As back to school season kicks off this month depending on where you are located, planning for the school year can be a daunting time for both parents/guardians and gifted students. Parents want their child to thrive in their learning environment and it can be helpful to create a plan to set an intentional tone for the school year.

Below are some tips on ways to create meaningful engagement.

Support

Returning to school whether it鈥檚 hybrid, homeschool, public, or an alternative school setting can be anxiety inducing for gifted students and families. Creating opportunities for children to talk about how they are feeling whether it鈥檚 after school, during dinner, or before bed will encourage them to communicate and get a sense of how they feel in their school setting. 

If the school curriculum is not challenging enough or stimulating, gifted youth can feel bored and unmotivated to participate.^[1] Creating an environment where the listener is understanding, encouraging, and empathetic allows for gifted children who are experiencing these emotions to feel safe and be able to approach others with their needs.

Creating a Plan

It takes a community to pave the path of a gifted child鈥檚 learning journey. It鈥檚 important to identify the issue at hand and determine if there can be adjustments made. Collaborating with the child, their teacher, or counselor on possible solutions to re-engage them is the second step to addressing a situation if a gifted child is feeling highly unmotivated in their school setting.^[2] This solution will help the student feel more empowered in creating their own decisions and determining the options that work best for them.

Seeking Resources

Although each gifted child may need different and individualized support, research studies show that high levels of disengagement can lead to underachievement as gifted students need to be stimulated with learning opportunities that will encourage behavioral, affective, social, and cognitive engagement. ^[3] Looking into resources with gifted programs, connecting with other families, or speaking to the child鈥檚 counselor are options to find the right tools in supporting a gifted child who is feeling unmotivated.

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Summer plans may not be shaping up the way we had imagined, but that doesn鈥檛 mean that traveling to new and exciting places are off the table. There are no limits to where our minds can take us. No matter where we find ourselves, there is always an opportunity for adventures and self-discovery right at the tip of our fingers!

Summer magic is manifested in books! Let the adventure begin.

Elementary School

Summer by Cao Wenxuan, illustrated by Yu Rong

Readers find out how some of their favorite animals stay cool during the summertime in this whimsical, poetic book. The animals fight until they are inspired by an act of love to offer shade to one another. Through lyrical text from Hans Christian Andersen Award winner Cao Wenxuan, the story comes alive with bright, delicate art from award-winning illustrator Yu Rong.

惭补帽补苍补濒补苍诲&苍产蝉辫;by Pam Mu帽oz Ryan

New York Times best-selling author Pam Mu帽oz Ryan is an American writer for children and young adults, particularly in the multicultural genre. In this magical story, Maximiliano C贸rdoba goes on a dangerous journey armed only with a compass, a mysterious stone rubbing, and legends about traveling mythical gatekeepers.

Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Rita Williams-Garcia, illustrated by Frank Morrison

When his beloved grandfather, the blues man Cool Papa Byrd, dies suddenly, Clayton鈥檚 anger and misplaced alliances get him into trouble. This story of family grief, reconciliation, and the power of music is set in New York City.

Mindy Kim Series By Lyla Lee illustrated by Doug Ho

Lyla Lee’s Mindy Kim series is a heartwarming, authentic look at an 8-year-old girl trying to navigate life in a new state where her Korean heritage makes her stand out., launched in January 2020 with books,  Mindy Kim and the Lunar New Year Parade and Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business.

Just in Case You Want to Fly by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Christian Robinson

What do you need for your next adventure? Explore this nurturing tale through colorful pictures and lyrical text. A joyful, inclusive cast of children fly, sing, and wish their way across the pages, with everything they could ever need-a cherry if you need a snack, and if you get itchy here’s a scratch on the back-to explore the world around them.

Middle School

Wink By Harrell Rob

A wrenching and hilarious story about embracing life’s weirdness and surviving an unthinkable diagnosis, based on the author’s own experience with a rare eye cancer. Twelve-year-old Ross Maloy just wants to be normal. Not to have a rare eye cancer, not to lose his hair, not to have to wear a weird hat or have a goopy eye full of ointment. Just normal. 

