All posts by Team Booko

Books to help our children slow down

I had a chat with an older lady in the supermarket today and she was telling me about her childhood.  One of eight children, they foraged or trapped their dinners most nights.  Whether it was mushrooms, blackberries or catching rabbits, they went out with dad to find their ‘tea’.  After lunch, which was a weetbix with butter, they were told to go and play, just be home by dinnertime.

If you have a think about your childhood and compare it to the children of today: what are the main differences?  My childhood was definitely slower, we just did….less.  While we didn’t trap rabbits for dinner, there was a simple mundanity: dinners were meat and 3 veg and we spent most of our days outdoors playing on our bikes.  When I was growing up, there were less activities, opportunities and sources of information.  There were far less choices when I was a child, but there was a beautiful simplicity that went with it. Many behavioural issues that children are experiencing are said to come from our modern frenetic lifestyles.  As a result, authors have penned books to help us help our children to slow down.  Here are some of our favourite titles:

https-covers-booko-info300bearA Boy and a Bear by Lori Lite

‘A Boy and a Bear’ is a very simple story that can be read to children who might find it hard getting to sleep.  Through the story, a very simple technique called ‘circular breathing is taught.  This aims to bring calmness and well-being to both the child and the parent.  It’s a nice calm read to promote an easier bed-time routine.  Lite has written a suite of stories focused on bringing calm, visualisations and affirmations to children.  There have been positive reviews from some of the children, too: ‘I liked the story because it makes you feel relaxed and sleepy.  Every muscle in my body felt still.  I felt as relaxed as I could be’.  (Mandy, aged 8).

 

https-covers-booko-info300rabbitThe Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep by Carl-Johan Foreseen Ehrlin

The groundbreaking #1 bestseller is sure to turn nightly bedtime battles into a loving and special end-of-day ritual. This child-tested, parent-approved story uses an innovative technique that brings a calm end to any child’s day. Do you struggle with getting your child to fall asleep? Join parents all over the world who have embraced ‘The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep’ as their new nightly routine.

 

https-covers-booko-info300turtleA Boy and a Turtle by Lori Lite

Children love to visualize or imagine filling their bodies with the colors of the rainbow. This effective stress-management technique also known as guided imagery is widely accepted and used by both traditional and holistic communities. These gentle but powerful visualization techniques stimulate the imagination. Visualization can have a positive impact on the health of children, improving creativity and performance. It can also lower stress and anxiety levels and is used to control anger.

https-covers-booko-info300childrenRelax Kids – How to be Happy: 52 positive activities for children by Marneta Viegas

‘Relax Kids: How to be Happy’ is packed with ideas focused on children spending quality time with their families.  At the same time, it helps children manage their worries and emotions and encourages them to grow up happy and contented.

The aim of the book is for families to spend time together completing activities and creating memories.   There is a different activity each week and each of the activities is explained with diagrams, which make it easy to follow.  Children experience confidence and increased self esteem from their ability to complete the activities.

 

https-covers-booko-info300imaginationsImaginations by Carolyn Clarke

Winner of the San Diego Book Award for Children’s Non Fiction, ‘Imaginations’ teaches children to relax and meditate as a means of slowing down their minds.  The ability to relax is an essential skill in our hectic world today.  Kids are shuttled from home to school to after school activities and home again, often without transition time or down time. ‘Imaginations’ contains stories to help children learn to calm their bodies and relax their minds.

 

https-covers-booko-info300quietA Handful of Quiet by Thich Nhat Hanh

A Handful of Quiet presents one of the best known and most innovative meditation practices developed by Thich Nhat Hanh as part of the Plum Village community’s practice with children. Pebble meditation is a playful and fun activity that parents and educators can do with their children to introduce them to meditation. It is designed to involve children in a hands-on and creative way that touches on their interconnection with nature.

The most popular audiobooks on the market

According to the Wall Street Journal, audiobooks are the fastest growing format in publishing.  We are all now conditioned to seek out entertainment when completing tasks that would normally be seen as downtime: waiting for an appointment or stuck in traffic are now opportunities to engage in the act of being read to, and and to be entertained along the way.  With each of us carrying round a pocket-sized piece of technology on which to store multiple books, this genre has really increased in popularity over the last few years.  Here are some of the most popular audiobooks on the market:

https-::covers.booko.info:300:gutGut: The Inside Story of our Body’s Most Underrated Organ by Giulia Enders

One of the most important organs we have, our stomach, are still largely understood by much of society.  A perfect book for audio purposes, ‘Gut’ is written with the average person in mind, it’s both informative and funny.  Viewed as a ‘health handbook’, Enders covers concepts such as nutrient absorption to recent ground-breaking research linking bowel bacteria to depression.  A scientist, Enders states that if we treat our gut well, it will treat us well in return.  She shows us how to do this in a way that’s easy to incorporate into our everyday lives.

