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The Librarian of Basra by Jeanette Winter (Grades K-3)

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The Librarian of Basra by Jeanette Winter (Grades K-3)

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The true tale of Alia Muhammad Baker’s efforts to preserve knowledge, culture, and community through her library collection in the face of war. With her library serving as a bedrock for conversation and learning, Alia and her neighbors recognize the importance of protecting their history and culture by uprooting and hiding the collection so that they can one day rebuild a brighter future.

Winter, J. (2005). The Librarian of Basra: A True Story From Iraq. New York: Harcourt.

https://search.mackin.com/search-results/6854287

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1. Why do we share?

2. What boundaries do we put around sharing? Which makes a boundary good or bad?

3. What do we share other than just material things?

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Collaborative brainstorming about what people share with each other. Students will break out into groups of 3, with each group choosing a book from the Big Idea: Sharing collection. After reading their book as a group, each group will list what was shared between characters in the story (eg. physical items, culture, feelings, stories, etc.). Coming back together as a full class, each group will provide examples of sharing with evidence from their book. Repeats are welcome and encouraged (with evidence), to show similarities in themes across all of the books.

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Activity 2 - models for community sharing:

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Activity 2 - models for community sharing:

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Students will talk about sharing in their community and create an outline for a service or opportunity for communal sharing, of their own design. This could be done as a whole class or in groups, and books about libraries, food banks, bike-shares, volunteering, and so on could be used as conversation starters.

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Book Uncle and Me by Uma Krishnaswami (Grades 3-5)

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Book Uncle and Me by Uma Krishnaswami (Grades 3-5)

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For Yasmin, the free lending library in her neighborhood represents an endless supply of knowledge and entertainment that she would never be able to find otherwise. When the mayor threatens to slap vendor fines on the retired teacher (Book Uncle) who maintains the lending library, Yasmin uses the knowledge she has gained through reading to rally her community to stand up for something she believes in. Change doesn’t come from a single person, and Yasmin must find others who share her passion to campaign together against the mayor’s threats.

Krishnaswami, U. (2016). Book Uncle and Me. Toronto: Groundwood Books.

https://search.mackin.com/search-results/6347577

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My Librarian Is a Camel: How Books Are Brought to Children Around the World by Margriet Ruurs (Grades 3-5)

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My Librarian Is a Camel: How Books Are Brought to Children Around the World by Margriet Ruurs (Grades 3-5)

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Intended for an older audience, this book showcases how communities around the world receive shared materials through their own unique style of library. Not only does this book talk about how they borrow items, it goes into detail about what they borrow and the purpose these opportunities serve towards preserving culture and sharing knowledge.

Ruurs, M. (2005). My Librarian Is a Camel: How Books Are Brought to Children Around the World. Pennsylvania: Boyds Mills Press.

https://search.mackin.com/search-results/1466668

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It Could Always Be Worse: A Yiddish Folk Tale by Margot Zemach (Grades K-3)

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It Could Always Be Worse: A Yiddish Folk Tale by Margot Zemach (Grades K-3)

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A silly yet pragmatic folk tale on keeping perspective when things are tough. When sharing space with family becomes hectic and overwhelming, it can help to remember that things could always be worse!

Zemach, M. (1990). It Could Always Be Worse: A Yiddish Folk Tale. Florida: Sunburst Books.

https://search.mackin.com/search-results/59266

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Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora (Grades P-2)

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Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora (Grades P-2)

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Omu’s aromatic stew has everybody in the neighborhood wanting to try some. Omu (“queen” in Igbo) doesn’t think twice about sharing with her neighbors, even to the point where she has run out of delicious stew to have on her own. Seeing Omu’s predicament, all of the people who she has touched with her cooking and generosity bring dishes of their own to create a big, multicultural communal meal.

Mora, O. (2018). Thank You, Omu! New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

https://search.mackin.com/search-results/6354615

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A young girl finds an unlikely friend in her new rural home: her elderly neighbor. Agnes engages Katherena with gardening and art projects, using their bonding time to share stories and lessons from their shared Cree heritage. The book uses a cycle of seasons to display the passage of time and the blossoming of their friendship.

Flett, J. (2019). Birdsong. Vancouver: Greystone Books.

https://search.mackin.com/search-results/6942717

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In what reads like a modern fairy tale, Annabelle realizes she is living in a drab, almost monochrome world. When she finds a box of colorful yarn, it becomes her unwitting mission to bring color to the lives of everyone in her community by knitting sweaters for people, pets, and even buildings.

Barnett, M. (2012). Extra Yarn. New York: Balzer + Bray.

https://search.mackin.com/search-results/2932388

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A grandfather and grandson find a way to communicate and share with each other through a shared love of art and fantasy. Featuring beautiful scenes and imaginative characters, this book demonstrates how culture can be shared and appreciated even past a language barrier.

Le, M. (2018). Drawn Together. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

https://search.mackin.com/search-results/6183214

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Don’t Touch My Hair! by Sharee Miller (Grades P-3)

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Don’t Touch My Hair! by Sharee Miller (Grades P-3)

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For Aria, nowhere is safe from all manner of person or mystical creature who wants to touch her glorious hair. She has to learn to stand up for her personal boundaries by feeling confident in her decisions about when she does and does not want to allow people to touch her hair.

Miller, S. (2018). Don’t Touch My Hair! New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

https://search.mackin.com/search-results/6952365

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The Whispering Town by Jennifer Elvgren (Grades 2-5)

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The Whispering Town by Jennifer Elvgren (Grades 2-5)

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During the holocaust, a Danish family helps Jewish neighbors hide and eventually escape to Sweden. Told from the perspective of the Danish daughter, the family’s bravery eventually pays off when the night comes for the big escape. Despite apparent loneliness and isolation, allies reveal themselves throughout the town as neighbors help guide the way to the dock in the darkness of night.

