BookS on MondaY: Who inspires you to do good? How might we teach our children about these individuals? Mary Feliciani talks about Martin Luther King, Jr., Ghandi, & others in her book for middle grade students HUMANITARIANS, VISIONARIES, HEROES & YOU
By Leslie Lindsay An absolutely fascinating and thought-provoking collection of inspiring individuals, past and present, HUMANITARIANS, VISIONARIES, HEROES, & YOU is exactly perfect for the middle grade reader, and their parents/guardians/teachers. We read this slim volume aloud to our children (ages 11.6 and almost-10) en route to Thanksgiving in our hometown nearly 300 miles away. It was the quintessential read for this time of year. Thanksgiving, an American holiday epitomizing family, moral good, working for the betterment of a nation when times are tough (Thanksgiving, having been made a national holiday when morale was low during the Civil War). We asked the girls if they were familiar with the people in the book–many of whom are well-known–Martin Luther King, Jr., The Dali Lama, Mother Theresa, Gandhi–but others who are less-known. They nodded to some, but weren’t sure about others. We read anyway, introducing them to the good deeds, the selflessness of these humanitarians working to build a more holistic, kind, and peaceful planet. We learned about Craig Kielburger who, as a 12-year old, was moved by …