Getting Parents Involved

Any person in a parenting role -– grandparent, relative, caregiver, teacher, librarian – can share books with children. Reading with kids is such a valuable gift. One of my favorite early childhood author/illustrators is Todd Parr. The one you have to read to a child is Reading Makes You Feel Good (Megan Tingley Books, 2005, ISBN: 0-316-16004-0). The artwork and language relate so well to children. Go to www.toddparr.com for more titles. Two more favorites by Debbie Bertram and Susan Bloom are The Best Place to Read (Random House, 2003, ISBN: 0-375-82293-3) and The Best Time to Read (Random House, 2005, ISBN 0-375-83025-1).

If you are looking for book presents for the younger set, there are so many to choose from. My grandson Paul loves books and I am so thankful. Fire trucks are his thing and some related books he likes are Go, Go Trucks! by Simon Hart (Price Stern Sloan, 2004, ISBN 0-843-10905-X) and Firefighters to the Rescue! by Kersten Hamilton (Viking, 2005, ISBN 0-670-03503-3). Paul's baby sister Anne was born recently and he loved reading her Can You Cuddle Like a Koala? (Peachtree Publishers, 2005, ISBN 1-561-45347-1). He also liked The Way I Feel Books by Cornelia Maude Spelman (Albert Whitman, 2005). They were certainly therapy in book form to help understand how he was feeling. Lisa's Baby Sister by Anne Gutman (Alfred Knopf, 2003, ISBN 0-375-82251-8) and Dear Baby, Letters from your Big Brother by Sarah Sullivan (Candlewick Press, 2005, ISBN 0-763-62126-9) were very helpful.

Parents too, need some assistance during these times and two extremely helpful books are Understanding Sibling Rivalry the Brazelton Way and Mastering Anger and Aggression by T. Berry Brazelton, M.D. & Joshua D. Sparrow, M.D. (Da Capo Press, 2005, ISBN 0-738-21005-6)

Parents and teachers need to read The Excellent 11, Qualities Teachers and Parents Use to Motivate, Inspire and Educate Children by Ron Clark (Hyperion, 2004, ISBN 1-401-30141-X). Ron lists enthusiasm, adventure, creativity, reflection, balance, compassion, confidence, humor, commonsense, appreciation and resilience as qualities shared by children and found in teachers and parents who bring joy to learning. Not only is this book good reading, it gives us concrete ways to apply these qualities to affect all around us. Happy Reading!

Sandy Meagher is the Library Department Chairperson and School Librarian in the Wayne Highlands School District, Honesdale, PA.

November/December 2005, Vol.36, No.3