As I look back on the year and think about all the books my kids and I read together, it brings back warm, fuzzy memories of snuggling, laughing, and just enjoying a shared experience that loving the same book brings. So I asked my kids to each give me their three favorite books from last year and then I added a few more of my own, though I have to say that I loved their picks as much as they did. I hope you enjoy these books, should you need book recs, as much as we did!
This was my cultural reality and the reality of most Asian kids that I knew, but there’s a flip side to everything. Are Chinese Mothers Superior? That is a mighty aggressive headline, first of all. Very un-Asian-like. This extreme style of parenting correlates to 1) standard of living for parents (lower = stricter), 2) recency of immigration (more recent = stricter), 3) stay at home parent vs 2 working parent (stay at home = stricter), and 4) insanity of parents (more insane = stricter).
Your Fantastic Elastic Brain: Stretch It, Shape It by Dr. Joann Deak [non fiction picture book, ages 4-8] is gently encouraging kids to try new things after taking time to point out how the brain works. The message to the kids is that you are one sculpting and shaping your brain so be the driver not the passenger in this amazing journey called life!
I guess I am a children’s book award junkie. I really love all short lists for awards even more so than the actual award recipient. There is just something so exciting about a short list; anyone can be the winner. This genre: non fiction for young adult is not where I am reading ahead of my eldest yet as she is just eleven, but I am excited to learn about this award and I’m pretty sure that it will fit the bill for one of my kids in the future.
In the case of Nancy Yi Fan, it’s clear she was born with a special gift. My 10-year-old, nearly 11-year-old brought home this book for me to blog on. (At the same age, Nancy had banged out a draft of this book and was sending it in to publishers!).
Gifts for kids around $20.
I think it’s essential for children to try out new behaviour in a safe place. Like it or not, this probably means at home, on you, the parent. It’s a child’s way of spreading their wings; trying out new personalities and traits. A safe way to experiment is important because your child knows that you will always love her or him no matter what. But a book can also be a safe way to try out new behavior as a reader if you talk about the book in the context of how it makes you both feel.