 

 

https-::covers.booko.info:300:buryThe Life We Bury by Allen Eskens

Considered by some to be a literary thriller, this is the story of a student who begins the modest task of completing an English assignment.  His job is to interview a person and complete a brief biography.  Heading to the local nursing home, he meets Carl Iverson, a dying Vietnam veteran and convicted murderer.  Unable to reconcile the acts of heroism with his crimes, he decides to uncover the truth.  Delving into the fragments of the crime, will he discover the truth before it’s too late?   Similar in some parts to ‘Making a Murderer’, this book is rich in its portrayals of the characters and the events leading up to the crime.

https-::covers.booko.info:300:oveA Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Ove is possibly the grumpiest man you might ever meet. Surrounded by ‘idiots’ as he calls them, he is the neighbour from hell who keeps a tight rein on the street, its inhabitants and their comings and goings.  When new ‘foreign’ neighbours move into the street and accidentally flatten his letterbox, this sets off an chain of events that result in unexpected friendships being made.  Quirky, full of comedy and incredibly heartwarming, ‘Ove’ has been a runaway hit and life-affirming modern fable.

 

https-::covers.booko.info:300:amyThe Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer

An uproarious collection of no-holds-barred personal essays by the Emmy Award-winning comedian reflects on her raucous childhood antics, her hard-won rise in the entertainment industry and her struggles to maintain the courage to approach the world in the refreshingly honest way that she does.  The beauty about listening to the book in audiobook format is having Schumer deliver her personal stories in her trademark funny and fantastically rude manner like no one else does.

https-covers-booko-info300teethBorn with Teeth: A Memoir by Kate Mulgrew

Known  for her mesmerising work in film, TV and the theatre, Kate Mulgrew turns her hand to writing in this unflinching memoir.  From her childhood, raised by unconventional Irish Catholics who knew “how to drink, how to dance, how to talk, and how to stir up the devil,” to studying with the legendary Stella Adler and the pain of giving up her daughter, ‘Born with Teeth’ is an exceptionally well-written autobiography from a master storyteller.

 

https-::covers.booko.info:300:stingSting (Unabridged) by Sandra Brown

Sandra Brown is a Number 1 bestselling New York Times and USA Today best-selling author.  Narrated by the Author, Brown jolts the listener from the start in this story of treachery, deception, secrets and lies.

Brown is a master of writing gripping, page-turning suspense novels and ‘Sting’ contains plot twists that will keep listeners on the edge of their seats.  Tantalisingly great listening.

 

For more of our audiobook picks, head to our Pinterest board!

How to choose the right colouring book for you

Adult colouring books are now ubiquitous: you can find them everywhere from specialty bookstores to your local Coles or Kmart.  The question is: are colouring books for grown-ups a trend or have they morphed into a mechanism for adults to cope with their increasingly busy lives?  Psychologists have found that some of the qualities of adult colouring books prompt positive neurological responses in their patients: namely those of repetition, pattern and detail.  If you haven’t joined the wave of this trend yet or you’re looking for some different options, here are our recommendations for colouring books for adults:

https-::covers.booko.info:300:birdAnimal Kingdom by Millie Marotta

This is a colouring book to keep and treasure forever. The wonderful illustrations from Millie Marotta’s Animal KIngdom are reproduced here on the thickest paper yet (180 gsm) on one side only, including  five additional prints that can be pulled out of an envelope at the back of the book. This is an edition for all Millie fans and even those new to her work who want something special to record their creative outputs.

https-::blog.booko.com.au:wp-content:uploads:2016:08:https-covers.booko_.info300londonColour Me Good London by I Love Mel

Perfect for London lovers or global travellers, this colouring book captures the key landmarks and the madcap culture that is London life.  Over 16 pages, you can enjoy colouring landmarks such as Piccadilly Circus, well-known faces like Will and Kate and common sights such as a black cab and fish & chips.

