Barb's book picks

Teaching Pre K-8, Nov/Dec 1999 by Kines, Barbara

PRIMARY AND INTERMEDIATE: With Thanksgiving in the air, my first choice is Byrd Baylor's The Table Where Rich People Sit (Simon and Schuster, 1998). Through each of her books set in the southwest, Baylor conveys great joy in her awareness of all we have to be thankful for. Also try Baylor's I'm In Charge of Celebrations (Simon and Schuster, 1986). Peter Parnall's clear, uncluttered illustrations are a perfect accompaniment to the author's spare, thoughtful text.

Circle of Thanks, by Susi Gregg Fowler with illustrations by Peter Catalanotto (Scholastic Press, 1998) takes us to Alaska where animals do good and often life-saving - deeds for one another with never a thank-you. A boy and his mother live in isolation on the tundra. When an arctic fox leads the mother to where the boy is stranded in a storm, his whispered "thank-you" carries on the wind to the other animals and back to the warm and cozy cabin. "it is good to know that they are not alone," says the introductory page, and this phrase is appropriately repeated as the final line of the book Annushka's Voyage, by Edith Tarbescu, with illustrations by Lydia Dabcovich (Clarion, 1998) is set at the turn of the century and follows two girls from a small Russian village on their long and arduous journey to America where their Papa is waiting. With them we experience the gigantic steamship jammed with people sailing to "The Golden Land," the lines of hopeful immigrants at Ellis Island and - with the help of a special pair of Sabbath candlesticks - the joyous reunion with Papa. This is a true story of the author's mother's journey at age 13, and is a beautifully told tale of the family's hopes for a bright future, hopes shared with the millions of people who left all they knew and loved to make a new life in a strange land.

Each of these books suggests that we need to get our problems in perspective and take another look at all we have to appreciate.

FOR PARENTS: Surely you've seen Stephen Covey's The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (Golden Books, 1999), but have you examined The Seven Habits of Highly EffeCtive Families (Golden Books, 1997)? Dealing with such practicalities as how to have quality time when both parents (or an only parent) work, how to discipline without punishment and how to maintain order and a spirit of cooperation in the family while still giving the members the freedom and autonomy they need in order to grow, Covey insists we need a "flight plan," a clear vision of the destination we have in mind for our families. His Seven Habits act as a compass for helping families with correcting their course and reaching their goals.

There's a wealth of information and practical help in this book. I highly recommend that you keep it nearby for a handy reference as your family grows and changes. As the author writes, "You never retire from your family!"