“I don’t feel very much like Pooh today", said Pooh. "There there," said Piglet. "I’ll bring you tea and honey until you do.” ―A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
Friday, June 8 is National Best Friends Day. Use this day as a reminder to continue to celebrate your sounding board, your supporter, your very best friend! ―I am looking forward to having a nice long phone chat with Liz, my best friend since childhood. As you get older, you realize how a best friend is truly a gift, and you can really appreciate having a person in your life who will always stand beside you that is not a parental figure.
A fun way to start a discussion with the children in your life about friendship is by reading books together that demonstrate meaningful friendship skills. One of my favorite picture books on the subject is What James Said by Liz Rosenberg. A young girl thinks her best friend James has spread a rumor about her, but there is a misunderstanding and her loyal friend James sticks by her while he tries to figure out why she’s angry and ignoring him and even cheers her success.
The books listed below have characters that not only have fun together but encourage, listen, and make a positive difference in each other's lives. They are able to communicate and resolve misunderstandings because their friendship is such an important part of their world. My list also includes chapter books that can be read aloud together over a course of time with both realistic and fantasy genres.
I would want to be best friends will all the characters in these books!
Books to Read With Your Best Friend
A gentle, poignant reminder for our little ones (and ourselves) that sometimes, the best thing we can do for our loved ones is to listen. Taylor is sad and doesn't know what to do. One by one, various animals come to "help" Taylor by giving suggestions to get angry, or talk it out. Nothing helps until finally, a rabbit comes—and listens.