 

Fill Me In by Moose Allainhttps-::covers.booko.info:300:fill

Perfect for both adults and children alike, ‘Fill Me In’ invites people to draw, imagine and complete the dense line drawings.  Why not complete your own city or draw your own comic book?  Perfect for the doodler as well as the colouring-in fan, this book is fun to share with a friend, be they big or small.

 

 

https-::covers.booko.info:300:dreamDream Cities by Rosie Goodwin and Alice Chadwick

Fancy going on a journey around the world in black and white?  From the huge domes of Moscow to  the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, choose your colours, unleash your creativity and lose yourself in a wonderful coloured universe. As you focus on colouring in and forget the stresses of everyday life, you’ll find calm returning.

 

https-::covers.booko.info:300:animorphiaAnimorphia by Kerby Rosanes

Welcome to this weird and wacky colouring challenge. There are pictures to colour in, drawings to complete, spaces to scribble in and lots of things to find in these super-detailed doodles by artist Kerby Rosanes. This book features unique and intricate ink drawings of incredible animals, shape-shifting aliens and breathtaking scenes. Readers will have to keep their eyes peeled for hidden treasures and creatures scattered throughout the pages.

https-::covers.booko.info:300:doodleDoodle Invasion by Zifflin and Kerby Rosanes

Described by some as a colouring book on steroids, this book is another great option for those that love doodling.  Doodle Invasion is filled with 50 unique and extremely detailed works of art by the master of doodles Kerby Rosanes.  With thick, single-sided pages perfect for markers, this book is perfect for the serious doodler.  The intricate artworks are spectacularly drawn and will keep even the most serious doodler busy for hours.

 

 

 

If you’re interested in more of our colouring-in picks, check out the Pinterest board!

A virtual tour of the world’s most beautiful bookshops

There’s a subculture of book lovers who tour the world’s most beautiful bookshops.  Who wouldn’t?  We use beautiful in the figurative sense because although some of these bookshops are breathtakingly beautiful (such as Liberia El Ateneo Grand Splendid), others like the Honesty Bookshop are striking in their simplicity.  Here are our recommendations for a virtual tour of the world’s most beautiful bookshops:

Librería El Ateneo Grand Splendid, Buenos Aires, Argentina

https-::covers.booko.info:300:buenosImage from m4caque’s photostream/ /CC BY-NC-ND 2.0]

What’s more amazing than a bookshop built from a disused theatre?  Theatre boxes are used as reading rooms, there are comfy couches scattered throughout the area and many of the original features are intact.  We love that the red stage curtain is a centrepiece, which adds a touch of theatre to the room.  Walls feature intricate carvings and the ceiling contains beautifully painted murals.  Buenos Aires appears to be a city for bookworms with many snug cafes encouraging a love of reading.  We can’t wait to visit…

Poplar Kids Republic, Beijing, China

https-::covers.booko.info:300:poplarImage from www.designrulz.com

If you’re designing a bookstore for children, there’s a great opportunity to play with structure, design and colour.  Well, this bookshop in Beijing, China, completely nails the brief.  There are a ton of interesting areas for children to explore the wide range of books and to find a comfy spot in which to read them.  Opened by the Beijing POPLAR Culture project, the premise of the building was to encourage cultural awareness, with a focus on multicultural picture books.  Designed by SAKO Architects, this organic and maze-like bookshop turns the idea of the conventional bookstore on it’s head as it is built around the needs of it’s customers.  A+.

Cafebreria El Pendulo, Mexico City, Mexico

https-::covers.booko.info:300:cafe

Image from mnn.com

Books, coffee and gardening!  Whoever designed this bookshop certainly took into account some of my favourite things!  Named after the pendulum that hangs from the ceiling, customers are invited to give it a nudge as they pass by, which allows it to swing back and forth, making patterns in the sand as it does.  This double-level cafe houses books in both Spanish and English in shelves that are packed to the brim!  Casually laid-out, books are placed in piles on the floor, giving the cafe a lovely casual atmosphere.  Containing novelty gifts as well as books, DVD’s and CD’s, the friendly staff are on hand to offer some assistance in selecting the perfect gift.

Corso Como Bookshop, Milan, Italy

https-::covers.booko.info:300:corso

Image from Pinterest

10 Corso Como resembles an art gallery in it’s most minimalist sense.  Designed by American artist Kris Ruhs, it’s becoming an institution with outlets now also in Tokyo, Shanghai and Seoul.  A shopping and dining complex, it offers a range of shops that display works of art, fashion, food, design and other cultural elements.  Hosting a wide range of events and exhibitions, 10 Corso Como is a regular haunt of the culture vulture!

