Author/Illustrator: Jan De Kinder From the Book Jacket: In this poignant story, a girl finds it funny when her classmate starts blushing on the school playground. Her friends laugh along with her, but one student takes the teasing too far. Torn between her sympathy for her classmate and her fear of the bully, the girl must make a difficult choice. This heartfelt book will inspire readers to find the courage to take a stance against bullying and show compassion towards others. Why It's On My Bookshelf: This has become a new favorite book of mine when talking to kids about how harmful teasing and bullying can become. The child who starts the problem ends up being the one to make the whole thing stop. This is a great story of how it is so important to not stay silent and also to take responsibility and make a wrong a right - especially if you created the problem. Love this one! A Link to This Book:
Author/Illustrator: Katy Hudson From the Book Jacket: Squirrel loves to win. And for the past eight years, she has won the Golden Acorn Hung - on her own. But this year the event is for teams only. Squirrel is the fastest animal in the forest, and a team will just slow her down. However, she doesn't have an option. Will Squirrel's poor attitude make her lose the race and her friends? Winning isn't everything as proven in this picture book about friendship, teamwork, and forgiveness. Why It's On My Bookshelf: What a fantastic book about putting your friends and their feelings FIRST.....instead of having to always win and be first. This is a skill all kids need to work on and be aware of. If we are being overly competitive the results can actually be a huge loss in our lives. The loss of friendship and respect of those around you. This is the PERFECT book on competitiveness and teamwork. I highly recommend! Book Trailer: A Link to This Book:
Author/Illustrator: Carol Thompson From the Book Jacket: Dolly the Pig and Jack the Rabbit are best friends, but even best friends don't always get along. When Dolly and Jack have a big disagreement, they learn to count from ten to one, hum like a bee, and take long, deep breaths to calm down...and be zen friends again! Why It's On My Bookshelf: Originally I thought this was going to be a book about mindfulness but it actually is a story about two friends who get mad at each other. They say some very hurtful things to each other but really don't mean it and really don't want to be upset with each other. They declare they are no longer friends. From there they use calming techniques to get rid of their anger. Eventually they find each other and the friends are reunited by telling each other how much they missed one another. It's a sweet story and I'm always looking for stories showing friends making up. A Link to This Book:
