Stories from A to Z – 26 Brief Reviews

Union Presbyterian Seminary student Beth Lyon-Suhring has written brief reviews of 26 children’s books, along with suggestions for ways to use these books as a ‘springboard for faith talk’.  This delightful resource is yours to download and use by clicking on Stories from A to Z.

  by  Jim Davies 

Righteousness: A Bibliography

Righteousness is a hard concept for young people to grasp. The following books are intended to help shed light on this concept so critical to living according to God’s plan. There are many scriptural references to living a righteous life. Janet Lloyd, librarian and guest blogger here, has noted a few Biblical passages  and listed  story references as examples.  (And Janet says: Many thanks to “2001Translation—An American English Bible” (http://www.2001translation.com/index.html)  for the scriptural references.

If you would like this bibliography in a printable PDF format, click on this link.

Matthew 5:6:  ‘Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blest because they will be satisfied.’

The Judge by Harve Zemach.  Ages 4 to 8.

One by one, five prisoners come before a judge and beg to be released on the grounds that they did not know they were breaking the law;  they only said what they saw. Each in turn is then put in jail. In the end when a monster comes, the tables are turned on the judge and the prisoners in a surprising and humorous ending that puts Matthew’s words into perfect view. Also for the same age group: Two Bobbies by Kirby Larson;  Just Plain Fancy by Patricia Polacco.

Matthew 6:33, ‘[If you] put the Kingdom and righteousness in first place, then all these [other] things will be given to you.’

“The Prophet Elijah’s Magic Box” found in Jewish Folktales selected and retold by Pinhas Sadeh .  Grades 2-8

Elijah has a box that will provide for its owner. He gives the box to a poor man when he visits him with the understanding that he will only be able to keep the box if he also uses the money to build synagogues, soup kitchens and schools for the Torah. After many years he revisits the owner disguised as a beggar. When he asks for food, the previously poor man, now rich, casts him out. Elijah takes back the box and gives it to someone else, who not only does what Elijah asks but retains the spirit with which it was given. Other titles for this age group: The Comeback Dog by Jane Thomas; Three Questions by Jon Muth.

Romans 3:4, ‘Your words can prove you righteous, and you can win when you’re being judged.’

“Princess and Froggie” from The Princess and the Froggie by Harve Zemach.  Ages 2-5.

Princess has a problem. Her father has a bird on his head. She shoos it off, but each time she does, it flies back. She is doing the right thing for her father, but is not winning the battle.  Finally Froggie helps and in the end they all win…the bird leaves the King’s head and the Princess and Froggie get a lollipop. This simple story can help even the youngest child understand righteousness. Christ not only used his words as an example for us, but called us to live out those words. Go and do likewise.  Other books for the same age group: Just Plain Fancy by Patrica Polacco; Bunny Cakes by Rosemary Wells.

Matthew 25:37-40, ‘Then the righteous will ask, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you as a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison, and come to you? And the king will say to them, I tell you the truth, when you did it for one of the least of these my brothers, you did it for me.’

Skellig by David Almond.  Grades 6 – 8.

Michael was looking forward to his new house and neighborhood until his infant sister became very ill. Now his parents are constantly frantic, the scary doctor is always coming around, and Michael feels helpless. When he goes out into the old rickety garage, he comes across a mysterious being living beneath spider webs and eating flies for dinner. This creature calls himself Skellig, and over the weeks Michael and his new friend Mina bring Skellig out in to the light, and their worlds change forever. Other  books for this age group:   Outside Beauty by Cynthia Kadohata; 5,000 Miles to Freedom by Dennis and Judith Fradin.

James 3:18, ‘The seeds of the fruit of righteousness are planted in peace by those who are making peace.’

“ Old Joe & the Carpenter” found in Thirty-Three Multicultural Tales to Tell by Pleasant DeSpain.  Grades 2-8

Old Joe and his neighbor have been best friends most of their lives. One day they stubbornly disagree over a stray calf and stop talking to each other. After two weeks someone knocks on Joe’s door. It is a stranger looking for work. Joe hires him to build a fence tall enough so he never has to look at his neighbor or his land again. Joe goes into town and the carpenter goes to work. When Joe returns he finds not a fence but a bridge. Now it is up to the friends to take the next step and cross the bridge and meet each other in peace. Other books for this age group:   Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom by Katherine Paterson (grades 6-8); The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame (grades 2-4).