Queen of the Sea by Dylan Meconis, illustrated by the author

Cult graphic novelist Dylan Meconis offers a rich reimagining of history in this hybrid novel loosely based on the exile of Queen Elizabeth I by her sister, Queen Mary. As an added bonus Candlewick Press is offering a with Dylan, premiering July 24th .

The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman

Runaway sisters Viji and Rukku end up living on the streets of Chennai, where they find a new family of friends who help them to survive by scavenging the city鈥檚 mountains of rubbish. Penguin Middle School hosts an for added context after reading the book.

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

Coyote Sunrise and her dad travel the country in their school bus. Along the way, they meet new friends who help them see their world in a new way and heal from the tragedy that hit their family five years earlier.

High School

Aix Marks the Spot by S.E. Anderson

Jamie has been dreaming of this summer forever: of road trips and intensive art camps, of meeting cute boys with her best friend Jazz. What she didn’t count on was the car accident. Anderson recently took part in , an online two-day event to celebrate and talk about all thinks YA Thriller.

Swing By Kwame Alexander & Mary Rand Hess

Kwame Alexander might be more well known for The Crossover series but these New York Times bestselling authors team up to tell this lyrical story about hope, courage, and love that speaks to anyone who’s struggled to find their voice. And the surprise ending shines a spotlight on the issues related to our current social divide, challenging perspectives and inspiring everyone to make their voice heard.

CIRCE by Madeline Miller

A bold and subversive retelling of the Circe from Homer and the Odyssey. This goddess’s story, a #1 New York Times bestseller. This remarkable journey into mythology brings the ancient gods directly and viscerally into the present. Circe is a perfect mashup of elegant language, glorious storytelling, and exquisitely modern sensibilities. 

American Road Trip By Patrick Flores-Scott

With a strong, loving family, an incredibly loyal best friend, and a budding romance with the girl of his dreams, life shows promise for seventeen-year-old Teodoro 鈥淭鈥� Avila. But he takes some hard hits the summer before his senior year when his nearly perfect brother Manny returns from a tour in Iraq with a devastating case of PTSD.

Adult

Exhalation: Stories by Ted Chiang (Chiang Feng-nan)
This is a perfect example of why science fiction now calls itself speculative fiction. No aliens, no space travel, no dystopias. Only nine mind-stretching tales based on technological or historical hypotheses. From an award-winning science fiction writer (whose short story “The Story of Your Life” was the basis for the Academy Award-nominated movie Arrival), the long-awaited new collection of stunningly original, humane, and already celebrated short stories

The Peanuts Papers: Writers and Cartoonists on Charlie Brown, Snoopy & the Gang, and the Meaning of Life: A Library of America Special Publication By Andrew Blauner (Editor)

This collection offers a delightful range of commentaries, by authors from Umberto Eco to Maxine Hong Kingston, including analyses of Lucy鈥檚 incongruity as a psychiatrist and Snoopy鈥檚 triumphant narcissism, to a Jonathan Lethem parody of Allen Ginsberg鈥檚 鈥淗owl.鈥�

On Looking: A Walker鈥檚 Guide to the Art of Observation by Alexandra Horowitz

From the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Inside of a Dog. Walk as Horowitz did, in the company of observers, from a toddler to a typographer, a diagnostician to an urban designer, a doctor to a sound engineer, your walks will soon exemplify Proust鈥檚 observation,鈥淭he real voyage of discovery consists, not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes.鈥�

The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli

Any writer on physics who鈥檚 praised by novelist John Banville, naturalist Michael Pollan, and actor Benedict Cumberbatch, as well as his professional colleagues, must be exceptional鈥攁nd Rovelli is. He uses analogy, witty diagrams, a sense of drama, and quotations from Horace, Shakespeare, Rilke, and the Grateful Dead to make his explanations of space-time, gravitational fields, and such, as Einstein said 鈥渁s simple as possible, but no simpler.鈥�

If you shop through , Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase to 优蜜视频. through our Amazon Smile link. Let us know which books you will be reading this Summer in the comments below! 

