Category: Reading

Book Love: Embracing the Seasons

By Mariah Bruehl, 27th March 2015

As each new season rolls along for another three months, it is a special time to reflect on what the season brings, be in hibernation, endless days of sunshine or a time to be quiet calm and reflect, each season has a purpose.

In the Southern Hemisphere we are moving towards Autumn and a time for slowing down and allowing the daylight hours reflect the need for simplicity and a time for rest. I adore the notion of not using lights throughout autumn and winter and using candles when it is dark and allowing our bodies to unwind and slow down and become attuned and receptive to mother nature. In the northern hemisphere the days are getting longer, new growth is evident everywhere and the extra daylight allows for afternoon walks after the workmen day and the opportunity to meet with friends, have long lunches which, if you are blessed, then turn into an evening by the pool or local river.

As the seasons change I like to gather as many books as I can about the changing time and share these with my boys.

Here are a few books that look at different seasons and are beautifully illustrated…

Seasons by Alain Gree
Seasons by Blexbolex
A First Book of Nature by Nicola Davies and Mark Hearld

After sharing the books it is a wonderful opportunity to set up a provocation filled with large sheets of paper, pots filled with fine liners and watercolor paints or pencils. A case of flowers cut and gathered form the garden or neighborhood or even a handful of leaves called from the trees (if you are experiencing Autumn). I believe in open-ended experiences and a gathering of the family to make connections, reflect and create. No end product in mind, just the opportunity to reflect on the experience and create. Clay is also a wonderful starting point. If clay is not something you have on hand a simple playdough recipe scented with essential oils works beautifully.

I also have a strong belief of shopping in season when possible and finding produce at local farmers markets. This cook book by Donna Hay is delightful and divided into Seasons.

* This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Author Focus: Keri Smith

By Mariah Bruehl, 25th March 2015

For the past three weeks, my daughters have been asking me “How many more days until spring?” The Midwest winter was long this year, so my girls know that spring means sunshine, warmer weather, bike rides, park play dates and long strolls around the neighborhood.

If your children, or students, are anything like mine, they love to collect things on those lazy day walks. We can’t get down the block without picking up at least a handful of leaves, acorns, rocks, and sticks. Our strollers, bike baskets and pockets become filled to the brim with tiny treasures. So to honor my little collectors, and the first full weekend of spring, we grabbed a few plastic bags, pencils, a notebook, a camera and Keri Smith’s book How to Be an Explorer of the World before we set off in the direction of our nearest park.

Now some of you may be asking, who is Keri Smith? On her website, the Canadian born Smith describes herself as an author/illustrator turned guerrilla artist. My teaching partner introduced me to her a few years ago, and I immediately bought Wreck This Journal (2007), which is arguably her best-known book. In it, Keri plays with the idea that imperfections are merely a part of the creative process. Imperfections are what make each artist’s work unique. She encourages the reader to let go of any inhibitions and do things outside of her comfort zone. The reader is told to tear pages out, color outside of the lines, and scribble wildly. This book will remind you that creativity is about the journey and not always the end product.

In a November 2014 interview with Time magazine Keri said, “What I’m doing is trying to get kids to pay attention, to look at the physical world more, and to question everything.” On the initial pages of How to Be an Explorer of the World (2008), Keri does just that. She urges us to always be looking and to notice the ground beneath our feet. I love that one simple idea. So as my daughters and I began our walk this afternoon, I told them that we were going to go a bit slower today and look for things that we haven’t noticed before. Of course we would still collect any interesting objects we found during our exploration and then go home and observe them more closely. My six-year-old was looking forward to documenting her findings in a notebook and using her microscope to observe things more carefully.

Before we reached the park, our collection included natural items such as a piece of bark, several pine cones, and a few different kinds of seedpods. However we also found some man made items like a page off a very small calendar and a curious piece of green string. We probably wouldn’t have picked them up had we not been noticing everything beneath our feet. Both discoveries surely had stories attached to them, and I knew this would be a starting point for another day’s activity.

It took us twice as long to reach the park. We stopped often, looked closer, observed longer, and talked more. Inevitably one of us would say something like, “I never noticed that hole in the tree before” or “Did you see those tiny white flowers growing up from the grass?”

