In his book The Butterfly Lion, Michael Morgurpo writes, ‘I met the best friends I ever had in books.’ Books can be your best friends and best friends in school are important to all children. Here are some great books about books ánd friendships. A good way to start off a new school year!
Welcome The New Kid/The New Kid Welcome, by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Nicole Miles, is a story told forward and backward. The text, printed in the center of the book, is used one way from start to end, and then used from end to start in the other half of the book. Interestly, this changes the story of how to welcome a new child in a school. Do you make friends and include him? Or do you feel that it is not necessary to welcome him and leave him alone instead? An interesting story concept that will be fun to read and discuss with students, especially when a new student is coming or at the start of a new school year. ISBN 978-0-593-42632-6, Random House Kids
Yours in Books by Julie Falatko, illustrated by Gabriel AlborozoOwl loves reading but his neighbourhood is noisy and there are too many interruptions. He embarks on a correspondence with B. Squirrel who runs a lovely book shop. Squirrel tries to send Owl helpful books and has many suggestions for Owl to share books with the critters around him. Not only does Owl read to the little ones, he also starts baking and making crafts with them. Through the love of books, each makes new friends and, together, they have a fabulous tea party and Owl ends up reading books to a wider audience. A beautiful picture book to share and have a classroom tea party, this is one of those wonderful books that kids will remember fondly. ISBN 978-1-951836-20-7, Cameron Kids
Books Make Good Pets by John Agard, with illustrations by Momoko Abe, is a fun picturebook to share out loud when introducing new readers to the library. ‘Books make good pets and they don’t need to go to the vet!’ is the repeated sentence in this poetic story. The lovely illustrations compare books to birds or puppies, rodents or lizards. And the books win out every time because they set your imagination soaring. ISBN 978-1-4083-5988-4, Hachette Childrens
Is There A Boy Like Me? by Kern Carter is a wonderful novel for teens, perhaps especially for kids in international schools. London is a teenager. Like many teens, he faces complex friendships in school. He also has a lot of parental pressure on having to be the best in many areas, including in coding class which his father wants him to take but in which he himself is not at all interested. His own passion is drawing, reading and writing but his father believes there is no future in that. London navigates between these obstacles while trying to stay true to himself and his best friend, who happens to be a girl. Teen pressure at school and parental pressure at home don’t make life easy for this fourteen year old but London uses his talents and unleashes both critique and support when he creates web-comics that go viral. Not only does this lead new friendships, it also realizes London’s dream of writing a graphic novel. A fun and interesting read.
ISBN 978-1-4431-9842-4, Scholastic Canada
Book Two in the Nish series by Isabelle Picard is called Northern Lights. Nish in Innu means ‘two’ and is linked to the experience of being an indigenous person as well as to the fact that the two main characters in this novel are twins.
Leon and Eloise and their family have moved south from the Arctic to Quebec. Not only do the twins have to learn French, they have to go to a new school and make new friends. Students in international schools will be able to relate to their story of trying to fit in, make friends and pursue their interests in a new environment. The book uses some sentences and words in Innu and also shows the kids’ connections with old friends via text messages. ISBN 978-1-0397-0455-8, Scholastic Canada
Margriet Ruurs writes books for children and makes new friends in international schools around the world when she conducts author visits. http://www.margrietruurs.com