Honesty Bookshop, Hay-on-Wye

https-::covers.booko.info:300:honesty

Image from Nexxo

For some reason, the small Welsh town of Hay-on-Wye is a hub of bookshops and literature-related events.  Its literature festival was described by the then US President Bill Clinton as “the Woodstock of the mind”.  Housing over 30 bookshops in narrow streets, many tour groups offer tours to this fabulous little town.  We love the Honesty Bookshop, which is basically sets of aged shelves full of books that can be purchased with a donation.  All funds go towards the restoration of the town’s Norman castle – whose grounds house the Honesty Bookshop.  Such a beautifully simple little shop!

Shakespeare and Company, Paris

https-::covers.booko.info:300:shakespeare

Image from Shakespeareandcompany.com

“Be Not Inhospitable to Strangers Lest They Be Angels in Disguise,” is the theme of the bookshop; it’s written above the entrance to the reading library.  So strangers do come – some of them sleep in beds tucked behind the bookshelves, often helping out around the bookshop in place of board.  Since opening, an astounding 30,000 people have slept in the bookstore.  Quite often they are artists and aspiring writers who make Shakespeare and Co their home for a while.  For these reasons, we feel this bookshop is quite extraordinary.

Shakespeare and Company is actually the name of two different bookstores that have opened on Paris’ Left Bank.  The first one closed during WW2 but was, in its day, a gathering place for such imminent writers as Ezra Pound, Ernest Hemingway and James Joyce.  The second still operates today at 37 rue de la Bûcherie.  Operating as an antiquarian bookseller, selling new and second hand books, it also doubles as a free reading library to the public.

The favourite books of famous authors

Ever wondered what popular authors consider their favourite reads?  Most authors read extensively: for inspiration as well as a simple love of prose.  We’ve collected the favourite books of some of our most popular authors and the results might surprise:

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, a favourite of J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series.

https-::covers.booko.info:300:littlewomenThe story of the four March girls has thrilled readers for generations.  The struggle for girls and women to be true to themselves while following convention is a universal theme.    Set during the American Civil War, the novel features a loving family on the brink of poverty.

Part of the beauty of re-reading Little Women is its simplicity: there is no violence but there is a focus on simple living and the values of hard work and forgiveness.  This novel is said to have been a comfort to people post 9/11.   The strong character of Jo is said to be Alcott herself, and could also possibly have similar characteristics to Jo Rowling, herself in a dire financial situation when writing Harry Potter.  J.K. Rowling is the British author of the Harry Potter fantasy series of books, that have sold more than 400 million copies.

 


Flowers in the Attic
by Virginia Andrews, a favourite of Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl.

Flowers in the Attic is the first book in the Dollanganger Family series that captured the imagination of a generation of teenagers.  4 blonde children are locked in an attic and struggling to stay alive.  After the death of their father, their mother focuses solely on an inheritance to secure their future.   To appease their grandfather, the children must pretend to not exist.  These novels contained a range of disturbing themes that had them banned in some countries.  They were incredibly popular, nonetheless.

Gillian Flynn is an American Author, screenwriter and comic book writer.  Her three published books are thrillers: Sharp Objects, Dark Places and Gone Girl.

 

https-::covers.booko.info:300:sulaSula by Toni Morrison, a favourite of Lena Dunham, author of Not that Kind of Girl.

Sula and Nel are two young black girls: clever and poor. They grow up together, sharing their secrets, dreams and happiness. Then Sula breaks free from their small-town community in the uplands of Ohio to roam the cities of America. When she returns ten years later much has changed, including Nel, who now has a husband and three children. Another stunning novel from Toni Morrison, Sula is about the ‘cost’ of being a black woman in America.

Lena Dunham is an American Actress, Producer, Writer and Director.  Her essay collection ‘Not that Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells you What she has Learned’ was published in 2014.

 

https-::covers.booko.info:300:MiddlemarchMiddlemarch by George Eliot, a favourite of Zadie Smith, author of White Teeth

Middlemarch is one of those novels that turns up on the top 10 lists of many authors.  It’s a moving story of men and women longing to do the right thing, but making bad decisions. Among them is Dorothea Brooke, who wants to improve the world but finds her idealism crushed by her unhappy marriage to the aged scholar Casaubon.  Essentially a study of the upper and middle classes of 1830s England, Middlemarch features beautiful and dense prose and a plot that seems to advance on every page.

