Book Review: When No One Is Watching

Author: Eileen Spinelli
Illustrator: David A. Johnson

Book Description:  When no one is watching, it's easy to be brave — to dance and sing, growl and cheer. But when everyone's watching, this book's shy young narrator finds it far easier to hide. With her best friend, Loretta, though, she doesn't feel shy, embarrassed, awkward, or odd — not one bit. Together they're like two peas in a pod, whether anyone's watching or not.

Any readers who have felt shy will certainly recognize themselves within the pages of this adorable book, which will encourage even the most timid of audiences with its celebration of the value of a good friend.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Kids who struggle with shyness need me, especially in school. Children can be helped when we set an optimistic tone for them. So I'm always looking for books reminding kids they are awesome the way they are. So how can I help shy kids? With a great new book by Eileen Spinelli - When No One is Watching. When students have a connection to a story it can open doors for them. Books can help release feelings of fear. I'm a believer.

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Book Reviews: Kindness Books

Lately I've been on a campaign for kindness with our students. I'd been feeling like I was reading too many books telling kids what NOT to do. Nothing wrong with that but it was time to shift gears. It's nice to use books plum full of kindness. It creates a different type of conversation and focus during the lesson. Here are two amazing discoveries (which both happen to have a knitting theme) I've been using to encourage kids to let their caring side shine....

Extra Yarn
Author: Mac Barnett
Illustrator: Jon Klassen
Interest Level: Ages 4 and Up

From Publishers Weekly: Annabelle finds a box filled with yarn of every color, she immediately sets out to knit sweaters for everyone she knows. Barnett’s story is both fairy tale lean and slyly witty. No matter how many sweaters Annabelle knits, the box always has “extra yarn” for another project, until the entire town is covered with angled stitches in muted, variegated colors—people, animals, and buildings alike. A villainous archduke offers to buy the box, but Annabelle refuses. He steals it, but finds it contains no yarn at all, and with the help of just a bit more magic, it finds its way back to Annabelle. Barnett wisely leaves the box’s magic a mystery, keeping the focus on Annabelle’s creativity, generosity, and determination.

The Mitten Tree
Author: Candace Christiansen
Illustrator: Elaine Greenstein
Interest Level: Ages 4 and Up

From the Book Jacket: On a snowy day old Sarah notices that a little boy at the bus stop has no mittens. Worried that he couldn't join in the winter fun, Sarah gathers together her yarn and knits mittens for the little boy, placing them on the blue spruce tree at the bus stop early the next morning. 

Each day thereafter the children look for new mittens, and every day Sarah knits new ones. One morning she covers every branch with bright new mittens for the children. Though she has used up all her yarn, Sarah returns home with a full heart and discovers a wonderful surprise waiting on her porch.

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Book Review: Being Frank

Author: Donna Earnhardt
Illustrator: Andrea Castellani
Interest Level: Ages 5 and Up

From the Book Jacket: "Honesty is the best policy." That's Frank's motto. He tells the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. But Frank's overly frank comments tend to annoy his friends, his teachers, and even his mother - and now Frank is honestly unhappy. 

He decides to visit his confidant and pal, Grandpa Ernest, who has a history of frankness himself. A few outrageous hats, a spicy jar of relish, and some grandfatherly wisdom help Frank realize that the truth is best served with more sugar and less pepper.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: "I really love the book you just read." This was a comment I received from a teacher after reading Being Frank to her second grade class. When I get good teacher feedback, I know I've got a great one on my shelf. This is a social skills WINNER. Being Frank teaches kids the importance of THINKING before they speak. Your words can either build people up or break them down. Frank had a big impact on our students. I used the metaphor from the book about how our words are either like sugar or pepper. They can leave a person with either a sweet or bitter feeling. This book has breathed new life into some of my social skills lessons. It is a MUST.

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On My Wish List

 
Author: Matthew Cordell 
Interest Level: All Ages

Book Description: Outside the world is bright and colorful, but Lydia's family is too busy with their gadgets to notice. She says Hello to everyone. Hello? Hello! Her father says hello while texting, her mother says hello while working on her laptop and her brother doesn't say hello at all. The T.V shouts Hello! But she doesn't want to watch any shows. Lydia, now restless, ventures outside. There are so many things to say hello to! Hello rocks! Hello leaves! Hello flowers! When Lydia comes back home she decides to show her family what she has found, and it's hello world and goodbye gadgets!