James 2: 24, ‘A man is called righteous by the things he does, not just by his faith.’

“Imp in the Basket” found in The Devil’s Storybook by Natalie Babbitt.  Grades 6 – Adult.

A baby is found by a clergyman. It is soon obvious that it is an imp, a devil’s baby. The people in the village want to kill it, but the clergyman says no, imp or not it is still a baby and will not be killed. Fearful of what might happen, that night the townspeople set fire to the clergyman’s house. In the morning they go back expecting to see the clergyman and the baby dead, but instead they find them sitting in the middle of the burned down house safe and sound. Was the clergyman saved because he was righteous or because he saved the devil’s baby? Other books for this age group:  What I Call Life by Jill Wolfson; I Can Make A Difference selected by Marion Wright Edelman.

Sermons and Children’s Books

Certainly, one of the reasons that we added the Lectionary Links section to this blog was our belief that children’s books could provide bridges that link the stories of our faith with the stories of literature.  And we especially love hearing how our readers have made those links.

Carla Pratt Keyes, minister at Ginter Park Presbyterian Church in Richmond, VA, frequently uses children’s literature in just that way.  On a recent Sunday, she made her own link and we thought you might like to see how she used an entirely different book than the one in our link to illustrate  her sermon on February 20.  Click here to read her sermon that connects I Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23 and Richard Scarry’s What Do People Do All Day?

We always hoped this blog would be a conversation where others would share how they are using children’s and young adult literature in their ministry.  So let us here from you!

Bibliography: Peace

Sometimes after a particular book review, we get emails asking for other suggestions about books on that same topic.  While it isn’t always possible to reply individually to ever question, we do save those questions and work on developing bibliographies to share with our readers that might help them explore other stories around similar topics.

Today, Janet Lloyd is sharing an annotated bibliography for books dealing with peace.  Her bibliography offers books for preschoolers through middle schoolers.  Download the bibliography by clicking here.

We’d also love to hear your suggestions for future bibliographies!

Books about Prayer for Children

Last week, we mentioned that we would not generally pair a children’s book with the reading from the Psalms in our Lectionary Links posts.  We did post a bibliography last week of some book resources on the Psalms for children, and this week, we’d like to share with you a bibliography related to books about prayer.  Both of these bibliographies may give you some help in linking the prayer book of the Bible with our lives today.

Click here to download the bibliography.

Picture by Steve Evans and used under a Creative Commons License.

Psalms Resources

You may have noticed that our lectionary links do not include books that related to the passages from Psalms.  However, there are many wonderful books for children which bring the Psalms alive.   We are attaching a bibliography here that will point you to some good books for children that may also be helpful in your teaching and preaching.  We’ll add to this bibliography occasionally and we will be posting a bibliography with children’s books about prayer next week.

Click here to download the bibliography.

Poetry is Your Friend

Poetry, like many fine things in life, is an acquired taste, but once you have inhaled the spiced aroma of a well played verse or thrilled to the sound of onomatopoeia or felt your heart break at the sheer beauty of words, then you, my friend, will be hooked.

Click here to read more about the value of using poetry with children and youth.

Books about Death

The last of Marcia Rauch’s bibliographies about using books to help children in challenging situations deals with death.  What other books have you used in talking with children about the death of a pet or a loved one or friend?

Death

Wilhelm, Hans. I’ll Always Love You. ISBN# 0-517-57265-6.  A child narrates the story and tells about his dog Elfie. The dog and the child grow up together and Elfie dies.

Buscaglia, Leo. The fall of Freddie the Leaf.   ISBN# 0-8050-1064-5.  This is the story of Freddie the leaf and his friend Daniel.  As the seasons change, Daniel explains what is happening to Freddie and how everything must die.  This book does not use the term heaven as a place where one goes after death.  However it is a good book to start a conversation about the changes that occur in all of our lives.

