Town Values | September | Dignity/Self-esteem
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Dignity/ Self-esteem is defined as "Having a degree of self-respect which inspires respect of others."
Alice the Artist, Martin Waddell. E FIC Wad
Alice likes her painting, but her friends have many suggestions. She
tries it their way, but in the end decides her own way is best and
starts a new painting.
Arthur, For the Very First Time, Patricia MacLachlan. J FIC MacL
Arthur spends a summer with his unconventional aunt and uncle and
begins to look at life, his family, and himself differently.
Arthur's Eyes, Marc Brown. E FIC Bro
His friends tease Arthur when he gets glasses, but he soon learns
to wear them with pride.
Beaky, Jez Alborough. E FIC Alb
Beaky hatches on the forest floor, and tries to be a frog, a snake
and a fish before discovering his true self - a bird of paradise.
Bert Breen's Barn, Walter D. Edmonds. J FIC Edm
Tom Dolan wants to make things better for his mother and sisters.
He plans to buy Bert Breen's falling down barn and rebuild it for
livestock,
but
then rumors of buried treasure in the barn begin to float around the
town.
The Black Snowman, Phil Mendez. E FIC Men
Jacob decides he hates being black, and thinks that everything black
is bad until his little brother asks him to help make a snowman. Blackened
by the cars on the city street, the black snowman teaches Jacob to
be proud of his ancestors, and gives him the courage to become a hero.
The Cat Ate My Gymsuit; a Novel, Paula Danziger. J FIC Dan
When the unconventional English teacher who helped her conquer many
of her feelings of insecurity is fired, a junior high student uses
her new
found courage to campaign for the teacher's reinstatement.
Charlotte's Web, E. B. White. J FIC Whi
Wilbur the pig has a wise spider friend, Charlotte, who helps him
learn that he is "some pig" and saves his life in the process.
A Color of His Own, Leo Lionni. E FIC Lio
A little chameleon is distressed that he doesn't have his own color
like other animals.
Daniel's Duck, Clyde Robert Bulla. E REA FIC Bul
A novice wood carver is momentarily defeated when people laugh at
the result of an entire winter of work.
An Enchanted Hair Tale, Alexis De Veaux. E FIC Dev
Grown-ups and children tease Sudan because of his wild, unruly hair.
One day he walks away from all of the teasing and discovers, on his
own, a
way to belong, wild enchanted hair and all.
The Explorer of Barkham Street, Mary Stolz. J FIC Sto
Reformed bully Martin Hastings fantasizes about heroic adventures
as an explorer and a sports star, until his new friends and growing
self-confidence make real life as exciting as his daydreams.
Fat Chance, Lady Borton. E FIC Bor
Marty has trouble with the alphabet. She secretly adopts and takes
care of a blind, three-legged cat who teaches her that she can succeed
at making letters and much more.
Flossie & the Fox, Pat McKissack. E FIC McK
A wily fox, notorious for stealing eggs, meets his match when he encounters
a bold little girl in the woods who insists upon proof that he is
a fox before she will be frightened.
The Great Debate, Thomas L. Tedrow. J FIC Ted
Laura Ingalls Wilder faces her husband's displeasure and the town's
prejudices when she advocates voting rights for women.
The Great Gilly Hopkins, Katherine Paterson. J FIC Pat
An eleven-year-old foster child tries to cope with her longings and
fears as she schemes against everyone who tries to be friendly.
Holes, Louis Sachar. J FIC Sac
As further evidence of his family's bad fortune which they attribute
to a curse on a distant relative, Stanley Yelnats is sent to a hellish
correctional
camp in the Texas desert where he finds his first real friend, a treasure,
and a new sense of himself.
How Fletcher Was Hatched, Wende and Harry Devlin. E FIC Dev
When Alexandra seems more interested in baby chicks hatching from
their eggs, her dog Fletcher feels ignored. He hides inside a huge
egg and
then hatches it to gain back Alexandra's attention, only to discover
that he
had never lost her love.
I Like Me!, Nancy Carlson. E FIC Car
A little pig who is full of good feeling about herself knows how to
have fun, and when she makes mistakes, she has the confidence to try
again.