When we returned home, I let my children’s interest level and desires drive what came next. Of course my six-year-old thought we should go around the circle and share what we discovered on our walk. She started by telling us: 1) what she found (and named it if she was able to), 2) described what the object looked like, 3) told us what the object reminded her of, and 4) shared why she liked the object or why she chose it for our collection. This is about the time that my four-year-old decided that she preferred to go inside and play. The process of collection was enough for her, and I respected her wish to change direction.

But my older daughter wanted to continue the exploration. She started out by making a list of what we found. Then our conversation was drawn towards discussing similarities and differences between the objects, which then led to sorting things into categories and labeling them. We decided to put everything into a box so that she can observe them again on another day. Tomorrow, I will show her how to carefully draw the objects and notice minute details that she didn’t notice today. I will encourage her to document colors and textures and ask questions. We may use the Experience Documentation Log or the Object Documentation Log at the back of Keri’s book. We might just create our own logs.

As you experiment with How to Be an Explorer of the World, I recommend trying all of the explorations, in any order, but here are the ones my daughters and I have at the top of our list:

Exploration #1 – Right Where You Are Sitting
Exploration #5 – The First Thing You See
Exploration #14 – Sound Map
Exploration #46 – Found Patterns
Exploration #54 – The Language of Trees

Be sure to check out more of these resources as you explore the ground beneath your feet!

Find Keri Smith’s website here.

More Books by Keri Smith…

* This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Investigating Spring: Resources for Young Scientists

By Mariah Bruehl, 18th March 2015

Springtime sun and rain puddles naturally raise our children’s desire to explore outdoors. Often, we do not need anything but the time and desire to be outdoors to initiate springtime investigations. As soon as we walk outside, observations begin. However, there are a few other tools we can provide children to further their natural curiosities.

Children’s literature is plentiful and rich with books about birds, seeds, flowers, mud and weather. I almost always start with literature in introducing topics to students. There is magic in story and deep connections develop between reader and text. Conversations begin naturally through text and story and often ideas or questions emerge for exploration. When this happens, it is the perfect time to lay down the book and explore with our senses. Maybe take a spring walk bringing along observational tools: sketch book, pencil, watercolor, magnifying glass, and a field guide or two. Or, set out a collection of seeds to sort, classify, and pattern. Or begin planting some seeds in trays and record daily observations.

Children’s Literature

1. A Seed is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long

Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long have created such a magical book in A Seed is Sleepy. The illustrations are whimsical yet realistic. When looking through the text with young readers have examples of some of the seeds in the text and see if, while sharing the book with you, they can locate the seeds in the illustrations. Discuss actual size, versus the magnified size presented in the book. Ask your child why the illustrator might have decided to create them magnified. Discuss how to illustrate observations scientifically: realistic with great attention paid to detail such as color, size, and shape. Also, discuss the wording of the text. How is a seed sleepy? How is a seed adventurous?

2. Spring Walk by Virginia Brimhall Snow

The flower illustrations in Spring Walk jump out at the reader quickly as the flowers are in bright, bold colors as spring flowers naturally are. The illustrator highlights the colors even more with a detailed but colorless background. The flowers jump out because of their prominence. A fun way to use this book may be to teach your child how to take close up photographs (micro) that bring out the details. Or, one may sit with a sketchbook, pencil and watercolor paints to practice detailed, observational sketching.

3. Flowers are Calling by Rita Gray

Rita Gray has written a springtime rhyming text to share with readers why flowers are an important part of spring and what insects / birds use them as a food sources. Kenard Pak’s illustrations are delicate and detailed. A child may sit for a while with each page to study the arrangements of flowers, insects and birds. This book may be used as a field guide to bring along on a wildflower walk. There are several pages dedicated to simple, yet stunning illustrations of spring flowers which the author names and describes.

4. Mama Built a Little Nest by Jennifer Ward and Steve Jenkins.

The study of birds in springtime is perfect to take our students and children outdoors. The book Mama built a little nest by Jennifer Ward and illustrations by Steve Jenkins provides readers with a beautiful story accompanied by detailed facts. Ward introduces us to many different birds and invites us to learn how they create their nests. Jenkins collaged illustrations are colorful and bold. It could be fun to try creating a collage of a birds’ nest found on a spring walk.

