Optimistic and hopeful books
Hello!
I hope your week is going well. We coming off a long weekend so it feels like this week is flying by. On the blog this week I share a gorgeous children’s book that a friend of mine, Alison Clarke has written. Long term readers of Planning With Kids will be familiar with the name Allison Clarke as she has written a number of incredible guest posts for this blog on children’s literacy. If you haven’t seen them, you can find them here.
I have been lucky enough to know Alison for almost 20 years! She is a Melbourne based Speech Pathologist and ESL teacher with over 20 years experience, whose website spelfabet.com.au aims to assist anyone who wants to help a learner with their reading and spelling, and especially to boost a learner’s ability to “hear” sounds in words (phonemic awareness) and understand how these sounds are represented by letters (phonics). And I am not the only one who is in awe of Alison’s excellent work as she was just this weekend awarded an Order of Australia medal for service to people with learning difficulties, and to the community.
I love a sunblessed country is beautifully written by Alison and exquisitely illustrated by Cat MacInnes. It is a simple and optimistic children’s book, written in a style that echoes an Australian classic poem and is accompanied by beautiful illustrations to help us imagine a fair, sustainable, prosperous, peaceful future in Australia.
It positions what is currently happening in our country to what could be happening in our country and does it in a way that is not scornful or negative but is simply highlighting the huge potential we have to be different.
It looks at our society as a whole across the different aspects of our lives and it is an invitation to the reader to think and talk about the issues it raises and the part we can play in creating positive change.
You can purchase the book from the website I love a sunblessed country and any profits from the sale of the book will be donated to the Australian Youth Climate Coalition.
If you would like to see a video of me reading the book in full head to this post on the blog - Book review: I love a sunblessed country.
3 more optimistic and hopeful books
Here are three more books that you might like to read if you are looking for something optimistic and hopeful:
Phosphorescence - by Julia Baird
I adore this book and have read it multiple times and have gifted it to friends. The author is asking questions about how we deal with life when things aren't great. In the muck and grit of a daily existence full of disappointments and a disturbing lack of control over many of the things that matter most - finite relationships, fragile health, fraying economies, a planet in peril - how do we find, nurture and carry our own inner, living light - a light to ward off the darkness? You can buy it here.
The Comfort Book - by Matt Haig
This book could almost have been titled the little book of hope. If you have found the last couple of years tough and still feeling a little flat then this book is perfect for you. The book is a mix of philosophy, memoir and self-reflection and Haig builds on the wisdom of philosophers and survivors through the ages, from Marcus Aurelius to Nellie Bly, Emily Dickinson to James Baldwin. Haig shares his own personal struggles with his mental health and also a beautiful mantra he uses to help himself – “Nothing is stronger than a small hope that doesn’t give up.”. The book really does bring a feeling of comfort. You can buy it here.
The Alchemist - by Paulo Coelho
The Alchemist is a modern fable centred around the character of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who wants to travel and see more of the world. There is something very comforting about the way a fable unfolds. It is a medium we grow up with as a child and we know the story is there to tell us something important, to tell us something about the way we should live our lives. This fable reminds us that we all have the potential to realise our personal legends. You can buy it here.
A perspective-changing blog post
Image: Rebecca Conci Photography
I also wanted to include this heartfelt post from Rebecca Conci. Bec has completed my Planned + Present course and small group coaching program and is one of the most amazing people I have had the pleasure to meet. Bec has three daughters, two of which are chronically ill and have required organ transplants.
In this post - One learning from covid 19 that will change the way we live our lives forever - part two - Bec asks “Were we living the best possible life we could, and giving our girls their best life?” Her answer and the action she takes are inspiring.
Have a great rest of the week.
Nic
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