Children's Books that Teach Life Lessons-With Lesson Plans

An excellent picturebook, especially recommended for parents to share with children while teaching them proper behavior - Midwest Book Review

Adventures at Walnut Grove: A Lesson about Teasing is a children's picturebook about a group of forest animal children learning how to get along and have fun together. The story focuses on the harm that teasing can do - bad names or words can cause hurt, and keep even friends from having fun. The primary moral is "treat others the way that you would like to be treated. If you wouldn't like being called names please don't call other people names. It does not feel good to be teased." The beautiful color artwork brings the animal friends to life in a surprisingly realistic style, though they engage in anthropomorphic activities like an impromptu baseball game. An excellent picturebook, especially recommended for parents to share with children while teaching them proper behavior.

Explaining the importance of taking responsibility for your own actions is easily shared with youngsters in I Double Dare You! Author, Dana Lehman shares her vision, of how to stop violence in schools, in her series Adventures at Walnut Grove. Lehman weaves her kind-hearted lessons into child friendly stories that are sure to please young audiences. The Walnut Grove Resort is a popular vacation spot for an adventurous group of squirrels, raccoons and beavers. As friends they gather at Walnut Grove and interact with each other, have fun playing games and learn many valuable social lessons along the way. Adults can count on kids picking up and learning about friends that dare each other and the consequences of participating in daring games of sport. Illustrator, Judy Lehman, matches her daughter-in-law's story with soft colorful watercolors that are friendly and happy. Her illustrations enhance the depth of the story for readers offering young children the chance to learn the valuable lessons alongside the characters. Author, Dana Lehman includes a helpful questionnaire at the end of the story to guide further understanding of how important it is to take responsibility for your own actions and not blame or follow others blindly. Words from the Author at the tail-end of this story include, a gentle explanation of how confusing interacting with other people can be, what to do, how to handle it and what to remember when faced with a daring situation. Adults can count on I Double Dare You! to teach a positive value based moral lesson that kids will be excited to read again and again. --Midwest Book Review

Will prove an inspiration to young elementary school readers,
Saying you can't is admitting defeat before even trying. I Can Do It is a children's picturebook following Sammy and his friends as they journey through the Whispering Willows and experience a fascinating assortment of challenges which they overcome through determination. With fine watercolor painting illustrations from Judy Lehman, I Can Do It will prove an inspiration to young elementary school readers who are gaining a better grasp of reading. --Midwest Book review