5. Feathers: Not Just For Flying by Melissa Stewart and illustrated by Sarah Brannen

Another bird book to delight young readers is the new book entitled Feathers Not Just for Flying by Melissa Stewart and illustrated by Sarah Brannen. This gorgeous non-fiction book is ideal to refer to when studying the birds of spring. The author focuses on feathers and their many uses. One idea may be to have students study found feathers and create detailed sketches. These sketches could then be written about in poetic form such as Haiku poetry.

6. Mud by Mary Ray Lyn

This story, by Mary Ray Lyn, is a lovely introduction to the exploration of mud. Lyn uses few words yet the words are perfect and will provide new vocabulary for our younger students. The illustrations by Lauren Stringer have a unique perspective, as though the reader is the one playing in the mud. Read aloud Mud and then explore by taking your child outside to explore in the mud. Let him/her take their shoes off and describe what it feels like to walk through barefoot. What words describe the feeling? What does it smell like? Do you hear any sounds? Or bring some mud inside using a plastic container. Put out some newspaper or plastic and begin exploring with your child. What does it sound like when you mix it up with a stick? Can you paint with it? Does it have a smell?

7. Laughing Tomatoes And Other Spring Poems / Jitomates Risuenos Y Otros Poemas De Primavera

Let’s add in some poetry and better yet poetry in two languages: English and Spanish. This colorful, poetry book is perfect for ages up to fifth grade. The author brings spring alive with poems about spring and how it makes people feel. Poems range from quite short (3 lines) to many lines. The illustrations are whimsical and light: a real spring feel! Enjoy this book with your child and then play with writing some spring poems together.

8. Spring An Alphabet Acrostic by Steven Schnur and illustrated by Leslie Evans

This spring acrostic poetry book is perfect for the Kindergarten / First grade classroom. The author uses acrostic poems to tell the story of spring. Follow this book up with students creating their own acrostic poems about what spring means to them.

9. Lost in the Woods by Carl R. Sames II & Jean Stoick

This beautiful picture book tells the story of a young doe and the first days of its’ life. The photos will captivate young learners and is a perfect accompaniment to discuss spring births.

10. And then it’s spring by Julie Fogliano and illustrated by Erin E. Stead

The pictures and words work together to tell a fun story about waiting for spring. Children will relate to waiting for spring to come and the excitement that follows when it finally does. Use this book to discuss personal experiences in waiting for spring.

11. Rosie Sprout’s Time to Shine by Allison Wortche and illustrated by Patrice Barton

Rosie Sprout’s Time to Shine is a lovely, personal story about growing up and making choices. Children will connect with Rosie and how to tries her best to do the right thing after a mistake. Children may enjoy planting their own bean plant and make observations after listening to this story.

12. Amazing Plant Powers by Loreen Leedy & Andrew Schuerger

Loreen Leedy has created another fun non-fiction text that will grab young readers attention. In Amazing Plant Powers Leedy provides readers with catchy facts, micro photos and detailed drawing. Try creating catchy brochures with students to display information learned about certain plants. They will love emulating Leedy’s style in publishing.

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

SaveSave

A Cinderella Study for Big Princesses

By Mariah Bruehl, 17th March 2015

While we all get swept up in the happily ever after notions of today’s fairytale characters, it’s important to break open the concept of being a “princess” and widen the definition of what that might look and feel like for girls, both young and old. For deep within these tales are valuable lessons to be learned that go way beyond finding your prince charming.

My first year of teaching was in an amazing kindergarten classroom. We were very fortunate to have a guest teacher come to our class once a week over a period of time to introduce the children to a Cinderella Study. I watch watched, captivated each week, as Karen Balliett, shared Cinderella stories from around the world and lead thought provoking discussions about the universal commonalities as well as the cultural twists among them.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 /

Years later, the time was ripe for sharing the Cinderella Study with my daughters’ book club and it turned out to be a great experience! We gathered our favorite versions of the Cinderella tale (see above).

Everyone had their own copy of the printable above and we started out by introducing the elements of story. Once the girls knew what each term meant, we read the different versions and took notes on each one. As we read, the girls started to notice different nuances in the story.

