Hey,
How’s the first week of the new year treating you guys? How goes the resolution, I must ask?
A lot of us, including yours truly, start giving up on resolutions, after Day 3 or Day 4! And over the years I have realised, that happens only when you plan unrealistic resolutions or things that don’t “spark joy”! More on how to plan them with references from my favourite book “Atomic Habits” later in the coming weeks!
So one of my resolutions this year is to obviously read more books, and to read more books with my children too! Before I realise, they are going to grow up, and not need me to read to them! (ok, am a li’l teary-eyed now!)
This week, I have chosen a topic that is a li’l off-beat. That is not so “joyous and brimming with hope”. Something that is not all rosy and cheerful. It is about the topic of having a difficult conversation with your child. About loss. About grief. About death.
Things that we often brush aside, spin a tale about or just simply avoid. We have curated a list of the best books, both Indian and International that talk to kids about understanding loss and grief.
The truth sets us apart, even with our own kids. They expect and appreciate honesty from their parents more than anything in this world. However much we want to protect them, any indication that we lied to them diminishes their trust in us. When in doubt, I make it a habit to put myself in my kids’ shoes and reflect on how I would feel if I was in their place. None of us like being lied to, so why would it be any different for our kids? We explained to Dev that his Ajooba would not be coming back and he would not be able to see him, but he will always be watching over him. Immediately he looked up to see if he could see Ajooba watching him. We told him that God took him suddenly because it was his time to go, and he was happy up in heaven. It was important to explain that some people go up to God earlier than others and sometimes people fall ill, and medicine does not help. So, God calls them to help take away the pain. This resulted in silence and a wide-eyed Dev who was pondering over the event that marks the end of life.
Best Children’s Books On Grief & Death
2-4 Years
The Invisible String
I Miss You: A First Look At Death
When Dinosaurs Die
The Rabbit Listened
4-8 Years
Gone Grandmother
Boo! When My Sister Died
Samantha Jane’s Missing Smile
Death Of Cupcake
The Heart & The Bottle
When Someone Dies
The Sad Dragon
The Ammuchi Puchi
The Great Storyteller
8-12 Years
Thammi’s Gift
Darkless
The Book Of Form And Emptiness
Passed And Present
What Smart Moms Of Readers Do…
What’s your book budget- for everyone in the family? Do you have a weekly or monthly allowance on how much you are willing to spend on books?
Not all have. And it’s awesome if you have a limit too. It’s just that make sure you encourage your kids to spend more on books and reading than on other stuff- simple.
And if you are looking for ways to save more while not cutting down on your reading time. Here is an awesome offer- only on Kidsstoppress!
Get 2 months’ access to Kindle subscriptions FREE with the KSP Book Club subscription
We had sent you a mail earlier, along with your exclusive coupon code to avail 2 months; FREE access to Kindle Unlimited subscription. So go ahead and redeem it if you haven’t already!
Merriam-Webster’s Word Of The Year 2022
Gaslighting
Using psychological methods into questioning their own sanity or powers of reasoning.
Usage: She was being gaslighted by her toxic boss at the workplace.
Our Favourite Children’s Books From The Past Year
Author In Focus- Enid Blyton
Starting this week, we start this new section on the KSP Book Club where we present a small snippet or sneak peek into the life and works of any one children’s author, who we have loved and enjoyed reading!
This week, we showcase the life and works of one of the most popular children’s authors, Enid Blyton!
5 Interesting Facts About Enid Blyton:
- Enid Blyton sometimes wrote under the pseudonym ‘Mary Pollock’
- She was able to write 10,000 words of a publishable story in one day!
- She holds a place in The Guinness Book Of World Records for publishing more books than most writers would. (she has written more than 760 books which have sold around 600+ million copies!)
- A movie on her life and times was released by the name “Enid” in 2009 directed by James Hawes
- Enid Blyton’s life was not without its share of controversies for the tone in some of her stories. The interesting facts about her life were documented in a book called “101 Amazing Facts About Enid Blyton” written by Jack Goldstein.
Famous Works:
The Famous Five series, The Adventure series, The Mystery series, The Secret Seven series, The Magic Faraway Tree, The Noddy books etc
And that’s a wrap on this week’s KSP Book Club newsletter. Share your feedback if you are liking our exclusive KSP Book Club newsletters. Tag us on @kidsstoppress, @janani.s.koushik and #KSPBooKClub to tell us if you like the reccos we share every week. And if you have any special requests do drop me a mail at [email protected].
Mansi Zaveri
KSP Team
Shruti Divecha
Rati Ramadas Girish