Zadie Smith is an English novelist, essayist and short story writer.  She is arguably best known for White Teeth, which was completed during her final year at Cambridge University.

 

https-::covers.booko.info:300:continentalContinental Drift by Russell Banks, a favourite of Jonathan Franzen, author of The Corrections

Continental Drift has been lauded as a modern classic by many.  Covering the Recession of the 1980’s, its about the human need to want more, whether that be by leaving small-town comfort and relative obscurity or by escaping from poverty.  Covering these two storylines, Banks’ ability to understand the raw human desire for ambition and recognition, that might potentially lead to tragedy.  Seduced by the American dream, two different characters uproot their lives to transform them forever.

Jonathan Franzen is an American novelist and essayist.  His 2001 novel ‘The Corrections’ was a 2001 Pulitzer Prize finalist.

 

https-::covers.booko.info:300:dallowayMrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, a favourite of Vendela  Vida, author of The Diver’s Clothes Lie Empty

Mrs Dalloway routinely features in  ‘Top novels of all time’ lists.  It follows a day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway, a fictional lady of high society.  The novel is set in Post WW1 in England and Clarissa is preparing for a party. The novel travels backwards and forwards in time, as well as featuring the thoughts in the characters’  minds.  For these reasons, it was quite innovative at the time, as it disrupted the traditional narrative structure.  Some think this novel dull; others mesmerising.  I hate to think of what a novel would look like that was made up of my innermost thoughts….

Vida, an American author and journalist, has written 5 books.  ‘The Diver’s Clothes Lie Empty is her most recent novel.

Socially acceptable Self Help books

Self Help books are a growing trend. Similar to ‘hope in a jar’ sold at cosmetics counters, buying Self Help books seems like an easy road to becoming richer, thinner and more successful.  They have always been my guilty pleasure: not something I will take out and read on the train but definitely suitable holiday reading.  This collection of Self Help books is a little different.  They are cooler and have a bit of attitude.  They are less ‘new-agey’ and more authentic and un-apologetic.  Here are our recommendations for socially acceptable Self Help books:

https-::covers.booko.info:300:MAGICThe Life-Changing Magic of not giving a F**k by Sarah Knight

Deserving an award for best book title of the year goes to Sarah Knight for her clever take on Marie Kondo’s book ‘The Life Changing Magic of Tidying’.  Perfect for people who spend enormous amounts of time and energy worrying about things they need not, this book is an hysterical, practical two-step:  ‘Not Sorry’ method for mental decluttering that enables you to focus your time and energy on things that really matter.

 

https-::covers.booko.info:300:ORIGINALSOriginals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam Grant

What makes an innovator?  Adam Grant debunks some of the more common myths surrounding entrepreneurs in this book.  Some of these include success in one area does not necessarily mean success is guaranteed in another and that innovators are happy to throw away everything in pursuit of their dream.  Interestingly, Grant also links internet browser choice to success (good news for Chrome and Firefox fans).  A great read for unpicking the brain of the non-conformist.

 

https-::covers.booko.info:300:LIVELive the Best Story of your Life by Bob Litwin

Bob Litwin is a leading performance coach on Wall Street and former World Champion tennis player.  Litwin spent thousands of hours researching from the best minds in the field of human potential.  Believing that the mode of storytelling is incredibly strong, Litwin formats the book into 33 personalised coaching sessions, underpinned by powerful stories.  Want a new story?  Litwin shows you how to put your old stories in your past and discover the excitement and energy of your new story.

 

https-::covers.booko.info:300:BADASSYou are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero

A no-nonsense and practical approach to shifting the mental barriers that prevent success, ‘You are a Badass’ is full of humour, sage advice and inspiring stories.  Touted as the self-help book for people that aren’t huge fans of the genre, this book is a great tool for people to help regain perspective in their lives.  The principles in the book might be basic but its humour and personality make it all the more powerful.

 

https-::covers.booko.info:300:hBITThe Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do In Life And In Business by Charles Dugigg

Dugigg is an award-winning New York Times business reporter.  In ‘The Power of Habit’, Dugigg examines the scientific principles of how habits are created.  Then, he explains why they exist and how we can change them. Considering much of our lives are based on habits, the premise of the book is incredibly simple, but powerful. The keys to losing weight and performing at our upmost abilities are found in creating high-performing habits.