Watch the Trailer:


Why It's On My Wish List: A first grade teacher had this book in her room this morning and mentioned I might like to read it because it's AWESOME. Author Matthew Cordell has really done us all a service by writing this book and his illustrations are absolutely charming. We are all getting so sucked into technology we are forgetting the world around us, especially the PEOPLE in it. What an inspiring reminder to tune out from all the gadgets that seem to control us and tune into one another.

Needless to say I've moved Hello! Hello! to the TOP of my list of books to purchase. It's brilliant. 

PS. If you are interested in participating in a Screen Free Week at your school - this would be a great kick off as a story to share with the kids. 

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Book Review: Desmond and The Very Mean Word

Authors: Archbishop Desmond Tutu and 
Douglas Carlton Abrams
illustrated by A.G. Ford

From the Book Jacket: Desmond was very proud of his new bicycle. He was the only child in the whole township who had one, and he couldn't wait to show it to Father Trevor. 

When Desmond takes his new bicycle out for a ride, his pride and joy turn to hurt and anger when some boys shout a very mean word at him. No matter what he tries, Desmond can't stop thinking about what the boys said. With the wise advice of kindly Father Trevor, Desmond learns an important lesson about understanding his conflicted feelings and how to forgive.  

Based on a real-life experience from Archbishop Desmond Tutu's own childhood in South Africa, Desmond and the Very Mean Word eloquently shows a child's realization that true forgiveness comes from within and that all people deserve compassion, whether or not they say they are sorry.  

Why It's On My Bookshelf: This has been an important picture book I've been using with our fourth and fifth graders. Sometimes I'm so saddened to see how horribly mean some of them can be to each other. So when this book arrived I knew it had a message that would touch their hearts and hopefully stop the mean words. Reminding kids they can make a decision to stop a hurtful conversation and take responsibility is what this book is all about.

There is a conversation in the book between Father Trevor and Desmond that we focused on:

Father Trevor sighed. "That is the problem, Desmond. You will get them back, and they they will get you back, and soon our whole world will be filled with nothing but 'getting back.'"

And there it is! Stopping the cycle of hurt is what my students need to hear. Especially because some of them come from homes where that cycle is happening. Forgiveness is an absent thing in many of their lives. When I asked if they could define forgiveness - not many hands went up. We teach a lot about apologies but it became clear the other part of the equation needs to be put out there too.

It is never revealed what the mean word is used against Desmond. I was concerned some kids would get hung up on that. We did have a small discussion on what the mean words might have been. But what we kept coming back to was how those words can have such a damaging impact. And that's why we need forgiveness............yep!

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Book Review: Back to Front and Upside Down

by Claire Alexander
Interest Level: K-2
Winner of the 2012 Schneider Family Book Award
 
From the Book Jacket: It's the principal's birthday, and the class is busy writing cards for the special occasion. But Stan's letters tumble out in a muddle. 

With a friend's help, Stan finds the courage to voice his fears. And after lots and lots of practice, Stan's letters come out the right way round and the right way up. 

This warm, sympathetic book deals with a common childhood frustration and will remind readers that everyone has to ask for help sometimes.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Sometimes in life you get exactly what you need at the right moment. I feel that way about books all the time. Back to Front and Upside Down could have not come at a better time. We have a student who is VERY frustrated for lots of reasons. One of his challenges revolves around academic tasks and becoming frustrated when he is stuck or upset when the teacher can't help him right away.

I used this story in his classroom as a social skills lesson on how to overcome your frustrations. Stan uses the skill of asking for help to move forward. This is a really helpful book if you are working with K-2 grades on school readiness skills.

Watch the Book Trailer Here:


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Book Review: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

Authors: William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
Illustrations: Elizabeth Zunon
Interest Level: Ages 6 and Up
Click Here for Book Website

From the Book Jacket: Heroes can be any age. When William Kamkwamba was fourteen years old, living in a drought-ravaged area of Malawi in Africa, he pursued a dream that brought electricity and running water to his desperately poor village. 

William had always been interested in how mechanical things work, and after poring over old science textbooks, painstakingly teaching himself English so that he could understand them, he became determined to build a windmill.  The people in h is village called him crazy, but he knew he could succeed. Slowly but surely, he turned junkyard scraps into a functioning windmill, and brought electricity to his home and eventually life-saving water to his village. William's story shows no matter how young you are or how huge the challenge - creativity, determination, and hard work can help save your world.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: The character trait we are focusing on at school this month is Perseverance. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind fits that description perfectly. I absolutely love this story and our students have been inspired by William's courage and never give up attitude. I sometimes think about where the kids I work with will be when they are adults and I imagine some of them might have hard moments and truly struggle. So thankful for books that help me mentor and guide students to NEVER GIVE UP! Reading books about determination and perseverance is a message children need to hear A LOT. I hope to find more books as awesome as this one.

