Books for Solace and Comfort

With reports from edu­ca­tors that stu­dents are in a height­ened state of anx­i­ety, we put out the call for rec­om­men­da­tions for books that would offer com­fort and solace with­in the age range of ages three to twelve. Do you have a book in mind? Send us your recommendation(s). We’ll keep adding to this list, so you may wish to book­mark it. We’re not going to wait until we’ve gath­ered a lot of titles because this list is need­ed now.

Poet­ry

Here are sug­ges­tions from Mer­na Ann Hecht, poet and educator:

Brown Hon­ey in Broomwheat Tea, Joyce Car­ol Thomas, illus­trat­ed by Floyd Coop­er. NY: Harp­er Collins, 1993. (ages 4 – 7)

Riv­er of Words: Young Poets and Artists on the Nature of Things, Pamela Michael, edi­tor. Min­neapo­lis, MN: Milk­weed Edi­tions, 2008. 

Salt­ing the Ocean: 100 Poems by Young Poets, select­ed by Nao­mi Shi­hab Nye, illus­trat­ed by Ash­ley Bryan. . NY: Green­wil­low, 2000.

This is a poem that heals fish, Jean-Pierre Siméon. New York: Enchant­ed Lion Books, 2005. A play­ful read-aloud book to inspire young chil­dren to delight in cre­at­ing their own poetry.

This Place I Know: Poems of Com­fort, select­ed by Geor­gia Heard, Cam­bridge, MA: Can­dlewick Press, 2011.

Words with Wings: A Trea­sury of African-Amer­i­can Poet­ry and Art, select­ed by Belin­da Rochelle. NY: Harp­er Collins, 2001.

For Old­er Children

Our thanks to Cyn­thia Grady, author and edu­ca­tor, for these sooth­ing suggestions.

Evo­lu­tion of Calpur­nia Tate, Jacque­line Kel­ly. NY: Hen­ry Holt, 2009.

What the Heart Knows: Chants, Charms, and Bless­ings, poet­ry by Joyce Sid­man, illus­trat­ed by Pamela Zagaren­s­ki. Boston, MA: HMH Books for Young Read­ers, 2013.

Wings by William Loizeaux, illus­tra­tions by Leslie Bow­man, NY: Far­rar, Straus & Giroux, 2006.