 

 

https-::covers.booko.info:300:yesYear of Yes: How to Dance it Out, Stand in the Sun and Be your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes

Rhimes is the hugely talented creator of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, and ‘Scandal’, as well as the Executive Producer of ‘How to Get Away with Murder.’  In this book she chronicles how saying yes to everything for one year changed her life.  There have been mixed reviews of this book (some have felt it was self indulgent), however, we liked the stories about balancing work and personal life (Rhimes has three children and an exceptionally busy career).  How can your life benefit from opening yourself up to new experiences?

 

For more Self Help picks, check out our Pinterest board.

Lessons learned from your favourite childhood books

Growing up, books were how you made sense of the world.  Some books stood the test of time and made a lasting impression, along with the ‘life lessons’ they conveyed.  Here is a retro list of some of the books you enjoyed as a child and the lessons they taught us:

https-::covers.booko.info:300:MadMadeleine by Ludwig Bemelmans

“In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines
Lived twelve little girls in two straight lines….”

The first few lines of Madeleine always seem to spring from your memory easily.  The series of Madeleine books contain rich, intricate artwork and beautiful rhyming prose.  In a world where precision and order was admired and encouraged, Madeleine was feisty, brave and always up for an adventure.

Life lesson: Be courageous

https-::covers.booko.info:300:givingThe Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

“Once there was a tree . . . and she loved a little boy.” The Giving Tree has been a popular childhood book for the last 50 years.  50 years!   The boy and the giving tree have a relationship where they can communicate.  At various stages throughout the boy’s life, they boy comes to the tree asking for something to solve a problem, which the tree gives, selflessly, until there is nothing left to give.  The relationship between the tree and the boy has been described as modelling the parent-child relationship.

Life lesson: Give without keeping score

https-::covers.booko.info:300:1terabithiaBridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

This was our class novel in Grade 7 with one of my favourite teachers.  It’s a firm favourite and had the class in floods of tears.  Written in 1978 and now made into a film, it’s the story of 2 lonely children who are able to see the magic in each other that many cannot.  5th graders Jesse Aarons befriends a newcomer to the town, Leslie Burke.  Both social outcasts, they create the mythical kingdom of Terabithia where they both can truly be themselves.  When tragedy strikes, Jesse learns to overcome it.

Life lesson: Friendship conquers all

https-::covers.booko.info:300:loraxThe Lorax by Dr Seuss

The Lorax was Dr Seuss’ personal favourite among all his books.  It’s most commonly thought of as a modern fable: the threat of greed to nature.   The idea for the Lorax came from the anger of the author (Ted Geisel).  “In The Lorax I was out to attack what I think are evil things and let the chips fall where they might.”  The Lorax has been lauded as a brilliant teaching aid when discussing environmental issues with children.

Life lesson: We must speak for the trees (and all other living things).

 

https-::covers.booko.info:300:secretThe Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Secret Garden celebrated it’s 100th birthday in 2011.  A beloved classic, The Secret Garden  is about a young girl called Mary who loses her parents and is sent to live in her uncle’s gloomy mansion in England.  Lonely and with no-one to play with, she learns of a secret garden on the grounds.  A chance meeting introduces her to her cousin Colin who has an unidentified illness which prevents him from walking.  Both the garden and Colin thrive from the new friendship.

Life lesson: The only way to have experiences is to leave your comfort zone.

https-::covers.booko.info:300:poohWinnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne

Winnie the Pooh is yet another cult classic and essential part of any child’s library.  The tales of Pooh and his friends are gently told and illustrated beautifully (I love this one due to the simple and elegant drawings by E.H. Shepherd).  Each Pooh tale expresses a range of life lessons, most due, in part, to the bear’s positivity.  The values of empathy, gratitude and creative problem-solving are featured in just about every tale, making these books easily digestible values-based stories for children.

Life lesson: Cherish your friends

Books that Teach your Children Values

My Son’s Kindergarten class have incorporated the concepts from the book ‘Have you filled a bucket today?’ into their everyday vernacular.  The book uses the metaphor of a bucket to explain how positive behaviours have an effect of ‘filling’ others’ as well as your own bucket.  Negative behaviour has the opposite effect.

