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The giving season

Contributed by: Ioanna Athanasopoulos on 10/22/2007

By Joyce Deming, information services librarian, Golden Library

I was in a grocery store in September and was startled to see snowmen, Santas and reindeer displayed next to the pumpkins, skeletons and witches. It can't be that time of year already, can it? Before you rush headlong into the frenetic activities of the next few months, take a moment to reflect on the true meaning of this holiday season. To get you in the mood, try a few of these books with a giving theme.
First published in 1941, Paul Gallico's novella "The Snow Goose" is the story of a hunchbacked artist, a shy country girl and the injured snow goose they nurse back to health. Be forewarned--this enduring tale is heartbreaking as well as heartwarming.
Before it was a hit movie starring Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt, "Pay it Forward" was a novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Challenged by a teacher to "think of an idea for world change and put it into action," 12-year-old Trevor McKinney decides to do a good deed for three people. Instead of paying him back, Trevor asks them to "pay it forward." The idea catches on and his initial acts of kindness have global consequences. It's a hopeful book for our cynical times.
Another book that inspires hope is "The Man Who Planted Trees" by Jean Giono. In this bestselling eco-fable, Giono tells the story of Elzeard Bouffier, a shepherd who plants 100 acorns every day for over 30 years. Not only do his efforts reforest a barren section of southern France, they revitalize his community as well.
Heroes often come disguised as ordinary people, be they 12-year-old boys, humble shepherds or moms. Author Kathy Harrison is the latter--a mom not only to three children by birth, three by adoption, but a foster mom to hundreds of children as well. In "One Small Boat", Harrison tells the story of Daisy, one very special foster child who flourishes under Harrison's care. You might also enjoy her earlier memoir, "Another Place at the Table".
When Kent Keith was a sophomore at Harvard in the 1960s, he wrote "The Paradoxical Commandments", a manifesto for doing good in an ungrateful world. Since then, the commandments have been found everywhere, including Mother Theresa's children's home in Calcutta. In his follow up book, "Anyway: The Paradoxical Commandments", Keith elaborates on his original commandments and includes personal anecdotes, famous stories and good advice.
You can check out these books and more at any Jefferson County Public Library location. Look for them on our web site at http://jefferson.lib.co.us or talk to your librarian for more reading suggestions.


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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Ioanna Athanasopoulos

Lakewood , CO

Ioanna Athanasopoulos has posted 195 stories and 0 comments since joining on 4/20/2006. Ioanna Athanasopoulos 's average story rating is 5.
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