Presented by Nicole Endacott, 优蜜视频 Program Coordinator

You will need blank paper, a writing utensil, colored pencils or markers, and a coin or dice.

Thank you so much to all of our blog’s readers. This year we had a record number of visitors and comments on our blog! Here were the Institute for Educational Advancement鈥檚 top blog posts in 2019:

: Bonnie Raskin, Scholarship Director, gives our community a glimpse of what it is like to at the helm of the Caroline D. Bradley (CDB) Scholarship program.

  This post features 10 California schools who are also highlighted in 优蜜视频鈥檚 new Gifted Schools Guide highlighting schools for gifted and advanced students throughout the United States.

 This past September, 优蜜视频 announced the 2024 class of award recipients of the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship, a four-year high school scholarship for gifted learners to attend an optimally matched high school program to help them work toward meeting their unique intellectual and personal potential.

: In this post 优蜜视频 spotlighted a list of fantastic Summer programs that serve gifted youth.

 A post full of amazing podcast recommendations about gifted learners. These are great resources for parents and educators supporting bright young minds.

 There is no shortage of games and puzzles that are intellectually stimulating; Pylos, Quoridor, and the classic Rubik鈥檚 Cube are all examples of mentally challenging and fun games. In this post you can find a variety of educational toys and games to consider giving to a gifted child any time of the year!

: Gifted children tend to have a strong desire and need for intellectual stimulation, and that need doesn鈥檛 go away when schools are closed. In this post are three ways parents can help foster positive social and academic growth during a holiday break.

This blog post walks through every step of the evaluation process for the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship.

Development Manager Mavis Bortey-fio shared her most inspiring moments spent with 优蜜视频 students in honor of this year鈥檚 #GivingTuesday campaign.

This post featured great reads for parents and educators focused on best practices and strategies for raising and educating a gifted child. These books are also listed on 优蜜视频鈥檚 which serves as a free online tool created and curated by 优蜜视频 for our community.

Like this post? to receive more stories, information, and resources about gifted youth straight to your inbox.

It鈥檚 that time of the year for Parent-Teacher Conferences.听 Usually many schools will schedule the conferences during the fall.

Here are some tips including additional resources on how to have a productive and successful Parent Teacher conference.

笔谤别辫补谤补迟颈辞苍:听 Before you attend the conference, make sure that you are prepared.听 Have a copy of the report card or progress report prior to the meeting.听 Many schools have online grading systems that parents can register and access.听 These systems may also include homework assignments and tests results.

Types of Meetings:听 Some schools refer to these meetings as Student Led Conferences, in which the student shares his/her work or portfolio with the parent, discusses what they have been learning in the classroom, including their progress and what they need to improve on.听 Some are the traditional Parent Teacher Conferences, in which the parent signs up and wait their turn to talk to the teacher.

At the Meeting:听 The Parent-Teacher Conference or Student Led Conference is an opportunity for parents to discuss and ask questions about the student鈥檚 work.听 It is also a chance for the parent to hear their student and/or the teacher talk about the class work, how the student is progressing, and some of the challenges s/he may encounter. Consequently, these types of conferences are held in group settings, usually in the classroom, and time with the teacher may be extremely limited.听 If the parent needs to have a more in-depth conversation with the teacher, a private meeting with the teacher should be scheduled.听 Do not discuss matters that may be confidential or inappropriate, when several people are present in the room.

After the Meeting:听 Schedule a follow up meeting with the teacher in order to assess whether or not the suggestions or action plans have been met. 听A follow up meeting also allows for the parent and teacher to discuss matters that may be confidential or more acceptable in a private setting.听 听In addition, in scheduling a follow up meeting, the parent and the student may receive a progress report in a timely manner, giving the student enough time to meet the target or expectations.听 Often times, I have been told by parents that they wished they knew that their student was not meeting expectations ahead of time; and by the time they were informed, it was almost always too late.

As a suggestion, do not wait for the Parent Teacher conferences in order to meet with your child鈥檚 teachers.听 If necessary, schedule a meeting as soon as you realize that an intervention may be needed, or if you need a progress report sooner than later.

