Healthy RGV Issue 107 - October Has Us Thinking Pink

HEALTHY KIDS · OCTOBER 2017
5 BOOKS
TO HAVE
ON EVERY
CHILD’S
BOOKSHELF
We all want happy and healthy
children. That’s a given. We do
everything we can to ensure they
have all that they need and more. But one
of my life’s greatest accomplishments is
knowing that I raised a child who reads.
I’ve spent countless hours with my nose
buried in a good book. From the time, I
was first able to hold a book in my hands;
I developed a love of reading. The story
didn’t matter so much as the action itself. I
found little nuggets of wisdom in everything
that I read and amassed an extensive list of
favorites.
After I had children, I couldn’t wait to
share my childhood favorites with them. I
wondered if they’d love them as much as I
had and I hoped they’d find inspiration just as
I dreamed they always would.
Today, I looked around my house, and I felt
an enormous sense of pride. Every nook,
cranny, and shelf have books on it. Some are
dog-eared to favorite passages. Others have
bookmarks here and there. We revisit each
story time and time again.
Words mean something in our household.
We’re on the constant lookout for more
books to read. It doesn’t matter that we
already own dozens of books because there’s
always something new and exciting out there
for us to discover.
Like many long-time readers, we enjoy the
classics. The iconic children's’ book "The Very
Hungry Caterpillar" is one of our favorites.
We read it regularly. But in addition to stories
like "Goodnight, Moon," we are always on
the hunt for what I call modern classics. New
authors with new stories to tell, excite me to
no end.
Here are a few we think deserve to sit
on every child’s bookshelf:
Flora and the
01 Flamingo by
Molly Idle
This beautiful wordless
picture book is genius.
With interactive flaps,
the 2014 Caldecott
Honor book, follows
Flora and her gorgeous
flamingo friend as they
explore the ups and downs of friendship
through dance. What’s not to love about
that?
Filled with humor, heart, and harmony,
this picture book is sure to delight young
children.
02 The
Youngest
Marcher: The
Story of Audrey
Faye Hendricks,
a Young Civil
Rights Activist by
Cynthia Levinson
This is a moving
picture book that follows the story of nineyear-old
Audrey Faye Hendricks, the youngest
known child to be arrested for a civil rights
protest.
While a tough subject, this poignant and
inspirational book tells her moving story
in terms, young readers can understand.
It opens up a much-needed conversation
and showcases what it means to have
compassion, take a stand, and do your part to
make the world a better place.
12 HEALTHY MAGAZINE
03 Dad
and the
Dinosaur
by Gennifer
Choldenko
A heartwarming story
about a father and son
who face their fears
together and learn
everything they need to know about what
real bravery is. It will tug at the heartstrings,
make you want to hug your father, and will
quickly become one of your favorites.
04
Goodnight,
Numbers by
Danica McKellar
A bedtime story
perfect for very
young children.
With beautiful
illustrations and
hidden math gems, this book aims to set the
foundation for learning math skills. Children
say goodnight to the objects around them
and learn to count at the same time.
Olivia the Spy
05 by Ian Falconer
This book follows
children’s favorite
pig as she hunts
down clues about her
birthday? Is a surprise
in store for her or has
her eavesdropping led
her down the wrong path? Find out in this
fun adventure perfect for children between
the ages of four and eight.
By Alan Freeman