Posted on: March 22nd 2019
When I was a little girl growing up in Australia, the world seemed very small. Apart from my parents who were English, people I knew had been born locally and stayed geographically near a close-knit network of family and friends. Family life centered on a small radius of activities and I was lucky enough that one such activity was the local library. Here was a world of adventure and I was transported by stories of faraway places and exotic locations.
One such exotic location to me was Paris. As a child, some of my favourite books were the ‘Madeline’ series about a little girl who lived in a boarding school in Paris. They were introduced to me by the Librarian after a stay in hospital to remove my appendix when I was nine years old (and feeling a bit sad) and I had an instant connection to the character as she too had been in the hospital to have her appendix removed. She was the bravest and most outgoing of all the girls in her school and her courage resonated with me and helped me find my courage again.
As a teacher, I have always found that story from my childhood a powerful reminder of the influence the right book at the right time can have for children. The ability for pupils to connect with a story can help them process their emotions before they are even aware of them. Equally, for younger children, it can give words to those who are still developing their language.
At Norfolk House, one of our Core Values is Resilience and I believe stories that reach children in the way that ‘Madeline’ did for me can contribute to children’s day to day wellbeing as well as developing long term, the most elusive of all personal skills - Resilience. There are books on every topic imaginable to support children with a range of life challenges; starting school, friendships, illness, and bereavement just to name a few. As Summer term draws to a close look out for my guest blog where I will be sharing the best stories to help children prepare for beginning School. Happy reading!