Here are additional resources on Parent Teacher Conferences:

Every October, people national wide celebrate National Book Month. Studies have shown that reading not only improves your vocabulary and spelling, but it鈥檚 also good for your mental health. This October, take some time to pick up a new book you鈥檝e been meaning to read or reread some of your favorites.

Below are some featured readings for parents and educators focused on best practices and strategies for raising and educating a gifted child. These books are listed on 优蜜视频鈥檚 (GRC), which serves as a free online tool created and curated by 优蜜视频 for our community. The resources listed in the GRC are appropriate for gifted learners from preschool through high school.

Comment below with your favorite reads and don鈥檛 forget to hashtag #NationalBookMonth on your social media to keep the reading train going!

The latest research in child development shows that many kids who have the brain and heart to succeed lack or lag behind in crucial 鈥渆xecutive skills鈥�–the fundamental habits of mind required for getting organized, staying focused, and controlling impulses and emotions. Learn easy-to-follow steps to identify your child鈥檚 strengths and weaknesses, use activities and techniques proven to boost specific skills, and problem-solve daily routines. Small changes can add up to big improvements–this empowering book shows how.

Differently Wired is a revolutionary book鈥攚eaving together personal stories and a tool kit of expert advice from author Deborah Reber, it鈥檚 a how-to, a manifesto, and a reassuring companion for parents who can so often feel that they have no place to turn.

In A Mind at a Time, Dr. Levine shows parents and others who care for children how to identify these individual learning patterns. He explains how parents and teachers can encourage a child’s strengths and bypass the child’s weaknesses. This type of teaching produces satisfaction and achievement instead of frustration and failure.

Based on new surveys of nearly 1,500 gifted teens, this book is the ultimate guide to thriving in a world that doesn鈥檛 always support or understand high ability. Full of surprising facts, survey results, step-by-step strategies, inspiring teen quotes, and insightful expert essays, the guide gives readers the tools they need to appreciate their giftedness as an asset and use it to make the most of who they are.

Recognizing the different levels and kinds of giftedness, this book provides an insight into the challenges and benefits specific to gifted children with attention difficulties. Explaining why certain children are gifted and how giftedness is manifested, each chapter on a specific topic addresses the relevance for children with AD/HD, autism and Asperger Syndrome. Lovecky guides parents and professionals through methods of diagnosis and advise on how best to nurture individual needs, positive behavior and relationships at home and at school.

When is life like a prizefight, a garden, and a quiz show, all hurtling down the road on an office chair, wrapped in song? When you’re living in the land of the gifted and twice-exceptional. Join the author on her journey through discovery, understanding, and acceptance, as she copes with the challenges that only the gifted and twice-exceptional can create.

Designed to provide support for the difficult job of parenting and teaching gifted children, this book provides the resource parents and teachers need to not only understand why gifted children are so extreme in their behavior but also learn specific strategies to teach gifted children how to live with their intensity.

In Genius Denied, the Davidsons — founders of a nonprofit institute that provides assistance to gifted children — offer hope and practical advice to parents and students alike. They show parents how to find an appropriate education for their children, when to go outside the school system, and how to create a support network with school authorities and other parents.

Gifted children and adults are often misunderstood. Their excitement is viewed as excessive, their high energy as hyperactivity, their persistence as nagging, their imagination as not paying attention, their passion as being disruptive, their strong emotions and sensitivity as immaturity, their creativity and self-directedness as oppositional. This resource describes these overexcitabilities and strategies for dealing with children and adults who are experiencing them and provides essential information about Dabrowski’s Theory of Positive Disintegration.

If you鈥檙e making your book purchase on Amazon, please consider using 优蜜视频鈥檚 Amazon Smile as a portion of your purchase will be donated directly to us so we can continue providing high-quality programs and services to gifted and advanced youth nationwide.

Summer 2019 is a wrap! As always, this summer was fulfilling and busy. Returning students reconnected with one another and a large group of bright new students entered the 优蜜视频 community for the first time. Read on to hear a highlight from each of our summer programs, then comment below with your favorite part of your own summer!