In some of the stories Cinderella had to look beautiful every time she saw the prince, in others that was not the case. In some versions the Cinderella figure marries the prince and in some she does not. In the versions where Cinderella does marry the prince, in some of them she shows forgiveness to her step-mother and step-sisters and in others she does not. Where the magic shows up and what is required to access it differs from tale to tale as well. The possibilities for discussion are endless!

Once we finished our exploration we took some time to draft notes on our own Cinderella stories, which then led to final writing pieces. By the time we got to writing our own stories there was not moment of hesitation as each girl new exactly what they wanted to write. We ended with a lovely author share, as we munched on carrot sticks and hummus, and eagerly waited to hear each other’s inspiring tales…

Printables

A Book List for Animal Lovers

By Mariah Bruehl, 17th February 2015

We thought it would be fun to share a list of our favorite books for all of the animal lovers out there…

1. Animalium by Jenny Broom. If I was giving out awards, this book would receive my Best Book of 2014 award! It’s Magical, whimsical and ever so engaging for everyone. It is the most perfect book for pleasure and research and marries both areas ever so perfectly. It is also a large format book (370 x 272mm), which makes it that extra bit special. My schoolboy received this as his end of school year gift (In Australia we have school years according to the calendar year). My son is inquisitive and has a thirst for new information. He adores David Attenborough and therefore Animalium was the perfect gift for him to help foster the love of the world around us. Animalium is the first in a series of virtual museums published by Big Picture Press and I long to find out what the next piece in the collection will be. Each chapter features a different part of the tree of life and poses so many questions. Schoolboy and myself talked and talked about what we thought the differences between a plant and an animal are. What a brilliant project to explore with your child. Our suggestion is to start with reading the opening pages and choosing a part of the tree of life to focus on: flightless birds, frogs and toads, colorful birds, the possibilities are endless. Go on to sketch, research, gather, touch, create…

More to Explore…

2. Infographics: Animals by Simon Rogers and Jenny Broom

3. Animal Kingdom: Color Me, Draw Me by Millie Marotta

4. Creature ABC by Andrew Zuckerman

5. Bird by Andrew Zuckerman

6. Creature by Andrew Zuckerman

7. World Search: Incredible Animals by Lonely Planet

10 Books to Share with Someone Special

By Mariah Bruehl, 11th February 2015

As your children exchange little candy hearts that say “U R SWEET” and Minecraft Valentine cards, it’s the perfect time to reflect on love. What does it look like? What does it sound like? How do I show it? What does it feel like?

Whether it is love for humankind, a classmate, a parent, a child, an elderly neighbor, or even a mailbox, these books offer lots to ponder on the subject. Here is a list of books to enjoy with your child.

1. Plant a Kiss, written by Amy Krause Rosenthal and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

Using her spade, a young girl digs a hole in the ground and then bends down to “plant a kiss.” Like a tender gardener, she waters it, makes sure it gets plenty of sun, and patiently waits. Of course, when you plant a seed of love or kindness or generosity, it grows. The little girl wants to share it, but the other children worry she will run out. She doesn’t care. When she finally runs out, she goes back to discover her kiss has bloomed again.

The language is simple. Each page contains no more than a few words and the next page rhymes (think Sheep in a Jeep). The drawings are simple—people, some earth and props, plain white background. But the overall effect is magical.

2. The Boy Who Grew Flowers, written by Jen Wojtowicz and illustrated by Steve Adams

Every full moon, Rink Bowagon sprouts flowers all over his body. Needless to say, this makes him a little unpopular at school. One day, a new girl shows up, and Rink immediately likes her. Angelina is plain with one leg shorter than the other and a flower behind her ear. She does not understand why the children ignore Rink. One day, the teacher announces there will be a dance on Saturday. Rink invites Angelina, but realizes she can’t dance because of her legs. I will not give away the rest of the story, but it is a beautiful act of kindness and a celebration of all that makes us unique and wonderful.

3. Hair for Mama, written by Kelly A. Tinkham and illustrated by Amy June Bates

Eight-year-old Marcus’s mama has cancer and when she begins to lose her hair, he promises to get her more. As his mama undergoes chemotherapy, Marcus observes that she can no longer appreciate the fall colors like she usually does, and he thinks getting hair for her will make her better.

