A new school year begins

Two picture books for students ages 4-8.

Jennifer Minicus | Sep 12 2016 | comment

written for ages 2-7 | recommended
published in 2016 | 40 pages

The Class by Boni Ashburn, illustrated by Kimberly Gee

Publisher: Beach Lane Books

Ideal for kindergarten students, this book presents a hectic first day of school in rhyming couplets. Children of every background and temperament rise and go through the ritual of getting ready for school. While some are excited to begin the academic year, others are reluctant, scared or simply resentful. Two nearly miss their bus. In the end, all are happy to meet their teacher and classmates. Every young reader will find a character with which to identify amidst the lively illustrations

School’s First Day of School by Adam Rex, illustrated by Christian Robinson

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Nearly everyone has butterflies on the first day of school. In this colorful picture book, the reader experiences the opening of the academic year from the point of view of the school itself.

Recently built, Frederick Douglas Elementary is nervous about all the children who will soon fill him to the brim. He is accustomed to spending his time quietly with just the janitor. He soon discovers that every child is different – and some of them need time to learn to love him as well. Fire alarms and mishaps in the lunch room leave the school tired, but looking forward to the next day.

Christian Robinson’s illustrations portray life at school in detail. Classrooms, buses, playgrounds – every aspect of the school day comes to life. Readers should be especially attentive to the school’s “facial” expressions.

A former teacher, Jennifer Minicus is currently a full-time wife and mother.

Despite the fact that we are more connected that ever, loneliness has become a major public health issue in the developed world, Carolyn Moynihan reports in today's selection of articles. In Britain and the US about one in three people over 65 live alone and studies in both countries show the prevalence of loneliness among people over 60 ranging from 10 to 46 percent.

Loneliness predicts how long you will live and how sick you will be. In Britain, a charity called The Campaign to End Loneliness has developed something called a "loneliness heat map" to identify all the Eleanor Rigbys. It has found that two-fifths of all older people (3.9 million people) say that television is now their main source of company.

This is one of the few major health problems that we can all do something about: why don't we all resolve to visit the lonely elderly more often?