Books seem to be an easy way to teach values in a relatable way for children.  In today’s blog we explore 6 popular books that teach positive behaviours in children:
https-::covers.booko.info:300:bucketHave you filled a bucket today? by Carol McCloud

This award-winning book is based around the metaphor that everyone has an invisible bucket that can be filled or dipped into by a person’s actions (or the actions of another towards this person).  Having such an easily relatable concept as a ‘bucket’ helps children understand the impact of their actions and words on others.

https-::covers.booko.info:300:mineThe Mine-O-Saur by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

Gosh, what a fantastic title for a book.  There is a mine-o-saur that lives in our house that could surely benefit from this book.  The mine-o-saur in this books grabs all the toys, blocks and snacks, shouting “Mine, mine, mine.”  When will he learn the secret to making friends is sharing?  The value ‘sharing is caring’ is explored in this colourful and beautifully illustrated book.

 

https-::covers.booko.info:300:onehenOne Hen : How One Small Loan made a Big Difference by Katie Smith Milway

What I love about this book is how it teaches children about what life can be like for others, particularly in countries where affluence is not so prevalent.  Based on a true story, tells of how a poor Ghanaian boy buys a chicken through a community loan program, which eventually helps lift him, his mother, and his community out of poverty.

 

 

https-::covers.booko.info:300:emptypotThe Empty Pot by Demi

The value taught in this book is honesty, which can be challenging to model when you’re trying to compete in a society that values winning above all else.  Set in China,  Ping is set a challenge by the Emperor to grow a flower from seeds that will never bear flowers.  When Ping admits that he is the only child in China unable to grow a flower from the seeds distributed by the Emperor, he is rewarded for his honesty.

 

https-::covers.booko.info:300:samstoriesSam Tells Stories by Thierry Robberecht

The best way to make new friends is to try and impress them, right?  This is certainly the case for a lot of children (including mine).  This book explores the process and how honesty is the best policy.  Sam tries to win his new classmates over by telling a story that isn’t true.  When he is confronted with the truth, he decides to set the record straight and learns the benefits of honesty in the process.

 

https-::covers.booko.info:300:kindnessEach Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson

Is there anything more gruelling than the first day of school when you don’t know a soul?  Maya tries to befriend Chloe who, in turn, makes fun of her shabby clothes and refuses to play with her.  Their teacher takes a lesson on kindness and Chloe realises that her behaviour has been wrong.  This book is beautifully written and illustrated.  It also doesn’t end in the conventional way we are conditioned to expect books to.  There isn’t a happy ending and Chloe learns that her opportunity to show kindness to Maya was lost.

6 books that will change how you see the world

Consider what words of advice, experiences or books you have read that have made a lasting impact on your life.  The best thing about reading when you are going through a challenging time or even just a period of change, is that someone who has been there before can help, if only in a small way.  Here are our recommendations of books that have changed our lives for the better, or tipped our perspective on its head for a moment in time.

https-::covers.booko.info:300:invisiblegorillaThe Invisible Gorilla and Other Ways our Intuitions Deceive Us by Christopher Chabris & Daniel Simons

The funny thing is, we feel like we have a reasonable understanding of how our mind works.  The authors of ‘The Invisible Gorilla’ challenge this when they show just how our mind plays tricks on us and why people succumb to everyday illusions.  The Invisible Gorilla shows how our intuition deceives us and how we can ‘train our brain’ to withstand it’s effects.

 

 

https-::covers.booko.info:300:stumblingStumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert

Why are lovers quicker to forgive their partners for infidelity than for leaving dirty dishes in the sink?  Why does the line at the grocery store always slow down when we join it? In this book, Harvard psychologist Gilbert argues that our ability to remember past happiness is flawed.  Added to this is that our ability to predict what will make us happy is not well developed.  The net result is that our human minds are working against our own happiness.  This book explores how we can best challenge ourselves to seek happiness.

https-::covers.booko.info:300:moneyYour Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin

The premise of this book is that every day you go to work to trade the hours of your life for money.  If you spend that money on things you don’t need, you are essentially trading your life for material possessions that don’t add value to your life.  This is a classic financial self-help book that offers a nine-step program for how to live a more meaningful life, showing readers how to get out of debt, save money, reorder priorities, and convert problems into opportunities.

https-::covers.booko.info:300:thinkethAs a Man Thinketh by James Allen

“A person is limited only by the thoughts that he chooses.” A classic book that has helped thousands for over a century, “As a Man Thinketh” is based on the premise of ‘you are your thoughts’ and provides a guide on how to use your thoughts to the betterment of your life.

