This is a reblog from a post that I did in November last year. Now that the school year is quickly nearing its close, I’ve started hearing parents discuss what they can do to make upcoming milestones special. Here is one idea you may want to consider.
My daughter was about to “graduate” from elementary school last year, and I started to panic. I had seen on Pinterest all of the ideas for using the book, Oh, the Places You’ll Go, with signatures from past teachers, as a graduation gift. But I wanted to do something a little different. After much internet detective work, I found, Heroes for My Daughter, by Brad Meltzer. (He has also written Heroes for My Son.)
Fortunately, I happen to work at my daughter’s school – at least, I did last year, before she went on to middle school. Also fortunately, all of her past teachers, including her Music and P.E. teachers, still work there. I took pictures of them, and used a photo editing tool to make the pictures look like the ones in the book. Then, I asked each of her teaching heroes to write a message to her.
She cried when she opened the gift on her graduation day. Granted, she had already cried several times that day. Leaving elementary school was a lot more emotionally taxing than either of us suspected. Nevertheless, she seemed very appreciative of the book.
During the summer, we read one of the short chapters from the book each night before she went to bed. We both learned a lot about the people in the book, such as Julia Child and the Three Stooges.
When we finished the book, she said, “I think we should read it again.”
If you are looking for a great book to give as a gift to a child, then you should definitely consider Heroes for My Daughter (or Heroes for My Son). And, if you can, read it along with her or him. Your child will not be the only one who benefits from this gift. (By the way, both books include role models from both genders.)
Here is my Pinterest Board of Books for Gifted Students. Previous entries for this year’s “Gifts for the Gifted” post are: Cubelets, Sifteo Cubes, Scrabble Flash, and Make-Do. (You can also find these on the Games and Toys for Gifted Students Pinterest Board.)