After several attempts to get hair for his mama, he ends up at the barber shop. I cried when I read this book. It beautifully captures the innocence of an eight-year-old boy who loves his mama and will do anything for her.

4. Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge, written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Julia Vivas

Wilfred lives next door to an “old people’s home.” The four year old takes a shine to Miss Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper because she has four names just like him. When he learns that she has trouble remembering, he sets out to help her, even though he doesn’t quite know what that means. This is a sweet story about the love between young and old.

5. Hug Machine, written and illustrated by Scott Campbell

How do we show love? Well, sometimes we show it by hugging. And this little boy has a lot of love to share. This book reminds us that love is something that is inside of us and when we are filled with love, everyone and everything in our paths receives it. After reading this book, you will want to hug the first person (or mailbox) you see.

6. Papa, Do You Love Me? , written by Barbara M. Joosse and illustrated by Barbara Lavallee

After a visit to Kenyan and Ugandan schools, the author was moved by the Massai and the tenderness they showed their children. This book reflects the culture and reminds us that love is unconditional.

7. All the Things I Love About You, written and illustrated by LeUyen Pham

All the things I love about this book:

It’s about a mother’s love for her energetic, adventurous, messy son
The combination of pen, ink and digital art and the beautiful color palette
The little boy’s expressive face
The humor

8. Love is a Good Thing to Feel, written by Barbara Joosse and illustrated by Jennifer Plecas

This charming book is about a little girl’s affection for her stuffed rabbit, Squeezie. Using text and speech bubbles, the author expresses how love feels—“It makes a party in your heart.” Love “makes everything a little bit better” like “double-stomping in the rain.” But she also addresses sadness, fear, anger and jealousy. With love, we can handle all of these emotions.

9. The I Love You Book, written and illustrated by Todd Parr

With Parr’s signature bold primary colors the author conveys the unconditional love a parent feels for a child: sleeping sweetly or awake in the middle of the night; brave or afraid; stinky or clean.

10. An Awesome Book of Love!, written and illustrated by Dallas Clayton

Rather than an ode to love, this is a shout-it-from-the-rooftops proclamation of love. The illustrations and even the font are whimsical works of art. The author starts with different scenarios in which he doesn’t have his true love, but then he writes, “…I’m aglow with a smile on my face when I wonder what magic you’ll make of this place…” From this point on, the proclaiming begins.

* This post contains affiliate links.

Lessons From the 100 Acre Wood

By Mariah Bruehl, 8th January 2015

0ne / two

I just recently finished reading A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner to a class of second and third graders. I am embarrassed to admit that at first I was hesitant in using these books as a classroom read aloud. I mistakenly assumed that a group of 7-9 year olds would find Pooh and his friends to be childish and infantile. I had no idea how immersed they would become in these characters and how much they would come to adore Pooh and his friends (especially Eeyore). They begged me to read every day. They drew picture after picture, usually at home, of each and every character and laid them on my desk. One child started a “Winnie the Pooh Club” in the classroom. We had a Pooh Fest the day before my students left for winter break.

We all fell in love (or fell in love again) with this Bear of Very Little Brain, and I believe we are all a little better and wiser for having experienced the story together. We learned so many things from Pooh and his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood.

I strongly recommend that you find time to share these books with your own children. Sharing stories together is a powerful way to make meaning of a text, and these particular stories make an excellent springboard for some honest and reflective conversations.

Below are 4 lessons I think we can all learn from life in the Hundred Acre Wood, along with some questions and quotes to ponder as you share the stories together.

1. Be brave and believe in yourself.

One could say that Pooh’s best friend, Piglet, is not very brave. He wants the world to believe he’s brave, and he usually does a great job at looking brave, but on the inside Piglet is often scared. The irony is that Piglet ends up being perhaps the bravest of all the friends in the Hundred Acre Wood because he believes in himself. He actually talks himself into being brave, and when he does, he ends up doing more great (and brave) things.

