an ode to dads and the value of a simple childhood

an ode to dads and the value of a simple childhood

ages 2 to 8 years—and dads!
Sam introduces us to his whole family, Mum, brother Leon, and Dad, and tells us about the things he does with his Dad. They’re simple things—the stuff of a blessedly ordinary childhood.... As he shares his life, we see the love and admiration Sam has for Dad but even more, we see the love Dad has for his family.

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a poetic reminder to make time for fun!

a poetic reminder to make time for fun!

ages 0 to 7 years
I love it when Ivy says something like ‘remember when we went to that park, that was so cool!’ I love it because we're usually just driving away from the park at the time! She re-tells all the wonderful things that happened, even though I was there the whole time and it was only 20 minutes ago. The talking is lovely and draws us closer together...

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how one boy begins to approach the meaning of life—on a camping trip

how one boy begins to approach the meaning of life—on a camping trip

ages 8 to 14 years
Beloved by parents, in part due to the cloistered risks the trip offers to children, camping is the stuff of dreams for many children too. Except when it’s not. For Henry Hoobler, who will go into year 3 at school when his family camping trip ends, there's some mild anxiety going on...

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a profound exploration of death and the intertwining of grief and joy

a profound exploration of death and the intertwining of grief and joy

ages 6 years to adult
Because grief, when it visits, consumes us and seems to blanket all the world in sadness, our inclination is to shield children from its depths, or to show them how to escape as quickly as possible. It’s a strange, if quintessentially human, response. Our great love for the children we care about motivates us but 

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a tender but unflinching story of Australia's Stolen Generation

a tender but unflinching story of Australia's Stolen Generation

ages 6 years to adult
Have you seen this website? It’s a collection of personal testimonies from people of the Stolen Generation. They're so very personal and real that I feel like a welcome, if naïve, guest. Each testimony includes a short personal statement

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when you were born . . . our hearts sang, our spirits soared . . .

when you were born . . . our hearts sang, our spirits soared . . .

ages newborn to 5 years
I came across this really sweet book at the library. It's a lovely collection of different animal and human parents telling their young ones what it felt like when they were born. For the bear family it was: When you were born the snow melted, the birds sang, the flowers grew. For the owls

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a wonderfully concise look at younger sibling-hood

a wonderfully concise look at younger sibling-hood

ages newborn to 8 years
That's William at playgroup, all dressed up as a pirate and asking: “Who will be my crew?” And, when William's dad was five or six-years-old, he used to leap on to the lounge chair asking exactly the same question: 

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