Watch Part Of William's Story Here:


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Book Review: Crafty Chloe

Author: Kelly DiPucchio
Illustrator: Heather Ross
Interest Level: Ages 4 and Up
Book Website: Crafty Chloe

From the Book Jacket: Chloe has a crafty solution to every problem. But when she needs the perfect birthday present for her best friend, Emma, she starts to feel a little insecure. How can a handmade gift ever make the cut? Even if it is very purple?

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Chloe is everything we want our kids to be. I'm so incredibly happy I discovered this book so I can share her example of kindness, the reminder to be yourself, and be proud of your strengths.

Chloe is put down by a girl, London, for making something homemade for Emma's birthday gift. London has bought a Flower Girl doll from the store which is something Emma really wanted. On the way to the birthday party London accidentally drops the doll and her dog tears up it's clothes. That's when Chloe's kindness shines. Her gift was a dress she had sewn for the doll. You might think she would let London learn her lesson for being so mean but she doesn't.

More than all the googly eyes in the world, Chloe wanted to say, Well, good luck with that! But instead she lifted the lid on her box and she pulled out a perfectly purple dress. "She can wear this."

It's very hard in life to sometimes show respect and kindness to someone who has been disrespectful and hurtful towards your feelings. Chloe is an awesome example of GOODNESS. I absolutely loved this story and it's been a MEGA HIT with kids. We are ordering it for our school library and of course I'm going to have to get a copy for my daughter. THIS BOOK IS A MUST MUST READ.

Kelly DiPucchio is also the author of one of my favorite books The Sandwich Swap.

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Book Review: Too Tall Houses

Author/Illustrator: Gianna Marino
Interest Level: Ages 3 and Up

From the Book Jacket: Owl and Rabbit are good friends and neighbors and live happily in two small houses next to each other...UNTIL Rabbit's garden grows a little too tall and blocks Owl's view. Now Owl isn't so happy. Maybe building a bigger house will solve the problem. But now Rabbit isn't happy. Maybe building his house taller will be the solution. And before long, there are two very tall houses and two very unhappy neighbors. What will it take to make them friends again?

Why It's On My Bookshelf: This book could not have come at a better time. I am doing some reteaching with grades K-2 on solving problems. Owl and Rabbit are a great example of what happens when you argue and fight. They are also very stubborn and won't give in because each wants their way and wants to be right. They try and one up each other by building their houses taller and taller....which was a great metaphor for how big they are making the problem.

It has a very cute ending showing a fixed friendship and a solution at work. The morale of the story is it's a huge waste of time to involve yourself in negative behavior when faced with a problem - it only makes things worse and results in the loss of a friend. This generation needs LOTS of conflict resolution encouragement. Great book.

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Book Review: Rabbityness

Author/Illustrator: Jo Empson
Interest Level: Ages 5 and Up

From the Book Jacket: This is a story of a very special rabbit. He enjoys doing rabbity things, but he also loves - well, un-rabbity things. His boundless creative talent is a source of joy and inspiration to the other rabbits. 

When Rabbit suddenly disappears, no one knows where he has gone. His friends are desolate. But, as it turns out, Rabbit has left behind some very special gifts for them, to help them discover their own unrabbity talents. Rabbityness positively introduces children to dealing with a loss of any kind. 

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Sometimes I get requests from parents or teachers for books dealing with very specific grief situations. If I can't find the perfect fit from my bookshelf I definitely feel frustrated. Rabbityness is a really special story I can use to cover a lot of different grief or tragedy situations. Rabbit disappears in the story - but no one knows why or what happened to him. I like that there's no answer as to what happened because I can help the child relate their own story to Rabbit.

"One day. Rabbit disappeared. The other rabbits were very sad. They couldn't find him anywhere. The woods were quiet and gray. All that Rabbit had left was a hole...a DEEP dark hole."

Wow. The deep dark hole can represent a lot of different feelings for children. The second part of the story shows the other rabbits learning how to cope with their loss. What I see as a healing step for kids is to talk about how to fill the void they might be feeling. What coping skills could they use to fill that deep dark hole.......

Absolutely love this one and see it HELPING me as a counselor and the grieving children I work with throughout the year.

