WTBA is a collection of and conversation about powerful books that strengthen, elevate, inspire and help to grow powerful, resilient kids. We're a book oriented guide for parents, grandparents, educators, aunts, uncles and anyone involved in nurturing children and caring for friends.
When Angus was close to due and I was looking at a few nights in hospital with my hands full of baby, I decided to dive in and give audio books a try. It was a great decision! While I still love traditional reading (really, nothing compares), I've discovered that there's room for more than one kind of book in my life - I've listed three reasons, maybe you'll relate?
Read Moreages 2 to 8 years
Zelda is a chook with a dream. She wants to be the first chicken in space - she does it too! And, like The Little Red Hen, Zelda has to do all the work herself. But Zelda is not just intrepid, she's generous too.
Set in Canada, Waiting for the Whales makes a really nice stepping stone to family storytelling. It’s about a grandfather living a simple life of gardening and watching the seasons. It's a picture book to prompt one's own family stories – leading easily to thoughts, memories and 'after' conversations.
ages 4 to 12 years
A poignant look at living with the demons of anxiety and profound unhappiness. Small things lead to the demons that beset a young man, and small things lead to overcoming them. A lovely meditation on the impact small things can have.
ages 10 years to adult
ages 4 to 12 years
Friendships are seldom perfect, especially when the friends are new to forming and maintaining relationships outside their immediate family. Purdy (the cat) and Barker (the dog) have a solid but anguished sort of friendship. It’s the sort of friendship that will be instantly recognisable to many kids and their parents (or teachers)...
One book each (adult and child) to help us know and feel what it is to be a refugee: certain that there was no choice but to leave, yet living a life devoid of sureness. Both are beautiful to look at, both tell personal stories respectfully and without compromise.
There are so many fast and witty grabs in this 3 minute video that we can safely quote from it without being the least bit of a spoiler, like ...
Read MoreA conversation about books + kids. A website resource and book reviews for educators, parents, grandparents. The main focus is emotional resilience.
