SUBMITTED BY JANA KING, YOUTH SERVICES
New Year’s resolutions are right around the corner, so why not talk with your child about ways that they can improve in the new year too? The library carries many books about being kind and showing compassion–a great way to deal with sensitive topics such as bullying and tolerance.
Preschool: If You Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson
If you plant a carrot seed… a carrot will grow. If you plant a lettuce seed… lettuce will grow. But what happens if you plant a seed of kindness… or selfishness?
Kindergarten-2nd Grade: The Kindness Quilt by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace
Minna does a lot of thinking about her project to do something kind, make a picture about what she did, and share it with her classmates, but finally comes up with an idea that spreads to the whole school.
1st Grade-3rd Grade: Pine and the Winter Sparrow retold by Alexis York Lumbard
Have you ever wondered why pine trees stay green all winter long and don’t lose their leaves like other trees? According to an ancient legend attributed to the Cherokee Indians, it was a simple act of kindness towards an injured little bird that earned pine trees this very honor.
2nd grade-5th Grade: Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson
When Ms. Albert teaches a lesson on kindness, Chloe realizes that she and her friends have been wrong in making fun of new student Maya’s shabby clothes and refusing to play with her.