My boys love books. Now, that they are a little older, I have begun to introduce books about specific people and books about bigger picture things including topics like: kindness, community and, how to stand up for yourself.
This post is also my way of giving love to the special writers of the world. Thank you. Simple words written by the right person can be so powerful. I am grateful. I already have so many memories with me and the boys and, their books.
Books can help to start conversations and to plant seeds in our children’s minds and hearts. The majority of these books are short stories or picture books. My youngest son stays engaged with pictures. Most of the books on this list are written for kids 3 to 8 years old.
Further below, is a list of books that I think help to teach and can serve as an introduction to empowerment. You can copy and paste the titles into your search engine. Afterwards, I wrote a little about someone who caught my attention, many years ago.
So, while we are waiting out the storm, and more kids are at home, Read with each other.
Don’t forget to do the voices. Aim for smiles. Ok, ok, my real aim is to have the boys do the voices and faces…makes me laugh and feel puffy hearted.
A Small List Of Awesome Books For Children
The World Belongs To You by Riccardo Bozzi. The boys occasionally ask me to read this book. I love it’s messages and think it would be a great little gift for teens, as they approach adulthood. I don’t think the boys really understand it but, it’s great for planting seeds of thought. It’s one of those books that gets my feels going… https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17328660-the-world-belongs-to-you
The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld. Simply listening is a superpower that more of us can teach to our children through books and…by just listening, ourselves. https://www.coridoerrfeld.com/
I am Martin Luther King, Jr. by Brad Meltzer This book is great for introducing the very basics on the tough aspects of our society and of history. The boys are still very young and don’t care to hear about inequality or racism. I have a responsibility to teach them, as they grow, about everything I can. This book is a part of the “Ordinary People Change The World” series. We also have, I am Gandhi. I appreciate the message that people can overcome adversity and major obstacles. This series screams “People are awesome!” That is what I want for the boys, for them to know that they are a part of awesomeness and that they are made of the same awesomeness. No matter how separate or different we may feel, sometimes. https://bradmeltzer.com/Discover.html
Pig the Pug by Aaron Blabey. All the pig books are loved in my house. A new one came out, recently! Here’s a fair warning. Pig is not a proper well-behaved pug.! (anytine I see these Pig titles, I just smile.) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22735715-pig-the-pug
I Like Me by Nancy Carlson. This book came out long before a lot of the other great books you see now, about liking one’s self. This book is special because, it talks about self-care and picking YOURSELF up…I don’t always see those messages in books about confidence and self-love. https://nancycarlson.com/
The Lorax And Horton Hears A Who by Dr. Seuss. The boys enjoy his books because he made up words and made up animals. He also taught about kindness, acceptance and respect for the Earth. He was a man way ahead of is time and, his books are definitely applicable today. https://www.seussville.com/dr-seuss/
Waiting Is Not Easy by Mo Willems. I started reading Gerald and Piggie books to the boys before they were reading. Mo Willems along with Dr. Seuss are the two writers my oldest son lends respect to- if he sees or hears a title by one of these men, he makes sure to remind anyone around who wrote those books. That speaks volumes, coming from my lion cub son. http://www.mowillems.com/
What Do You Do With A Problem? by Kobi Yamada. I appreciate these books because, these stories plant seeds in the boys minds. Yamada’s books are about real challenges all of us will face, as we grow. I don’t think the boys fully understand these books but, they don’t need to…sometimes, words grow with us. https://www.live-inspired.com/catalog/category/books-by-kobi-yamada/
What Should Danny Do? by Ganit and Adir Levy. This book gives young readers the power to choose how the story will progress. Lion cub kids will like this book mainly so that they can choose the naughty choices and then laugh at what Danny does, in the book. https://www.whatshoulddannydo.com/
Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang. I appreciate this book’s message about how sometimes we are grumpy monkeys and what that can be like with other people. Sometimes, we what we really need is less people trying to make us feel better. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36500380-grumpy-monkey
Tow-Truck Pluck by Annie M.G. Schmidt. This is another book the boys enjoy. This is a story about Pluck and his adventures with people, animals, a cockroach named ZaZa and the Tootenlisp. I personally love the many layers of this book. It is chapter book. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/539087/tow-truck-pluck-by-annie-mg-schmidt/
Love Monster by Rachel Bright. Honestly, this board book could be given to anyone going through a hard time or breakup. http://www.rachelbrightbooks.co.uk/
Seeds And Trees by Brandon Walden. This book explores the dynamics we have with people and the “seeds” we allow to grow. In this story, a prince learns from a kind girl that, sometimes we have to learn how to root out red, thorny trees. The boys enjoy it to. It probably helps that they can relate it to gardening. A pastime in our household. https://www.brandonwalden.com/#manchild-store
The Berenstain Bears series by Stan and Jan Berenstain. More writers ahead of their time. Most of you know these books well. What else needs to be said? https://www.berenstainbears.com/
Uni The Unicorn a story about believing by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. This book is great for helping kids to relate to the idea that sometimes a hunch is correct even, if our only proof is something like, intuition. Sometimes, we are right even when everyone else says we are wrong. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18225019-uni-the-unicorn
One by Kathryn Otoshi. This is a timely book for it’s topic on standing up for ourselves while also staying open enough to include everyone, even the people who bullied the group. All of this writer’s books are very helpful for parents and worth reading. She writes about friendship with “2,” body image with her book, “0” and “Beautiful Hands” is a touching book about the simple, magnificent things we are all capable of doing in this world. https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/371199.Kathryn_Otoshi
(A Squirrel is grocery shopping in my garden. Lucky him, no lines.) (And now, the boys are here seeing all the books on my bed and wanting to be read too…see you in a few.)
How Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Rooms? by Jane Yolen. Dinosaur anything wins over the boys. https://www.janeyolen.com/
Smithsonian Dinosaurs A visual encyclopedia. This can be bought from places like Target and Walmart, online. If you have a dinosaur lover, this will probably be a book he/she will love.
If You Plant A Seed by Kadir Nelson. Some of you will recognize his artwork. This book is a lighthearted story about caring and sharing and, reaping it’s reward. My youngest son loves the pictures in this book. https://www.kadirnelson.com/
The Feelings Book and The Family Book by Todd Parr. Todd Parr has so many board books about so many different topics. His, I Love You Book was one of the first books I bought the boys. I truly felt like I had found a “support system” for teaching the boys deeper, meaningful things. It isn’t always easy to find simple board books about big topics. Todd Parr does that with ease. https://www.toddparr.com/
The Missing Piece by Shel Silverstein. Like many of you, I grew up with Shel Silverstein books. This is one of my favorite books for teaching about ideas concerning love (and how we are actually whole without anyone else to fit with us. Isn’t that what personal growth and evolving turns us into…a complete person) Though, The Giving Tree is controversial, I think it is a great way to talk about fairness, reciprocity and a lot of other topics, as well. In my opinion, The Giving Tree is a genius piece of work because of it’s ability to cover a broad range of topics and, with the most basic language. http://www.shelsilverstein.com/
One last recommendation for the adults/ teens
I want to end this by introducing some of you to Noam Chomsky and his books.
One of my first college classes was a cognitive science class and, that was when I learned of this man. Cognitive science is the study of how the mind processes the world on a more…mechanical?…level. This is often taught separate from psychology and I don’t understand that, at all. The two are important to each other.
Noam Chomsky is known mainly for his contribution to linguistics and for being a social activist. He also writes books about the challenges we have in the world.
If you are a proud democrat or a proud republican, he may not be your cup of tea.
I want to end this post by saying that you all are in my thoughts and heart as I watch how this virus is affecting everyone in various ways. Vulnerable people are dying, some of you are separated from your families. Some of you have lost jobs or, going on with a lot less pay. I see the news reporting on other countries- some places I love to visit and, I have to temper my frustration and sadness. By now, many of you know how I see this…
Be there for each other and remember that whatever is happening abroad Is happening in your home. We are all living in the same home. It is just that some of us live in rooms that are farther from each other 😛
Sending you love.
Oh, and someone recently asked, “Erica, where are you on facebook?”
I don’t have a social media account of any sort. I know there are a few Erica Bogans out there, who even live in my area. Those accounts are not me, though. I had a facebook account but, I needed to simplify things. No, the Puerto Rico Video isn’t mine either 😊 I did see that…
P.S.
Someone in my circle is sick. He was sent home unless he was willing to pay $3K for the covid19 test. His doctor said that he didn’t have a fever and that “a hospital is the last place anyone should be right now.” This happened in Austin, Texas. I thought this had to do with his insurance not having kicked in. He just started a new job.
As far as I know, this test was supposed to be for anyone who displays symptoms…and, their not supposed to be charging us…
Today, I heard the same thing happened in NYC to a surgeon. Doctors refused to test him because, he had no fever. A few days later he returned with a fever and they tested him. It turns out he had the virus.
They say you need to have a fever yet…neither of these men had fevers, at first. The man in Austin, still doesn’t know what he has, for sure.
Take care.