听Academy

Even though is an academic enrichment program, its benefits go far beyond merely gaining knowledge. Especially in the intensive summer program, students grow socially and emotionally as they have the opportunity to turn their classmate relationships into friendships at breaks and lunchtime. Each summer session, students bond over a different activity (swapping paper airplane designs or creating new versions of tag are past examples), but this summer they came together over tournaments of the game Connect 4. After hundreds of games played over the six weeks of programming, students had not only honed their logic and strategy skills, but they鈥檇 also improved their turn-taking skills and made new friends that have lasted past the end of the session.

EXPLORE

The most rewarding aspect of working with young people is seein their growth during their participation in and beyond. I particularly appreciate when alumni keep in touch and share their personal and academic wins and progress with me. This summer, I was fortunate to welcome Kaitlyn Chen as my Summer Program Intern. Kaitlyn previously participated in EXPLORE in 2017 and externed at Apsara Media for Intercultural Education with Dr. Amy Catlin-Jairazbhoy. She continued her work with Professor Amy even after her externship ended and maintained her connection with me and EXPLORE whenever she needed support. She is one of those exceptional students who has experienced and seen the program come full circle for her, first as a program participant, and now as an 优蜜视频 staff member. She was a tremendous help in planning and implementing EXPLORE this summer, from supervising and engaging with students during Friday workshops to creating final e-portfolios for each student. I am truly grateful for students, like Kaitlyn, who continue to inspire and fuel my own passion for working with and empowering youth through education and experiential learning.

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LABS

This summer, students learned about astronomy in June, protein crystallography in July, and alternative fuels technology in August. Every 优蜜视频 program strives to be student-centered and responsive to feedback, so after its tenth workshop since launching in March 2018, a student focus group was created to evaluate the program. Five thoughtful students offered observations, ideas, and insights that will help the LABS team tailor the program to best offer a unique learning experience that matches the needs and interests of gifted students in 7^th-12^th grade. Stay tuned for updates on upcoming LABS workshops!

Yunasa

This was Anna’s first year attending . During the Community Circle activity, our Senior Fellow, Michael Piechowski gave descriptions for overexcitabilities in the five domains – social, emotional, intellectual, physical and spiritual. Anna was mesmerized while listening and actively participated in Q&A. During one question on emotional overexcitability, Michael jokingly asked, “I bet all of you are even-tempered and do not experience ups and downs all the time.” Anna protested loudly and shouted “OH NOOOOO! I feel so deeply about almost everything! That is not true!” It was beautiful to see Anna resonated deeply with the overexcitability descriptions and she was in a safe space to share. After camp, Anna’s mom shared that she has noticed visible growth in Anna, who has become more aware of and is able to analyze her emotions.

To all 优蜜视频 constituents we thank you for being a part of 优蜜视频鈥檚 busiest Summer Programs season yet! To learn more about upcoming Fall Programs

As parents of gifted children, we鈥檝e all had our share of 鈥渢hose moments.鈥� Like when our child has a enormous melt-down in the store aisle, or when we are late for school or work, because our child can鈥檛 leave the house until the tags on their clothes are all cut off, or when we鈥檝e reached our limit and yell, because, well we鈥檙e human too.

After experiencing one of those moments, what do you tell yourself? Do you quickly blame yourself or others, do you berate yourself for messing up, or replay the situation over and over reminding yourself of what a failure you are as a parent? Have you ever responded by telling yourself, 鈥楾his is really hard. You鈥檙e really suffering now. You鈥檙e going to be ok, you鈥檙e doing the best you can.鈥� Take a moment to reflect on a recent one of those moments. Now imagine if you were to hear the same narrative from one of your dearest friends. What would you say to them? Would you have a critical response, blaming or shaming them for a mistake, or would you offer them compassion and empathy? I鈥檓 assuming that if you鈥檙e like most people, you wouldn鈥檛 imagine telling them some of the same things that you so easily tell yourself.

