I am Malala

Last week I shared my favorite read aloud of this past school year-- Wonder by R.J. Palaccio. Today I would like to share my second favorite read aloud from this past school year. The book was I am Malala. This is the autobiography of Malala Yousafzai, the 16 year old girl who stood up for girl's education and was shot by the Taliban.

When I decided to tackle this challenging non-fiction title with my 5th and 6th grade students I was worried it would be beyond their ability to understand or appreciate. Boy, was I ever wrong! Not only did they get it but reading this book became a life-changing experience for all of us.

Malala has become a personal hero to all of the girls in my class. No one can read this book without gaining a profound appreciation for the rights of eduction that we take for granted every day. I promise if you read this book yourself and/or read it with your kids, you will never see your life or school the same way again.

Malala is an engaging storyteller and each chapter in the book prompted so much dialogue and conversation. It is a violent story but it told in such a way that it is appropriate for 10 and 11 year olds. If you want to prevent summer brain drain, put this on your reading list for the summer.

I showed my students this amazing video of Malala's UN Speech.

We loved this interview with Malala by Diane Sawyer.

Here is Malala's father as he speaks about her on the TED Stage.

I love Malala and her cause. I am praying with the rest of the world for the safe return of the kidnapped Nigerian school girls. Only through education can we hope to change our world for the better.

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Best Book EVER: Wonder!

I can't recommend the book Wonder highly enough. I used this novel as a read aloud in my class this year and without question it was a favorite of everyone in the class. Reluctant readers, prolific readers, boys, girls, ADHD, autism, you name it. Everyone loved this book. And just when I thought that the book couldn't get any better,  R. J. Palacio came out with the Julian chapter! GENIUS!

I think every parent needs to put this on their summer reading list. Grab a copy and read it to your kids while you are on a road trip or while you are camping or on vacation. Take a few late nights, lay outside on a blanket and devour this book together.  I think it is perfect for kids from 6 to 60.

I promise you won't regret it. I am recommending this book to a close friend who is worried that her 8 year old son will not take responsibility for his actions. This book is perfect for driving the point of personal responsibility home! I promise it will get the conversation started.

Are you worried that your child does not reach out to others or is getting into a clique or exclusive group? This book will solve your problem.

Are you wanting to encourage your child to be more kind and considerate? This book is your answer.

Do you want to open your child's eyes to the perspective of others? Check.
Do you want him or her to see how gossip hurts others? Check.
Do you want to help your child stand up to bullies or not be a bully? Check.

This book is for you! This book is perfect on so many levels. But believe it or not, even though it teaches so many powerful lessons, it is not preachy. It is exciting, engaging, and entertaining. You will not be able to put it down. I cried when I read Julian's ending.

Get Wonder and Julian's Chapter today!

Wonder

The Julian Chapter
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The Narcism Epidemic

I just finished the Narcissism Epidemic. Talk about scary! The book explores how we are raising a generation of the most narcissistic kids in history. I really related to the examples given in the book. 

                                                         

*We are treating our kids like royalty as we worship at the Altar of High Self-Esteem at All Costs.

*We are pampering them with every gift, toy, and lavish party possible which we instantly pin and share via social media as we create a cult of mini celebrities.  

*We are so worried that our kids will be hurt that we refuse to teach them how to lose gracefully i.e. every kid gets a trophy/ everyone is a winner. 

*We overpraise our kids for being smart and then blame the teacher rather than the student when lack of effort leads to a poor score. This is the result:

Here is a quote from the book: 

"Understanding the narcissism epidemic is important because its long-term consequences are destructive to society. American culture’s focus on self-admiration has caused a flight from reality to the land of grandiose fantasy. We have phony rich people (with interest-only mortgages and piles of debt), phony beauty (with plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures), phony athletes (with performance-enhancing drugs), phony celebrities (via reality TV and YouTube), phony genius students (with grade inflation), a phony national economy (with 11 trillion dollars of government debt), phony feelings of being special among children (with parenting and education focused on self-esteem), and phony friends (with the social networking explosion). All this fantasy might feel good, but, unfortunately, reality always wins. The mortgage meltdown and the resulting financial crisis are just one demonstration of how inflated desires eventually crash to earth."

I recommend that every parent pick up this book as soon as possible. It really opened my eyes. You don't need to agree with everything the authors say to quickly realize that we are on the wrong track as a society. The book also gives practical advice as to what we are parents can do differently.

One idea: Praise effort and not innate ability.
(See Tiff's great post on not calling your kids smart here.)

Other ideas:
Teach your kids that it is not always about them.
Promote humility.
Say No.
Don't always allow choice.
Encourage empathy.

Happy Reading! And remember that when you call your darling little 3-year-old a "Prima Donna"--- you don't really want her to grow up to be one!


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Horses!

I just finished reading the book The Faraway Horses by Buck Brannaman.

Buck is the real life Horse Whisperer who inspired the movie with Robert Redford.

His story is also told in a documentary called Buck as well as in his book.

