Book Review: Lend a Hand - Poems About Giving

Author: John Frank
Illustrator: London Ladd
Interest Level: Ages 6 and Up

From the Book Jacket: From sharing your sandwich to volunteering to help build a home, from planting a tree to offering your seat to an elderly person on a bus, simple acts of kindness are the first steps to changing the world. This collection of tender and empowering original poems celebrates the joys of bridging the invisible boundaries among people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. Young readers will feel inspired to lend a hand to others and practice kindness and giving everyday. 

Why It's On My Bookshelf: With Thanksgiving upon us I like to start looking for books with a message of gratitude to share with students. This year I found a really special book of poems about generosity - Lend a Hand: Poems About Giving. Each poem is so touching. It's all about acts of service done from the heart with kindness. Children will have a huge takeaway from all the beautiful inspiring poetry. I'd love to seem them write poems of kind deeds they have done or seen. Or be inspired to act. I was looking at all of the books I have reviewed on kindness - this is surely at the top. This can be shared any time of the year but with the holidays nearing I think this is so appropriate. Love the below poem called Sandwich. (fyi they are all this awesome)

A Link to This Book and Others You Might Find Helpful:

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Book Review: If Kids Ran the World

Authors: Leo and Diane Dillon 

Interest Level: Ages 5 and Up 

From the Book Jacket: All roads lead to kindness in this warm, uplifting celebration of generosity and love. In simple words and fanciful illustrations, Caldecott Medalists Leo and Diane Dillon present a rainbow of children who lend a helping hand to make our global village a happier place. And who better to show the joy of giving than kids? With their boundless imagination and enthusiasm, children know that anything is possible - including building a peaceful world where food, shelter, medicine, and education can be had by all. If you ran the world, what would you do?

Why It's On My Bookshelf: This is a great community builder. I read it once and had all kinds of ideas of how I would do a lesson with it. You could bring the message of this book to the school and classroom and really narrow the focus to character traits you want to build. If Kids Ran the World is such an inspiring read aloud and will be impactful to your community of learners. I have such a desire to see kids grow during the school year - this is your kick start to that growth!

A Link to This Book: 

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Book Review: The Girl and the Bicycle

Author/Illustrator: Mark Pett
Interest Level: Ages 4 and Up

From the Book Jacket: A touching wordless picture book about a little girl, a shiny bicycle, and the meaning of persistence - with an unexpected payoff. 

A little girl sees a shiny new bicycle in the shop window. She hurries home to see if she has enough money in her piggy bank, but when she comes up short, she knocks on the doors of her neighbors, hoping to do their yardwork. They all turn her away except for a kindly old woman. 

The woman and the girl work through the seasons, side by side. They form a tender friendship. When the weather warms, the girl finally has enough money for the bicycle. She runs back to the store, but the bicycle is gone! What happens next shows the reward of hard work and the true meaning of generosity. 

Why It's On My Bookshelf: I just added this really POWERFUL wordless picture book to my shelf. I think it's extraordinary. When I got to the last page I teared up. Not the sad kind of tears, but the ones from the good place in my heart.

When the girl goes back to the store to get the bicycle and it is gone, she does something most might not fathom. She goes into the store with her hard earned money and buys her little brother a tricycle. She leaves empty handed.

But it's not about acquiring things, she acquired so much more - the invisible stuff. Character. When she gets home.....that's when the magic of kindness really hits......see below. Get the kleenex. 

Kids will really love this message. These acts of kindness are the things they yearn to do. Such an encouraging heartwarming story. I feel lucky to have discovered it. 

A Link to This Book:

a touching wordless picture book about a little girl, a shiny bicycle, and the meaning of persistence—with an unexpected payoff.

A little girl sees a shiny new bicycle in the shop window. She hurries home to see if she has enough money in her piggy bank, but when she comes up short, she knocks on the doors of her neighbors, hoping to do their yardwork. They all turn her away except for a kindly old woman.

The woman and the girl work through the seasons, side by side. They form a tender friendship. When the weather warms, the girl finally has enough money for the bicycle. She runs back to the store, but the bicycle is gone! What happens next shows the reward of hard work and the true meaning of generosity. - See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Girl-and-the-Bicycle/Mark-Pett/9781442483194#sthash.q3zbLmJV.dpuf

a touching wordless picture book about a little girl, a shiny bicycle, and the meaning of persistence—with an unexpected payoff.

