We all deal with change; the daily bump in the road that messes with our perfect routines. Or the type of change you don’t expect and weren’t ready for. As adults we’ve seasoned ourselves to be able to deal with these situations but for the children in our care it isn’t as easy. Change doesn’t necessarily mean anything bad but usually when implemented it causes some chaos; children show different behaviours, classrooms can seem unmanageable. How do we handle or help guide the children back to that feeling of normality?

When Stella is surprised to find out her favourite teacher is taking the rest of the year off she immediately worries over what this will mean for her. She doesn’t find comfort in her parents words of reassurance during dinner and continues to worry. She decides to write a letter to her principal about all the concerns she has over this new teacher and if they will understand all the classroom dynamics. After reading it; her principal invites her to meet the new teacher who easily makes her feel at ease; showing her a solution to everything that was worrying her (tying her shoes, having cool paint, seeing the sneaky class bully)

I enjoy this book; it’s short and simple but gives a powerful and relatable message about really taking the time to listen to the children in our care. Transitions can be tough but sometimes children just need to know that you understand them and that you are there for them. Often we throw out phrases such as;  “It’ll be fine” , “Don’t worry” “Put your tears away-you’re fine.” but next time you go to say one of those familiar words stop and think what benefit will it have, and will it help? This book can serve as fun book especially if the children are going through something similar but is also a great reflective tool for ourselves as educators.

When Nancy Wilcox Richards was in grade one she told her classmate, Rosemary, that she was celebrating her birthday that very day, and Rosemary was invited to her party. Unfortunately, Rosemary showed up at Nancy’s house that evening with a birthday present. You might ask, why was this unfortunate? Doesn’t everybody love to get presents? Well, there was just one teeny problem – it wasn’t Nancy’s birthday! This “birthday fib” eventually found its way into the story of How to Fix a Lie. “And that’s what authors do,” says Nancy. “Writing is like creating a recipe. We take bits and pieces of real life – things that are funny, interesting or heart-warming – and we add in some imagination; mix it up, and the result is a story.” Many of Nancy’s books draw on her experiences as an elementary teacher. Whether it’s facing the challenges of bullying, such as in How to Tame a Bully, or it’s reaching out to accept others, such as in How to Be a Friend, her books are sure to resonate with elementary kids. Nancy lives on a picture perfect lake in Nova Scotia. She loves spending time with her family; enjoys whiling away the time in her hammock on a warm summer’s day; and is convinced that chocolate can solve a lot of problems. “I understand why you’re sad, but let’s think of something to make this feel better for you” Can go along way.