Books to Grow With: A Guide to Using the Best Children's Fiction for Everyday Issues and Tough Challenges [Paperback]

Cheryl Coon (Author)

Book Description

A comprehensive guide for parents, teachers, counselors and librarians to 500 children's fiction books that portray more than 100 common issues kids face, from bullies, siblings and fear of the dark to divorce, moving and chronic illness. The only comprehensive source of great children's books on nearly every issue kids experience.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Coon, an attorney who has volunteered in classrooms, has gathered together suggested fictional titles with fewer than 100 pages and organized them by issue (such as sharing, starting school, siblings, etc.) rather than by age group. Author, illustrator, title, and subject indexes are included as are lists of multicultural books and titles available in Spanish. However, for the latter, only the English title appears. Each entry includes the title, author, publisher, number of pages, type of illustration, a paragraph summary, a suggestion for use as a read-aloud or a beginning reader or both, and possible availability. Many titles are out of print, yet the author naively states that parents can find them in local public libraries or used bookstores either in town or online. The bibliotherapeutic belief that some well-chosen picture books can "help children cope with changes in their life" is admirable. However, this book will best be used by parents, teachers, or day-care providers who do not have regular access to John T. Gillespie's Best Books for Children (Libraries Unlimited, 2003), Carolyn W. and John A. Lima's A to Zoo (Greenwood, 2001), or other professional bibliographic tools.–Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Noting that her book is not a substitute for a trained bibliotherapist, Coon identifies books about issues that parents may want to discuss with their young children. Although lacking a formal background in children's literature, Coon has definitely done her homework, bringing together a solid selection of (mostly) picture books and middle-grade novels by a number of well-regarded children's book authors. There isn't much here to answer kids' many questions about physical development, but there is plenty about other important topics--from anger and bullying to moving and dealing with the death of a parent. Annotations are straightforward, if sometimes awkwardly drafted, and there is only brief mention of the artwork that is so vital to successful picture books. But it's the subject matter, after all, that matters most in the context of dealing with specific real-life issues, and Coon delivers a practical guide to finding resources that will help children develop life skills and, perhaps, feel more confident in a confusing, difficult world. Author, title, and some too-general audience guidelines head each book description. Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Lutra Press (July 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0974802573
• ISBN-13: 978-0974802572
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #951,043 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Time-saving Resource!, August 18, 2004

By 

Ann Fisher (Carson, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Books to Grow With: A Guide to Using the Best Children's Fiction for Everyday Issues and Tough Challenges (Paperback)

What a time-saving resource! "Books to Grow With" is a wonderful resource for busy parents who want to help their children learn and grow with literature. "Books to Grow With" places the power of good literature at every parent's fingertips. Coon includes only quality fiction books that have literary interest to engage a child's thinking. Themes both ordinary and sensitive - from thumb-sucking and bullies to sickness and death - can be gently introduced to children through stories, creating an opening for further discussion and exploration between parent and child. Homeschooling parents may find this book particularly useful for planning.

Coon has done her homework so parents don't have to - book listings are helpfully summarized and include key information to help find a suitable resource for a particular child. She offers practical tips for using literature to help children and includes several indexes to help you find resources quickly. This book is an invaluable reference that belongs on the shelf right next to Jim Trelease's read-aloud books or, if you use books as I do, stuffed in the tote bag, dog-eared, Post-it noted, and ready for the next trip to the library.

Where was this book when my children were young?

Ann Lahrson-Fisher
Author, Fundamentals of Homeschooling: Notes on Successful Family Living
Columnist, Home Education Magazine

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Raise A Resilient Child!, September 7, 2004

By 

Lawrence A. Siebert "Al Siebert, Ph.D. author... (Portland, Oregon United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Books to Grow With: A Guide to Using the Best Children's Fiction for Everyday Issues and Tough Challenges (Paperback)

This concerned mother has done a massive amount of research that other parents can benefit from. "Books to Grow With" should be endorsed by PTA groups, Parent's magazine, Gerber's, and the Head Start Program, to name only a few..." Cheryls' book will help a child develop resiliency and good coping skills.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a smorgasbord of information for the literate parent, September 27, 2004

By 

Dr. Michael J. Fulop (psychologist, Portland OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Books to Grow With: A Guide to Using the Best Children's Fiction for Everyday Issues and Tough Challenges (Paperback)

Cheryl Coon's book is a smorgasbord of information for the literate parent. I have seen nothing like it in my years as a psychologist for children. It provides a `natural' approach to understanding the myriad situations that a parent and child will, hopefully, face together. Nothing seems to bond a child and parents so much as reading a favorite book together again and again.