For children’s literature, I picked two books, one picture and one chapter book, that really seem evoke the culture and spirit of Vietnam. Both have a Zen quality to their story: spare, eloquent, and powerful. And both stories recall the terrible war but also the ability of the Vietnamese to transcend and make peace with it.
Month: February 2012
Top 10: Best Coping with Loss of Pets Books for Kids
It is never easy when a pet dies whether it’s expected or unexpected, particularly for children. My Mom Friend at Yoga asked for book recommendations when her son’s hamster died. She knew this would be hard on her son and my other Mom Friend recommended they read the Rainbow book out loud during the burial in the backyard. Luckily the ground wasn’t frozen over because the weather was still quite cold. The Mom reported back that the burial went well and that reading the book helped make the ceremony special and personal. I think they referred to The Legend of the Rainbow Bridge but there actually two books on the same topic with very similar names.
Top 10: Best Books by My Son in 1st Grade
What is the most surprising is how these books make us both laugh and laugh. They are really funny! Ok, maybe not the Ninjago series … that’s more action/adventure, but Dragonbreath, Alvin Ho, Frankie Pickle and Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever are snuggle up and crack up together.
Gift Guide: Toys that Motivate Kids to Read
These toys, books, games and devices help make reading fun. They make great birthday gifts too!
Update on Boys Book Club: What Worked and Didn’t Work
I update on my little boy book club using The Unbreakable Code advanced picture book. The boys went on a code breaking scavenger hunt.
10 Ways Sports Teach Math
Thank you to Babysitters.net for guest posting. Combining math with sports? Yes! It’s a great way to make math relevant to kids!
Book Club for Boys: Navajo Code Talkers and Secret Code Scavenger Hunt
Secret Code Book Club for Boys My seven-year-old son is in first grade but his closest friends are in second and third grades. It just worked out that way because he missed the cutoff so he’s among the older kids in his class. He can read but he needs help with chapter books and when…