Stellaluna: delighting in the extraordinary brings confidence and happiness

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Stellaluna: delighting in the extraordinary brings confidence and happiness

Ages 2 to 8

This is a must-read book - it speaks to the anxiety of being separated from family, the strangeness of new worlds, reconciliation with those new worlds, a return to family and familiarity and being able to move between two worlds without betraying either and without loss of love or friendship. It's a book to have, sitting on the shelf, to provide reassurance and peace at the end of a long day.

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A Monster Wrote Me A Letter: an open mind can be the first step in overcoming discrimination

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A Monster Wrote Me A Letter: an open mind can be the first step in overcoming discrimination

Things go amusingly awry when a monster writes a letter to his cousin Fred. The letter is accidentally delivered to the little boy under whose bed Fred lives.

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Vision of Beauty: a mighty story of dignity and freedom

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Vision of Beauty: a mighty story of dignity and freedom

Madame Walker was born Sarah Breedlove, the youngest child in her family and the first person in her family to be born free. Her family were slaves in Louisiana until emancipation in 1865. 

Sarah was born in 1867 and lived an extraordinary life.

During her at once difficult and blessed life, Sarah married twice, had a daughter, and built a cosmetics empire. 

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Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge: a loving look at memory loss and friendship

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Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge: a loving look at memory loss and friendship

That’s a major gap in a child’s life and one we tried to fill with elderly friends from church and other grandparents and great-grandparents of friends. 

I think that one of the reasons we realised this was so important was that we had both read Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge dozens and dozens of times.  

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turning grumpiness around and helping friends feel better too

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turning grumpiness around and helping friends feel better too

Grumpy feelings don't need to last all day - a cheerful gift, a bit of sharing, and giving to a friend help the animals in this story to get over their grumpy starts to the day.
ages 0 to about 6 years

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the absurdity of war laid bare in a pro-peace story for nations and families

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the absurdity of war laid bare in a pro-peace story for nations and families

A brilliant tale of a duck who calls a halt to war, and the warriors who are led to peace. It's great for entrenching a desire for peace and for overcoming fear of unknown.
ages 2 to 12 years / emotional resilience

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