The Value Books

One of my favorite childhood memories is reading with Gama.  She did the reading, of course.  I looked at the pictures.  In thinking about it now - which I often do - I realize that I learned much more than simply how to read.

Fingerprints of a younger B.  Stickers on (and ripped off) the book.

Mostly, Gama read me these "Value" books, and I highly recommend them for younger kids (K-4).  The pictures are interesting, and the stories are about historical figures who have overcome some sort of obstacle in order to be "successful."  Success is anything from believing in yourself and developing a cure for rabies (Louis Pasteur) to being determined and learning how to "see" and "hear" and "speak" by alternate means (Helen Keller).

These books always begin with the historical figure's childhood, which makes it fun and easy to relate to as a kid, and they end with a printed biography of the person's life, which could be used if the kiddo is writing a paper for school, etc.

I use these books with a couple of kiddos that I'm tutoring, because the stories are simple and engaging enough to get their attention, and make them want to know what will happen next, but the words and concepts are complex enough to make them really work on decoding, predicting, and inferring meaning.  Also, the books don't sugarcoat bad things.  They include details about abuse to slaves, and people stealing and saying cruel things to each other.  They do this in a cartoon-y way, to soften the blow for a young audience, but they include enough content to allow for conversations about why that is wrong and how much it would hurt to go through something like that, etc.

Plus, they're just fun!  Kids can't believe they're actually about real people who did these real things.

When Gama read these books to me, I learned that obstacles are a part of each person's life.  Though they are difficult, they can be overcome.  I learned what is involved in being a good person - kindness, compassion, intelligence, adventure, determination, courage.  I learned how to read a book - that we can sit down and read half of it, then get up to put the clothes into the dryer, run a couple of errands, and come home to finish the rest of it.  I learned that a book can be picked up and put down and picked up again later.  I learned that books are fun, and some books have boring parts (and that's ok!), and we can read books for entertainment, and for learning, and for company.  These lessons are so ingrained in my literacy that I never even think about them and actually had to pick them apart for this post.

I don't know if these books are available anymore?  All I know is that I treasure mine!

Other recommendations for kids' books?