Give Thanks for Books this November!

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     The last month of fall is the month in which we give thanks for all that we’ve been blessed with. Consider yourself very fortunate indeed if you can read. Pass on this skill along with a love and appreciation of books to your children. Thanksgiving titles to read include ‘Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey, Arthur’s Thanksgiving by Marc Brown, A Snowman Named Just Bob by Mark Kimball Moulton and the classic Over the River and Through the Wood by Lydia Maria Child.

“Never let the things you want make you forget the things you have.”
 Anonymous

     Instead of just being thankful on Thanksgiving, we at BTBL advocate teaching children (and adults) to be thankful or grateful each and every day to help reinforce the positive. Unfortunately, we as humans are programmed by nature to recognize and even dwell on the negative.  The survival of our ancestors depended upon their recognizing danger and responding to it. It is believed that the brain developed systems that would make it unavoidable for us not to notice danger and thus, hopefully, respond to it. Being aware of danger is necessary for children to remain safe but it seems that today we have become focused on every negative aspect of day to day life, which only seems to be fueled by social media. We suggest you try to start each day by asking your children what they are grateful for and then teach them to be aware of their thoughts and actions during the day and to look for the good in people and situations. Perhaps at the end of the day, ask them again what good things happened throughout their day to make them more aware of the positive. One way to begin is to read the book Thankful by Eileen Spinelli. You can make a “thankful” or “grateful” board where you write down what every member of the family is grateful for or keep a “grateful” box or for older children, a “grateful” journal. To continually reinforce the concept, don’t preach but consider reading books that espouse thankfulness or gratefulness. Some titles to consider include Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson, Apple Cake: A Gratitude by Dawn Casey, Just So Thankful by Mercer Mayer, Giving Thanks: More than 100 ways to say thank you by Ellen Surrey, Grateful: A Song of Giving Thanks by John Bucchino and All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon.

What's happening in November?

1st: National Family Literacy Day - Find time now and throughout the year to sit down as a family and read together.

First Tuesday (after the first Monday) is Election Day - Teach your children the importance of being informed and exercising their right to vote. Fun books to consider include Monster Needs Your Vote by Paul Czajak and Madame President by Lane Smith.

First Saturday is Book Lovers Day - Another celebration for those who love to read. Choose a favorite book, get cozy and read aloud with those you love.

11th: Veterans Day - Honor our military veterans by reading with a Vet or donating a book to a Veteran’s organization. Consider reading with your child H is for Honor: A Military Family Alphabet by Devin Scillian, Hero Mom or Hero Dad by Melinda Harden and Veterans: Heroes in Our Neighborhood by Valerie Pfundstein.

15th: Author Marc Brown’s Birthday - Introduce your child to the famous aardvark Arthur. There are numerous books from picture books to chapter books as well as a PBS series.

29th: Author Louisa May Alcott’s Birthday - Author of the well-known books Little Women and Little Men. Introduce your child to the classics by reading them aloud (you judge the age of appreciation.) Remember that listening comprehension is greater than reading comprehension.

          Author Jon Klassen’s Birthday - Get out your favorite hat or make one and read I Want My Hat Back, This is Not My Hat or We Found a Hat.

Fourth Thursday is Thanksgiving - Give thanks for books this holiday by sharing a Thanksgiving story from our list of Holiday Books. Also, take a look at our previous blog: Save a turkey! Gobble up a good book!.

30th: Author L. M. Montgomery - Another classic that was once a staple of every child’s literary education was Anne of Green Gables. Be sure to include classics in your child’s reading library.

Be grateful and read!

-Kate @ BTBL

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Author

We are three generations that seek a way to get back to basics. It’s not that we eschew technology, but sometimes simpler is better, especially in raising our children. Mom was a reading teacher, Amanda is an early childhood educator and Kate a children’s literature specialist and former school librarian along with the latest additions, a daughter (now 4) for Kate, and two sons (now 1 and a newborn) for Amanda. We advocate reading aloud, the simple toys that use imagination and encourage creativity and learning in the kitchen, which can be a fun mess but also teaches life skills. Join us in raising healthy, happy, inquisitive and intelligent children.