Parenting is a slippery slope. It鈥檚 one of the most challenging endeavors we encounter as human beings, and yet, there are no absolute instructions. However, when we look around us, someone else always seems to be doing it better. It鈥檚 really easy to fall into the shame trap as parents: never feeling good enough, being keenly aware of our shortcomings and mistakes, or replaying the highlight reel of our latest blunders. However, learning to practice self-compassion is the antidote to all those shame poisons we commonly ingest after a challenging day. Self-compassion quells the voices of doubt, shame, criticism, and judgement.

So what exactly is self-compassion? It鈥檚 offering ourselves empathy and compassion, just as we would to a dear friend or to our child in a time of suffering or pain. When we learn to recognize our own voices of criticism, perfectionism, comparison, judgment, or shame, and turn them around into kindness and empathy, we are practicing self-compassion.

Researcher and author, Kristin Neff, Ph.D., () talks about self- compassion as 3 essential components.

• Self-Kindness vs.Self-Judgement: 鈥淔irst, it requires self-kindness, that we be gentle and understanding with ourselves rather than harshly critical and judgmental.鈥�
• Common Humanity vs. Isolation: 鈥淪econd, it requires recognition of our common humanity, feeling connected with others in the experience of life rather than feeling isolated and alienated by our 鈥�
• Mindfulness vs. Overidentification: 鈥淭hird, it requires mindfulness鈥攖hat we hold our experience in balanced awareness, rather than ignoring our pain or exaggerating 鈥�

I鈥檝e noticed in my own life, along with other parents that I know, it鈥檚 easy to begin with good intentions to make positive changes, or develop a new practice, but then life seems to always get in the way. For me, I鈥檝e become conscious of what I need to be stay aware and grounded, and in turn able to be compassionate to myself and others. There are four things that will always work against us, and sabotage our efforts of self-compassion.

• 鈥淭he Shoulds鈥�: Whenever I detect disappointment or resentment creeping up inside me, I know that I need to check my expectations. When we can be honest about the expectations we have for ourselves as a parent, or for our鈥檚 child鈥檚 behavior or achievements, then we can explore where they鈥檝e come from and if they鈥檙e realistic or not.
• Shame: When we see ourselves as flawed, not good enough, or as a failure, our core worthiness is in jeopardy, and we will inevitably struggle with showing ourselves kindness and
• Shrinking Space: A packed life and schedule leaves no room or margin for error, reflection, or intentional practices. Practicing simplicity of schedule builds in space for the unexpected moments of life that will inevitable
• Swift Speed: When we are able to slow down, we are able to cultivate patience for ourselves and towards our children. Patience is an important piece of showing kindness and

Take a moment today, to play back something that happened recently between you and your child that didn鈥檛 go well. This time, adjust your lens to see yourself and the situation with empathy and self-compassion. Then offer yourself words and actions of comfort and compassion, just as you would to a good friend. Nurturing yourself is not selfish or indulgent, it鈥檚 essential for our own emotional well being, and goes a long way in modeling self-compassion to our children as well.

Michele is leading our September Gifted Support Group Meeting.听

Topic:听Parenting, the Self-Compassion Way

As parents of gifted and exceptional children, we are often focused on the pursuit of finding the individuals, services, experiences, etc. that will adequately meet our children鈥檚 ever-changing needs. But what about us? What about our experiences and inner worlds? In this presentation, therapist and parent of gifted and 2e children, Michelle Bodwell, will discuss the importance of tuning into ourselves, recognizing our inner dialogue, and cultivating a practice of empathy and self- compassion for the parenting journey.

Biography:

Michelle Bodwell is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Board-Certified Art Therapist with a private practice in South Pasadena. In her practice, she specializes working with women, of all ages, guiding them in finding creative solutions for life鈥檚 problems. Through the journey of parenting her own gifted and 2e children, she understands the struggles and challenges of raising exceptional individuals and lends her experiences in leading A Mother鈥檚 Retreat, a parenting support group for mothers of children with high emotional needs. For more information go to

The nation’s children are headed back into the classroom as the 2019-2020 school year gets underway! New beginnings can be a grab bag of emotions. Excitement, fear, anticipation – going back to school is not for the faint of heart. Here are some ideas to help ease the way into new beginnings.

