I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.
This week we're sharing our wish lists of books we'd like to own, and maybe granting a wish or two for someone else! If you've been around here long, you know that I am very limited in the books that I want to physically own for myself, but I love filling up the bookshelf for my kids. The books here have been on my PaperBackSwap wish list for some time — which is my main way of getting kids' books — and so I'm adding them to an Amazon wish list where you can send one to my kids if you feel inclined! Here's what's on the list and why.
This one has become a modern classic, and I haven't yet had the chance to read it! My older son, though he isn't blind, is colorblind, so I like the idea of colors being described in ways other than sight.
This book is a celebration of the magic of books! I've tried to instill a love of books by reading to my kids from the time we brought them home, but now our 6-year-old can read, though we've yet to reach the point of getting him to pick up books on his own. I look forward to that day when he discovers the magic of getting lost in a story all by himself.
My two kids are, as far as I know, both boys, and this book is intended to counteract the cultural gender messages they will receive by giving advice specifically for them. I want them to feel encouraged to show their full range of emotions and befriend people of all genders, among other things, and this book is one way to keep that conversation open.
Despite having both a home and a school that preach a growth mindset, our older son struggles with perfectionism. This book is specifically meant to show why making mistakes is important to living a full life, which is a great message!
We have in our collection a book about a transgender boy (When Aiden Became a Brother), and this one is about a transgender girl — er, bear. I appreciate books that tackle topics like gender in kid-friendly, accessible ways!
Our 6-year-old attends a Catholic school and we — at least pre-pandemic — attended the adjoining church, so I'm open to my kids having books that expand on their understanding of God, but there are a lot of awful choices out there! This one is supposed to be much more progressive, centering the idea that we know God through the way Jesus loved and served others. (By the way, I'm very excited for my pre-ordered copy of the late Rachel Held Evans' book, What Is God Like?, to arrive!)
Clearly I didn't get this one in time for this year's Juneteenth observation, but it's still important to me that I include a book about this holiday in our collection. I think Something Happened in Our Town is the only one we've read together that directly addresses slavery, and this one is also aimed at educating kids about that history in an age-appropriate way.
A while back I read I Am Sonia Sotomayor with my older son, but I don't remember how much her diabetes came up in that book. In this picture book, she's highlighting how people have a wide variety of abilities and conditions that shape their life experiences.
I appreciate the many recent picture books that include representations of transgender girls and boys, but it's important that kids understand that some people don't fit the gender binary! We have one book, My Maddy, that is about a non-binary adult, but this one uses metaphor to explain the broader concept of the gender binary and how not everyone fits.
This book was recommended by a friend who also has a high-spirited, impulsive kid like our older one. Using a choose-your-own-adventure type format, this one explores how kids have the power to make choices about their actions — and those choices have consequences!
What's on your wish list?
Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Darius the Great Is Not Okay and The End of Policing
Five years ago I was reading: Furiously Happy, East of Eden, and The Return of the King
Ten years ago I was reading: Water from the Well
