PPBF: The Day You Begin

Happy Friday; this week was a somber one
with the seventeen-year mark of 9/11 globally
and the ten-year anniversary of hurricane Ike locally,
a time for reflection and gratitude, for sure.
And we've had some bumps in the road on the home front,
but nothing that we can't hurdle together
with a little bit of grace and a whole lot of love.

Today I'm grateful for this incredible PPBF find.


Title: The Day You Begin
Author: Jacqueline Woodson

Illustrator: Rafael Lopez
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Birthdate: August 28, 2018
Suitable for: grades K-3 (and beyond!)
Themes: Friendship, Celebrating Differences, Courage
Brief synopsis: A narrator walks us through the life and times of a young student as she discovers where in the world she fits and who her friends along the way might be.
Opening page: There will be times when you walk into a room and no one there is quite like you.

Resources: 
Check out this comprehensive teacher's guide {here}.
Enjoy an amazing sneak peek from Mashable {here}.
Listen to a read-aloud {here}.
Watch the book's trailer from You Tube:


Why I like this book: I wasn't even looking for a new book when this book's cover caught my eye on yesterday's book-store outing. The brilliant layout screamed, "Hey, check me out!" and when I saw that it was written by the author of Each Kindness, I knew I'd have to use the coupon that brought me to the store in the first place on this beauty. Prepare to be hooked the minute you begin this story; it's like a letter to you, the reader, straight from the heart, about what to expect from life. The real stuff. The nitty gritty. Honestly.

Some people will misunderstand us. 
Some will laugh at us. 
Some will exclude us.
Some will have more than us. 

And then, maybe when we least expect it,
someone will connect with us.
Understand us.
Get it.
Ask us to sit with them.
Invite us to be their friend.  

Its message? Despite our unique differences,
or maybe because of them, 
we're all searching for some of the same stuff:

acceptance, 
understanding, 
connections, 
friendship, 
and love.

In the end, it's all about relationships.

After reading the book, it might be fun to experience
the five finger gratitudes and affirmations.
Invite students to raise their right hand
and think of four people (one for each finger) 
that they are grateful for and want to affirm.

And since we're designed to be relational,
you might even have them hold their hand
up to the hand of a friend.
So that they're touching, for closeness.
Maybe a bigger or a smaller hand,
perhaps a different-colored hand,
or the hand of someone they've not met ... yet.

Encourage them to give specific examples 
to support their gratitude while they affirm that person: 
I'm grateful for my teacher because she helps me.

When they get to the pinky,
invite them to say something kind about themselves.
Not bragging or boastful, just a compassionate affirmation about
something that makes them uniquely them.

This one may be tricky,
it may even bring tears,
but it'll be worth it.

Check out this book; I predict it'll quickly imprint on your hearts
and become one of our absolute favorites.

Then head on over to Susanna Hill's blog for today's other PPBF picks

Finally, head on over to Prosign Design if you want to read my guest post about some of the benefits of Character Education.


How might today be The Day You Begin ... ?






9 comments

  1. Some books appear on the NYT best sellers list and you wonder how. Others, like this, deserve all the publicity they are receiving. That cover is brilliant.

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  2. EACH KINDNESS is one of my all-time favorites, so I can't wait to read THE DAY YOU BEGIN. I have it on hold at the library, but there's a long wait!

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  3. Third try. I love this beautiful picture book by Woodson -- perfect gift book with the theme and gorgeous illustrations! You suggested activities for teachers are excellent.

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  4. Year after year I continue to remind, encourage, inspire kids to be INCLUDERS - the video preview looks like this might be a great book to demonstrate that value. Is this correct?

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    1. That's a great question; YES, I am certain that you could read it aloud and stop on almost every page to ask your students how a Highland student might do that page differently. If you do, do let us know how it goes!

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  5. If Jacqueline Woodson is the author, it's gonna be amazing!

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  6. I love Jacqueline Woodson. The opening line is amazing. It really grabs your attention. Thanks for sharing it.

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  7. As a fan of Jacqueline Woodson's books, I'm curious and excited to read this one. The powerful message(s) this book delivers makes it a must read in all classrooms. Thank you so much for reviewing it. Now, I'm off to my library's website with hopes of reserving a copy. :)

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I really enjoy hearing from my readers; thanks for sharing your reflections with us!

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