How I Learned Geography: the soul and the mind need nourishment too

How I Learned Geography: the soul and the mind need nourishment too

Ages 4 - Adult

I'm so grateful when stories like this are shared. It's inspiring, yes, but more than that it's a thing of beauty. Here, Uri Shulevitz tells a story of his own childhood; the story of his life as a refugee and the impact of a brave decision that his father made.

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Those Shoes: gentle wisdom that works out very nicely

Those Shoes: gentle wisdom that works out very nicely

Ages 4 to 12

Jeremy needs a new pair of shoes and desperately wants those shoes - the ones all the kids want. But Grandma says:

‘There's no room for 'want' around here, just 'need', and what you need are new boots for winter.’

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how friendship and courage bring hope to a community

how friendship and courage bring hope to a community

ages 12 years and up
Hotaka is the tale of the town of Omori-wan, one of the Japanese villages devastated by the 2011 Tsunami and the people who are trying to learn to live after everything is swept away—it's told through the eyes of a young boy, Hotaka....

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a touching story of recovery, remembering and resilience

a touching story of recovery, remembering and resilience

ages 4 to 12 years
An asylum seeker is someone who is seeking protection as a refugee but hasn’t yet been granted recognised refugee status. So in this story, Ziba and her mother—who have left their own country after war and oppression came to their village—are both asylum seekers and refugees. They're traveling by boat to a new country where they hope to find ‘azadi’—freedom

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drawing out the beating heart of cities + regions around the world

drawing out the beating heart of cities + regions around the world

ages 2 years to adult (a beautiful gift or coffee table book)
What does your home have lots of? Cars, cheese, Atlantic puffins? Lots beautifully illustrates cities and regions around the world, showing what they have lots of.

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the wonder and blessings of a meaningful life enhanced by literacy

the wonder and blessings of a meaningful life enhanced by literacy

ages 4 to 8 years
Set in Egypt, this is an ever so slightly suspenseful book to read aloud and it's then so very peaceful in its resolution. Ahmed has a secret—and it’s a good one! I love this book and can hardly count the number of times I've given it as a gift.

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profound messages of kinship, connection, and shared love of country

profound messages of kinship, connection, and shared love of country

ages 2 to grown-up
Some stories have a profound message – one that everyone needs to hear more than once – one that is just as relevant to a toddler as it is to the toddler’s grandpa. This isYou and Me Murrawee.

The story is told as the musings of a young girl – maybe 10 or 12 years old – who has a gift for seeing what is no longer present. 

The girl is on a family camping trip in the Australian bush and, as she plays and paddles and watches her family, she senses the life of an indigenous girl, 200 years ago, doing many of the same things she is doing. 

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