2018 is proving to be an amazing year for children’s literature. I’ve shared many of my favorites this spring and summer, but my list keeps growing! School may have started, but I hope you’ll still be taking trips to the library. Here are more favorite kids’ books to add to your list, or maybe your children will find them in their school libraries.

be kind by pat Zietlow miller

We need so much more kindness in our world! A great place to start making this happen is during read alouds with our little ones. Be Kind is the perfect conversation starter! It not only tells the story of how kindness in a classroom can happen, but also in the neighborhood and at home. It helps children to understand that kindness is friendliness, patience and working to right a wrong. It can be a small gesture, or something more, that will lead to a greater kindness. I highly recommend this very special book be shared with children 3 – 8 years old, both in classrooms and home. It’s definitely one you’ll want to add to your family library.🌼

Kindness, empathy, friendship, school

I Walk with Vanessa: A story about a simple act of kindness by Kerascoët

This charming wordless picture book won my heart when I saw the cover and after “reading” the story I knew I needed a copy of my own. It tells the story of a young girl who has just moved into the neighborhood and is new at school, a boy who isn’t very kind, and a teacher and classmates who show little empathy to the girl’s plight. No one asks her to join the class basketball game or sit with them. After school she’s left to walk home alone, ignored by all except one little boy who says some unkind things. Since it’s a wordless book, we don’t know what was said, but the colorful and expressive illustrations – especially the interaction of the two children which is contained within a bright red cloud of color, leave us no doubt as to what unkind words might have been said. We quickly realize no one has noticed the altercation, except for one little girl. She is obviously bothered by what she saw and shares her concern with her friends. Overnight she isn’t able to forget, and the sadness lingers during her happy family breakfast. But then she suddenly has an idea about how to help the little girl.

Your little ones will be able to find so many details in this book as you all retell the story over and over again.  The vivid illustrations of the characters’ expressions will leave no doubt in children’s minds about what they are thinking and feeling.They will recognize the familiar situation of a moving truck arriving and a new family moving in, whether they have moved themselves or they have a new neighbor. They will be able to imagine how a new girl feels, and they can theorize why someone might choose to bully a newcomer. The story will provide you with the perfect introduction to talk about what they can do to welcome newcomers to their neighborhood and school, about teasing, about name-calling and about being an ally, and especially about how one small act of kindness can mean so much.

The book offers a useful guide with suggestions about helping someone who is being bullied, as well as some helpful words to use during your discussions. And finally, don’t forget to notice the difference in the end papers from the beginning of the story to the end. Those alone are a wonderful thing to discuss with your children! I recommend this book be added to your home library, as well as to every public and school library for ages 4 – 7.

Kindness, empathy, friendship, school

50 States Fun Facts: celebrate the people, places and food of the usa!

and the 50 states activities book 

by Gabrielle Balkan

Thank you to @kidlitexchange for sharing these books with me. All opinions are my own.
🚘
Are you going to be traveling this fall? If that includes a road trip, a flight or even the possibility of some rainy days, these books should definitely be in your suitcase! Both are exceptionally detailed guide books with colorful illustrations, which will help both you and your kids learn more about the cities or states you’re visiting, as well as plan your trip. You will learn fascinating, and sometimes obscure facts, as well as the usual facts we all learned when we studied the states and cities in elementary school. For example, did you know there is a tiger sanctuary in Missouri or that shark attacks in New Jersey inspired the movie, Jaws? The city guide will also help you find lots of special places to visit, that you might not know about. I especially loved reading the Portland guide which told me about The Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden, Mount Tabor, (an extinct volcano), as well as their Art museum, Museum of Science and Industry and Holocaust Memorial. It makes me want to plan a trip soon! Both books also include detailed indexes to help you easily find what you’re looking for. The activity book even includes a fold-out map/poster and 50 stickers! These books would be great additions to your family library.

Activity books, geography, 

the cure for cold feet: a novel in small moments by beth ain

Thank you to @kidlitexchange for sharing the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
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Izzy is in sixth grade. Not only is she navigating middle school, she’s also adjusting to her parents’ divorce, her father’s new fiance, her mother’s new girlfriend (who just happens to be the mother of one of the FOUR ANNOYING BOYS from elementary school) and her adored older brother who has dyed his hair blue and abandoned her for his own friends. 🌺
Both middle graders and middle school kids will find a lot of themselves in this wonderful novel in verse. They will find much reassurance to learn their struggles with friendship, first crushes and family issues are not unusual, but actually very normal. I especially loved the relationship between Izzy and her mom. It made me think this would be a perfect story to partner read with your daughter. It provides so many opportunities to begin a conversation about the angsts of growing up, as well as to share many laughs. 🌺
I highly recommend The Cure for Cold Feet. This is a book that needs to be added to both elementary and middle school libraries.

Novel in verse, middle school, divorce, friendship, family 

where the watermelon grows by cindy baldwin

Thank you to the author for a review copy of this middle grade book. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this middle grade book! It’s definitely one of my 2018 favorites! The imagery and the sense of place shines through on every page. The reader is transported to the small, close knit, coastal North Carolina town which is full of caring people who have known each other for most of their lives. You feel the heat and humidity as they struggle to survive the drought that is threatening their livelihoods. And Baldwin’s vivid descriptions of the characters make them come alive. You feel their kindness and their eagerness to help one another. You know exactly how they look, and what their passions are. This provides a great foundation for the important story about Della and her family.
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Della is twelve years old and yearns to have a “normal” mom who gives her hugs, doesn’t worry that many of her favorite foods will make her sick and isn’t a germ aphobic. However, Della’s mom suffers from schizophrenia, so Della never quite knows what to expect from Mama. Mama has been better for a few years, but Della and her daddy begin to realize, that in addition to their need to deal with the record breaking heat and drought that is threatening their farm, they must also face the fact that she is suffering a relapse; a fact they strive to keep secret from everyone, even Della’s grandparents.
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My heart ached for Della as she blamed herself for Mama’s illness, wondered if she, too, would suffer from schizophrenia when she was older and tried her best to keep the family secret. She felt completely alone, even though many neighbors reached out to help.
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This is such an important story. So many families are living with a similar situation, and they, like Della’s family are keeping it a secret. But as Della’s daddy tells her after her mama returns to the hospital, schizophrenia is an illness like cancer is and they shouldn’t be ashamed. Most importantly, when the secret is shared with friends and loved ones, families will learn they are surrounded by so many caring people who want to help, just as Della learned about the kindness, support and understanding that was right there for her, if she would just accept it. People who not only would give her a hug, but would help her to understand that she was not at fault, that Mama will always have her good and bad days, but that her Mama will always love her. This is a book that should be in every elementary and middle school collection, as well as in the offices of school and hospital counselors. It offers a mirror to the kids in this situation; a mirror they need so badly.

Kindness, mental health, family, community, schizophrenia

what are some favorites you’ve found this summer? Please share them with
all of us in the comments below!

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More about Susan

Hi! I'm Susan, a wife, a mom and a recently retired elementary school librarian with 22 years of experience. One of my greatest joys is to connect kids with a perfect book, which then leads them to a lifelong love of learning. Through my blog, I'm hoping to reach parents, their children and teachers to help them find those special books. I’m also hoping to offer some tips and techniques to use with your children as you read aloud.