Favorite Books: Bigger Than Just a Book
Some links may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these
You don’t always know it when you see it. It’s beauty and changing and love. You won’t know it until you read it. It’s a moment that I love. It’s when a book becomes bigger than just a book, it’s:
the Biggers
A Bigger is beautiful. The art, the pages, the story, the message - all beautiful. A Bigger changes you or your child. It only has to change one of you, but it has to make a change - either in your viewpoint, your lens, your inspiration, your appreciation, your hope, your faith, or your choices. A Bigger is loved. Either you or your child has to love it. One of you wants to read it over and over again.
Biggers will change throughout one’s life, but for right now, these are my top children’s Biggers.
Malala’s Magic Pencil, by Malala Yousafzai
Written by Malala herself, this children’s story is about hope and perseverance pursuing the dream of a “better, peaceful world.” In this book, an eleven-year-old civil right’s activist fights against all odds to free Pakistani girls from enslavement and oppression. After the Taliban tried to silence her, she became the spokesperson for children around the world. This book opens our children’s eyes to the travesties and crimes against children - and the power of a single child’s persistence and actions in fighting an almost impossible fight. It will touch your hearts and inspire change. While reading this book, use this time as an opportune moment to dive deeper into children’s lives throughout the world, discuss civil rights, and even challenge your kids to enact positive changes for others in their own lives, such as Operation Christmas Child or The Compassion Experience.
A Symphony of Whales, by Steve Schuch
What can we do when thousands of Beluga whales become trapped in the freezing inlet near the Bering Sea? The story’s tale of a miraculous rescue tells the true story of how people will risk their lives to show love to our world’s creatures. Every time I read this story, I am astonished that Disney or Hollywood has not made this into a movie yet. This story highlights our deep connection to God’s creation as well as our responsibility as caretakers of His creatures. With this book, you can study whales, Russia and Alaska, classical music, and caring for wildlife. While you read, play classical music in the background to enrich the moment.
The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein
Besides the Bible, this is my favorite book about sacrificial love. This book helps your children’s lens zoom out from their own needs and see how they are loved unconditionally by those who provide for them. Some see this book as a representative of how selfishly we treat our world - but I see it as a depiction of a deep, giving love. My three-year-old enjoyed it as a coloring book, while my older children learned a new perspective and gained a deeper understanding of true love.
The Paper Dolls, by Julia Donaldson
When a little girl’s most precious and fragile creation is destroyed by a little boy, she doesn’t stop singing. This heart-felt story about loss, coping, and growth, shows the power of moving forward in strength and love - without revenge. Couple this story with making paper dolls to drive home the significance of loss and healing. You can also build your children’s emotional intelligence by discussing natural and healthy ways to respond when wronged by others.
The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams
About 75 years before Toy Story, a little stuffed animal toy came to life in the timeless tale of how love is the giver of life. In The Velveteen Rabbit, the vintage art and historical context add maturity and depth to a touching story. You can have a sweet moment with your kids creating watercolor art of nature and bunnies, studying rabbits, and having a show and tell about a favorite toy or stuffed animal. For your older children, you can discuss the author’s use of anthropomorphism, the history of Scarlet Fever, and kindness towards those who are different from you.
Eat the Cake, by M.H. Clark
A bit reminiscent of the Dr. Seuss book, Oh the Places You will Go, this deliciously illustrated book tells us to “Turn up the volume way up just as high as it goes. Let the brilliance that’s in you pour right out and glow.” It’s truly a party book, perfect to read on a birthday, but also year around too. Every page is inspirational for living a celebrated and thankful life making the world a happier place. You can add to this book’s experience by making a cake together, setting goals for the coming year, studying the rhyming words and coming up with your own, and turning up the volume for a dance party. Show your kids they can make their cake and eat it too!
The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss
Living now in a time of single-use bags, smog, and deforestation, we benefit from reading this cautionary tale that shows the consequences of abusing our earth’s natural resources. With the greedy Oncelers who care only about money and a Lorax who “speaks for the trees,” we have much to learn from this super symbolic story. But what I love is that this story still has big hope in something so small as a single seed. There is so much to discuss with your kids when reading this book - including the little things we can do to help the environment, making a plan to put into action. Also, you can teach symbolism as a literary tool, create Seussy looking trees using various mediums, make a garden in your backyard, and watch the 2012 movie. This book was banned in California schools in 1989 to protect Californians’ opinions of the logging industry, so with older kids, you can discuss the effectiveness of lobbying groups on lawmakers. Dr. Seuss has such a great way of commenting on society in a creative and fun way, with depth and meaning, so really most of his books could have made this Bigger list.
Biggers have a magical way of impacting the hearts and minds of our littles in a big way. Use these books as a jumping off point to teach the big things - like character, compassion, and responsibility. Use these books to bring beauty to your lives, to find beauty in the small and big things, and grow your appreciation of beauty. And most of all, use these books to love on your children. As Dr. Seuss says, “You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax; all you need is a book.”
The Coop Homeschool is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
