I'm the Best. Lucy Cousins. 2010. May 2010. Candlewick Press. 32 pages.
Hello.
I'm dog, and I'm the best.
These are my friends--Ladybug, Mole, Goose, and Donkey.
I love them. They're great, but I'm the best.
I liked this one. I think I liked this one better than any of the Maisy books I've read. (For one thing, it actually has a plot.) What is it about? It's about a dog who knows he's the best--the very, very best--at everything. He's definitely better than his friends. But. Is this dog
really the best? Do his friends benefit from his bragging, his boasting? Of course not! They may just team up to give him a dose of his own medicine...
While
I'm Number One by Michael Rosen dealt with bullying and bossiness,
I'm the Best dealt with bragging and boasting. Both are similar in one way, both books show that it isn't easy to be friends with a difficult person. But Dog was definitely more lovable than A-One.
I liked this one. I thought it was fun and playful. It does have a message (in a way), but it was handled in a funny way, a natural way. And that can make a big difference.
© Becky Laney of
Young Readers
May is National Teen Self-Esteem Month, a month dedicated to boosting confidence and self-image. Annie Fox, M.Ed., an award winning author and educator with 30+ years experience, sheds some light on raising confident and secure teens.
Dr. Molly Barrow holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is the author of Malia and Teacup Awesome African Adventure and Malia and Teacup Out on a Limb—an adventure series for ages 9 and up.
I'm A Pig. Sarah Weeks. Illustrated by Holly Berry. 2005. HarperCollins. 32 pages.
I'm a pig, I'm a pig,
and I don't give a fig
if you call me a pig,
'cause that's what I am.
I'm a pig, I'm a pig...
Our little pig is so so happy to be what she is, a pig. It's a celebratory picture book about being yourself, about loving life. It's a cute book. A bit silly perhaps. But fun. I'm not completely sure the rhymes always work, or that the rhythm always work, but for the most part I think it does. I just love the illustrations!
© Becky Laney of Young Readers
I was fortunate enough to speak at Baker College of Allen Park on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The staff wanted me to explain how King's life influenced my own. I talked about the freedoms that I have because he fought so hard in the face of adversity. I shared that because he protested, went to prison and even died for civil rights I am able to have small blessings like a Diet Coke at a cafe.
I realize that the national holiday is over but I want to implore the readers to remember that when you stand for something and fight hard enough you not only change history but you create a new future for others.
Read something great!
Recently, we have collaborated with some Minnesota author friends to open a retail store over the holiday season that featured our products. The store was the brain child of our friend, Kelly Lucente, author of “Bye Bye Monster.” We are honored and humbled that Kelly calls us her friends and mentors. The story ran on the front [...]
In anticipation of a "Post-Apocalyptic Teen Fiction" panel I'm attending on Thursday (look for a post early next week,) I've been catching up on Scott Westerfeld's "Uglies" series. I'm in the middle of the first book right now and loving it. It's a... Read the rest of this post
One thing in this life that you have control of are your thoughts. It is ironic but those very thoughts dictate your actions, your character and in essence your life. How often do you think of your dreams and goals? Many people are nervous about putting the effort into a vision board...so let's start with the thinking cycle before we move on to practical application. How positive are your thoughts? Do you believe that you can reach your goals? I remember being a little girl and being told that I had a vivid imagination. In middle school a friend drew a "say no to drugs" poster. She felt pretty proud of herself and she should have because the poster was nice.
I asked her to show it to one of the teachers that started a school campaign and maybe we could have the drawings copied and made into replicas all around the school. I shared with her the fun and awareness that would come from making the theme into a skit or a featured assembly. She looked at me with her mouth open and simply said you think too big and you are blowing this out of proportion. We never did anything with her creation. It set in her notebook and no one was ever able to see the effort she put into the beautiful and descriptive drawing.
We did not tell our teacher...we simply did nothing. In retrospect...I still think it could have been great to at least try and present it and see how lives could change from a simple picture. But my friend had thoughts that held her back from exposing her creation to the rest of the school. She thought that it should not be a big deal. Obviously it was her drawing and her choice but this made me think about her words to me..."You think too big".
Can someone really think too big or is their faith too small? When I told a girl that I wanted to be an author she smiled at me and said "yeah right" the class laughed and told the teacher about their desires to obtain more traditional careers.
Did they laugh because they thought it was funny? No...I think they laughed because they could not envision "Tara Michener author of the Who I Am Series," Celebrating diversity and
self-esteem in kids.
This is not a hit towards the kids that I grew up with but something that I am asking you the reader to ponder in your own life. Do you encounter people on your job, at school or in your family or circle that don't believe in your dreams?
