In my groups both with younger children and with teens, I often let them kick back and chill while I read a short children’s story titled “Paul,” from the book Sideways Stories from Wayside School, by Louis Sachar. This story is a conversation between Paul and temptation. It’s about noticing urges and choosing whether to act on them. It offers a humorous take on almost moments and holes and different streets—in other words, responding versus reacting.
Briefly, temptation encourages Paul to pull Leslie’s pigtails. He has an extended conversation with temptation. Initially, he is able to resist; then, ultimately, he pulls Leslie’s pigtails, first the left and then the right. After each pull, Leslie yells that Paul pulled her pigtail, and Paul gets a check mark by his name on the blackboard. Then Leslie yells again (although it is clear that Paul didn’t actually pull her pigtail a third time). He gets a third check mark by his name and is sent home early on the kindergarten bus.