THE BEST BOOKS FOR KIDS

Gift Choices that Can Open Up Worlds

by Sandra Yeyati

Helping children learn to read and love books is one of the greatest parental endeavors. Many kids learn their first words after hearing the adults in their lives sing a lullaby or tell them a nursery rhyme. “Building a child’s vocabulary is the key to reading, and rhymes, singing, word games, synonyms, homonyms and rap are great places to start,” says Claudette McLinn, executive director of the Los Angeles-based Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature and former librarian, teacher, school administrator and children’s bookstore owner.

A child’s first reading experience will likely involve a picture book. “What’s powerful about picture books is that the illustrations and text intertwine,” McLinn explains. “You can read them aloud together. As the child looks at the artwork, the adult can ask, ‘What is that?’ And the child can use their imagination while you teach them to observe, articulate and start the reading process.”

To encourage childhood reading, it’s helpful to have a variety of books around the house and to set aside reading time every day. “It costs nothing to check out a pile of 25 books at the library, take them home and try them,” says Maeve Knoth, a librarian at Phillips Brooks School, in Menlo Park, California. When buying books, she suggests consulting librarians and booksellers for recommendations, as well as relying on book awards such as the Newbery or Caldecott medals, and on book lists compiled every year by reputable organizations and committees, notably the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association.

Choosing books for kids should always start by discovering what their passions or interests are and then finding a good book on that subject, says McLinn, adding that encouraging children to browse the shelves and choose their own books is an empowering exercise that builds self-esteem and a love of reading. Whether it’s dinosaurs, cars or the stars and planets, there’s a kid’s book about it. “Although fiction is important early on because it increases imagination, nonfiction books help kids learn new information and understand the role of the table of contents, the glossary and index, and informative diagrams,” she says, adding that she prefers award-winning nonfiction books because they’ve been vetted for accuracy.

“Kids often gravitate toward books that are a little bit less challenging,” Knoth says. “While I have no objection to those popular books, which are lots of fun, they’re not going to give kids a new way to think about themselves or the world. I want my children to have consequential reading experiences with books that offer new points of view where kids can live in someone else’s heart and mind for a little while. I want them to know what it might be like to live in a different time period or to grow up in China.”

According to Knoth, a great children’s book will include an engaging character that has an experience, prompting them to change and grow. “I want it to be well structured and beautifully written, with setting, point of view and all those elements that fit together to create a theme and give you a literary experience,” she explains. She looks for nuanced books that invite kids to use their imagination and find their own way. “The reader might be young, but they’re not dumb. They just haven’t had lots of experiences yet. If a book concludes with one narrow solution to a child’s problem, then I would say it’s not that useful or successful,” says Knoth, a frequent contributor to The Horn Book, a resource for children’s book reviews and articles.

McLinn believes that kids should be exposed to a diversity of authors and

illustrators that explore the lives of all cultures. “We live in silos with the people in our group, and we don’t know anything about other groups,” she explains. “When you read about other cultures, you learn that we are more alike than we are different. We may eat different foods, wear different clothing and have different customs, but you find out that it’s not scary. Kids love to read about heroes that they can identify with and become their friends. Children are into social justice and fairness. As a child, I loved biographies. I wanted to read about great people and what made them great so that maybe I could be great like them.”

Sandra Yeyati, J.D., is a professional writer and editor. Reach her at SandraYeyati@gmail.com.

Children’s Book AwArds

Newbery Medal: Tinyurl.com/Newbery-Medal-Award Caldecott Medal: Tinyurl.com/Caldecott-Medal-Award American Indian Youth Literature Awards: Tinyurl. com/American-Indian-Award Pura Belpré Award, celebrating Latino culture: Tinyurl. com/Pura-Belpre-Book-Award Coretta Scott King Awards, showcasing African American values: Tinyurl.com/Coretta-Scott-KingAwards Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature: Tinyurl. com/Asian-Pacific-American-Award Sydney Taylor Book Award, portraying the Jewish experience: Tinyurl.com/Sydney-Taylor-Award

Children’s Book lists

Rainbow Book List, presenting LGBTQIA+ viewpoints: glbtrt.ala.org/rainbowbooks

Best Books by the Center for the Study of Mul-

ticultural Children’s Literature: csmcl.org/bestbooks-2020 Cooperative Children’s Book Center Booklists, various topics: Tinyurl.com/ccbcBookList

Association for Library Service to Children Book

Lists, various genres and topics: Tinyurl.com/alscBookList

Notable Children’s Books by the Association for

Library Service to Children, identifying the best of the best in children’s books: Tinyurl.com/alscNotableBooks

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Plant-Based Remedies and Healthy Living

by Kevin Burbank

When we think about our bodies and what is good for them, most people feel that the best way is to turn to what makes the body heal quickly and naturally without side affects. Here is a list of plants many people use today to combat many illnesses.

