Hi Kid Lit friends!
I started practicing yoga a little over a year ago. I was inspired to begin because of two Book Riot staff members, Associate Editor Kelly Jensen and Executive Director Rebecca Schinsky, who are both certified yoga instructors. Now I go to a yoga studio near my home twice a week, and I love it.
There has been an increased interest in mindfulness and yoga for kids lately. I’ve seen many yoga and mindfulness related books come across my desk, and I thought I would share them with you!
Sponsored by The Ghost Road by Charis Cotter
When Ruth arrives in Newfoundland for the summer to stay with family she’s never met, she has no idea what to expect. Luckily her cousin Ruby is there to help her navigate family secrets, a mysterious ghostly visitor, and a curse that binds the two girls together; if they can survive The Ghost Road. Brimming with suspense, The Ghost Road is a classic ghost story sure to delight fans of Coraline and Dollbones.
Picture Books
Listening to My Body by Gabi Garcia, illustrated by Ying Hui Tan
Listening to My Body is an engaging and interactive picture book that introduces children to the practice of paying attention to their bodies. Through a combination of story and simple experiential activities, it guides them through the process of noticing and naming their feelings and the physical sensations that accompany them, while helping them build on their capacity to engage mindfully, self-regulate, and develop a better sense of well-being.
A 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. Practicing pebble meditation can help relieve stress, increase concentration, nourish gratitude, and can help children deal with difficult emotions.
I Am Yoga by Susan Verde, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
An eagle soaring among the clouds or a star twinkling in the night sky . . . a camel in the desert or a boat sailing across the sea—yoga has the power of transformation. Not only does it strengthen bodies and calm minds, but with a little imagination, it can show us that anything is possible.
I Am Peace by Susan Verde, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
When the world feels chaotic, find peace within through an accessible mindfulness practice from the bestselling picture-book dream team that brought us I Am Yoga. Express emotions through direct speech. Find empathy through imagination. Connect with the earth. Wonder at the beauty of the natural world. Breathe, taste, smell, touch, and be present.
My Magic Breath by Nick Ortner and Alison Taylor
Do YOU have the magic breath?
Let’s see…Take a deeeeeep breath in…and BLOW it out…
…and like magic, you can feel better just by breathing! Sometimes it’s hard to feel happy. But with this interactive picture book, children breathe along as they learn how to make angry or sad thoughts disappear.
In a world that is sometimes too busy, with too many things going on, My Magic Breath will help steer children into a serene space of mindfulness, self-awareness, and balance.
Middle Grade Books
This Moment Is Your Life (and So Is This One): A Fun and Easy Guide to Mindfulness, Meditation, and Yoga by Mariam Gates and Libby VanderPloeg
This engaging guide, packed with simple exercises and endearing full-color artwork, provides a handy starting point for bringing mindfulness into your daily life. Chapters on meditation, yoga, and mindful breathing explain the benefits of these practices, and you are free to pick and choose what to try. There are quick exercises throughout, and a more extensive tool kit at the end of each chapter. The final chapter offers satisfying five-day challenges that map out ways to pull all of the book’s mindfulness techniques together in your day-to-day life.
Mindful Me by Whitney Stewart, illustrated by Stacy Peterson
Sometimes kids’ lives can get busy and out of control, and worries can take over. When that happens, knowing how to pause and regain composure with mindfulness can help! This easily digestible guide introduces kids to mindfulness as a way to find clarity, manage stress, handle difficult emotions, and navigate personal challenges. With step-by-step instructions to over thirty breathing, relaxation, and guided meditation exercises, readers will have an entire toolkit at their disposal and writing prompts will help them process their discoveries.
Cover Reveal!
The survey results from the previous cover reveal show that 94.4% of you enjoy seeing cover reveals on this newsletter, so here is the next one: The Great Jeff by Tony Abbott!
Synopsis: Life hasn’t been great for Jeff. He was forced to leave his school, St. Catherine’s, for public school, which he hates. He’s no longer speaking to his former best friend Tom Bender because of that girl Jessica. But worst of all, his family is changing, and it’s not for the better.
When his mom comes home announcing that she’s lost her job, Jeff begins to worry about things far beyond his years–how will they pay the rent? Will his absentee dad step up and save the day? Will his mom get the help she needs? And ultimately, where will they live?
Told from the point of view of the bully in the modern classic Firegirl, The Great Jeff is a powerful look at a troubled boy who finds his life spiraling out of control, and his world sliding into homelessness.
The Great Jeff will be released on March 19, 2019.
Tony Abbott is the author of over a hundred books for young readers, including the bestselling series the Secrets of Droon and the Copernicus Legacy and the novel Firegirl. Tony has worked in libraries, bookstores, and a publishing company, and has taught creative writing. He has two grown daughters and lives in Connecticut with his wife and two dogs.
Tight by Torrey Maldonado is a middle grade coming of age story about Bryan, a kid who tries to stay out of drama and focus on school and his family. When his parents encourages him to hang out with Mike, Bryan does. But then Mike starts doing some things that make Bryan feel uncomfortable. I thought this was an amazing book with so many elements that kids will relate to.
A Home in the Barn is a classic Margaret Wise Brown farm animal story, and I love how Jerry Pinkney brings the story to life with his incredible illustrations. Seriously, look at that cover! It’s so gorgeous!
Resistance by Jennifer A. Nielsen is a middle grade book about the Jewish resistance. Chaya Linder uses her fair features to pass for Polish, and she spends her days as a courier for the Jewish resistance. The story is compelling and tragic with lots of graphic details. I learned a lot about this time period and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
Around the web…
Check out the Scholastic Reads podcast celebrating the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
Bonding With My Sons Over Audiobooks, via Book Riot
Movies for Middle Grade Readers, via Book Riot
Reader Survey!
Book Riot wants to know the ins-n-outs of your reading life. Will you take a quick minute to participate in our Fall Reader Survey?
I would love to know what you are reading this week! Find me on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or email me at karina@bookriot.com.
Until next time!
Karina
What my living room looks like right now.
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