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I Have a Dream

I Have a Dream

written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

paintings by Kadir Nelson

From Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s daughter, Dr. Bernice A. King: “My father’s dream continues to live on from generation to generation, and this beautiful and powerful illustrated edition of his world-changing "I Have a Dream" speech brings his inspiring message of freedom, equality, and peace to the youngest among us—those who will one day carry his dream forward for everyone.”

Why It's On My Bookshelf: I felt like a made a difference this week because of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. My classroom lessons were focused on his "I Have a Dream" speech. This new book is so richly illustrated and I felt like I was carrying a work of art as I walked to each classroom. Although I did not read the speech, we used the illustrations from the book to discuss the legacy Dr. King wanted for us all. We listened to the speech via YouTube as we did artwork later in the lesson. Kadir Nelson is an amazing artist. I had a lot of teachers ask if they could borrow this book after we looked through it during my lesson. It's a must for our school library.

 Some of My Favorites by illustrator Kadir Nelson:  

Book Review: Big Mean Mike

Author: Michelle Knudsen
Illustrator: Scott Magoon
Interest Level: 4 and Up

From the Book Jacket: Big Mean Mike is the biggest, toughest dog in the whole neighborhood. He's even got a big, mean car that he drives around the big, mean streets. Everyone knows how big and tough he is - which is just the way Mike likes it. 

Then one day a tiny, fuzzy bunny shows up in his car. Mike puts it on the sidewalk and drives away before anyone can see. But the bunny keeps coming back - with friends! - no matter how many times Mike tells them to scram. Big, mean dogs do not hang around with tiny, fuzzy bunnies! But gosh, those bunnies sure are cute...

This is a laugh-out-loud funny story about not worrying what other people think - even if you are big and tough and your friends are tiny and adorable. 

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Hilarious! We giggled our way through this one. Because I read so many books that address social and emotional issues - it's nice to lighten up the mood with something funny and not so serious - but still has a message in it.

Mike wants to keep up an image - a tough one. But he has difficulty keeping up being a tough guy because he's actually nice and sweet. It takes some cute little bunnies to help him see his warm fuzzy side. He also gets teased for hanging around the bunnies but he doesn't let it bruise his ego one bit. He stands up to the mean behavior and defends the bunnies. There are a lot of take aways in this story. I tried to gear the message towards those kids who put up a tough front. Sometimes it's really difficult for them to open up. Big Mean Mike shows kids the benefits you reap when you let people into your life - the right people.

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Book Review: Flood

Author/Illustrator: Alvaro F Villa
Interest Level: All Ages

For a Google Preview of this book please go HERE

About the Book: When a flood threatens to destroy a family’s home, they must leave. What will they return to once the waters recede? This intense, beautiful wordless picture book looks at a flood’s effect on a family  and carries a simple message of hope and recovery.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: I've never seen a book like this. It's exceptional. The children who have recently experienced Hurricane Sandy came immediately to my mind. The pictures unfold so beautifully telling a story of a family who is trying to save their house from a flood. Their home is destroyed but it's the rebuilding that will help children understand  when an awful tragedy happens - life can go on and you can be happy again.

What makes Flood so powerful is it is wordless. This is a really smart and non-threatening approach to help children open up about their feelings and fears after a traumatic event. Most importantly it delivers the message that starting over is possible and can be positive. If you are working with children who have been impacted by hurricanes, floods, or any type of house tragedy (fire) please get this book. It's a very therapeutic and healing resource. 

Note: I also plan on using this book to teach empathy.

Find This Book At:
Amazon
Capstone Publishing

Book Review: Thank You, World

Thank You, World
Author: Alice B. McGinty
Illustrator: Wendy Anderson Halperin
Interest Level: Ages 4 and Up

From the Book Jacket: The joys of childhood are the same the whole world over. In this compelling book of celebratory rhyme and glowing pictures, eight very different kids, from eight different countries, all go about their day and experience the same moments of happiness: greeting the sun in the morning, swinging, on a swing, flying a kite, being tucked in by Mommy at bedtime. Uplifting and visually rich, this book reminds us that the world isn't as large as it seems, and that life's greatest pleasure are the simple ones.

A Library Find.......
Was at the library yesterday with my daughter and as we were leaving I spotted this beautiful book called Thank You, World......of course I had to stop and take a peek. I about teared up as I read! This is just the kind of book I'd like to start reading before bed with my girl. It's about being thankful and at the end of our day - that's what really counts. Falling asleep with gratitude in your heart - yep!
 
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