10 Books Which Teach Children About Kindness
Tomorrow 25/08, marks the beginning of Be Kind To Humankind Week. It runs until 31/08
The quote “In a world where you can be anything be kind” gets me, every time. It urges me to consider my thoughts and actions carefully.
How are we teaching kindness to the younger generation? Nothing beats modelling it ourselves. Books come close too. Even better because they learn/see kindness and empathy in others too
The image below is a display to mark the start of the celebration at Northampton Library. I love the simplicity. Kaitlyn and I go there for an hour every Tuesday while her older sisters are at their piano lessons.
She doesn’t look too impressed with me taking a photo while she’s trying to read The Lion Inside, an inspiring story which shows we all have a mouse and a lion inside.
So this week I’m hoping to follow the lead of Be Kind to Humankind (www.bk2hk.org) and do the following:
💫 Thoughtful Thursday
💫 Forgive your foe Friday
💫 Speak kind words Saturday
💫 Sacrifice our wants for others’ needs Sunday
💫 Motorist Consideration Monday
💫 Touch a heart Tuesday
💫 Willing to lend a hand Wednesday
My other favourite children's books teaching kindness would be:
1) The invisible Boy: An enchanting book for 4-8 year olds with a lovely message of hope for children who are shy & nervous in a new school. Brian is a boy who feels like he's invisible, Nobody ever seems to notice him or think to include him in their group, game, or birthday party . . . until, that is, a new kid comes to class. When Justin, the new boy, arrives, Brian is the first to make him feel welcome. And when Brian and Justin team up to work on a class project together, Brian finds a way to shine.
2) Taste your words: Teach kids about the power of words and the importance of kindness with this charming picture book that cleverly illustrates why we should think before we speak. Amera’s having a bad day. Her best friend ruined her cupcake and they both said mean things. When Amera brings her bad mood home with her, her mom tells her to “taste her words.” Amera’s mean words taste like rotten eggs, spoiled milk, and lemons! As Amera realizes that her mean words make her feel bad and others feel worse, she starts saying the kindest, sweetest words she can find.
3) Be Kind: From asking the new girl to play to stand up for someone being bullied, this moving story explores what kindness is, and how any act, big or small, can make a difference―or at least help a friend .
4) Meesha Makes Friends: A warm and affectionate look at the joys and difficulties of making and keeping friends, relating to others, and finding your place in the world. Wonderfully empowering and emotionally resonant, Tom Percival's Big Bright Feelings series is the perfect springboard for conversations about mental and emotional health, positive self-image, building self-confidence and managing feelings. Every child's bookshelf should contain his books.
5) Perfectly Norman: Norman has always been normal, perfectly normal… So he is very surprised to have wings suddenly one day! He has the most fun ever trying them out high in the sky and flying with the birds, until he has to go indoors for dinner. What will his parents think? What will everyone else? Normal feels the safest plan to hide his magnificent wings is with a big duffel coat, but hiding the wings that make him different proves tricky and upsetting. Can Norman ever truly be himself? With beautiful and fitting illustrations of Norman standing out in the crowd with his multicoloured wings and his yellow coat against a dull grey backdrop, this is a sweet and truly uplifting story that celebrates diversity in a subtle but unique way, and inspires children to dare to be different and have the courage to stand out.
6) The Lion Inside: an inspiring story which shows we all have a mouse and a lion inside. The message is to be strong and true to yourself – and that even the big guys have moments of self-doubt too.
7) The Boy at the Back of the Class: A story of friendship, hope and the importance of kindness, The Boy at the Back of the Class is a story full of heart and humour, told from a unique perspective. When a new boy joins their class, a group of children try to befriend him. They soon learn that Ahmet is a refugee and has been separated from his family. None of the grown-ups seem to be able to help him, so the friends come up with a daring plan, embarking on an extraordinary adventure.
8) A Place Called Perfect: They've got their eyes on you: a quirky, creepy and unforgettable adventure, perfect for fans of Roald Dahl, Neil Gaiman and Tim Burton. Violet hates living in Perfect. Why does everyone have to wear special glasses to stop them going blind? What are the strange noises in the night and why is Mum acting so weird? Then Dad disappears and Violet is determined to uncover the truth with the help of the mysterious Boy. But returning normality to Perfect is a battle they never imagined.
9) I am Malala: I Am Malala tells the remarkable true story of a girl who knew she wanted to change the world - and did. Raised in the Swat Valley in Pakistan, Malala was taught to stand up for her beliefs. When terrorists took control of her region and declared girls were forbidden from going to school, Malala fought for her right to an education. And, on 9 October 2012, she nearly paid the ultimate price for her courage when she was shot on her way home from school. No one expected her to survive. Now, she is an international symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest person ever to win a Nobel Peace Prize.
10) Wonder: Auggie wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things - eating ice cream, playing on his Xbox. He feels ordinary - inside. But ordinary kids don't make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids aren't stared at wherever they go.
Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life. Now, for the first time, he's being sent to a real school - and he's dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted - but can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, underneath it all?
#kindness #kindnessmatters #teachers #childrensbooks #empathymatters #headteacher #diversityandinclusion #diversity