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 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...
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...
ages 2 to 8 years
Ownership is a slippery concept, especially where pets are concerned. Is it really possible to own another living thing—and how does the pet view your relationship anyway! It gets even more complex if your ‘pet’ is actually a wild animal. Wilfred is pretty sure he owns a moose! He calls the moose Marcel and gives him a list of rules, some of which the moose follows really well, others not so well. But Wilfred is happy
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
For over a hundred years now, we’ve been telling ourselves that the pen is mightier than the sword. And although it sometimes it seems that the sword is winning, ideologies and causes and words usually come before the sword. Which is why it’s so important that our words be words of truth and hope and love. The solemn thoughts in the above quote are from In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner. They're spoken by a father to his young, beloved daughter
Read Moreages 4 years to grownup
There’s an architect’s sensibility running through this book—probably because both author and illustrator trained as architects. It has a feel for space and design that's modern yet classic, a bit like an excursion to a modern art gallery. Simple shapes become
a board book for baby and a fun picture book for grownups
Does this pretty much sum up life for you too? (I’m sure there’s a male equivalent: ‘I was going to be the perfect husband. I was to going to paint and build and mow and mow and mow???’) Check out the rest of Judy Horacek’s 'Topic of the Month' cartoons here—so funny.
A conversation about books + kids. A website resource and book reviews for educators, parents, grandparents. The main focus is emotional resilience.