As you read, think about these questions:

What do you think it means to be brave?
Has there ever been a time when you’ve felt brave? How did it feel?
Has there ever been a time when you’ve felt less than brave? How did that feel?
The next time you are feeling less than brave, what could you do? Create a plan or a mantra for yourself. (A mantra is a word or phrase that can be repeated when you need to calm down or think before you act or speak.)

“There is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

~ Christopher Robin

2. Be a good friend to others.

Pooh teaches us that being a good friend means you are there in good times AND in bad times. It means you always have someone to lean on, to share your thoughts with, to join you on adventures, or to help you find your tail when it’s missing.

As you read, think about these questions:

What qualities do you look for in a friend?
What qualities do you have that makes you a good friend?
What do you think you could do to be an even better friend? Think of one thoughtful thing you can do for a friend and then do it!

“We’ll be Friends Forever, won’t we, Pooh?’ asked Piglet. ‘Even longer,’ Pooh answered.”

~Pooh and Piglet

“Any day spent with you is my favorite day. So today is my new favorite day.”

~ Pooh

3. Take time to get to know people and embrace their inner beauty.

When Kanga and Roo arrive in the Hundred Acre Wood, the friends are worried about these newcomers (even a little prejudiced against these unknown animals who [gasp] carry their children around in pockets). After Piglet tells his friends that Christopher Robin claims Kanga is One of the Fiercer Animals, Rabbit concocts a plan to kidnap Roo. Kanga thwarts the plan and the friends realize that there is much more to these Fiercer Animals than meets the eye. Yes, they are different but Kanga is smart as a whip, gentle, nurturing and motherly while Roo is adventurous and enthusiastic about everything. The friends find that these qualities make wonderful additions to the Hundred Acre Wood family.

As you read, think about these questions:

What words would you use to describe your inner beauty? Click here for an extensive list of character traits.
How are you different from people in your family or within your group of friends? How do these differences enhance your family structure or your group of friends?
Take time to get to know someone new. Make a list of his/her unique qualities or character traits and embrace their inner beauty!

“The things that make me different are the things that make me.”

~ Piglet

4. Go out of your way to be kind to others.

When I think of being kind, I immediately think of Eeyore. Eeyore needs a little kindness in his gloomy life, and his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood are often found trying to spread kindness in his direction. In The House at Pooh Corner, Pooh and Piglet come to realize that Eeyore does not have a house like the rest of their friends. He has always just lived in the Gloomy Place. So they decide to build Eeyore his very own house out of sticks. So what if Eeyore had already built himself a house that Pooh and Piglet mistakenly disassembled, and then they used those very same sticks to build him a new house? In the end we learn that it’s truly the thought that counts!

As you read, think about these questions:

How have you shown kindness to others? How did this make you feel?
How have others shown you kindness? How did this make you feel?
Make a plan to spread a little more kindness in your world. What could you do to be kind to someone else? How can you show more kindness in your family?

“A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.”

~ Eeyore

What other life lessons have you and your children learned from Winnie the Pooh and his friends? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Original art work by E.H. Shepard, Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne

A Book List for Young Architects

By Mariah Bruehl, 30th December 2014

Taking a close look at the development of buildings over time is such a wonderful starting point for architecture and engineering.

The following titles are perfect for your young architect…

Architecture According to Pigeons by Speck Lee Tailfeather
Iggy Peck Architect by Andrea Beaty
Rosie Revere Engineer by Andrea Beaty
Walk This World by Jenny Broom
From Mud Huts to Sky Scrapers by Christine Paxmann
The Story of Buildings by Patrick Dillon
All the Buildings in New York: That I’ve Drawn So Far by James Gulliver Hancock
Lego Architecture: The Visual Guide by Philip Wilkinson

There are also some apps which encourage building, such as Toca Boca Builders and Minecraft. Oh Minecraft, you are amazing, but also a little too addictive for our School Boy, so we have to have very strict time limits.

This year, we plan on looking at buildings in our community and sketching them as we sit and spend time in the city or capturing them with a digital camera to view at home. We hope to create a little journal of buildings, which inlcude acts such as architect, date of build, etc. There’s so much to take in once you start to notice the details…

* This post contains affiliate links.

Holiday Book List: A Little Bit More

By Mariah Bruehl, 24th December 2014

When I originally decided to write a blog post about multicultural holidays and their shared message of peace and giving, I imagined myself surrounded by stacks of books, poring over them and selecting my favorites to share with you. As it turns out, the hardest part about writing this has been finding books.

