Book Review: Lena's Shoes Are Nervous - A First-Day-of-School Dilemma

Author: Keith Calabrese
Illustrator: Juana Medina

From the Book Jacket: Today is a big day! Today, Lena starts kindergarten. She is very excited. But there's just one problem...Lena's shoes are nervous. Lena doesn't want to miss out on her first day of school, but she can't go without her favorite shoes! How can she convince them to be brave?

Why It's On My Bookshelf: I love this humorous and creative take on anxiety. It took the intensity out of being fearful of the first day of school. The author uses her clothing to express different feelings. Lena says her dress is very outgoing and it can't wait for kindergarten. Her socks feel the same as her shoes - nervous. Her headband represents her bravery and overcoming being scared of school. This was a great description of how we might have many different feelings about a situation. But we need to remember to listen to our brave side because it always gets us through. 

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Book Reviews: Pink is For Boys and Want to Play Trucks?

From the Book Jacket: Pink is for boys. And girls. And for lots of other things, too! Boys can like colors other than blue, and girls can like colors other than purple. Every color is for everyone! This is a celebration of every girl, every boy, and all the colors of the rainbow. 

From the Book Jacket: Jack likes trucks - big ones, the kind that can wreck things. Alex likes dolls - pink ones, with sparkles. And tutus. What will they play in the sandbox? Their new favorite game, of course!

Why They Are On My Bookshelf: I'm always searching for books that display positive examples about gender stereotypes. These are two awesome resources that gently approach this situation. I've used both of these in the kindergarten setting. A lot of the responses from kids were- of course girls and boys can like whatever colors or toys they want! I'm happy to see kids are already getting this message but it's good to have reinforcing stories to encourage acceptance and to respect others. 

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Book Review: Meditate With Me - A Step-by-Step Mindfulness Journey

Author: Mariam Gates
Illustrator: Margarita Surnaite

From the Book Jacket: The regular practice of mindfulness improves health and happiness, and can even help very young children - to settle their busy minds and understand their emotions. In this gentle and endearing step-by-step introduction, kids learn how to focus on their breath, on the sensations in their body, and on the sounds around them. It's an ideal first experience of mindfulness that can be shared at home or in the classroom. Calm is always just one breath away. 

Why It's On My Bookshelf: This year I am really focused on helping the younger grades (K-2) learn more self regulation techniques. One of those ways is to help students learn more about mindfulness and how it can be an effective tool to calm the body and mind. I really loved this book for a specific reason - they use glitter jars as a calming tool. Such a great idea to put this in a calming story! I like to make these for students and classrooms. I also have them in my counseling office. 

I also love this video:



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