Book Review
A short overview of this book
Tom tames his online world: Cyber safety can be fun by Nina Du Thaler is a book for older children about cybersafety. This book is one of many in a series of short novels from Bright Zebra, with each book focusing on a different aspect of cybersafety. You can find the rest of these books by Nina Du Thaler here.
This book focuses on staying safe online ie how to behave responsibly when online and how to stay safe from online predators. It also talks about the risks of meeting online friends in the real world.
In this book, Tom is over the moon because he has finally reached an age where he can compete against his friends and older brother in the Twilight Run. In his excitement, he crosses a few dangerous lines in the online world. Can Elle keep up with his training for this big event? But more importantly, can she teach him how to manage his online world safely?
These are a great resource for children who need to learn about staying safe online but find picture books too babyish. They are perfect for reading together and discussing your family rules for online safety.
You can learn more on this page, about how to talk to kids about sex education.
Ideal Age
Ideal for children aged 8 to 12 years.
Buy this book
✅ Buy a copy of Tom tames his online world: Cyber safety can be fun by Nina Du Thaler from Amazon.
Video Transcription
A transcription in case you are more of a reader than a listener
Hey there! I’m Cath Hak, and welcome to Sex Ed Rescue. On my YouTube channel and website, Sexedrescue.com, I review books and provide resources to help parents talk to their kids about love, sex, relationships, and growing up. Today, I want to talk about a book called Cyber-safety Can Be Fun by Nina Du Thaler.
This book is part of a series of seven books, and I’ll be reviewing the first five today. Each book focuses on a different topic, and in this one, we meet Tom. Tom is a tech-savvy kid who loves his gadgets, but he’s not always the nicest person online. He can be a bit of a bully and doesn’t treat others with kindness.
One day, someone spoke to Tom the same way he speaks to others, and he got offended. It was a wake-up call for him to realize that he was treating people poorly too. Tom also made the mistake of sharing too much personal information online. He would track his runs and upload the data, which allowed his competitors to know his exact route and even where he lived.
Then, Tom started chatting with someone online who wanted to train with him. He mentioned it to his training friend, who wisely suggested they meet this person together. When they arrived, a dodgy-looking guy showed up and quickly disappeared, giving the impression that he was an adult. This is a great opportunity for parents to talk to their kids about the dangers of adults grooming children online.
At the back of each book, you’ll find a list of important lessons learned. As a parent, I find these dot points super helpful because they give me ideas on what to discuss with my kids. Here are some of the key takeaways:
- Never accept friend requests from people you don’t know in real life.
- Be aware that if you can see someone’s information and photos, they can potentially see yours too.
- Check your privacy options to ensure your information is secure.
- If your friends get out of control, seek help from a trusted person to delete unwanted friends or consider starting a new account.
- Be cautious when taking photos, especially in private places like bathrooms.
- Think about what might be in the background of your photos before posting them online.
- Some apps and devices can track your location, so be mindful of that.
- Avoid posting information that reveals your whereabouts at specific times of the day.
- Live by the Grandma Rule: Think twice before posting something online. Would you be proud of it if your grandma saw it?
- Once something is posted online, it’s challenging to remove it completely, and others can share it without your knowledge.
- Don’t send anything you wouldn’t want to receive yourself.
- If someone is being nasty, it’s best not to engage or reply.
- Use a nickname or an alias online.
- Before meeting someone you’ve met online in person, always check with someone you trust first.
- Be humble and respectful, even in online interactions.
These books are fantastic tools for starting important conversations with your kids. As a parent, they serve as a helpful reminder of the discussions I need to keep having with my own children. So, I highly recommend checking them out!
I hope this review has been helpful. If you have any questions or need further guidance, feel free to reach out. Cheers!
