Self-Awareness and Personal Discovery book

[TaylorSchumache]

“Where Olivier Fits” by Cale Atkinson

• The story is about Olivier who is just trying to find where he fits in at. The story takes us on the journey with Olivier and finding where he belongs.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33414850-where-oliver-fits

• During your childhood you spend a lot of time trying to make friends or fit in. Sometimes that is harder for others to do. This can help students realize that they do not need to fit in like others, but rather just be themselves.
• This book can help teach students about how people are not all going to be the same. They are not going to like/dislike the same things. This can result in trouble trying to make friends. This can help students realize that it is okay to make friends that are not just like them, and it is okay to be yourself.
• This book does a great job at promoting differences between peers and friends. It tackles difficult issues that some students face when they are trying to find who they are and where they belong in the world.

“The Mixed Up Chameleon” by Eric Carle

• The story is about a chameleon who wants to be all traits and qualities that other animals have. So he chooses to change himself to meet these characteristics. But as time goes by he realizes that maybe it is better to just be yourself.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/394772.The_Mixed_Up_Chameleon?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_15

• Through out our whole lives we are constantly judging ourselves to others and want what they have. We are wanting to change ourselves to what we assume is better. This can help students stop comparing themselves to others and wanting to change themselves. It can also make them see that they are better being themselves instead of trying to change themselves.
• This can help students realize that everyone is going to be different in some way. They are going to want to change some part of themselves as well to be better. They are not alone in this feeling. But realizing that being different makes us who we are.
• This book is great for tackling this issue for younger students. It shows the issue in a way that may seem funny to them but talks about a deeper issue. It makes it so students of a younger age are able to understand it better.

“The Invisible Boy” by Trudy Ludwig

• The story is about Brian, who is not really noticed or included by the other students in his class. But when a new boy comes to school it all changes. Brian makes him feel welcomed and they become friends.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17140549-the-invisible-boy?from_search=true&from_srp=Jpk9dJgF4J&...

• Sadly when we are younger and in school we may not have a ton of friends, or you may not be included in what our peers are doing. But this story shows that just one person doing one act of kindness can change that persons whole life. This can help students ready inviting someone to play that you don’t normally play with may make them feel happy and more included.
• This story does a good job at promoting differences. When the new boy to class Brian did not have to be nice. He could have assumed that he would be like everyone else and ignore him. But instead he decided to be nice and welcome him, he choose to see him differently then everyone else. The same could have gone to the new boy. We could have seen Brian by himself and never interacted with him just like his new classmates.
• The books does a great job at teaching students to be nice and welcoming to others. It also teaches students to not follow the path that others take. Brain could have not talked to the new kid, and the new kid could have ignored Brian. But since they did not a new friendship was able to bloom. This teaches students to follow their own path and the be nice to everyone.