Dear Families,

 We are in need of a volunteer to artistically hang Bartholomew the Bookworm from high on the wall in the atrium at the Lower Campus.  He has grown very long, and we cannot keep up with hanging his body sections. This means that many of you are reading voraciously at home and we couldn’t be more proud!  Please keep up the reading support from home. Reading with your child offers them a world of comfort, joy, creativity, and discovery of the world. If you can offer to lend a hand to hang Bartholomew, please email me at angie.maxson@ncsota.org

The topic of books for this weeks book recommendations is World Religions. Here are some of my family’s favorites mixed in with a few that I hope we can add to our long reading list.

    May you enjoy time reading with your families this weekend.

    Sincerely,

    Ms. DeFeyter

TK-5 Maybe beyond

Zen Shorts by Jon. J. Muth.  This book shares ancient Zen tales paralleled with the current times.  It is a sweet and loving book that will be sure to come up in conversations as your children grow and learn more about the world and themselves.  We often come back to the lessons we learned from Stillwater, the panda.

Old Turtle by Douglas Wood is about ecology, peace, and the interconnectedness of all beings.  This tale evoked many conversations when my children were young about who is God. It was a favorite in our home.

What is God? By Etan Boritzer.  Etan dedicated this book to all children to support them in their discovery of religions around the world.  My family was given this book when my first child was young and asking questions as he encountered other families with different beliefs than our own.  It helped us to discuss the topic with ease and love. Etan describes God as a feeling. He shares the commonality of several religions and he even discusses the religious tension that can happen between different groups.   He encourages one to see that religions are ultimately based on the love of a god.

In the Beginning: Creations Stories from Around the World by Virginia Hamilton

From Goodreads: “A thought-provoking collection of twenty-five stories that reflect the wonder and glory of the origins of the world and humankind. With commentary by the author. “A must for mythology shelves.”–Booklist”

6th-8th or beyond

Comparative Religion: Investigate the Religions of the World by Carla Mooney

From Amazon: “Over 7 billion people live on the earth, and 84 percent of them describe themselves as being religious. Few topics incite such passion as religion. What does that mean? Why are humans invested in ideas that may never be proved? Why has religion played such an important role in history?

In Comparative Religion: Investigate the World through Religious Tradition, readers seek answers to these questions by comparing and contrasting the cultural, spiritual, and geographical underpinnings of five different religions.  Combining hands-on activities with theology, history, geography, world cultures, art, and architecture, Comparative Religion encourages a deeper understanding of the world’s religions.”

Possibly for a wide range of ages

The Story of Religion by Betsy Maestro, Giulio Maestro

From Goodreads: “This lavishly illustrated book introduces the history of religious belief and the practice of religion in the world today. It illuminates the differences that make each religious group unique and the fundamental beliefs that all groups share. This text encourages children to recognize, understand, and value the diversity of the world’s religions and the universal concerns they address.”

Sacred Myths: Stories of World Religions by Marilyn McFarlane From Goodreads: “Within this book lies a priceless treasure: the world of sacred myths. Here in one sumptuously illustrated collection are thirty-five of the best-known and loved stories of seven of our world’s religions. Read or listen to their stories and you will understand more about different beliefs and the people who base their lives on them.”