Discover the joy of reading with Book Clubs and Book Fairs
Discover the joy of reading with Book Clubs and Book Fairs
This week is Mental Health Week in Canada. Mental health can look different for everyone, and sometimes it may be a difficult topic to discuss, especially with children. It’s important to remind kids (and adults) that their feelings are valid, and support is all around them when needed.
We’ve picked out some stories that creatively introduce new feelings and social-emotional awareness for younger readers to help open the door of discussion.
Allison Edwards, author of the best-selling book Why Smart Kids Worry, gives a glimpse into the ways worry whispers to young minds, and offers a powerful tool all children can use to silence those fears.
“Worry’s songs tie my tummy up in knots, and the things he says make my heart beat very fast. Sometimes he speaks in a whisper, and other times his voice gets so loud I can’t hear anything else.”
Worry and anxiety are currently the top mental health issues among children and teens. Children have a number of worries throughout childhood that will come and go. The problem is not with the worries themselves, but that children believe the worries to be true. With a relatable story and beautiful artwork, Worry Says What? will help children (and adults) flip their thinking when anxious thoughts begin and turn them into powerful reminders of all they are capable of accomplishing.
There’s an abundance of children’s vocabulary books offering nouns and action words, but very few providing words for feelings.
Janan Cain is the mother of two small children and an artist who has created this winning vocabulary that will help small children find words to express the way they feel. Each of the 14 simple poems is illustrated with delightfully expressive drawings over a two-page spread. Tourbillon d’émotions should help reduce the frustration that both parents and children feel when they can’t share their hearts.
From the author of In the Sky at Nighttime.
A child makes their way along the Arctic shoreline on a dark day. Everything around them seems as ugly as their mood, from the weather to the fish and mud. This is the place they come to whenever they feel ugly.
But as the child closes their eyes and listens, the sound of the waves reminds them to breathe. The tiny krill flick their tails, and the brightly coloured sea stars seem to glow. What they once saw as an ugly landscape is now wonderful and vibrant, and alive with music and beauty.
Building on concepts of social-emotional awareness, this book helps young readers see that they have the ability to control their own emotions.
Rowan loves the fields and hills that encircle his home, but what he loves most of all is the nearby river.
Just like him, the river is always changing, flowing; sometimes quiet and calm, and other times roaring and angry. One day, the river freezes and stays frozen for a very long time. What will it take for it to thaw?
Thanks to this thoughtful social emotional picture book, kids will learn that highs and lows are a normal part of life, but that ultimately, we’re in control of how we react.
HOPE is our children’s window for a better tomorrow. In terms of resilience and well-being, hope is a critically important predictor of success. This creative story reminds children that dark clouds can be temporary and asking for help is always okay. We all have times when we need to borrow a little hope from someone else.
Sometimes the dark clouds overhead seem too heavy and you feel like giving up. Little candle knows all about this. Bad grades, blasted on social media, worried about making the team, and wondering who her real friends are – so many hard things to deal with! All she can see is darkness. But her story begins to change when someone notices she needs a boost of hope. As little candle is reminded, she has purpose and her own unique gifts, and that she isn’t the only one with dark clouds, her dim light begins to shine brighter.
This hopeful story emphasizes for children (and adults) the many different ways to ask for help, and their ability to be a hope builder for others, too.
Encourage kids to practice self-love every day with Qui je suis ― an uplifting picture book collection of positive affirmations and companion to Susan Verde and Peter H. Reynolds’s New York Times bestselling series.
When the unkind voice gets loud and I feel down, I can tell myself: I am enough. In this world, I matter.
We all have rough days: tough times when we feel down and an unkind voice in our mind can make us feel disappointed in ourselves. But we can talk back to that unkind voice; we can find the voice that will lift us up instead. We can tell ourselves words that are positive, supportive, and true.
A celebration of self-love and owning all the things that make us special, Qui je suis : Un livre sur la pensée positive is a heartfelt collection of positive affirmations, helping us to affirm that we are human, we are enough, and we are deserving of all kinds of love ― especially our own.
What if? What if? What if? Wilma Jean!
Anxiety is a subjective sense of worry, apprehension, and/or fear. It is considered to be the number one health problem in North America. Although quite common, anxiety disorders in children are often misdiagnosed and overlooked.
Everyone feels fear, worry and apprehension from time to time, but when these feelings prevent a person from doing what he/she wants and/or needs to do, anxiety becomes a disability.
Kids who have ever experienced any kind of anxiety will relate to this book! Julia’s clever and humorous style along with her simple and apt antidotes make this book a must for young people with worries and fears.
Who said that boys don’t cry? Boys, girls, children, and adults ― we all cry. And guess what? It’s OK to cry! Sometimes it can be difficult to talk about our emotions, but we don’t need to deal with these things alone. We don’t have to be tough, brave, or strong all the time.
Full of colourful illustrations, simple strategies, and vocabulary for managing emotions, Mon petit guide des émotions helps children develop emotional intelligence and to deconstruct harmful preconceptions that surround their self-expression. This insightful picture book is perfect for both the classroom and the home.
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