The Principled Academy: Seven Stories About Hope for Children

~ PR IP lu r DA ADEMY rrl r

“Hope is the thing with feathers…”

Illustration by Diana Sudyka, (pronounced: soo-dee-kah), illustrator from Chicago, IL

Hey there friend,

As the cold frost creeps across our windows and plants and animals bundle up to conserve their energy for winter, this January, we’ve chosen Hope as our virtue of the month.

Hope is believing in the goodness within ourselves, in others, and in the world. It’s the courage to dream—and to keep believing in that dream, even when it feels out of reach.

As Emily Dickinson beautifully writes: “Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune without the words, And never stops at all.”

This month, we honor the dreamers of the world through a selection of hopeful stories—both true and fictional. Stories of people like Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, featured in Drum Dream Girl, a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who broke Cuba’s traditional taboo against female drummers, becoming one of the first women to play the drums in a field long reserved for men.

And people like Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, featured in Emmanuel’s Dream, a boy born in Ghana with one deformed leg who, against all odds, became a world-renowned cyclist. Emmanuel rode more than 400 miles across Ghana to raise awareness and advocate for people with disabilities.

We invite you to explore these hopeful stories with your kiddos this winter season. Here are a few conversation starters to spark reflection and discussion: • What gives you hope? • Do you have any dreams? • Can you remember a time when you felt hopeful, even when something was hard?

As always, for more story and activity ideas, please visit our website at valuesandvirtues.org.

Wishing you health, happiness, always,

Isaac Durst Isaac Durst Director

7 Books on Hope

The Story of Simone Biles by Rachelle Burk

Age range: 5th & 6th graders Genre: Biography

Simone Biles has been called the greatest gymnast of all time, winning five Olympic and 25 World Champion medals by age 22.

Before she wowed the world with her incredible gymnastics skills, Simone was an energetic young girl who dreamed of becoming a top gymnast. She trained for hours every day and made many sacrifices to pursue her goals.

Explore how Simone Biles went from being a kid growing up in Texas to an Olympic athlete who has won more gymnastics medals than anyone in history.

I Can’t Do That, YET Rain Before Jabari Jumps by Esther Cordova Rainbows by Arnold Lobel by Smriti Prasadam- Halls, David Litchfield (Illustrator)

I Can’t Do That YET

Age range: 1st & 2nd Genre: Fiction Age range: Pre-K / K Age Range: 1st & 2nd Genre: Picture Book Genre: Fiction Enna isn’t a queen of confidence. Struggling to In this heartfelt story Jabari is definitely ready believe in herself, the about courage, change, to jump off the diving young girl is certain she and moving on, a girl and board. He’s finished his doesn’t have what it takes her companion fox travel swimming lessons and to read during bedtime. together away from a passed his swim test, and But when she finally falls sorrowful past, through he’s a great jumper, so asleep, she’s greeted by a challenging and stormy he’s not scared at all. wonderful woman who’s times, toward color and “Looks easy,” says Jabari, incredibly familiar… light and life. Along the watching the other kids way they find friends to take their turns. But when As the journey across her guide and support them, his dad squeezes his dreamscape shows her and when the new day hand, Jabari squeezes potential versions of dawns, it is full of back. He needs to figure herself, Enna is amazed at promise. out what kind of special everything she’s learned jump to do anyway, and how to do. But she knows he should probably do all that growth won’t some stretches before come free – it will take climbing up onto the See Story time, knowledge, and diving board. dedication.

See Story See Story

Emmanuel’s Dream by Laurie Ann Thompson IIlustrated by Sean Qualls

Age Range: 3rd & 4th Genre: Biography EMMA U Born in Ghana, West Africa, with DREAM one deformed leg, he was RUE STuflY lF dismissed by most people—but El, , UEL not by his mother, who taught him ~l)SU to reach for his dreams. As a boy, E AH Emmanuel hopped to school more than two miles each way, learned to play soccer, left home at age thirteen to provide for his family, and, eventually, became a cyclist.

He rode an astonishing four hundred miles across Ghana in 2001, spreading his powerful message: disability is not inability. Today, Emmanuel continues to See Story work on behalf of the disabled.

Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle Illustrated by Rafael López

Age range: 1st & 2nd Genre: Picture Book Biography

Girls cannot be drummers. Long ago on an island filled with music, no one questioned that rule—until the drum dream girl. In her city of drumbeats, she dreamed of pounding tall congas and tapping small bongós. She had to keep quiet. She had to practice in secret. But when at last her dream-

bright music was heard, everyone sang and danced and decided that both girls and boys should be free to drum and See Story dream.

Inspired by the childhood of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese-African- Cuban girl who broke Cuba’s traditional taboo against female drummers, Drum Dream Girl tells an inspiring true story for dreamers everywhere.

Dream Something Big by Dianna Hutts Aston Collage by Susan L. Roth

Age Range: 3rd & 4th Genre: Biography

Between 1921 and 1955, Italian immigrant Simon Rodia transformed broken glass, seashells, pottery, and a dream to “do something big” into a U.S. National Landmark. Readers watch the towers rise from his little plot of land in Watts, California, through the eyes of a fictional girl as she grows and raises her own children.

Chronicled in stunningly detailed collage that mimics Rodia’s found- object art, this thirty-four-year journey becomes a mesmerizing See Story testament to perseverance and possibility.

Thanks for reading and happy New Year!

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