Self-Awareness and Personal Discovery Books

[LaniWatts]

1. "Starfish" by Lisa Fipps

Synopsis: This story follows twelve-year old Ellie Montgomery-Holstein and her struggles with her weight. Dealing with bullying from her family and peers for most of her life, Ellie teaches herself to "make herself small" to not draw attention to herself. With the help of a new friend named, Catalina, and a therapist, Ellie learns to embrace her worth as a person and learns to stand up to her bullies without becoming a bully herself. Ellie learns that our worth as people comes from more than our appearance. 

Support For Personal Growth: This book allows for the growth of students as it deals with real themes of self-acceptance, social support, bullying, finding your voice, and the impact our words can have. This story takes you along on Ellie's journey, allowing you to put yourself in her shoes, helping students to relate to her story, further developing empathy and self-understanding in students. 

Respecting Differences: This story highlights the differences we all have as people but shows that we are all more alike than we know. This story teaches students that people come in all shapes and sizes. That all humans are unique and worthy of love and acceptance. 

Promoting Successful Reading: This engaging and relatable story helps students to connect on a personal level with Ellie's experiences. This book tackles difficult issues many students deal with. This allows for students to connect with the characters on a deeper level, promoting the social, emotional, and intellectual development of students that read this book. 

Starfish by Lisa Fipps | Goodreads

2."Fish in a Tree" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Synopsis: This book follows the story of Ally Nickerson and her academic struggles. Ally struggles with dyslexia and hides this from her classmates and teachers. She feels ashamed and dumb because of her struggles. When a new teacher, Mr. Daniels, notices Ally's hardships, he helps Ally to overcome her internal self-doubt. Mr. Daniels helps Ally to see that she is bright and creative, and dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. As Ally's confidence grows, she begins to feel free to be herself. Ally discovers that there is more to her, and to everyone else, then labels, and that great minds do not always think alike. 

Support for Personal Growth: This book allows for the personal growth of readers as it deals with heavy themes of courage, resilience, and the power of believing in yourself. This book deals with hardships that many students face. This book allows students to put themselves in the shoes of Ally. Seeing things from her perspective allows students to relate and resonate with Ally's story. Furthering the development of empathy and understanding in students that read this book. 

Respecting Differences: "Fish in a Tree" highlights the differences and hardships we all have, but places emphasis on the fact that we all have strengths we can build on. This book teaches students to be patient, kind, and respectful of all people. It allows students to see that we are all bright creative people. This book teaches students that we all have struggles, but with the right encouragement and support, the world has endless opportunities. 

Promoting Successful Reading: This emotionally charged, uplifting book speaks to anyone that has ever felt they are alone or not enough. This book deals with themes of feeling alone, bullying, self-acceptance and self-love. The relatable story and characters allow students to connect with the message on a deeper level. Providing opportunities for personal growth. This story supports successful reading as it allows students the opportunity to empathize and connect with students that may have hardships in school.

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt | Goodreads

3. "Same Sun Here" by Silas House and Neela Vaswani

Synopsis: This story follows two characters from different places, that become pen pals. Meena just recently moved from India to New York. River lives in the mountains of Kentucky with his mother and Grandmother. Meena and River have many differences but share many similarities as well. The two form a bond over their letters. Growing their friendship by trusting one another with their thoughts, feelings, hopes, griefs, and dreams. These two learn that despite the distance between them, they are closer than they know. This story conveys the great value of being and having a friend and the joys of opening our lives to others who live beneath the same sun.

Support for Personal Growth: This story aids the personal growth of students as it allows students to see from multiple perspectives. Allowing students to see from the perspective of multiple narrators allows students to connect with these characters on a deeper level. This book deals with themes of grief, homesickness, friendship, and acceptance that many students can relate to. This story places emphasis on the importance of friendship, understanding, and feeling like we belong.

Respecting Differences: "Same Sun Here" uses the narratives of two characters from different parts of the world to teach the differences in our cultures. River and Meena teach one another of the differences between their cultures and learn that they share many similarities as well. The narrative of this story allows students to see that despite their differences in origin, these characters have more in common than we would have guessed.

Promoting Successful Reading: From this story students can learn that people from all over the world have more in common than we know. This book allows students to see from the perspective of multiple characters, furthering their chance of connection with this book. This story allows students to resonate and relate with the complex characters. Allowing them to develop their sense of empathy and understanding for those that are different than themselves. This book allows students to think critically about the trials these characters face in times of change. This book promotes the social and emotional growth of students through this relatable, heartwarming story. 

Same Sun Here by Silas House | Goodreads