The Leprechaun in the Basement

Author:Kathy Tucker

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Financial Heard times

Year of Publication: 1999

Publisher & Location: Albert Whitman and Co, Ill.

ISBN#:0-8075-4450-7

Target Age Level: lower elementary

# of Pages:32 pages

Quality of Illustrations: pretty good

Brief Summary: It's St. Patrick's Day, but Michael McKeever has run out of luck. His dad has lost his job, the hot water heater is broken, and now his baseball shoes are falling apart. He and his dad never go out and "throw a few" like they used to, and his mom says they have to learn to Make Do. So when he accidentally discovers a leprechaun in the basement, Michael is sure his luck has changed. Unfortunately, he didn't count on this leprechaun being quite so cantankerous. Any child who has felt the pinch of hard times will relate to Michael's anxiety.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children:

This book shows that there are not always magic answers to our problems. but sometimes it help to know the right people. The leprechaun doesn't just give the family money he helps by making new shoes, so it's not the magical solution you might think.

Activity: have the child think of friends or other ways they know, like the leprichaun, that can help them through hard times without giving them money or magic

The Girl with 500 Middle Names

Author/authors: Margaret Peterson Haddix  (Janet Hamlin)

Type of emotional/crisis issues addressed: Family financial difficulties

Year of publication: 2001

Book title: The Girl with 500 Middle Names

ISBN#: 978-0689841361

Age level: Upper Elementary

# of pages: 96

Quality of illustrations: Black and white pencil; fair

Brief summary: After Janie’s father has a back injury and is unable to work, Janie’s mother knits personalized sweaters to make some extra money.  Janie and her parents move into the suburbs where everyone dresses better than Janie.  When the storeowner returns the sweaters, Janie decides to wear them to school, telling everyone they are her middle names.

Activity: Have a class discussion about what Janie did to make her family’s financial situation better.  Have students share what they’ve done in their own lives to make the best of a hard situation.  The class could also make a list of how to befriend someone new to moves in to school.

Out of the Dust

Author: Karen Hesse
Type or emotional/crisis issue addressed: Natural Disasters
Year of Publication: 1997
Publisher and Location: Scholastic, Inc.: New York
ISBN# 0-590-37125-8
Target Age Level: Upper Elementary/Junior High
# of Pages: 227
Quality of Illustrations: None
Brief Summary: Billy Jo lives with her parents in Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl. The book is narrated by Billy Jo as she describes her experiences of living through the Dust Bowl, the death of her mother and the new baby, the grief she shares with her father, running away, and then reuniting with her father, as well as the healing process that it all entails.
Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: The book is written as a series of poems.
Activity: Have the students write their own poems describing their situation, and how they could overcome/cope with them.

My mother lost her job today

Author: Judy Delton, Irene Trivas

Type or emotional/crisis issue addressed: financial difficulties

Year of Publication: 1980
Publisher and Location: Albert Whitman & Company
# ISBN-10: 080755359X
# ISBN-13: 978-0807553596
Target Age Level: Preeschool
# of Pages: 32
Quality of Illustrations: very good

Brief Summary:
When her mother loses her job, a six-year-old girl wonders whether anything will ever be the same again.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children:

Activity: Read out loud.
Posted by Nalu de Araujo Nunes

Those Shoes

Type of emotional/crisis issues addressed: Family Financial Difficulties

Author/authors: Maribeth Boelts

Year of Publication: 2007

Book Title: Those Shoes

ISBN #: 0805070796

Age level: Lower Elementary

# of pages: 25

Quality of illustrations: Good

Brief summary: A young boy really wants a pair of cool shoes that everyone else in his school seems to have. His grandma tells him that they don't have enough money, and he really needs new snow boots. The school counselor gives him a pair of shoes with a stupid cartoon character that embarasses him. He finally decides to look at thrift stores for the popular shoes and ends up buying a pair that is too small for him with his own money. He wears them for a few days before they hurt his feet too much. When a friend comes over and sees them, he considers giving them to his him since his feet are smaller. It takes him awhile, but he finally decides to do it.

Personal opinion: It is somewhat simplistic, but it encourages a good attitude of giving. It also encourages kids to be satisfied with whatever situation they are in.

Activity: Create some sort of activity with monopoly money and a pretend economy where the child has to buy important things like food, a house, or a car before they can buy fun things like toys or candy. Talk with the child to help them understand that sometimes when we buy really important things, there isn't very much money left over for fun things. Talk about why parents can't buy them fun toys sometimes, then talk about what things we can't buy, but can have anyway (generosity, love, friendship, working hard in school)

Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday

Author: Judith Viorst

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Financial difficulties

Year of Publication: 1978

Publisher & Location: Scholastic Inc, NY

ISBN#: 0-590-46896-0

Target Age Level: Lower Elementary

# of Pages: 32

Quality of Illustrations: illustrated by Ray Cruz, black and white sketches, basic

Brief Summary: Alexander has lost all his money for a variety of reasons. The book goes through what happened to his money. He feels he used to be rich but now is poor.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: Author is excellent, children may have read other books about Alexander and may be familiar with him.

Activity:
1. Discuss money and finances (define, describe)
2. Read book
3. Discuss Alexander's problems and what happened to his money
4. Have the kids draw what they would spend their money on
5. Talk about Alexander's difficulties saving money and his attitude about money and saving
6. Ask if anyone has ever felt "rich", only to feel poor later.
7. Talk about how to focus on what you do have instead of what you don't have (i.e. from book: bus tokens, cards, bear, candle)
8. Have kids draw the things they do have now