Setting the Scene

An early visit to a new classroom can help relieve anxiety.听 If your child’s school is hosting an Open House or back to school event, attending can create a sense of comfort and familiarity.听 If this is not possible, discuss with your child what they can expect. Compare the new experience to something familiar: “Your classroom might be like the one we went to last year at your brother’s report card night.”

Building Confidence

Even if your child is excited about the beginning of school, they may also have concerns.听 Speaking positively about the transition can go a long way to reducing fear.听 Remind your child of a successful time they were in a new environment: “I remember how you made friends with Amy at the picnic when you did not know her.”

Establishing Routine

In the morning rush of everyone getting ready for school or work, small things may get overlooked. An established morning routine is helpful: backpack, lunch (don’t forget utensils), review of afternoon plans and most importantly, goodbyes. Goodbyes can serve as a punctuation to the morning routine and help transitions.

Transitions Take Time

New activities are stressful. At the beginning of the year, teachers work hard to establish a routine and provide students with guidelines and expectations.听 The structure of predictable routines both at home and school reduce anxiety. Just a few minutes with your child at the end of the day to let them tell you how things went will go a long way in back-to-school adjustment. If your child reports “problems,” try to refrain from giving solutions, but let your child tell you what they think and what they would like to see happen before discussing actions. Sometimes, like adults, a child just wants to be heard.

Back to School shopping season is here! When you do your back to school shopping at smile.amazon.com/ch/95-4695698, Amazon donates to Institute For Educational Advancement. Thank you for your support!

NOTE: As of February 20, 2023, Amazon has permanently shut down the AmazonSmile customer donation program.

One of my favorite past times is reading.  I love to read, especially travel stories, stories about small-town America, funny stories, classics, fantasies, science fiction, to name a few genres.

I have compiled a list, based on my research from Good Reads, and the public library reading lists, and some of the books that I have read, and read to my children throughout their growing years.  I hope you enjoy and maybe discover a favorite book or author.  That鈥檚 always the fun part. 

Elementary School Level: 

Mixed: A Colorful Story by Arree Chung, author and illustrator, Pre-K – Grade 2:

When a Blue and a Yellow fall in love, they create a whole new color and they name her Green.  Green is bright like Yellow and calm like Blue, but really, she鈥檚 her own color. Soon other colors begin to mix and a colorful new world is created.

Grow up, David! By David Shannon, author and illustrator, Grade 1 鈥� 3:

A new adventure in Shannon’s picture book series about a very mischievous boy! This one focuses on David鈥檚 relationship with his older brother, who generally thinks David is a pain. But when David needs help, his brother comes through and allows for a tender moment.

Front Desk by Kelly Yang, Grade 4 鈥� 6:

Mia and her parents, immigrants from China, are excited to have jobs and a place to live when they start managing a motel. But their new boss won鈥檛 make repairs on his building or pay the family what they have earned. In her efforts to improve her English, Mia learns what a well-written letter can do to help her family.

The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian’s Art Changed Science by Joyce Sidman, Grade 3 鈥� 8:

Sidman鈥檚 signature poetry and love of nature shine through in this exquisitely researched, highly attractive and entertaining biography of Maria Merian, a revolutionary and groundbreaking 鈥渃itizen-scientist鈥� in the 1600s.

Middle School:

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, (The Chronicles of Narnia (Publication Order) #1), by C.S. Lewis

There are a thousand stories in the land of Narnia. In the never-ending war between good and evil, The Chronicles of Narnia set the stage for battles of epic proportions. Some take place in vast fields, where the forces of light and darkness clash. But other battles occur within the small chambers of the heart and are equally decisive.

Journeys to the ends of the world, fantastic creatures, betrayals, heroic deeds and friendships won and lost — all come together in an unforgettable world of magic.  So join the battle to end all battles.

Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry

Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think of life before the war. It’s now 1943 and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching through town. When the Jews of Denmark are “relocated,” Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be one of the family. Soon Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission to save Ellen’s life.