Nobisso, Josephine. Grandpa Loved. ISBN# 0-88138-119-5.  This is a book that was written to remember a grandfather who died.  His grandson recalls all of the things that his grandpa loved.  The boy comes to the conclusion that his grandfather is with them all the time.

Shriver, Maria.  What’s Heaven?  ISBN# 0-31238-241-4.  A story that is a conversation between a mother and daughter after the death of the child’s great-grandmother. The concept of heaven is sensitively explained and the child learns that memories of her grandmother will always be there.

Thomas, Pat. I Miss You: A First Look at Death. ISBN# 0-76411-764-0.  The book explains that death is a complement to life and that it is normal to have feelings of grief and a sense of loss when someone you love dies.

Stickney, Pat. Water Bugs and Dragonflies: Explaining Death to Young  Children.  ISBN# 0-82981-624-2.  The story talks about life after death and speaks of being in a better place.  It helps to answer questions like why people can’t come back after dying.  It also contains prayers for parents and children as well as advice for parents on the topic of death.

Silverman, Janice. Help Me Say Goodbye:  Activities for Helping Kids Cope When a Special Person Dies.  ISBN# 1-57749-085-1.  An art therapy book which addresses questions that children may have about death.  Encourages children to draw what they cannot express in words.

Hanson, Warren. The Next Place. ISBN# 0-93167-432-8.  An inspirational journey of light and hope where earthly hurts are left behind.  Beautiful illustrations and words to help explain the concept of heaven to a child.

Long, Kathleen Bostrom and Kucharik, Elena. What about Heaven? ISBN# 1-85985-389-7. At the time of a death, children ask questions such as what we will do in heaven.  With scripture passages, this book is written in a way that will help children understand.  Part of the Little Blessing series.

Thomas, Cristine. A Butterfly for Brittany: A children’s book about the Death of Another Child from a Child’s Point of View . ISBN# 0-97787-960-7.  A book about how a child copes with the loss of another child to cancer.  Megan helps her cousin Brittany on the day that Brittany goes to heaven.  Megan paints a pretty butterfly with beautiful wings, which she gives to Brittany to wear when the angels take her to heaven.

Ryan, Victoria. When your Grandparent Dies:  A Child’s Guide to Good Grief . ISBN# 978-0-87029-3641.  Elf characters explore the meaning of death from a child’s point of view.  Explores the meaning of death and heaven as well as how to stay close in spirit when a grandparent dies.

Tanguald, Christine Harderer. Someone I Love Died.  ISBN# 1-55513-490-4.  Positive approach for children to deal with death in a comforting way.  This book points to Jesus as our ultimate source of comfort.

Nystrom, Carolyn. What Happens When People Die? ISBN# 0-80247-855-7.  Children see for themselves the reasons that people die and what God has in store for them in heaven.

Varley, Susan. Badger’s Parting Gifts.  ISBN# 978-0-688-11518-0.  The story of woodland creatures losing their dear friend Badger and how they are comforted by their special memories of him.

Ladwig, Tim. Psalm 23.  ISBN# 0-80285-163-0.  Picture book of this scripture passage with African American children as the characters.

Books About Depression

There are very few books that are written about depression at a child’s reading level.  Most of the books on this list are about feelings that are often associated with depression such as sadness, loneliness, and fear. The use of these books is one way for you to help your child to name and express his/her feelings.

Depression

Rowe, John. I Want a Hug.  ISBN# 978-0698400641.  The story of Elvis, a prickly creature who wants to be hugged. Illustrates what it means to reach out to someone.

Segal, John. Lonely Moose. ISBN# 978-1423101734.  The story of a lonely moose who is befriended by a bird.

Moroney, Trace. When I’m Feeling Sad. ISBN# 978-0769644264.  The story of rabbit who knows how it feels to be sad.

Curtis, Jamie Lee. Today I Feel  Silly.  ISBN# 978-0060245603.  A book that explores thirteen different feelings.  This book can help depressed to recognize some feelings that s/he may have. It can also remind children that all feelings need to be acknowledged.