Yarrow, for example, helps stop bleeding, rosemary is for sore joints, mint is for digestion and there are helpful plants for inflammation, such as red clover, or even mycelium-based chaga that grows on birch trees. For common colds, use wild rose in a tincture or even ground as a tea. For sleep issues, try lavender oil or rub it on the skin for anxiety. Honeysuckle is known for its properties for asthma and arthritis. Ashwagandha is known for strengthening bones, helping with libido, teeth and memory loss. When we need something for respiratory problems, try mullein in a tincture or smoking the dry leaves. For skin ailments, sumac can be used for multiple medicinal remedies, but it is one of the few plants that healers use for treating eye problems. A decoction of sumac is used as a gargle to relieve sore throat or taken as a remedy for diarrhea. The leaves and berries are combined as a tea to reduce fever or as a poultice to soothe poison ivy.

Native Americans use hummingbird blossom for treating mouth and throat conditions, as well as cysts, fibroid tumors and inflammation. It can be made into a poultice to treat burns, sores and wounds. A diuretic that stimulates kidney function can be made using the roots of this plant. The early pioneers used it as a substitute for black tea. Recent studies have shown that hummingbird blossom is also effective in treating high blood pressure and lymphatic blockages. Sage is commonly used as a spice, but it is a sacred plant for many indigenous tribes because it is thought to have effective purifying energies and the power to cleanse the body of negative energies. As a remedy, it was used for treating medical conditions like abdominal cramps, spasms, cuts, bruises, colds and flu.

Healers use wild ginger for treating earache and ear infections. They make a mild tea from the root stock for stimulating the digestive system and relieving bloating. It also helps with bronchial infections and nausea. Prickly pear cactus is another plant used as both a food and medicine. Native Americans made a poultice from the mature pads as an antiseptic and for treating wounds, burns and boils. Tea was made to treat urinary tract infections and help the immune system. New research shows that the prickly pear cactus helps to lower cholesterol, and prevent diabetes and diet-related cardiovascular disease.

Aloe vera is another great plant for sunburns and stings. Valerian plant is a medicinal aid for sleep, as well as indigestion. Indian ghost pipe is used for toothaches and migraine headaches. Wooly lamb`s ear shouldn’t be eaten or used to make tea. Instead, the soft leaves are used to cover and bandage cuts and scrapes like a Band-Aid. Chamomile is amazing for making tea and for its anti-inflammatory

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Déjà Vu All Over Again

In 2008, voters passed the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act, but since recreational marijuana was legalized in 2018, cannabis corporations have been trying to restrict caregivers that grow pot at home. The new Michigan Cannabis Safety Act would radically change how caregivers are allowed to operate. Legislation has cleared the House Regulatory Reform Committee, and will go to the House for a vote.

Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association (MCMA) Executive Director Steve Linder states, “We applaud the members of the House Regulatory Reform Committee for taking this major step toward addressing Michigan’s unregulated, unlicensed cannabis market by helping ensure all patients have access to cannabis that is tested, clearly labeled, tracked and licensed.”

Licensed caregivers are allowed to grow up to 12 marijuana plants for up to five patients. The new regulations would cut the number to one, potentially cutting off about 42,000 patients and forcing them to purchase products from state-licensed dispensaries or go to the black market.

These new regulations seem designed to fix a problem that doesn’t exist. Anton Harb, a Macomb County caregiver, says, “There is no data showing that anyone has been injured by caregiver flower.” Of his clients that are veterans, he advises that for PTSD patients, many of which are wary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the caregiver system gives them a degree of anonymity. HB5301 would allow the state Marijuana Regulatory Agency to also disclose the addresses of caregivers to law enforcement.

The MCMA posts no list of member businesses at Michigancma.com, and Rick Thompson, executive director of MiNORML, states, “They scrubbed their website of the names of all member companies and guarded the member list like Fort Knox. That creates a greater image of dark money.”

No vote has been scheduled on the new regulations. To lobby against the Michigan Cannabis Safety Act, visit norml.org/act/ michigan-oppose-medical-cannabis-caregiver-restrictions.

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