 

 

 

https-::covers.booko.info:300:shallowsThe Shallows by Nicholas Carr

This book explores the thinking that the internet, for all its instantaneous information, is making us stupid.  We are losing the ability to think deeply due to the ease with which we can easily source the answers to just about any question we can think of.  “The Net’s interactivity gives us powerful new tools for finding information, expressing ourselves, and conversing with others. It also turns us into lab rats constantly pressing levers to get tiny pellets of social or intellectual nourishment.”

 

https-::covers.booko.info:300:fooledFooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets by Nassim Nicolas Taleb

From the author of international bestseller The Black Swan, Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s Fooled by Randomness is the bestselling account of the hidden role of chance in life and the markets.Everyone wants to succeed in life. But what causes some of us to be more successful than others? Is it really down to skill and strategy – or something altogether more unpredictable? This book is the word-of-mouth sensation that will change the way you think about business and the world.

How reading makes you more creative

Our lives are fast flowing and are becoming increasingly so.  In this digital age of capturing virtual Pokemons, streaming TV, social media, apps and games, it’s worthwhile considering the impact all of this has on our reading levels.  Unsurprisingly, we do seem to be reading less: children under 13 still enjoy the act of reading a book but studies are showing a decline in reading after the onset of puberty.

So what are we missing out on?  The standard benefits of enjoying a book are relaxation, improvements in our literacy as well as its soporific effects.  But what if I told you it could help improve your creativity?  Creativity for Life recommends  reading books (as opposed to blogs, short stories or small passages of writing) as a way of ‘turning on’ your brain.

Experiencing different genres

20 minutes set aside each day to read different genres will gradually enable your mind to think differently and as such, your creativity will be released.  If you are a fan of a particular writing style, challenge yourself with another.

Building our concentration levels

There are so many channels that we have access to (mobile/social media/television etc) that we don’t truly concentrate on a single thing at any given point in time.  We are becoming the kings and queens of multi-tasking – but at what expense?  Books have a way of truly absorbing our concentration like other channels can’t.  The benefits of this are that, like any muscle, constant use will increase our concentration levels, which improves our creative abilities.

Improving our vocabulary

I was a prolific reader during Primary school in particular.  I also featured in the top end of town when it came to spelling tests.  The reason?  I discovered words I had never been taught in the classroom just from reading books.  This improved my spelling abilities as I came across and then unpicked these new words.  Reading improves our vocabulary like few channels can.  Constantly challenging ourselves by reading more complex texts and different genres will compound this effect.  That’s something you can’t get from Facebook.

Increasing brain functionality

Research that came out of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, has discovered that reading books increases connections in the brain which makes permanent neurological changes (like a muscle memory).

So there are a number of great reasons to pick up a book instead of your smartphone.  Here are our recommended reads that celebrate the art of reading:

https-::covers.booko.info:300:readingSo Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading by Sara Nelson

A self-described ‘readaholic’, Nelson’s memoir highlights the interplay between our lives and the books we read.  “How do you choose your books?’ my friends had asked. Less than a week into my project, I can now tell them the beginning of the truth. I don’t always choose the books, I’ll say. Sometimes the books choose me.”

 

 

https-::covers.booko.info:300:ruinedRuined by Reading: A Life in Books by Lynn Sharon Schwartz

The author explores the role of books and literature in our lives, interweaving the story of her own Brooklyn childhood with memories of special books and thoughts on how books have shaped her world.  “Like the bodies of dancers or athletes, the minds of readers are genuinely happy and self-possessed only when cavorting around, doing their stretches and leaps and jumps to the tune of words.”

 

 

 

https-::covers.booko.info:300:lifeHow Reading Changed My Life by Anna Quindlen

Quindlen provides her thoughts on the role that books and reading have played in her life.  She also discusses the importance of reading broadly with reference to some of the favourite books she has read. “Books became the greatest purveyors of truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

 

 

 

https-::covers.booko.info:300:pleasureThe Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction by Alan Jacobs

In recent years, cultural commentators have sounded the alarm about the dire state of reading in America. Americans are not reading enough, they say, or reading the right books, in the right way. In this book, Alan Jacobs argues that, contrary to the doomsayers, reading is alive and well in America. There are millions of devoted readers supporting hundreds of enormous bookstores and online booksellers.

 

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