National Family Week

Celebrated annually the week containing Thanksgiving, November 22-28, 2009 is National Family Week!
-The Teacher's Calendar, 2008-2009

Here are a couple wonderful books to help you get in the spirit of celebrating your family!

Paulin, Chrita.
Let's Bake a Family.
January 2009.
Coal Under Pressure Publications.

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

Non traditional families, unique in many ways, are really not so unusual these days. No longer just Momma, Papa, daughter, son. It may be grandma, auntie or anyone who contribute to those special memories of gathering round the table full of food, fun and holiday festivities. Let's Bake A Family surely proves that blended families are actually very cool. In this beautiful story of unit, Kyle learns just how wonderful it can be growing up in such an amazing blended family.

This is a perfect story to show children that a family is what you make it. Each family has their own way of showing love and support for one another. In Kyle's family, they bake. Baking helps Kyle not only adjust to the changes in his life but to celebrate his family for what it is. I think this is an important book for children to read, especially if they are living in blended family situations, as it shows that everything will work out for the best in the end.

Reading Activity:

The recipe that Kyle's family uses to bake a "family" at the end of the story is as follows:

• a little bit of cake mix
• a couple of eggs
• a cup of milk
• a teaspoon of butter; and
• a whole heaping helping of love

Ask your child to define what makes up a "whole heaping helping of love." What are those "ingredients" that make up love? Once he/she comes up with an answer, share amongst the class/family and settle on a list a together!

Monk, Isabell.
Family.
2001.
Carlrhoda Books.

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

Hope's new and unusual dessert blends well with the traditional dishes prepared by her cousins and Aunt Poogee at their annual summer get-together.

This isn't your ordinary family get-together... that's what makes it so neat! It's not a feast planned around any holiday, it's more a family reunion sort of feast! Everyone in the family has prepared their favorite (and in some cases, secret) recipes to share at the annual summer get-together. This concept, in my eyes, is a very important one, as it shows a loving family sharing with each other - not only food but also their love for one another, which is most important of all, especially as we consider that National Family Week is taking place during the week of Thanksgiving, in which many of us will have the opportunity to share our thankfulness towards family!

Reading Activity:

Plan a family get-together of your own. Invite the whole family! However, instead of planning a holiday-type meal, encourage each person to bring their favorite dish. It may just turn out that there are no meat dishes... perhaps there will be no veggies dishes, or maybe even no desserts! No matter, take the time to enjoy that your family is sharing with you their most favorite dish! Then, assign one person the job of making "The ______________ Family Cookbook," which will contain the recipes for all of the favorite dishes present at the get-together! To make it easier, you could ask each person to bring however many copies of their recipe so that each family member (including the kids) will get a copy of their own that can be stapled together to take home and treasure forever!

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com.