By Phoebe Farag Mikhail

Read until the end to find out how to receive your FREE guide to helping children love reading, and be entered to win a giveaway copy of Philo, Rose, and the Joy SuperHoly or Trouble at the Watering Hole, children’s book and parent/teacher manual.

Today, the first official day of summer and my children’s last day of school, Philo, Rose, and the Joy SuperHoly by Mireille Mishriky released, and this is the story all our children need to read.

I have been a huge fan of the “Philo and the SuperHolies” series, ever since I was introduced to it through the Coptic Dad and Mom blog, and this book is the best one yet.  … not just because joy is one of my favorite fruit of the Spirit, but because it strikes at one of the biggest challenges families face with children now – the challenge of being joyful.

We live in a consumerist culture that teaches us never to be satisfied, and this affects our children as much as it affects us. This book brings us back to joy by pointing out one of the best ways to do so—with thanksgiving. The story is easy for children to relate to, with the end of school year timing of this release perfect for the story as Philo looks forward to all the fun he’ll have over the summer with his cousins—before he breaks his arm.

I also love the introduction of a female character to the story, making this series even more accessible to all children. Rose becomes pivotal in helping Philo understand how he can have joy despite his pain. Every family needs this book, and it was a great way to start off my kids’ summer vacations today! It set the right tone as we look forward to the activities we’ll be doing, and approaching them (and possible disappointments) with the choice of being grateful.

Although Philo, Rose, and the Joy SuperHoly can stand alone as its own story, if you haven’t read the first two books in the series, this is a good time to pick them up as well. Philo and the SuperHolies, which introduces the Fruit of the Spirit as “SuperHolies” highlights kindness, and addresses bullying, a relevant issue for school-aged children. The second book, Philo and the Patience SuperHoly, addresses every child’s challenge of growing in patience, using the example of a longer church service, something many families can relate to. All three books are beautifully and colorfully illustrated by S. Violette Palumbo.

Watch this video here for a sneak peak! To celebrate this book release, I am offering one giveaway copy of Philo, Rose, and the Joy SuperHoly to my email subscribers. To enter, make a comment below about something you are thankful for today, and if you are not yet subscribed to my newsletter, you can do that here.

Summer also begins the season with siblings spending more time with each other (at least in our home) and of course the conflicts that come with it. Greg Relyea and Joshua Weiss, seasoned conflict mediators and trainers, recently published a children’s book with an accompanying parent/teacher manual called Trouble at the Watering Hole. In this book, several animals in the forest have a disagreement about who can access the watering hole, leading to a physical conflict. Emo comes in and helps all the animals talk it out and resolve their problem so that everyone has access to the watering hole. Using simple language and colorful illustrations, this book manages to illustrate the concepts of principled, interest-based negotiations and problem solving the way children can understand and put into practice.

Considering many of the world’s current conflicts today have to do with water, the core conflict in this story is ingenious. The use of animals for the conflict make it useful in many different cultural contexts. In addition to the book and manual, the authors can also do presentations at schools for assemblies, and a PowerPoint version of the book is available for purchase on their website. Both my older son and daughter have read the story and enjoyed it, and we have frequently come back to it when they have conflicts. “Remember what we read about negotiation?” I have reminded them as they try to work out their arguments with each other. I cannot wait to as try some of the wonderfully useful exerc

ises in the parent/teacher manual.

The authors have kindly offered a GIVEAWAY COPY of BOTH the Trouble at the Watering Hole children’s book AND the parent/teacher manual to one of my subscribers! To enter, comment below about why you think teaching children conflict resolution is important, and click here to subscribe if you are not already on the list.

ALL MY EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS get access to a very helpful resource I created with several other moms, on how to help children love reading. Entries for the giveaways close on July 7, 2018 at 11:59 pm, US and Canada addresses only, please.

Check out my Summer Reading Recommendation #1 here.

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