I recently read an article in the Spring 2017 BYU Magazine, written by Sue Bergin, about how reading books which model important life lessons can be valuable to children. Because stories relate to a person’s emotions, they can be a particularly powerful teaching tool.
I read to my kids every day. We have several shelves of our own books at home with our favorite books. And we also fill a large basket at the library every week to have a new assortment of books to read. I let my kids choose many of the books we read, but I also pick a few. By choosing some “good” books, I can promote literacy AND positive behavior at the same time š
For older kids who are reading on their own, I HIGHLY recommend purchasing the Good and Beautiful book list compiled by Jenny Philips. (You can download a sample list at that link, or purchase the full list). I don’t have time to pre-screen every book my pre-teen reads. Jenny Philips has read hundreds of books and recommends books that teach good moral values; unfortunately, so many of the books available nowadays make rude and crude behavior seem funny– I appreciate that she’s gone through and found “good” books. My older kids have read many of the books on her list, and they’ve really enjoyed all of them. (Note that some of these books are older, and aren’t available at many public libraries. BUT… a lot of old books that are no longer under copyright are available to read online for FREE at Project GutenbergĀ and can be listened to FREE at LibriVox. I’ve found these to be very, very helpful resources.)
Here are some picture books for the little guys that Sue Bergin recommended in her article (with a few of my own suggestions):
SOCIAL AWARENESS— understanding things from another person’s perspective
One Smile by Cindy McKinley
The Three QuestionsĀ by Jon J. Muth
Do unto Otters by Laurie Keller
RESPONSIBLE DECISION MAKING— cause and effect
The Enchanted Wood by Ruth Sanderson
Three Bears in a Boat by David Soman
If I Only Had a Green Nose by Max Lucado
Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg
The Big Fib by Melissa Anderson
RELATIONSHIP SKILLS— positive interactions and friendship building
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
The Blessings Jar by Colleen Coble
Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud
Enemy Pie by Derek Munson
SELF-MANAGEMENT— controlling thoughts and behavior
Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein
Lacey Walker, Non-stop Talker by Christianne C. Jones
Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus
SELF-AWARENESS— identify own emotions
Gandhi: A March to the Sea by Alice B. McGinty
GalimotoĀ by Karen Lynn Williams
Something Beautiful by Sharon Dennis Wyeth