This movie was recommended to our family by a gifted social worker named Ted.

Since hearing about this movie, I have learned firsthand about the power of horses for therapeutic healing. Two powerful programs near my home in Highland, Utah have impacted my family for good. One is Courage Reins.

It is a therapeutic riding center for children with all kinds of disabilities. One of my daughters is currently volunteering there as a side walker. She gets to walk beside the horse and the disabled rider during their lessons. She is loving this experience.

The other program is Bridle up Hope. This amazing program was began by the Covey Family to honor their daughter Rachel.

The goal of Bridle up Hope is to assist adolescent girls who are struggling with low self-worth or depression. They sponsor qualified girls who receive 11 free riding lessons. One of my daughters has been participating in this program and hopes to continue as a volunteer.

Just reading the book was so inspiring. Buck himself overcame severe abuse in his childhood to become a man of gentle strength and wisdom who is gifted in working with horses that have been abused. Here is one of the parenting gems that I gained from this book:

Sometimes you'll work with colts that may be a little bit the way I was, kind of looking for an adventure when time permits. These colts are not bad, they don't want to be bad, and they're not trying to make things bad for you. They just might need a little something to do. They don't need to be whipped, or knocked down, any more than I did as a kid. They just need to be directed, or better yet, redirected. Punishing a horse for doing something wrong is no solution. A kick in the gut solves nothing. You will be further ahead of the game if you redirect him where you would like him to go. This was the first example in my life of a person making the wrong thing difficult, and the right thing easy, as opposed to making the wrong thing impossible through intimation. {My foster parents} gave me an understanding of what real love was about, what devotion mean, and how a lesson can be shared, not dictated.  (The Faraway Horses pages 53-54)

I am looking forward to watching the documentary as well. Ted, the social worker I mentioned, uses this movie as he works with teens who are struggling to make positive choices in their lives. He says that the messages they gain from this movie are life-changing.

Are you a horse lover? Do you need to be?

P.S. My daughters and I recently finished The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. Another very unusual story about horses that made for a fascinating and compelling read. Loved it!


Buck Brannaman

Courage Reins

Bridle Up Hope



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Country Day: Russia

I have been thinking that it would be fun to feature a different country each week and spotlight crafts and activities that you could do with each country. With the Winter Olympics right around the corner in Sochi, it made perfect sense to start with Russia. Both my parents and my brother-in-law Adam served a church mission in the beautiful country of Russia. They love the people and the memories they created there. Share a few of these activities with your family, preschool class or cub scout troop today.

Fun Books About Russia

Activities To Do With The Book "THE MITTEN"

Free Printable Mitten and Animals

Great Movies with a Russian Theme or Russian Characters

Russian Crafts

Faberge Egg Collage

Russian Nesting Dolls

with Free Printable Patterns

Russian Cityscape Silhouette

Russian Foods

Orange Drop Cookies

Russian Tea Cakes

Russian Pierogis

Russian Games

Games Children Play in Russia

Russian Fairy Tales

Enjoy the adventures of the mighty knight Ruslan, the beautiful "dead" princess, Ivan Tsarevich, Prince Gvidon and many others. 

Fairy Tales Told in Russia

Russian Music and Dancing

Watch this fun video and then try out your hand at some traditional Russian Dancing!

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Our Favorite Author: Janette Rallison

Do your kids have any favorite authors that they enjoy reading over the summer?

All of my daughters love the author Janette Rallison. Her books are so light and fun to read that they make the perfect beach novel. I even enjoy my "Janette Rallison" escape every once in a while. I love that they include romance but are still clean and appropriate. I never have to worry that my daughter's are reading anything with sex or other mature content.

Here are just a few of her titles:

I think Just One Wish is my favorite. I have never laughed and cried so hard in the same book before.

One of my daughters has even coined the phrase "Janette Rallison Moments." Here is what she wrote on Good Reads;

She is seriously my favorite author. Not to boast or anything but I was the cause of my best friends obsession and addiction as well. You know the saying, misery loves company. And it is misery, waiting for something new by Janette Rallison. 

You know how she seems to create the most awkward, embarrassing, yet down right hilarious teenage moments in all of her books? (If you don't, read some and you'll see.) Well my friends and I have what we like to call "Janette Rallison moments". It's where we have the most humiliating experiences that are mortifying at first, but then we have a giggle fest later on about it. Like the time when one of my friends got their braces stuck to her crushes shirt. Yeah. Definitely Janette Rallison moment.

Anyways. If you haven't jumped on the Janette train (or her other secret name she uses to write books, all of which are just as fabulous) I suggest you do right away. You are missing out! 

I love how these books help her laugh at her own embarrassing teenage moments. 

Janette is now writing books under the pseudonym C.J. Hill and we love those books too. These books will even interest the boys in your house. My students loved the first book in the Slayers series and I am reading her new book Erasing Time and loving it.

If you haven't yet discovered this terrific author, this summer is the perfect time to check her out.



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