Speak: The Graphic Novel, Anderson, Laurie Halse

Melinda enters her freshman year of high school as an outcast after events that took place at a party during the summer. As she is grappling with what happened that night, she attempts to find solace in her art class. Released on the 20th anniversary of the original publication of Speak, Emily Carroll鈥檚 illustrations give a haunting and powerful new visual perspective to this classic novel.

High School

The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck

The Pulitzer Prize-winning epic of the Great Depression, a book that galvanized鈥攁nd sometimes outraged鈥攎illions of readers. First published in 1939, Steinbeck鈥檚 Pulitzer Prize-winning epic of the Great Depression chronicles the Dust Bowl migration of the 1930s and tells the story of one Oklahoma farm family, the Joads鈥攄riven from their homestead and forced to travel west to the promised land of California. Out of their trials and their repeated collisions against the hard realities of an America divided into Haves and Have-Nots evolves a drama that is intensely human yet majestic in its scale and moral vision, elemental yet plainspoken, tragic but ultimately stirring in its human dignity. A portrait of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless, of one man鈥檚 fierce reaction to injustice, and of one woman鈥檚 stoical strength, the novel captures the horrors of the Great Depression and probes into the very nature of equality and justice in America. At once a naturalistic epic, captivity narrative, road novel, and transcendental gospel, Steinbeck鈥檚 powerful landmark novel is perhaps the most American of American Classics. Brave New World.

Girl with a Pearl Earring, by Tracy Chevalier

With precisely 35 canvases to his credit, the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer represents one of the great enigmas of 17th-century art. The meager facts of his biography have been gleaned from a handful of legal documents. Yet Vermeer’s extraordinary paintings of domestic life, with their subtle play of light and texture, have come to define the Dutch golden age. His portrait of the anonymous Girl with a Pearl Earring has exerted a particular fascination for centuries – and it is this magnetic painting that lies at the heart of Tracy Chevalier’s second novel of the same title.

The Sun Is Also a Star, by Nicola Yoon

Natasha: I鈥檓 a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I鈥檓 definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won鈥檛 be my story.

Daniel: I鈥檝e always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents鈥� high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store鈥攆or both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

A Really Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson鈥檚 own fascination with science began with a battered old school book he had when he was about ten or eleven years old. It had an illustration that captivated him鈥揳 diagram showing Earth鈥檚 interior as it would look if you cut into it with a large knife and removed about a quarter of its bulk. The idea of lots of startled cars and people falling off the edge of that sudden cliff (and 4,000 miles is a pretty long way to fall) was what grabbed him in the beginning, but gradually his attention turned to what the picture was trying to teach him: namely that Earth鈥檚 interior is made up of several different layers of materials, and at the very centre is a glowing sphere of iron and nickel, as hot as the Sun鈥檚 surface, according to the caption. And he very clearly remembers thinking: 鈥淗ow do they know that?鈥�

Bill鈥檚 storytelling skill makes the 鈥淗ow?鈥� and, just as importantly, the 鈥淲ho?鈥� of scientific discovery entertaining and accessible for all ages. He covers the wonder and mystery of time and space, the frequently bizarre and often obsessive scientists and the methods they used, and the mind-boggling fact that, somehow, the universe exists and against all odds, life came to be on this wondrous planet we call home.

Adults:

The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyereson

When Miranda鈥檚 once beloved, then estranged uncle Billy unexpectedly passes away, he leaves her two things: his struggling Los Angeles bookstore and one last scavenger hunt like the ones he would organize for her in her youth. But this time the stakes are high; each clue uncovers family secrets buried far too long.

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

Keiko Furukura marches to the beat of her own drummer. Or rather, to the music of her own convenience store. She may not have any idea how to function in the outside world, but she is completely in her element at the conbini where she has worked for 18 years. Her friends and family, however, all think there鈥檚 something wrong with her, so she resolves to find her own cure.

The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle

When Sabrina Nielsen arrives at the restaurant to celebrate her 30th birthday, she is astonished to find the people from her 鈥渄inner list鈥� (any five people, living or dead, you would invite to dinner) seated at the table for an evening none of them will forget. This is a charming, heart-warming and heart-breaking book about how it feels to be young and what we lose, and gain, as we become adults.

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