Pink Shirt Day

“Knowing what’s right doesn’t mean much unless you do what’s right.” – Theodore Roosevelt, 26th American president

Bottner, Barbara. Miss Brooks’ Story Nook. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2014.
A school librarian humorously teaches her students a lesson about bullying. 

French, Simon. My Cousin’s Keeper. Somerville, Mass.: Candlewick Press, 2014, c2012.
Eleven-year-old Kieran tries to be one of the popular kids at school, one of the powerful kids.  What will he do when his cousin arrives in town? A cousin who isn’t athletic. Isn’t outgoing or confident. Soon Bon is the target of the powerful bullies. What should Kieran do? Life becomes even more confusing when the girl Kieran admires becomes friends with Bon, more complicated when he discovers why Bon has come. This memorable novel from Australia is recommended for readers 10 to 14 years old. 

Javaherbin, Mina. Goal! Somerville, Mass.: Candlewick Press, 2010. 
A group of soccer playing buddies fend off bullies who try to spoil their game in this picture book set in a South African township.

Woodson, Jacqueline. Each Kindness. New York: Nancy Paulsen Books, 2012.
Chloe and her friends realize they should not have been making fun of a classmate after a lesson from their teacher.

Picture books and novels about bullying

The true story of Winnie-the-Pooh

Walker, Sally M. Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2015.
Winnie-the-Pooh is a lovable bear who lives with his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood. At least in the books. But who was the real Winnie?
This biography tells the story. Harry Colebourn, a Canadian veterinarian, adopted a bear cub which he took along when he was shipped overseas during World War I. Winnie became the regiment’s mascot, named after its hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba. But when the soldiers were sent over to France, Winnie couldn’t go along. This picture book tells the story of what happened to the little bear and how it became famous.
Illustrated in pen and ink and watercolour by Jonathan D. Voss and accompanied by black and white photographs, this gentle book is recommended for all readers fond of the honey-loving ‘Bear of Very Little Brain.’

More stories of World War I

More biographies, including another biography of the real Winnie-the-Pooh

Laura Ingalls Wilder

McDonough, Yona Zeldis. Little Author in the Big Woods. New York: Christy Ottaviano Books / Henry Holt and Company, 2014. 

Little House on the Prairie is one of the first novels of childhood. The experiences of Laura’s family in the series of ‘Little House’ books have formed many people’s picture of frontier life. But who was Laura Ingalls Wilder?
This 157-page biography portrays the life of an energetic girl who grew up to be an enterprising writer, a woman who never lost her sense of adventure. The relatively large font and widely spaced lines will appeal to children being introduced to the Little House books for the first time. The glossary, several recipes, and directions for playing games and making toys at the end of the book will be useful for teachers designing units of study. The biography itself, though, will also be appreciated by older readers who fondly remember Laura’s stories of her childhood in 19th century America. 

More biographies HERE.

‘First novels’ for young readers HERE.

Write about your own life HERE.

Galloping to the rescue…

Hoban, Russell and Quentin Blake. Rosie’s Magic Horse. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2012.
What a silly story! A little girl dreams of a horse – Stickerino – that helps her find a treasure chest full of gold, which she presents to her parents the next morning.
What a brilliant story! The worries of bill-paying parents, after all, do affect their children. This not-unusual family situation is depicted with insight and sensitivity.
What a beautiful story! The lively illustrations and flowing text seem to be dashed off in a flash. But, of course, only exceptional creators such as Hoban and Blake can make it look and sound so easy.

Highly recommended for almost anyone who likes to laugh and loves language.

For analytical readers: note how sentences do not end with ‘said’ but rather with a character’s name: e.g. not “Rosie said.” but rather “…said Rosie.”Stories flow better visually when the final word of a sentence has that kind of weight.

More tips on critiquing stories HERE.

More picture books HERE.

Changing the future…

Bucay, Jorge. The King and the Magician. New York: Abbeville Kids, 2014.
A powerful and feared king, who commands his subjects to not only obey him and but also admire him, hears of a much loved magician who can foretell the future. Consumed by jealousy, the king plots the magician’s demise. This spell-binding picture book from Argentina – full of magnificent pictures by Gusti, an award-winning illustrator – will be appreciated by readers 8 to 13 years old. [Jealousy; Kings, queens, rulers, etc.; Wisdom; Wizards] 

More philosophical stories

More stories from around the world

Love is the master key that opens the gates of happiness, of hatred, of jealousy, and, most easily of all, the gate of fear.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., American physician and poet

Filled to the brim…

Cuevas, Michelle. The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2016.
A lonely man lives his life by the sea, faithfully watching for letters to deliver. Messages that almost always deliver joy to the recipients. Will there never be a message for him? This poignant tale of hope – softly illustrated by Erin E. Stead – will appeal to gentle reflective readers 8 years old and up. [Friendship, Letters, Oceans]

More stories of friendship and love

More stories of philosophy and life

“A friend is what the heart needs all the time.” – Henry Van Dyke, American writer

The inner lives of animals…

Balcombe, Jonathan. What a Fish Knows: The Inner Lives of our Underwater Cousins. New York: Scientific American/Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2016. 

Imagine a little fish in a tank hiding out from a curious house cat. Imagine that cat leaning over to lap up some water. Imagine that little fish shooting up to the surface to bite the cat’s tongue! It’s happened! Amazing stories fill this 288-page book recommended for competent readers 13 years old and up. (Besides the stories, there is a lot of scientific information. Younger readers may want to skim over that and hunt for the anecdotes.)

More books about the inner lives of animals