Books and Resources for Difficult Times (and some picture books to make you laugh)
This is not the first time I've been compelled to share resources for coping with violent and threatening events. After the Charlottesville riots, I presented a list of books for discussing social justice, anti-Semitism, and racism, and after the 2016 election I shared a Unity.Kindness.Peace book list created by the Association of Library Service to Children.
I think books are an excellent way to approach difficult topics: either as a shared reading experience with your child or to help you prepare for what your child might ask and what you would like to say. Books do not provide all the guidance we need at moments like this, so I’ve collected some online resources I think are insightful, useful, and encouraging.
On a lighter note, I've made a list of funny picture books. We can all use a giggle this week. It could be a very, very long list so I limited it to nine.
We also have some fun programs coming up, and Tula and I hope to see everyone on Trick-or-Treat Lane on Wednesday!
As always, please let me know if you have any thoughts, suggestions, questions, requests, or anything else you would like to share. And give your little ones (or not so little ones) a hug.
Best,
Erin
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Halloween!
Wednesday, October 31
Join us at the Halloween festivities: parade, Haunted House, candy, costumes, and the firefighters' BBQ.
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Stamp Crazy!
Wednesday, November 7, Edgewater Room
Come by anytime between 3:00 and 4:30 p.m.
Fish, stars, hearts, snowflakes, hands, spirals, cupcakes, birds, elephants, boats, suns, flowers, bees, letters, dogs, butterflies...we've got them all. Come make cards, stationary, wrapping paper, or just beautiful designs.
Perfect for children 4 - 8 years old, but all children and accompanying adults are welcome.
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Building Club: Tinfoil Bowls, Magna-Tiles, and Legos
Wednesday, November 14, Edgewater Room
Come by anytime between 3:00 and 4:30 p.m.
We've a stack of tinfoil bowls. What can you make with them? As always, we'll bring our huge collection of LEGOs and Magna-Tiles. We have Duplos and blocks in the Children’s Room for kids under 3.
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STORY TIME with Molly
Mondays, Edgewater Room
10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
Join us for Molly's special blend of stories, finger plays, and songs. For children of all ages.
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TODDLER STORY TIME
Wednesdays, Edgewater Room
9:40 a.m. and 10:40 a.m.
Join us for stories, finger plays, and songs! For children 3 and under and their caregivers.
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Middle School Book Club: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Monday, November 12, Edgewater Room
4:30 - 5:30 p.m.
This month, the Middle School Book Club is reading The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.
After witnessing her friend's death at the hands of a police officer, Starr Carter's life is complicated when the police and a local drug lord try to intimidate her in an effort to learn what happened the night Kahlil died.
Middle schoolers are invited to join us for discussion, snacks, and a book-related activity. To get a free copy of the book and for more information, email Erin at ewilson@sausalito.gov or just come by the Library!
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9 Books to Make You Giggle
These nine books are hilarious. Or at least I think so. (And so does this dinosaur visiting from Norway.)
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Resources for difficult times: Talking to children about the Tree of Life shootings
I do not have children, so I do not have to face the difficult decision of what and how to share information about Pittsburgh (or Charlottesville or the Pulse shooting in Orlando or Ferguson or...). Pulling this book list and these resources together I was reminded of a couple things:
- Not everyone has the privilege to protect their children from information about the shootings, although the adults in their lives can help them understand and process what has happened.
- Even if you think you can protect your children, you don't know what they will be exposed to outside your home.
I want to highlight two of the online resources in particular:
In the Aftermath of a Shooting: Help Your Kids Manage Distress from the American Psychological Association is focused on the emotional impact of the shooting. It divides its advice into five areas: talk to your children, keep home a safe place, watch for signs of distress, take “news breaks,” and take care of yourself. I particularly like its guidance for how to start and shape the conversations with children, and knowing that the information is based on expert knowledge backed by an extremely reputable organization.
Talking to Children about Events in Pittsburgh from the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism was developed by a team of experts in childhood psychology and trauma. The page’s layout is hard to read, but it is worth struggling through the text. It includes advice for how to talk to different aged children, from preschool through college, and includes how to have a discussion about anti-Semitism and hate crimes in general. I find the text encouraging and reassuring for me in coping with the aftermath!
I’ll say that I was quite personally motivated to collect these resources. Although I'm not Jewish, most of my family is. My mother and step-father, as well as step-siblings and nephews, all regularly attend synagogue. My loved ones gather daily or weekly to celebrate, pray, and study as Jews: it could easily have been any of them.
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