Book Nook: The Little Girl with the Big Voice and Neema's Reason to Smile

I had a chance to review two books from Lightswitch Learning:

 The Little Girl with the Big Voice by Wé McDonald tackles the issues of bullying and empowerment with an inspiring tale of how one young girl overcomes bullying and finds success; a story based on McDonald (famous for being a much beloved finalist on NBC’s The Voice) own childhood experiences. This is a book that will resonate with anyone - particularly with little girls who love music. Wé's voice was soft and squeaky - different from everyone else's, and she just didn't fit in. But she learned to use her voice, and this book will encourage kids to work for their dreams. It includes a glossary and standards-aligned activities for classroom (or home) use, to help reinforce the message and provide for discussion and extension of the story.

Neema’s Reason To Smile by Sibert-honored author Patricia Newman. This book is a vibrant and lyrical tale of Neema, a young Kenyan girl who dreams of going to school and becoming financially independent. In Neema, young readers everywhere no matter their location or upbringing, will find commonality and lessons in the power of entrepreneurship and financial literacy. In addition, they’ll gain a unique perspective into how different life can be for those not afforded the same opportunities for education. My daughters already know that not all kids everywhere have the same access to education, and this book helped reinforce that. This book is great for parents who want to teach their kids that not everyone has the same privileges as them, and can help subtly reinforce the message that they should be grateful for their education and opportunities. 

About Lightswitch Learning:

Lightswitch Learning is a division of Sussman Education Company, a leader in K-12 digital and print educational resources for over 45 years. Lightswitch Learning’s mission is to provide the most engaging and relevant resources parents and teachers need to help children succeed socially, emotionally, physically, and academically.

To support its mission, Lightswitch Learning publishes inspiring picture books, informational text collections, fiction collections, and bullying prevention programs for students. These titles model positive behaviors that can help students build the self-confidence they need to manage academic and social stresses, while improving literacy skills and subject knowledge. Resources for teachers include professional development materials, companion teacher’s guides, classroom activities, and more. Parents are supported with parent guides created by leading practitioners to provide practical strategies to support their children in today’s complex world. These resources help students build 21^st century skills and are available in grade appropriate bundles for schools and community engagement programs.

Lightswitch Learning donates a portion of the proceeds from their books to a number of non-profit organizations with related social missions, including: pacer.org, nobully.org, reason2smile.org, afroamcivilwar.org and many others.

For more information on Lightswitch Learning and to view the full catalogue visit www.lightswitchlearning.com.