I have recently been introduced to a wonderful author, Sandra McLeod Humphrey, and her award winning books. Ms. McLeod Humphrey was kind enough to send me two of her books for my girls- If You Had To Choose, What Would You Do? and More If You Had to Choose, What Would You Do? Both of these books won the American Authors Association Silver Quill Award.
Each of these books contains 25 short stories with various scenarios that ask what would you do questions at the end to teach children values and making responsible choices. Some themes include loyalty, sportsmanship, teamwork, empathy, honesty, responsibility, perseverance, and more. My daughters and I enjoy reading a few of these stories a night and then discussing what they would if they were in those situations. I love that these books help open up a dialogue between my children and me about various topics such as stealing, lying, and more. We look forward to these stories nightly and I love hearing the choices my children share with me.
If You Had To Choose, What Would You Do? is recommended for children 8-12 years old but I read it with my 5 and 7 year old daughters and it still sparked wonderful conversations between us. More If You Had to Choose, What Would You Do? is listed for 7 year olds and up and again it worked wonderfully with my daughters.
Children can easily identify with the characters in these stories and they enjoy reading each situation to decide that they would do. We all think we know what choices our children would make in a touch situation and we all hope they would make the correct choices. These books help guide the conversation and lead to in-depth discussions about moral choices. I HIGHLY recommend these books to any parent.
“Sandra McLeod Humphrey is a retired clinical psychologist with over 35 years experience working with young people. She is a writer and consultant for the Heroes & Dreams Foundation which provides character education materials to schools K-8 throughout the United States and Canada and the recipient of the National Character Education Center’s Award for “Exemplary Leadership in Ethics Education” (2000). She was also “Author of the Month” for MyShelf.com 12/03 and the recipient of the Helen Keating Ott Award for Outstanding Contribution to Children’s Literature (7/05).”
You can learn more about Sandra McLeod Humphrey‘s wonderful books on her website- http://www.kidscandoit.com
Disclosure: I was not compensated for performing this review. I received the books free to read and review. The opinions and statements expressed by me in this post are my own personal and honest opinion of this product.