I Wish I Were A Butterfly, James Howe. E FIC How
A small cricket wishes he was a butterfly after the frog at the end
of the pond says crickets are the ugliest creatures. Talking to ladybugs,
dragonflies and spiders, the small cricket comes to realize his own
special
beauty and talents.
I'm Terrific, Marjorie Weinman Sharmat. E FIC Sha
Jason Bear thinks he's terrific and even awards himself gold stars
for superior performance in his chores. His friends don't like to
be around him until Jason Bear accepts himself without gold stars.
Jacob Have I Loved, Katherine Paterson. J FIC Pat
Feeling deprived all her life of schooling, friends, mother, and even
her name by her twin sister, Louise finally begins to find her identity.
Knee-High Nina, Jack Kent. E FIC Ken
Nina was knee-high, and although she liked to study the bottom of
things, which was all she could see, she got tired of it after a while
and wished
she were big.
The Little Engine That Could, Watty Piper. E FIC Pip
A train full of wonderful things breaks down. Other engines refuse
to help until the little blue engine comes to their rescue, even though
he is very small and has never been over the mountain before.
Mine and Yours: a Children's Book About Rights and Responsibilities, Joy Wilt. J HL 170 Wil
Discusses the rights that children automatically have and explains the responsibilities that accompany these rights.
Miss Rumphius, Barbara Cooney. E FIC Coo
As a child Great-aunt Alice Rumphius resolved that when she grew up
she would go to faraway places, live by the sea in her old age, and
do something to make the world more beautiful--and she does all those things, the
last being the most difficult of all.
Mistakes are Great , Dan Zadra, J 158 Zad
Mistakes can lead to greatness, for as Thomas Edison said, "If you're
afraid to make mistakes, you're afraid of success." Everyone makes
mistakes, even successful people like George Washington, Babe Ruth,
and Nadia Comaneci. By the same author: You Can Be Your Own Best Friend.
Oscar's Spots, Janet Robertson. E FIC Rob
Oscar is tired of his spots. But when a magic potion removes his spots,
Oscar discovers that he wants his old self back.
Pondlarker, Fred Gwynne. E FIC Gwy
Pondlarker is a frog who is determined to find a princess who, with
one kiss, will transform him into a handsome prince. Once Pondlarker
finds a princess, however, does he really want to be a prince?
Queenie Peavy, Robert Burch. J FIC Bur
Tormented by taunts that her father is in prison, thirteen-year-old
Queenie retaliates by causing a lot of trouble until she discovers
something important
about her father and herself.
The Rat and the Tiger, Keiko Kasza. E FIC Kas
In his friendship with Rat, Tiger takes advantage and plays the bully
because of his greater size, but one day Rat stands up for his rights.
The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett. J FIC Bur
Contrary and selfish Mary Lennox learns the joy of helping others
as her invalid cousin, Colin, becomes strong again and she makes her
first
real
friend.
Six Crows: a Fable, Leo Lionni. E FIC Lio
An owl helps a farmer and some crows reach a compromise over the rights
to the wheat crop.
Stephanie's Ponytail, Robert Munsch. E FIC Mun
However Stephanie wears her hair, everyone else imitates, but she
is determined not to blend in.
Steward Stork, Ross Martin Madsen. E REA FIC Mad
When Steward Stork tries to become taller, faster, and stronger, his
friends help him realize that he is fine just the way he is.
Secrets Aren't Always for Keeps, Barbara Aiello and Jeffrey Shulman
J FIC Aie
After successfully hiding her learning disability problems from her
Australian pen pal, Jennifer becomes apprehensive when her friend
announces she is
coming for a visit and wants to spend a day at her school.
The Summer of Mrs. MacGregor, Betty Ren Wright. J FIC Wri
Caroline's drab self-image begins to change because of the glamorous
Lillina MacGregor who makes her feel important.
The Values Library; Self-Esteem, Alicia Thomas. J 158.1 Tho
Developing your self-esteem through goal-setting, finding your place
in the world, and accepting your true self.
A Wrinkle in Time, Madeline L'Engle. J SCI FIC L’En
Insecure Meg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly
strangers and a search for Meg's father, who disappeared while engaged
in secret
work for the government.
Yesterday's Daughter, Patricia Calvert. J FIC Cal
Sixteen-year-old Leenie is bitterly determined not to let her mother
back into her life, but a tentative friendship with a young photographer
helps her see the situation from a new perspective.