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.
Age guide: 2 to 12 years.
Mr. Nick has a passion—he loves knitting. He knits every morning on the train ride to work, and his friend Mrs. Jolley does too. When sickness strikes Mrs. Jolley, Mr. Nick puts his passion to work to serve and lift and love Mrs. Jolley.
I'm pretty sure the reason I read this book so many times had nothing to do with the funny story, the cute illustrations or the healthy body image messages. And I’m pretty sure my kids found it totally hilarious that I kept reading the word ‘bum’ out loud. This is a FUNNY book.
ages baby to 12 years
Age guide: 2 to 8 years ish
This is a simple story about different points of view, forgiveness, mistakes, work and overcoming. Also, it’s funny!
Tom is a little fellow who finds some red paint – then, in the space of just three hours, paints his entire living room red. Including the TV and the cat! He’s quite pleased with the result.
Mum is not, but after a few wild exclamations she gets it together and they undertake a complete revamp of the living room – and finally everyone is happy with the result. Years pass, then one day Tom finds the blue paint.
Read MoreAge guide: baby to 8 year old
Princess Beatrice understands her privileges – she’s the daughter of a King and Queen who love their daughter and give her free range of all the castle jewels – and there are many!
But one day, when a rotten robber charges into the castle and spots Beatrice decked out from head to foot in extravagant jewels, it all goes wrong. Being an opportunist, the robber grabs Beatrice and steals the jewels, Princess and all.
However, Beatrice has her head screwed on right and resourcefully tricks the robber into tying himself up in the jewels and Beatrice is free. She loads the robber up on his own horse and hauls him home to her now distraught parents.
Read MoreMichael Morpurgo often chooses war as a theme around which to wrap a story that isn’t really about war at all. In I Believe in Unicorns there is a war and it carries all the usual elements—and the war is pivotal to the story. But the story itself is about belief, acceptance, virtue, love and hope. It's told in the first person by Tomas who is remembering the time war came to his town.
ages 6 years to grownup
ages 4 to 10 years
Set in USA—there was a time when matchboxes were ubiquitous, now there are probably children who will need the concept of a matchbox explained or shown to them. But once that’s done, I suspect many children will want to start their own matchbox diary – and adults too.
ages 4 years to grownup
This hilarious book comes from a husband and wife team from New Zealand and in NZ they know a thing or two about sheep. The cover has a warning label ‘Contains Mischief’. It sure does! Books about poo are a mainstay of children’s stories—with good reason.
A conversation about books + kids. A website resource and book reviews for educators, parents, grandparents. The main focus is emotional resilience.