Many of the religious holiday books told about traditions, food, or the candles, or why people fast, but didn’t share the spirit of the holiday.

So what I hope you will find here are books that invite a sense of awe at the beauty of the season, remind us we have so much to be grateful for, and reveal that we all want peace on earth. I have included books from different cultures, although not always holiday themed. I encourage you to share your favorite holiday books about peace and giving in the comments below.

Books with Theme of Giving, Generosity:

Latkes, Latkes Good to Eat: A Chanukah Story, by Naomi Howland

Moishe’s Miracle: Hanukkah Story, by Laura Kraus Melmed, ill. by David Slonim

Both of these books are adapted from “The Magic Porridge Pot” by the Grimm Brothers. The first one is more appropriate for younger children, and the second one has eye-popping illustrations. These books could create an opportunity for a conversation about helping others and sharing what we have with those who need it.

Beatrice’s Goat by Page McBrier, illustrated by Lori Lohstoeter

This true story is about Beatrice and her family. Because of the gift of a goat, her family is able to sell the milk and raise enough money to send her to school. If you are looking for an opportunity to invite your children to give globally, this is a great story to show them how they can make a difference.

Books with Theme of Giving Heartfelt Gifts:

Love Monster and the Perfect Present, by Rachel Bright

I would have never picked this book up, but thankfully, a librarian recommended it. I love it. While there is no snow and it is not multicultural, it is universal. It is present day and Love Monster is lured in by the shops promising the perfect gift. We are reminded how easy it is to be caught up in the advertising and commercialism of the holidays. Since the stores don’t except lint and buttons as payment, Love Monster goes home empty-handed and very sad. In the end, he makes a present, telling his true love, “You are sunshine and stars to me.” Who wouldn’t love to receive that gift?

The Best Christmas Ever, by Chih-Yuan Chen

The story opens with the father bear being out of work and the family not having enough money for food. The words do not tell the whole story, but you will see clues in the pictures as to what is happening. In the end, there are gifts for everyone—lost hat, missing button, repaired kite, polished glove. The children notice footprints in the pretend snow around the tree. They wonder why they are so small. On the last page, the littlest member of the family is sitting on a chair and the bottoms of his feet are white. What a beautiful message about giving and noticing what might put a smile on someone’s face. It doesn’t have to be shiny and new but a simple act of thoughtfulness.

The Perfect Gift, by J. Samia Mair

This story takes place at Ramadan and Eid. It is the most religious of the books in this selection. A little girl wonders what to get her mother for Eid. Walking through the snowy woods, she discovers a lone flower. Its simplicity is perfect for this time of year. Why not have a walk through the woods or park and see what “gifts” you find?

Books with Theme of Peace and Nature:

Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message, by Chief Jake Swamp, illustrated by Ervwin Printup, Jr.

OK, this is more appropriate for Thanksgiving, but with all of the excitement around presents, it is the perfect time to encourage discussions about the many wonders of the natural world to be grateful for.

Wangari’s Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa, by Jeanette Winter

Mama Miti, by Donna Jo Napoli, illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai, by Claire A. Nivola

These three books are about Wangari Maathai, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. I am including all three titles because I think they are appropriate for different ages. I am partial to Mama Miti because Kadir Nelson’s illustrations are gorgeous. While these books are not about holidays, they are about peace for each person, for nature and for a country.

Night Tree by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Ted Rand

This story is about a quiet family tradition of caring for nature. Every year on Christmas Eve the family drives to the edge of town where there is a copse of evergreens and decorate one with stringed popcorn, tangerines and apples for the wildlife. Year after year, they find the same tree to decorate so there is admiration for how the tree has grown over the year. I love the oneness with nature and the quiet thrill of hoping to spot a deer or mouse nibbling on the treats. They also bring a blanket and sing carols, which probably spoils any chance of seeing a badger. Never mind.

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

This is another book about peace with nature. I love the anticipation of seeing an owl in the woods. While this book is not a holiday book, I think this is the perfect time to get outside with our children. Nighttime is so magical and lights are such a focal point for the holidays. What better lights than the stars?

