WRB—Children’s Literature Supplement, Nov. 2024

“full of birds”

For once, Sarah is planning ahead. Not only does she have exciting Thanksgiving children’s book recommendations ready before Thanksgiving, she even has an Advent section prepared. She hopes you’ll be charmed with these books and find the resources useful. It’s always particularly difficult to focus on school during December, so when all else fails, simply pull out the always delightful Tomie dePaola and read your way through the season. You also find a lovely chapter book suggestion, a seasonal poem by Louisa May Alcott, a cookbook about which Sarah is deeply excited, and much more.

Giving thanks

This most American of all holidays (yes, we’re sure Groundhog Day or National Queso Day could be in the running, but let’s not quibble right now) brings with it countless traditions and tales. But whether you call it “stuffing” or “dressing,” eat cranberry sauce from a can or cook your own, it all just goes to show there’s no one correct way to celebrate this holiday. Unless we’re talking about books, and then it simply isn’t Thanksgiving unless you’ve read Wende and Harry Devlin’s Cranberry Thanksgiving (1971)—a book Sarah mentions every year in this newsletter. 

Also, if it wasn’t for Sarah Josepha Hale, we might not have this holiday. Learn about her and what she did to put this celebration on our calendars by checking out Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving (2002) by Laurie Halse Anderson.

Finally, if you have a moment on Thanksgiving Day or Black Friday, take the time to read Louisa May Alcott’s amusing short story, An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving.

Up and over yonder

There are some book characters is does your soul good to know, and Ida Early is one of them. Good either as a read-aloud or for eager middle-grade readers, Ida Early Comes over the Mountain (1980) by Robert Burch is a light-hearted tale with many meaningful moments. 

“Potter-mania”

Before there was Harry Potter, there was Beatrix Potter. Her stories are beloved the world over, and Sarah loves to tell listeners—interested or not—that Potter should also be remembered for her conservation of the famous Lake District. Hannah Stamler has captured the important moments of this famous women in a well-considered essay here.  

Strega Nona (again)

Last month, Sarah complained about the “Strega Nona Fall” trend sweeping social media, and she was pleased to find that another writer agreed with her—and gave pushback in a thoughtful, meaningful way. Over in the local Post, Jennifer Reese writes:

Long before the advent of Strega Nona Fall, I was a fan of Nonna Fina, a droll and fiery Italian woman in her 70s who, filmed by her granddaughter, shares ragù recipes and tart opinions about Taylor Swift’s outfits with some 750,000 followers on Instagram. Then there’s Diane Shiffer, the self-described “chubby vintage nana” who lovingly attends to her slow cooker and stray cats in Upstate New York. I have found immense peace entering Shiffer’s orbit, watching her toddle about her house, lighting the ritualistic morning candle (Real Simple might be on to something), sipping coffee from her jadeite cup, confiding about the struggles in her younger life. I do not believe Shiffer can cure a headache with oil and water and a hairpin, but she does cast a spell.

Shiffer, Nonna Fina and Strega Nona are all women who, vitality fully intact, have aged out of more youthful preoccupations with getting and spending, dating, toning their abs. Spending time with them is amusing, edifying and deeply restful. They embody what we love about grandmothers.

She goes on to muse about grandmothers and the beauty of aging in a poignant way that Sarah hopes readers will take to heart.

Also in the Tomie dePaola vein, here is an article from 2014 which walks readers through his light and airy home. 

Advent nears

We’ve come again to Sarah’s favorite time of year: Advent. There are many, many wonderful ways to live out this season, and a popular one in the Schutte home during their homeschooling years was to use Tomie dePaola’s various books as inspiration for going deeper in the meaning of that time. Elizabeth Foss, over on In the Heart of My Home, has a helpful curriculum guide if this path strikes your fancy.

Since Advent is coming so quickly, don’t forget that St. Nicholas’ Day is right at the beginning of it. Celebrating this saint’s feast on December 6th can involve all sorts of activities, and the wonderful St. Nicholas Center is an indispensable resource for these. 

What the kids are reading