The power of narratives to touch sensibilities, influence lives, and heal wounded souls have been documented in the literature through the use of bibliotherapy (Kolencik & Bernadowski, 2007; Halsted, 2009). Literature, however, does not serve as a bitter pill or a chicken-soup remedy that can heal hurts away. What picturebooks can do is to provide a means through which sensitive and difficult issues can be openly discussed and explored inside the classroom. Children are inherently meaning-making beings. As young architects of their worlds, they attempt to make sense of their reality through their immediate experiences or the comfort derived from the pages of a book. Using developmental bibliotherapy as the larger framework, this session will feature picturebook titles that sensitively portray life’s challenges in a realistic, sensitive, and nuanced manner. Subtle narratives that recognize children’s capacity to understand life’s complexities and provide spaces to discover inner reserves of strength – without having to be prescriptive or didactic – would be explored and shared in depth. Participants will also have an opportunity to curate their own book lists on themes that deal with grief, loss, courage, and resilience just to name a few.

Note: you must be registered for the Library Mini Conference to access this session