And of course, this list would not be complete without a reference to How the Grinch Stole Christmas, because we all need to be reminded that “Maybe Christmas (or Hanukkah, or Diwali, or Eid…) doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more.”

5 Great Reasons to Read Graphic Novels

By Mariah Bruehl, 9th December 2014

One of the biggest concerns many parents have (this can be an issue for boys in particular) is how to encourage reading in their kids. No matter how many great novels you throw their way, some kids just don’t love it. Enter graphic novels. Graphic novels are not glorified comic books; they are novels using images as well as words to tell a story. Graphic novels have many advantages:

The images give an overview of the story, which encourages the child to read the whole thing. By looking at the images they can get a sense immediately of what is happening, particularly good for kids who are really turned off books.

They are fast paced. For high energy, boisterous kids (like my two boys) slowing down can sometimes be a problem. But graphic novels move quickly, the plots are exciting and there is often a good dose of action along the way. This makes the exciting to read, again circumnavigating the ‘I hate reading’ problem.

The images reinforce not replace the language. At first it may seem that this is just a glorified picture book but with a really good graphic novel a full understanding is only really reached when the words and illustrations work together. A kid may begin by skimming, but they’ll soon be turning back to re-read when to gain a better understanding of what is happening.

The language is high quality. A really good graphic novel has to pair great illustrations with clear dialogue, the language and the images work together to create the story. With so little space for words they are chosen with a great deal of care for maximum impact and can seriously add to your child’s vocabulary. They also deal with complex themes that will challenge them beyond their reading level.

They can be read over and over…and over. Graphic novels are often a quick read, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen my son returning to the same book. He seems to read in different ways each time and I’m amazed by how much he picks up in such a short space of time. Like anyone returning to an old favorite, he reads more slowly and absorbs both the language, plot and characters in much more depth. Letting them read something that is familiar and fun (alongside work that is supportive and challenging) will reaffirm that they are a good reader and that books are fun.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

If you’re looking for a good starting place with graphic novels, or looking to add to your collection, here are a five of our favorite series. As always, check any books to make sure that they are appropriate for your family.

The Amulet Series: When my son began showing an interest in graphic novels at the library, I was really unhappy with the content he was finding on the shelves. Amulet was a great find and made us both very happy. Written by the great Kazu Kibuishi, the story revolves around a brother and sister ….

The Percy Jackson graphic novels: We were already Percy Jackson fans when these graphic novels were released, and they were a great way to keep the series alive for my son. The novels were a bit too much of a reading challenge at that time, he’d adored the stories on audio book and kept wanting to listen over and over; but I wanted him to read. These books were perfect and are very high quality, they render the main plot and characters of the story really well and even serve as an example of how to summarize a story without losing the most important elements

Artemis Fowl: This is another novel series turned graphic novel, we had enjoyed these in audio form but still wanted more! The story revolves around 12 year old millionaire Artemis Fowl, an Irish schoolboy turned arch criminal who discovers a hidden underworld of fairy folk unlike any you’ve ever met. These stories are truly wonderful with a strong core of humanity running through them as characters have to make tough decisions in a world that often seems pitted against them.

The Lunch Lady series: My son read about 5 of these in one mammoth session and continued to re-read them until the library demanded their return! He would laugh uproariously at the antics of the central character as she “serves out justice along with lunch”. Fast paced and fun these would tempt even the most reluctant reader, and I admit I adore that the central character is a middle aged woman taking down cyborgs, ninja style.

Moby Dick: While this book isn’t part of a series it is part of a concept, there are many wonderful graphic novel adaptations of classic novels out there. We’ve also loved this adaptation of Black Beauty and I plan to include many more in the future. Like an abridged version, the graphic novel provides the key elements of the story and hopefully negates some of the negativity often associated with reading ‘difficult’ classic stories. Many well known novels have been adapted and are a great way to give a child access to the key ideas, even when the novel itself is a bit too much. There are also wonderful adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays that really support and reinforce learning at any age.

If you are looking for even more inspiration the list on The Mighty Girl website has many fabulous suggestions that we can’t wait to try. This list is focused more on female characters, but there is no reason why boys won’t enjoy them just as much!