How does one go about explaining death to a child? Or the rejection of peers? Or being different than everyone else? As parents, we would love to think that a hug would cure all, but children may need a bit more.
Blogging NPR: Kids' Books with Lessons for Life
Michele Norris, of All Things Considered, recently asked three experts in Children's Lit what books they feel are wonderful in helping children of all ages cope with difficult situations.
Dennis Ronberg, of Linden Tree Books in Los Altos, California, selected It's Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr for diversity; Goodbye Mousie by Robie Harris and When Someone Dies by Sharon Greenlee for dealing with death and loss.
Caroline Ward of the Ferguson Library in Stamford, Connecticut likes Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak for dealing with anger and fear and Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt for death. Other book recommendations include The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher and The Speed of Light by Elizabeth Rosner.
Which books do you think are missing? Are there any you read in your childhood that even now, still stay with you?
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Blogging..., children's literature, NPR, young adult literatureRelated Links
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- Blogging the New York Times: When Mom and Dad Share It All
- Blogging Salon: Tween Bees
- Blogging The Boston Globe: Tween Decorators
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I remember the first "real" novel type book my daughter Georgia read was Sadako. http://www.sadako.org/sadakostory.htm
It was hard and sad because she cried for a long time. But, at the same time that it was hard and sad, it was amazing to watch her, then seven, really "get" the depth of that book and how it dealt with the loss of Sadako. Georgia is now ten and has been asking for The Diary of Anne Frank. We just got it for her.....yikes!! Loss is hard.
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I still remember when my Girl Scout leaders had our whole troop read The Hundred Dresses in response to some really awful teasing and exclusiveness that had gone on...I never forgot the book and still have my original copy, even. Great book. Actually, I remember a number of these from my own childhood and I think it's a pretty good list.
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