Family valued

"In an age in which one can be sure of only one thing-change-the family circle gives the child an anchor of stability and security in the midst of spatial geographic bounds, technological innovations, and social upheavals. It is important that some children's literature emphasize family unity since a child usually is neither consciously aware of, nor appreciative of, the feeling of togetherness in his own family. If the young reader unfortunately is not a member of a closeknit family in his own environment, it might motivate him to value and desire strong family interrelationship when he, in his turn, is an adult and has children of his own."
Julie Carson, writing about her mother's books for children in 1968. Quoted in Hoffman, Authors and Illustrators of Children's Books.

What about you? Did hearing or reading children's books that featured strong family relationships help you to value them in your own life?

Missing May: This Week with Cynthia Rylant

Deservedly the winner of the 1993 Newbery Award (and many others), this is the story of a death in an unusual family, a family that God brought together out of the mutual need of its members. The book is PG on our shelves, due to mild profanity and a (futile) attempt to contact the dead. I use it, with some editing, as a middle school read-aloud. Another sensitively written story from a great writer. Reading level = 6.7; Quality = 5; Acceptability = 3.

The Relatives Came: This Week with Cynthia Rylant

So who could craft an award-winning picture book out of a visit by a station wagon full of relatives from Virginia? Cynthia Rylant and illustrator Stephen Gammell could. And did. This affectionate, exuberant memoir gets a 4 for quality and a 5 for acceptability.