Willis, Jeanne. Misery Moo. ISBN# 978-0805076721.  The story of a lonely cow who is befriended by a lamb. Illustrates how friendships can help you feel better.

Khalsa, Kathy. Taking Depression to School. ISBN# 978-1891383229 . A book that simplifies the concept of depression to help children understand the condition. Reinforces the fact that children with depression are loved and accepted just the way they are.

Ladwig, Tim. Psalm 23. ISBN#978-0802851635.  An illustrated picture book of this comforting psalm which will remind a depressed child that God is beside him/her through everything.

Delval, Marie-Helene. Psalms for Young Children. ISBN#978-0802853226.  A book of psalms written in simple language that children can understand. These psalms cover a wide range of feelings some of which are associated with depression.

Gliori, Debi. No Matter What . ISBN# 978-0152020613.  A story that offers the reassuring comfort of a parent’s unconditional love.

Jones, Mark Francisco Bozziti. God Thought of You. ISBN# 978-0819219879.  A precious story to remind any child that s/he is a beloved child of God and has always been known by God.

Martin, Magy. When Devon Met Oz: Helping Children Cope with Depression. ISBN# 978-0882823041 The story of a boxer named Oz who meets a depressed child named Devon in the park.  Includes reassuring advice for both children and their parents.

Bibliography prepared by Marcia A. Rauch, Union-PSCE in Charlotte.

Books About Divorce

Pastors and educators are frequently asked for resources that will help children cope with divorce.  Marcia Rauch offers these books dealing with divorce that may be helpful for parents and children.

Divorce

Boegehold, Betty. Daddy Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. ISBN#0-307-12480-0.  Fictional story of  Casey and her reaction to a divorce.  Illustrates various feelings that children may have such as sadness, anger, and guilt.

Brown, Marc and Laurene Krasny Brown. Dinosaurs Divorce.  ISBN#0-87113-089-0.   Glossary of divorce vocabulary and a simple illustrated text that covers topics such as having two homes, after the divorce, and why parents divorce.

Bunting, Eve. The Days of Summer. ISBN# 0-15-201840-9.  Story of grandparents who get a divorce.  Their 2 granddaughters are the main characters.

Lansky, Vicki. It’s not your fault Koko Bear . ISBN#0-916773-46-9.  A read aloud book about divorce for parent to share with children.  Parent tips are at the bottom of each page.

Levins, Sandra and Bryan Langdo. Was It the Chocolate Pudding? ISBN# 978-591473091. Divorce explained from a kid’s point of view.

Masurel, Claire. Two Homes. ISBN# 0-7636-0511-5.  Alex tells the story of his home with his mom and his home with his dad.

Murphy, Patricia J. Divorce and Separation. ISBN# 978-1403497758.  Book about feelings that are experienced when parents divorce.

Powell, Jillian. Talking About Family Breakup. ISBN# 0-8172-5542-7.  A book in a question and answer format that addresses issues children may have with divorce.

Spelman, Cornelia Maude. Mama and Daddy Bear’s Divorce. ISBN# 0-8075-5221-6. Simple picture book in which Dinah Bear comes to terms with her parents’ divorce.  She realizes that no matter what they will still be her parents and love her even if they live in different houses.

Stern, Zoe and Evan Stern. Divorce is Not the End of the World:  A Coping Guide for Kids. ISBN# 978-1582462417.  Written by a brother/sister based on their own experience when their parents divorced. Topics include anger, fear, and adjusting to different rules in different homes.  Also includes an update from Zoe and Evan 10 years later.

Stinson, Cathy. Mom and Dad Don’t Live Together Anymore. ISBN#978-1-55451-0931. Simple picture book that talks about divorce and the wishes of the child plus different activities that she does with each parent.

Winchester, Kent. What in the World Do You Do When Your Parents Divorce? ISBN# 978-1575420929.  A book for 7-12 year olds that explains divorce, new living arrangements and other basics to help kids understand what is happening in their lives.