Common Thread: Issues Children Deal With

Sub-Category 1: Divorce

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	Dinosaurs Divorce	By: Laurene Brown Illus: Marc Brown	Ages 5-8	1988 Little, Brown & Co.	Text and illustrations of dinosaur characters introduce aspects of divorce such as its causes and effects, living with a single parent, spending holidays in two separte households, and adjusting to a stepparent.
	It's Not Your Fault, Koko Bear	By: Vicki Lansky  Illus: Jan Prince	Ages 4-7	1998 Book Peddlers	Koko Bear learns what divorce means, how to deal with changes, how to recognize and talk about her feelings, and that the divorce is not her fault.
	I Don't Want to Talk about it	By: Jeanie Ransom  Illus: Kathryn Finney	Ages 5-8	2000 American Psychological Association	At first the child doesn't want to talk about her parents divorce, but she then realizes although her parents don't agree with each other they still love her.
	Mama and Daddy Bear's Divorce	By: Cornelia Spelman  Illus: Kathy Parkinson	Ages 5-6	2001 Albert Whitman	Dinal Bear feels sad and scared when her parents say they are going to divorce.
	Divorce	By: Fred Rogers Illus: Jim Judkis	Ages 5-8	1998 G. P. Putnam's Sons	This book explains to children that their paren'ts divorce is not their fault. He talks about the emotions they will feel and tells them ways they can deal with these emotions and stress.

Sub-Category 2: Adoption

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	Adoption is for Always	By: Linda Girard Illus: Judith Friedman	Ages 5-8	1991 Albert Whitman	Although Celia reacts to having been adopted with anger and insecurity, her parents help her accept her feelings and celebrate their love for her by making her adoption day a family holiday.
	The Mulberry Bird	By: Anne Brodzinsky Illus: Diana Stanley	Ages 5-9	1996 Perspectives Press, Inc.	Althougth she loves her baby very much, a young mother bird gives him up for adoption because she is unable to give him the home which he needs.
	The White Swan Express	By: Jean Okimoto, Elaine Aoki Illus: Meilo So	Ages 5-8	2002 Houghton Mifflin Co.	Across North America, people in four different homes prepare for a special trip to China, while four baby girls in China await their new adoptive parents.
	Over the Moon	By: Karen Katz Illus: Karen Katz	Ages 5-8	2001 Henry Holt & Co.	A loving couple dream of a baby born far away and know that this is the baby they have been waiting to adopt.
	Let's Talk About It: Adoption	By: Fred Rogers Illus: Jim Judkis	Ages 5-6	1994 G.P. Putnam's Sons	Discusses what is means to be part of a family and examines some feelings that adopted children may have.

Sub-Category 3: Bullies

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	The Berenstain Bears and the Bully	By: Stan & Jan Berenstain Illus: Stan & Jan Berenstain	Ages 4-7	1993 Random House Inc.	When she takes a beating from the class bully, Sister Bear learns a valuable lesson in self-defense and forgiveness.
	Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon	By: Patty Lovell Illus: David Catrow	Ages 5-8	2001 G.P. Putnam's Sons	Even when the class bully at her new school makes fun of her, Molly remembers what her grandmother told her and she feels good about herself.
	Just a Bully	By: Gina Mayer Illus: Mercer Mayer	Ages Infant-Preschool	1999 Golden Press Publishing Co. Inc.	When a bully starts to pick on Little Sister, Little Critter decides he better stick up for her.
	The Ant Bully	By: John Nickle Illus: John Nickle	Ages 5-7	1998 Scholastic Inc.	Lucas's funny glasses and strange hat make him  a perfect target for Sid, the neighborhood bully, and, since Lucas can't fight Sid, he tortures defenseless ants instead.
	The Recess Queen	By: Alexis O'Neill Illus: Laura Huliska-Beith	Ages 5-7	2002 Scholastic Inc.	Mean Jean is the biggest bully on the school playground until a new girl arrives and challenges Jean's status as the Recess Queen.

Sub-Category 4: Death

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	What's Heaven?	By: Maria Shriver  Illus: Sandra Speidel	Ages 4-8	1999 Golden Books	After her great-grandmother's death, a young girl learns about heaven by asking her mother all kinds of questions.
	I Miss You	By: Pat Thomas  Illus:  Lesley Harker	Ages 5-7	2001 Barron's Educational Series Inc.	This book helps boys and girls understand that death is a natural complement to life, and that grief and a sense of loss are normal feelings for them to have following a love one's death.
	When Dinosaurs Die	By: Laurie Brown, Laurene Brown, Marc Brown Illus: Marc Tolen Brown	Ages 5-8	1998 Little Brown Children's Books	Explains in simple language the feelings people may have regarding the death of a loved one and the ways to honor the memory of someone who has died.
	My Grandma Died	By: Lory Britain Illus: Carol Deach	Ages 3-6	2002 Parenting Pr., Inc.	A young child talks about the emotions felt after Grandma's death.
	Dog Heaven	By: Cynthia Rylant Illus: Cynthia Rylant	Ages 4-7	1995 Scholastic Inc.	God created Dog Heaven, a place where dogs can eat ice cream biscuits, sleep on fluffy clouds, and run through unending fields.

Sub-Category 5: Sibling Rivalry

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother	By: Patricia Polacco Illus: Patricia Polacco	Ages 4-8	1998 Simon & Schuster Children's	After losing running, climbling, throwing, and burping competitions to her obnoxious older brother, a young girl makes a wish on a falling star.
	My Brother, My Sister, and Me	By: Pat Thomas Ilus: Lesley Harker	Ages 5-8	2000 Barron's Educational Series Inc.	This book explores the dynamics in relationships among children of preschool through early school age, and encourage kids to understand personal and social problems as a first step toward solving them.
	Growing Pains: Wilber Waited	By: Gill Davies Illus: Rachel O'Neill	Ages 5-6	2001 Sterling Publishing Co. Inc.	Although Wilbur the tiger is not very happy to have a new baby sister, he finds that she is nicer than he thought.
	Henry Keeps Score	By: Daphne Skinner Illus: Page Eastburn O'Rourke	Ages 5-7	2001 Kane Press Inc.	Henry wants to make sure that his older sister Harriet never gets more of anything than he does so he carefully keeps score until Harriet gets a cavity and he gets none.  Henry discovers that sometimes zero is better than one.
	I'd Rather Have an Iguana	By: Heidi S. Mario Illus: Heidi Stetson Mario	Ages 5-8	1999 Charlesbridge Publishing Inc.	When her mom brings home a new baby, a little girl thinks she would rather have an iguana until she starts to get to know her baby brother.