Friendship
Chester the cricket, inadvertently displaced from his country home, finds friendship in New York’s Times Square station. We get a small animal-sized view of the world and a view of friendships between animals and also between people and animals.
Discussed in the books are the struggles of a family that owns a newspaper stand, the unintentional trouble the sympathetic animals create, and an idea of the little incidents that make NY such a cool place that does not always live up to its reputation as a cold, unfriendly city.
Click for Discussion Questions
William, one of many children evacuated from London during the WWII bombings, finds a refuge in the country. Abused, frightened, and withdrawn as a result of his mother’s treatment, William responds to the patience and kindness of Mr. Tom, blossoming into a healthy boy, friendly boy with artistic talent.
For the most part, the story paints an encouraging picture of how a child responds positively to his nurturing surroundings. It also gives historical information about the war in terms of child evacuations. Be warned that William shows signs of physical and emotional abuse. William is reunited briefly with his abusive mother, and his disturbing living conditions are described in detail.
Click for Discussion Questions
Winnie is excited to learn that a new family has moved into the neighborhood. Some of the other neighbors are not, however, because the new family is black. Winnie befriends the new kids, learning much about the hurtfulness of erroneous perceptions.
The story examines stereotypes and prejudice from a sixth grader’s point of view. Blume presents these complex ideas in a simplified, straightforward way that children can understand, while acknowledging that the issues are complex. For example, at one point, Winnie remarks that the new family can’t be that different if it uses the same brand of peanut butter.
Click for Discussion Questions
Third-grader Ellen finds camaraderie with the new girl in town. Ellen and Austine have adventures around town and in school while developing their friendship and meeting the challenges of this age.
A misunderstanding threatens their friendship, and for some time the girls do not speak. This is realistically portrayed and serves as a good discussion point for how to handle these common but hurtful squabbles.
Click for Discussion QuestionsI fondly remember the Ginnie series from my own childhood. Ginnie, age 11ish, navigates a 50’s suburban world. Though out of print, you can often find these books used on Amazon or eBay. This particular book is excellent for discussing with your daughter the downfalls of being a follower, how to pursue one’s own interests, and how to navigate the difficult social world girls often face. Ginnie and Geneva have been best friends for ages, but when a new girl comes between them, Ginnie is at a loss for how to cope, as she is so reliant on Geneva. Ginnie’s mother shows her how to develop her own interests and not wait for Geneva to return. Ultimately, Geneva sees Ginnie’s confidence and this is one of the things that restarts their friendship.
This book is a good springboard for discussions about the social world with our daughters. Through Mother’s gentle guidance and Ginnie’s willingness to step out of her comfort zone, this book models an effective way to handle when a friend is suddenly no longer your friend.
Click for Discussion Questions
I loved this series as a child and was so glad to see that is being reprinted. These two sets of twins, both boy/girl, aged around 6 and 12, have all kinds of adventures in a world where kids could run freely around town and country. In this one, the Bobbsey family sets out on a houseboat adventure, with all kinds of mysteries, mishaps, exploration, and excitement.
Note that these books are old, like 1920’s and 30’s old. The Bobbseys’ black housekeeper, Dinah, sometimes speaks in a stereotypical way that readers might find offensive today. Explaining the context to your child would be helpful.
Click for Discussion Questions
Eight-year-old Alice moves to a new state with her father and brother (mom has died) and faces making new friends in a new school. She has a hard time with this but identifies her successes and slowly becomes open to friendships with more and more people.
I liked how Alice identified how silly it was to be feuding with a group of girls and then reached out to that group and befriended them. There is some incongruity between how this 8-year-old thinks and acts and how a real 8-year-old thinks and acts, but it did not significantly detract from the story.
Click for Discussion Questions
This is an awesome book that addresses an unfortunate event that most girls will experience in one way or another: verbal bullying. Peggy and Maddie fall into mistreating a girl in school and continue the pattern. The story is presented simply and realistically (and enhanced by lovely illustrations), making this topic approachable for a range of ages.
This story examines verbal bullying, fear of speaking against it, guilt over participating on any level, and having the courage to do the right, if not easy, thing. It is useful for analyzing the behaviors of others in hopes of giving our daughters the tools to avoid these situations themselves.
Click for Discussion Questions
This is a chapter book from the writer of Pete’s a Pizza and Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. Dominic the dog goes off in search of adventure and ends up making much of his own through his friendliness, generosity, and bravery. He enjoys the journey itself, as well as the adventure, which is a useful thing to point out.
There are so many good vocabulary words in this book! I like how Steig stretches the reader with a plethora of unusual and challenging words. I read this to my 7th grade students and it was a great lesson in context clues. I also like how the author adds details particular to the dog world to make the story more genuine, unique, and amusing. This story has fairytale elements presented in a way that will appeal to kids past the fairy tale age.
Click for Discussion Questions
Saved by Fern from an untimely death, runty Wilbur the pig thrives in the barnyard. Learning that he is destined for the smokehouse petrifies him, but Charlotte the spider has a plan to fool the humans and save his life.
What a wonderful book about friendship. There is innocence, the delight in a summer day on a farm, humor, talking animals, and a quiet simplicity that pervades the story. I was worried the first time I read this aloud to my kids (when they were each around four) that Charlotte’s death would be too sad, but they were fine, and it turned out to be a nice way to talk about emotions.
Click for Discussion Questions
Recent comments
44 weeks 4 days ago