WTBA is a collection of and conversation about powerful books that strengthen, elevate, inspire and help to grow powerful, resilient kids. We're a book oriented guide for parents, grandparents, educators, aunts, uncles and anyone involved in nurturing children and caring for friends.
ages about 8 to grownup
The dreadful realities of history include events and times like the Cultural Revolution in China. Times that test the limits of our imaginations and our resolve. The Red Piano is a beautifully told story that takes us into the life of a young girl living through the Cultural Revolution.
Have you seen this remarkable—though gruelling—webpage? It’s called Where the children sleep and it shows a series of images of sleeping children who have been displaced by the war in Syria. There are 22 images, each with a few words about the child's circumstances.
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For a less gruelling but still thought-provoking look at the wildly disparate sleeping places of children around the world we’d recommend Where Children Sleep. (The book and the web page are unrelated even though they have similar names.) I’ve seen many a child and adult sit and pore over the pages of this breathtaking book.
One of the great things about picture books is their ability to help us feel the history as well as know the history, but they can do it in a way that leaves us with a sense of beauty and hope. Half Spoon of Rice does this brilliantly.
ages 10 years and up
This handful of books provide good lead-ins to explicit conversations about race and ethnicity; some also highlight historical discrimination or hardship.
Read MoreConnections—momentary or spread over a lifetime—change the world. Here are 5 favourite books that help to provide a foundation for children so that, when the moment arrives, they will be ready to make a connection.
My Two Blankets is a charming story about a young girl who ‘came to this country to be safe’ and the way she was able to reclaim a safe, happy and loved childhood. Positive, enlightening, it engages on many, many fronts.
ages early childhood to teen
Read MoreA conversation about books + kids. A website resource and book reviews for educators, parents, grandparents. The main focus is emotional resilience.
