Sunday 15 January 2017

Books About Being Yourself


School can be a scary place for children, their peers are inevitably going to be different to them. In order to combat bullying, students should be encouraged to accept themselves and to accept others. Here are six beautiful children's books that discuss being yourself and embracing differences.



Carla's Sandwich by Debbie Herman
This is a beautifully written book about "that weird kid" in the class who is brave enough to be herself. It is full of strange sandwich fillings that are sure to get your students engaged and giggling. What I love most about this book is that Carla does not doubt herself or give in to peer pressure, it is her peers who learn a lesson.


A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
A Bad Case of Stripes tells the story of a young girl who turns into whatever people say she is. It is an excellent way of discussing peer pressure and conforming to what other people think, rather than just being yourself.




Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun by Maria Dismondy
This is another story of a young girl who is willing to be herself even when she is bullied. It invites discussion as to why others may not accept someone for being who they are, and how different responses may affect the situation. This is a great book for teaching about kindness to everyone.



Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
Chrysanthemum loved her name until she started school and got bullied for it. This delightful book encourages children to not only to love themselves but also to stand up for others. One character in the story notably bullies Chrysanthemum more than other, allowing for discussion about what that character may be feeling.



The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
The Name Jar is a beautiful book about a Korean girl's journey to accept her differences as a Korean living in America. This book is great for classrooms that have different cultures and could benefit from a little more acceptance both of themselves and of each other.


Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great by Bob Shea
This is a fabulous book for teaching students about the idea that the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Goat thinks Unicorn is perfect, but he is soon surprised to find that there are thinks that Goat has that Unicorn wishes he had too! Students are encouraged to look at themselves and see all the things they have, rather than look at what they don't have.

Sunday 1 January 2017

Happy New Year!



Happy New Year everyone! I am afraid I am quite typical when it comes to not keeping resolutions. Most years I prefer to semi-commit with the old "I'm not doing resolutions this year, but I'm going to try and...". Yeah, that doesn't work either.

This year I would like to eat better. With my son starting solids I have become aware of how much I eat that I am not willing to feed him. So why am I eating it? I'd like to try and reduce the amount of sugar I eat, but I have a serious chocolate addiction so I'm not sure how well that will go.

I also have great plans for this blog and my TpT store. I am finally at a point where I am proud of the products I am putting up and am making some progress in terms of getting them noticed. I also have some great ideas for this blog so stay tuned!

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday and a really great 2017!

Love Mrs Hartig