A little girl sees a shiny new bicycle in the shop window. She hurries home to see if she has enough money in her piggy bank, but when she comes up short, she knocks on the doors of her neighbors, hoping to do their yardwork. They all turn her away except for a kindly old woman.

The woman and the girl work through the seasons, side by side. They form a tender friendship. When the weather warms, the girl finally has enough money for the bicycle. She runs back to the store, but the bicycle is gone! What happens next shows the reward of hard work and the true meaning of generosity. - See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Girl-and-the-Bicycle/Mark-Pett/9781442483194#sthash.q3zbLmJV.dpuf

a touching wordless picture book about a little girl, a shiny bicycle, and the meaning of persistence—with an unexpected payoff.

A little girl sees a shiny new bicycle in the shop window. She hurries home to see if she has enough money in her piggy bank, but when she comes up short, she knocks on the doors of her neighbors, hoping to do their yardwork. They all turn her away except for a kindly old woman.

The woman and the girl work through the seasons, side by side. They form a tender friendship. When the weather warms, the girl finally has enough money for the bicycle. She runs back to the store, but the bicycle is gone! What happens next shows the reward of hard work and the true meaning of generosity. - See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Girl-and-the-Bicycle/Mark-Pett/9781442483194#sthash.q3zbLmJV.dpuf

a touching wordless picture book about a little girl, a shiny bicycle, and the meaning of persistence—with an unexpected payoff.

A little girl sees a shiny new bicycle in the shop window. She hurries home to see if she has enough money in her piggy bank, but when she comes up short, she knocks on the doors of her neighbors, hoping to do their yardwork. They all turn her away except for a kindly old woman.

The woman and the girl work through the seasons, side by side. They form a tender friendship. When the weather warms, the girl finally has enough money for the bicycle. She runs back to the store, but the bicycle is gone! What happens next shows the reward of hard work and the true meaning of generosity. - See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Girl-and-the-Bicycle/Mark-Pett/9781442483194#sthash.q3zbLmJV.dpuf

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Book Review: Those Shoes

Author: Maribeth Boelts
Illustrator: Noah Z Jones
Interest Level: Ages 4-8

About This Book: All Jeremy wants is a pair of those shoes, the ones everyone at school seems to be wearing. Though Jeremy’s grandma says they don’t have room for "want," just "need," when his old shoes fall apart at school, he is more determined than ever to have those shoes, even a thrift-shop pair that are much too small. But sore feet aren’t much fun, and Jeremy soon sees that the things he has — warm boots, a loving grandma, and the chance to help a friend — are worth more than the things he wants.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: This is one of my top 10 favorite books of the school year. It's really rare to find such a profound read about the spirit of giving. We have a generation of kids that sometimes seems more concerned about the latest IPhone, the latest fashion trend, or how many facebook friends they have rather than things that have true value like family or friends. Reading Those Shoes got kids thinking about this. We had a thought provoking conversation about listening to our heart - even when we don't want to....translation - Do The Right Thing! I wanted the kids to understand when we do something kind for another person - sometimes the reward is just feeling joy. Wow, did they hear this loud and clear through the story. The most satisfying thing Jeremey did was for someone else, not for himself. Another big teaching moment - wants vs. needs. We made a whole T chart list of how these two things are different and how it can impact who we truly want to grow up to be. Society is pushing so many material things on kids it's easy and tempting to lose your way and get sucked into the external satisfactions of life. Gratitude. Thank goodness for grandmas! She had a perfect little role in the story. Students acknowledged how adults have 'experience' that kids do not yet have. Most times, adults really do know best! Listening to our hearts and doing the right thing is SO important, lets remind children early on before the walls go up and the earphones go on. I don't want kids plugging into IPods - I want them to plug into us.

I read Those Shoes to all of the K-3 grades. One of our teachers decided to do a language arts lesson after listening to my lesson. It's good stuff. Students need more literature like this that pushes such an overwhelming message of kindness and generosity.

A Link to This Book:

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