Life’s Lessons

Jenelle Harden’s office at Chicago’s Lane Tech College Prep High School is filled with books, many of the volumes addressing practical skills and techniques of social work, her chosen profession. A new book added to her collection is displayed more prominently than the others.

Harden, LCSW, MSW ‘09, has published her first storybook, “The Exquisite Feast,” a funny, adventurous tale that follows Elise, a brave, fast, and determined raccoon, and her siblings as they scheme to find the most scrumptious meal they have ever eaten. As a school social worker, Harden is always working to develop innovative strategies to assist her students grow, and her new book explores how families learn to cooperate with one another, navigate conflicts, and accept others’ strengths and weaknesses.

Debuting April 8, Harden’s inspiration came from experiencing raccoons, known for their intelligence and dexterous front paws, pilfer food from her family on their annual camping trips to Manistee, Mich.

“We’ve gone there every year since I was a child and no matter what we do, those darn raccoons find a way to get into our things,” Harden said. “Last year the raccoons had a particularly good feast and even got into my nephew’s strawberry-flavored toothpaste. I had a fun time imagining how the raccoons might have worked together to skillfully secure their meal.”

The book’s protagonist, Elise, is loosely based on Harden herself. The other characters are a combination of friends and family members in scenarios that “reflect real challenges we’ve worked through,” Harden said. Each raccoon has his/her assets and liabilities: Ali, Elise’s sister, is a brilliant planner, but the group’s progress is often slowed due to her hesitancy in enacting her strategies. Ren, another of Elise’s siblings, dreams up great ideas but his suggestions are often dismissed. Readers – the target audience is children six to 10 years of age – learn how the siblings cooperate and accept each other’s differences so they can enjoy “an exquisite feast.”

A first-time author, Harden was both nervous and excited when she began the project in August 2024. Writing whenever she had a spare moment, she finished an initial draft in three weeks. With the words complete, she needed artwork to bring the story to life. Combing through the sketches of numerous illustrators, she discovered Marie Del, an accomplished artist from Tbilisi, Georgia, who had worked with writers worldwide. Harden felt that her words and Del’s humorous drawings would complement each other perfectly.

Eight months from Harden’s initial concept, she self-published her first storybook, which includes a discussion guide and coloring pages, as “I thought that as a school social worker I would have loved that as a resource.” The book is currently available from most online book retailers – Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Bookshop.org, Books a Million – and several international sites. At least five independent bookstores in Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan have stocked their shelves with the book, with hopes of more doing so soon.

Career Choice 

Harden became interested in social work while completing an advanced placement psychology course in high school in her hometown of Northville, Mich. She became fascinated with child development, and she felt she could make a bigger impact as a social worker than a psychologist.

After receiving her social work degree from Wayne State University, Harden began working as a foster care caseworker, first in Detroit and then Chicago. With her desire to expand her knowledge of the social work field, she enrolled in the Jane Addams College of Social Work.

“I heard great things about the JACSW Advance Standing Program in school social work, and I liked that it was an urban program,” Harden said. “Professor (Annette) Johnson made the biggest impact on me. Having been a school social worker and then manager with Chicago Public Schools, she is passionate about school social work.

“I have always gravitated towards people who feel passionate about what they are teaching. I loved that my classes at UIC were small, and it felt easy to engage in interesting discussions about social work practice. I felt really inspired by many of the classes I took.”

Graduating with her master’s degree in 2009, Harden’s goal was to return to Chicago Public Schools, where she had completed her internship. A hiring freeze forced her to look elsewhere. She began working at an adoption agency before assisting a Highland Park, Ill., elementary school during a leave of absence taken by one of the permanent social workers.

In 2013, Harden was hired by CPS permanently, assisting students at three elementary schools on Chicago’s west side. The experience, she said, was challenging but educational. She enjoyed the younger students, but later she aspired to challenge herself with high school students, transitioning to Lane Tech.

“While I loved elementary school students, I have been extremely happy at Lane Tech,” Harden said. “What I love about being a school social worker is the variety in my day and being able to support the students. There really is no typical day, which I enjoy. My responsibilities include report writing, collaboration and problem-solving with teachers, providing resources to families, intervening in student crisis, and supporting students in individual and small group work to promote social and emotional learning skills to help them be successful in school and in life.

“When I was a kid, I didn’t have anyone to talk to about the things I was going through and I feel really honored to be able to be a person who can be a source of support to students through their unique challenges and experiences.”

For Harden, “The Exquisite Feast” was a labor of love, a creative outlet she did not realize she was missing when she left elementary schools. This year, instead of experiencing trepidation on her annual vacation trying to outwit the raccoons, she is excited to see what trouble the furry creatures may get into.