Christmas Books for Elementary Children

Librarian and regular reviewer Janet Lloyd offers a collection of suggestions for Christmas reading with elementary students.

Click on the link below to print these bibliographies.  And don’t forget, we would love to hear your suggestions for books to use with this age group.  Please leave your comments below!

Christmas Books for Grades 1-3

Christmas Bibliography Grades 3_5

Christmas Books for the Very Young

Librarian and regular reviewer Janet Lloyd offers a collection of suggestions for Christmas reading with young children through preschoolers.

Click on the link below to print this bibliography.  And don’t forget, we would love to hear your suggestions for books to use with this age group.  Please leave your comments below!

Christmas Books for the Very Young

We wish you all a blessed Thanksigiving.

Two Weeks of Bibliographies Coming Your Way

We’re not quite in  Advent yet, but for all of those who hope to share books with your family or congregation during the season, we’re giving you a head start on securing them. For the next two weeks, we will be posting a series of bibliographies of Christmas books appropriate for gift-giving, reading aloud, or just generally savoring.

Janet Lloyd, one of our regular reviewers who recently retired after a 35-year career as a librarian at the Harford County (MD) Public Library, is providing four bibliographies targeted towards specific audiences (families, young children and lower and middle elementary students).  Dr. Pamela Mitchell-Legg, whose class at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Charlotte started this whole blog, will offer a “my favorites” bibliography at the end of next week.

Please download today’s bibliography for families by clicking on the link below (you’ll need Adobe Reader) and carry it with you to your local bookstore!

Christmas Books for the Whole Family

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.

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!

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.

Books about Chronic Illness

Marcia Rauch continues to offer suggestions for books useful in bibliotherapy.  This particular list will be helpful to you if you work with children who have chronic conditions or ilnesses ranging from asthma to attention deficit disorder.

Chronic Illness

Bishop, Beverly. My Friend with Autism: A Coloring Book for Peers and Siblings ISBN# 978-1885477897 A coloring book to help peers and siblings understand autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.

Burk, Christine. Prudence Parker and A Sign of Friendship ISBN# 978-0977079902 Prudence meets Haley who is deaf while her family is on vacation. Haley uses a game to teach her friend a new vocabulary.

Carlstrom, Nancy White. Before You Were Born ISBN# 978-0802851857 A book which reminds children about the beauty of their own creation and the fact that God has been there from the very beginning of their lives.

Chowdhury, Uttom. Why Do You Do That?: A Book About Tourette Syndrome for Children and Young People ISBN# 978-1843103950 A book for siblings of children with Tourette Syndrome.

Corman, Clifford L. and Esther Trevino. Eukee the jumpy elephant ISBN# 0-9621629-8-1 The story of Eukeee who is a young elephant struggling with attention deficit disorder.  He gets in trouble at home and at school but is able to get help and learn ways to succeed.

Fleming Virginia. Be Good to Eddie Lee ISBN# 0-698-11582-1 Christy and Jim Bud think Eddie Lee, a boy with Down’s Syndrome is a nuisance. However they learn a valuable lesson from him when he follows them into the woods one day.

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.

Kroll, Virginia L. Brianna Breathes Easy: A Story About Asthma ISBN# 978-0807508800 Brianna is diagnosed with asthma when she collapses during play practice.  A doctor at the hospital explains the illness to her.

Lang, Rocky. Lara Takes Charge ISBN# 978-0975418406 Lara tells about all the things she does just like the regular kids and about her insulin pump and doing blood tests.

Larson, Elaine Marie. I Am Utterly Unique: Celebrating the Strengths of Children with Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism ISBN# 978-1931282895 An alphabet book which presents the talents and abilities of ASD children.

Mills, Joyce C. Little Tree: A Story for Children With Serious Medical Illness ISBN# 978-1591470410 A story of hope and inspiration for children facing serious illness

Moore-Mallinos, Jennifer. My Brother is Autistic ISBN# 978-0-7641-4404-0 The story of a boy whose brother Billy has autism. Billy’s behavior embarrasses his brother who asks his teacher to explain autism to the kids at school.

Moss, Deborah M. Lee the Rabbit with Epilepsy ISBN# 0-933149-32-8 The story of Lee and her family as they face the challenges of epilepsy.  From the first seizure, to the doctor visit, through diagnosis and treatment, the book explains this chronic illness in words that children can understand.

Niner, Holly L. I Can’t Stop!  A story about Tourette Syndrome ISBN# 0-8075-3620-2 Nathan is diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome and learns how to constructively manage his condition.

Olson, Michael. How I Feel: A Book About Diabetes ISBN# 978-1590560372 This is the story of Michael and his seven year old brother Steven who has diabetes.  Michael depicts Steven’s experiences with this chronic illness.

Peterkin, Allan. What About Me?: When Brothers and Sisters Get Sick ISBN#978-0945354499 Laura experiences conflicting emotions when her brother becomes seriously ill. Includes suggestions for parents to help their well children cope with a chronically ill sibling.

Peters, Dylan. Tic Talk: Living with Tourette Syndrome: A 9-Year-Old Boy’s Story in His Own Words ISBN# 978-1589850514 Dylan Peters tells his own story of what it is like to be a child with Tourette Syndrome.

Shally, Celeste. Since We’re Friends: An Autism Picture Book ISBN# 978-0979471308 A story of two boys one of whom has autism. The story helps children see that their peers with autism can make a fun and genuine contribution to a friendship.

Smith, Nicole. Chad the Allergic Chipmunk: A Children’s Story of Nut Allergies ISBN# 978-1586280543 A story for school aged children with food allergies

Special Kids in School Series These books by various authors are designed to give insight into the daily life of a child with a specific chronic illness. Each book is color illustrated and includes a kid’s quiz at the end. Books also include tips for teachers and would be appropriate to use in a Sunday school setting.

• Taking Diabetes to School ISBN# 978-0977079902

• Taking Food Allergies to School ISBN# 978-0977079902

• Taking Asthma to School ISBN# 978-1891383014

• Taking Tourette Syndrome to School ISBN# 978-1891383120

• Taking Speech Disorders to School ISBN# 978-1891383243

• Taking Hearing Impairment to School ISBN# 978-1891383236

• Taking Seizure Disorders to School ISBN# 978-0963944931

• Taking Autism to School ISBN# 978-1891383137

• Taking Dyslexia to School ISBN# 978-1891383175

Zinner, Tracie Vaughn. Reaching for the Sun ISBN# 978-1-59990-037-7 Free verse poems that tell the heartfelt story of a girl with cerebral palsy.

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