Book Review: Grandpa's Stories - A Book of Remembering

Author: Joseph Coelho 
Illustrator: Allison Colpoys

From the Book Jacket: There's nothing more special than spending time with Grandpa...exploring fields and parks, fixing up old toys, and -- best of all -- listening to Grandpa's stories. But, this year, a loving granddaughter needs to say goodbye to her favorite relative. How will she keep Grandpa's memory alive when he is no longer there? An honest and poetic depiction of loss, Grandpa's stories shows how losing a loved one can be an invitation to celebrate life. 

Why It's On My Bookshelf: This was a nice book to share with our daughter. She talks a lot about her great grandma who is no longer with us and it allowed her to see grief through another child's eyes. Kids grieve differently than adults and I think having resources around to help ease their sadness can bring comfort. Glad I picked this one up!

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Book Review: Growing Season

Author/Illustrator: Maryann Cocca-Leffler

From the Book Jacket: Best friends El and Jo are the smallest students in their class. Even their names are short. But in springtime, something BIG happens. Jo starts sprouting like a weed! El feels smaller every day. At the end of the school year, their teacher tells everyone to take a flowering plant home and care for it over the summer. At first, El is disappointed that she ends up with an aster, which is looking less than promising. Then as the growing season progresses, something wonderful happens...

Why It's On My Bookshelf: I really loved this sweet story. El is very worried that because her friend had a growth spurt they would not have anything in common now. El is shortern now which starts to make her feel a little different. The ending shows the changes didn't harm their relationship, the friendship remains the same and continues to grow and blossom (and so does she!). 

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Book Review: STAND Series on Bullying

About This Book: Even a good kid can struggle with being a bully. Find out what Ezekiel, Blake and Sarah do when they realize their actions are hurting others. 

About This Book: Together we can take a STAND against bullying by speaking up and being kind. Lucas, Faith and Leo become heroes when they gather their friends to Stand Together Against Bullying.

About This Book: Standing up to bullies is not an easy thing to do. Miriam, Liam and Yong learn from their parents' advice how to peacefully resolve their bullying problems. 

Why They Are On My Bookshelf: This is a great three-part series that addresses bullying form multiple points of view. I do a lot of bully prevention in my school and am happy to have these books as part of my toolbox to help kids overcome bullying. Each book contains three stories with an awesome Think Talk About guide that opens the door to more critical thinking and discussion. HIghly recommend this resource!

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