How does this change your thinking about yourself? If we choose to think big there is nothing that we cannot accomplish! Keep your thoughts positive and faithful and you will be surprised at the reward that follows.
Read something great!
Today we look at a “clump” of four books about independent thinkers who, without fanfare or animosity, disregard the judgements of others and are simply happy being who they are.
Ingredients (books discussed):
Jump into Today’s Soup (feedback):
Join the conversation by clicking the Comments link below or sending an email to [email protected].
Second Helpings (transcript of podcast):
In a society where the media, schools and, sadly, even parents often expect us to conform to prescribed,cookie-cutter ways of being, a common challenge for adults and children alike is to understand and appreciate out-of-the-box thinking or behavior in ourselves and others. With so much emphasis on conforming, being or even befriending a person who is viewed as different can be a scary and isolating experience.It’s not surprising, then, that we sometimes go to great lengths to reject or hide our unique selves — and to avoid those who don’t.
Many children’s books and, to a greater extent, movies attempt to reduce the social stigma against being different through boisterous victory-of-the-underdog themed stories in which the independent thinker saves the day and, to the rousing cheers of once-distant peers, instantly becomes the poster child of popularity. There is no denying that such victories feel great but I believe stories which present quiet appreciation, improved understanding or simply congenial co-existence go further to help children deal with different ways of being.
Before looking at the books, let me explain that I like to read to my two daughters in clumps. That is, I like to read in one sitting several books that are completely parallel in certain ways – offering similar characters, situations, or themes – but are different enough to make the clumped reading interesting. I clump by activity (riding a bike, say), by storyline (several variations on the Frog Prince story, for example) or, as in the case today, by explorations of a similar “type” of character (a girl that is viewed as being “different”). There are many books that deal with differences in, what I believe are, very constructive ways. Today we look at a “clump” of four books about independent thinkers who, without fanfare or animosity, disregard the judgements of others and are simply happy being who they are.
 Odd Velvet (Mary Whitcomb Illustrated by Tara Calahan King; 1998 Chronicle Books) tells the story of a happily independent school girl who has bypassed the consumer mentality of her peers and finds beauty and entertainment in the world around her. What I love about this story is that Violet’s unimposing enjoyment of life remains steadfast throughout: her self esteem easily withstands the taunts of her classmates and she remains true to her nature as she gradually gains the respect of her peers. Violet’s self worth is clearly not tied to her judgment by others. |
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 The Recess Queen (Alexis O’Neill Illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith; 2002 Scholastic Press) relays, in snappy, what is it? Hip hop beat? the story of a school yard bully effortlessly felled by the teeny tiny independently minded Katie Sue, “a kid you might scare with a jump and a boo!”. Here again, the beauty of the story — for me — is in Katie Sue’s unwavering sense of self worth regardless of her noticeably different approach to life and in the fact that she takes in stride both the bullying and her offhanded deflation of the bully. |
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 Suki’s Kimono (Chieri Uegaki Illustrated by Stephane Jorisch; 2003 Kids Can Press) is a refreshing celebration of individuality and joie de vivre. This first-day-of-school story contrasts the uninhibited and happily independent six year old Suki with her self-conscious, stiff and validation-seeking sisters – and their complete embarrassment that their little sister is wearing a kimono to school. Although I think Suki could do without the applause of her classmates, Suki’s sunny self-assurance remains constant throughout and she gains no satisfaction from the fact that her sisters’ preparation and preening brought them nothing but exasperation. |
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 Annie Bizzanni (Frances Halle Illustrated by Fil et Julie; 2006 Bayard Canada Books) introduces us to a creative, multi-tasking and impulsive free-spirit who lives life in large slices which she feels no pressure to complete. Although her friends are obviously amused, inconvenienced and, sometimes, scared by Annie’s quirky behavior what I love about this book is that Annie’s way of being is simply portrayed as being different — not better or worse — than that of her peers, that her friends love her for who she is and that she is very happy being herself. |
Although society may expect it, we’re not cookie cutouts and we all fall inside and outside various different boxes. We might as well enjoy ourselves!
Thanks for listening. I’m Andrea Ross from the Just One More Book!! Podcast and we’ve been Swimming in Literary Soup.
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Now that I have a daughter, it's even more important to me now to portray a healthy body image. Even if some days I have to fake it. I wrote a similar post on my blog http://noteasilyoffendedmoms.blogspot.com/2009/08/fat-bitch-skinny-bitch.html
I hope you had fun! I had a mon's night out last night and had a blast.
Thank you for posting your feelings about something we can all relate to. I'm only just now feeling this way about myself and I'm about 25 lbs heavier than I was when I was so insecure about my looks. If only I knew then what I know now. Ah, youth is wasted on the young!