th grades

Life skills can be awkward to teach, and many parents worry they’re missing important basics. “How to Be a Person” tackles that head-on with short, illustrated lessons on everything from apology and empathy to laundry and organizing, written in a warm, funny voice for upper elementary and middle schoolers. Created by author Catherine Newman, who has long written about parenting and practical kindness, the book has become a favorite in secular homeschool and classroom circles. We love how non-judgmental and inclusive the tone is, making big topics feel approachable and giving kids language for feelings, boundaries, and everyday responsibilities. It’s ideal for roughly ages 8–13, especially kids who enjoy comics, lists, and concrete tips. Some families may find a few topics more progressive than their personal norms, but the overarching focus on respect and competence is widely appreciated. Pro tip: read a chapter or two together each week and immediately practice one skill—like writing a thank-you note or planning a simple meal—so it moves from page to real life.

Best for tweens and younger teens (roughly ages 9–14) who like comics or zine‑style layouts, appreciate straightforward instructions, and are ready to take more ownership of daily life skills and relationships.

Pros

Funny, illustrated guide that covers everything from doing laundry and writing thank‑you notes to listening well, resolving conflicts, and being a good friend, in short, approachable chapters; reviewers highlight its practical, concrete advice and warm, progressive tone that emphasizes kindness and responsibility without being preachy. 

Cons

Some families find the humor a bit snarky or “gross” in places (there is some light bathroom humor and frank talk about real‑life messiness); U.S.‑centric assumptions about money, chores, and culture may not fit every household; it’s not structured as a formal curriculum with assessments or worksheets.

As a trade book, it’s typically purchased through standard booksellers; some charters reimburse it as part of SEL, health, or life‑skills curriculum, but there’s no formal ESA/charter approval list.

$9.99-$17.43 on Amazon

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How to Be a Person: 65 Hugely Useful, Super-Important Skills to Learn before You’re Grown Up
$10.00 USD

Skills

What kids will learn
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Life Skills
Life Skills
Social-Emotional Learning
Social-Emotional Learning

How to Be a Person: 65 Hugely Useful, Super-Important Skills to Learn before You’re Grown Up Mission

How to Be a Person gives kids and tweens a friendly, funny handbook for everyday life skills—from writing thank‑you notes and handling money to apologizing well and being a good friend. Its mission is to make the unspoken rules of growing up explicit and accessible so kids can feel capable, considerate, and more independent.

How to Be a Person: 65 Hugely Useful, Super-Important Skills to Learn before You’re Grown Up Story

Author Catherine Newman has spent years writing about parenting and family life, and she saw firsthand how many basic “how do I…?” questions kids have that aren’t really covered in school. She wrote How to Be a Person as a warm, illustrated guide her own children and their friends could flip through on their own, with short, doable steps and plenty of humor. The book quickly found an audience among families, teachers, and librarians looking for a practical yet kind‑hearted life‑skills resource for upper‑elementary and middle‑school readers.

About Modular Learning

FAQ: Additional Details about How to Be a Person: 65 Hugely Useful, Super-Important Skills to Learn before You’re Grown Up

A typical use might be reading a spread about “how to write a thank‑you note” at the kitchen table, laughing at the cartoons together, and then immediately writing and mailing a real note, or reading about “how to apologize” and role‑playing different scenarios. The tone is warm, funny, and non‑preachy.

“How to Be a Person” is a life‑skills handbook organized into short, illustrated sections on topics like cleaning, communication, cooking, and kindness; families can treat it as a weekly mini‑lesson, reading one skill at a time and practicing it in real life. It works well as a low‑pressure SEL and practical‑skills strand alongside core academics. 

Parent or caregiver involvement is highly recommended: adults model the skills, set up practice opportunities, and connect the book’s gentle humor to real‑world expectations at home.

Kids should be solid independent readers (or able to listen to a read‑aloud) at roughly upper‑elementary level and emotionally ready to talk about topics like feelings, conflict, and responsibility.

This illustrated guide is great for autistic, ADHD, and anxious tweens who need explicit teaching in social and practical skills but appreciate humor and non‑shaming tone. Short, visual chapters can be tackled one at a time, and families can role‑play or create checklists to reinforce learning.

Refunds and returns follow the policies of the retailer where you purchase it (for example, Amazon, Bookshop, a local bookstore), which usually allow returns of new physical books within a set timeframe.

May not be ideal for much younger kids, for families seeking explicitly religious framing of virtues, or for teens who strongly resist humorous, “childish‑feeling” illustrations.

Pair or alternate with “Life Skills Every 10 Year Old Should Know,” “Adulting Made Easy,” or video‑based resources like the “Dad, How Do I?” channel if you want more checklists, visuals, or age‑specific series. 

The book is a standalone print title from 2020; there aren’t ongoing content updates, though new printings may tweak design, and families sometimes pair it with the author’s other works or similar life‑skills resources.

Pick one chapter per week to focus on and immediately practice it in real life—such as having your child actually plan a simple meal, host a friend politely, or call to make their own appointment—so the book becomes a lived experience rather than just a fun read.

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Meet Catherine

Catherine Newman is an American writer and editor whose work ranges from memoirs like Waiting for Birdy and Catastrophic Happiness to children’s how‑to guides including How to Be a Person and What Can I Say?. She is known for her candid, witty essays on parenting, food, and everyday life in outlets from magazines to books, and has increasingly focused on helping kids build social‑emotional and practical skills through accessible, illustrated nonfiction.