Elvgren, J. (2014). The Whispering Town. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben Publishing.

https://search.mackin.com/search-results/3411007

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Evelyn Del Rey is Moving Away by Meg Medina (Grades K-2)

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Evelyn Del Rey is Moving Away by Meg Medina (Grades K-2)

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This bittersweet picture book tells the story of two close friends who are soon to be separated by a move. Saying goodbye is always tough, and something that everyone can relate to, but this book highlights the joy and comfort that friendship represents, and how those memories and feelings can stay with us forever.

Medina, M. (2020). Evelyn Del Rey is Moving Away. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.

https://search.mackin.com/search-results/7351627

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Michelle’s Garden by Sharee Miller (Grades P-3)

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Michelle’s Garden by Sharee Miller (Grades P-3)

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This book tells the story of Michelle Obama’s mission to plant a garden to feed the residents and guests of the White House with nutritious fresh food. Far from being a gardening expert, Michelle works with White House chefs and gardeners as well as local students to learn and build something new together. While professionals could have been hired to plan and plant the garden in a single afternoon, the value in this experiment resides in the chance to share a learning experience with others.

Miller, S. (2021). Michelle’s Garden: How the First Lady Planted Seeds of Change. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

https://search.mackin.com/search-results/7543261

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Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood by Tony Hillery (Grades P-3)

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Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood by Tony Hillery (Grades P-3)

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Shared aspirations and shared effort allow a community to convert an abandoned lot into a vibrant garden, symbolizing the potential of their neighborhood spaces. Students work and learn to accomplish something that reaches everyone in their community.

Hillery, T. (2020). Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood. New York: Paula Wiseman; Simon & Schuster.

https://search.mackin.com/search-results/7271042

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The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles (Grades 1-4)

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The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles (Grades 1-4)

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Ruby Bridges, at just six years old, stood face to face with segregation and hate when white families refused to quietly allow children of all colors to share the same schools. This retelling of a historic event in the civil rights movement reminds us that equity has always been a struggle, but one worth fighting for.

Coles, R. (1995). The Story of Ruby Bridges. New York: Scholastic.

https://search.mackin.com/search-results/2697185

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Pies from Nowhere: How Georgia Gilmore Sustained the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Dee Romito (Grades P-3)

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Pies from Nowhere: How Georgia Gilmore Sustained the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Dee Romito (Grades P-3)

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Georgia Gilmore supports the famous Montgomery Bus Boycott by doing what she does best: baking pies! Highlighting the importance of community support, this book presents a more grounded portrayal of what a social movement really needs to continue and to thrive.

Romito, D. (2018). Pies from Nowhere: How Georgia Gilmore Sustained the Montgomery Bus Boycott. New York: little bee books.

https://search.mackin.com/search-results/6359584

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Home Sweet Neighborhood: Transforming Cities One Block at a Time by Michelle Mulder (Grades 4-7)

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Home Sweet Neighborhood: Transforming Cities One Block at a Time by Michelle Mulder (Grades 4-7)

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More of a conversation piece than a narrative story, this book offers up real-world examples of communities coming together to improve their shared space. There are tie-ins to ideas for local volunteering and plenty of opportunities to build a brainstorming exercise around activities that could be done in your very own community.

Mulder, M. (2019). Home Sweet Neighborhood: Transforming Cities One Block at a Time. Victoria: Orca Book Publishers.

https://search.mackin.com/search-results/6606931

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Under the Umbrella by Catherine Buquet (Grades K-3)

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Under the Umbrella by Catherine Buquet (Grades K-3)

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On a rainy, windy day a young boy rescues the runaway umbrella of a grumpy man who ends up buying a pastry that the boy had been admiring. They share the pastry and their company, giving the old man a moment of rest and comfort on an otherwise dreary day.

Buquet, C. (2017). Under the Umbrella. Toronto: Pajama Press.

https://search.mackin.com/search-results/4253674

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All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold (Grades P-2)

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All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold (Grades P-2)

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Easy-to-read rhymes accompany bright illustrations to show readers a school with students from all sorts of cultures and backgrounds. Students are encouraged to share and celebrate traditions and diversity.

Penfold, A. (2018). All Are Welcome. New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers.

https://search.mackin.com/search-results/6290893

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The End of the Wild by Nicole Helget (Grades 4-7)

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The End of the Wild by Nicole Helget (Grades 4-7)

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A sixth grader bears more than her share of responsibility for taking care of her family- especially her younger brothers. What’s more, the forest that she forages for food is threatened when a fracking operation opens in her town. With the adults in her life focusing on the financial benefits of fracking, Fern must advocate for her community to take responsibility for the health and preservation of their local environment.

Helget, N. (2018). The End of the Wild. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

https://search.mackin.com/search-results/6207015

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Finding Langston by Lesa Cline-Ransome (Grades 4-7)

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Finding Langston by Lesa Cline-Ransome (Grades 4-7)

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Newly moved to Chicago after the death of his mother, Langston finds comfort and refuge in the local library. Taking place in 1946, Langston had previously been unable to use the whites-only public library in his previous hometown in Alabama. With this new resource Langston discovers the poetry of Langston Hughes and finds a new-found bond with his late mother. An exploration of the barriers we put up and the connections we make even with those who are no longer around.

Cline-Ransome, L. (2018). Finding Langston. New York: Holiday House.

https://search.mackin.com/search-results/6326944