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Family History Pictionary

2/18/2019

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Family History Pictionary // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
My 8-year-old daughter is really, really into playing board games right now, so that has made me think a little bit more about how I might be able to adapt popular board games into family history games. So, today's post is about a way in which to create a family history Pictionary-type game. This is NOT an original idea of mine; I've seen it mentioned on other family history websites, most recently this one at The Family History Guide. This blog post is just my individual take on the idea, so I hope you find it helpful.

For those of you who have never played Pictionary, it is a very simple, easy-to-play game in which a person attempts to get their teammate(s) to guess a something based on the pictures he/she draws. The team only has a limited amount of time in which to guess what the illustrator is drawing, and no numbers or letters are allowed in drawings.

The commercial version of Pictionary comes with a board on which each team moves game pieces around, but that's really not necessary in the simplest form of the game. All you need is at least two teams, a pencil and pad of paper, a way to keep time, and cards each illustrator must blindly choose from to know what to draw. Before you begin, decide on how many rounds you will play, and the team with the most correct guesses wins!

What goes on the cards? This is where we can tailor the game to fit our own family history. Below, I will list some ideas for different categories and different things that you can put on the cards for people to draw. Just like in real Pictionary, you will find that some words turn out to be more difficult to draw and guess than others. When playing with kids, I recommend making sure they are on teams with other adults, and allowing those adults to "coach" them if they have questions about how to draw a particular clue.

-Occupations and occupational tools
-Military branches
-Places: cities, towns, states, countries, ports of departure and entry
-Historical events and institutions: wars, migrations, or specific events your ancestors may have participated in (Examples: Boston Tea Party, Underground Railroad)
-Modes of travel and migration routes your ancestors used: Horse, wagon, steamship, sailing ship, train, canal boat, walking, streetcar, Oregon Trail, Erie Canal
-Hobbies
-Food
-General genealogical records and words: birth, marriage, death, baptism, cemetery headstone, journal, photos, newspaper, yearbook, citizenship, city/town directory, passport

Using Microsoft Publisher, I've created some basic, customizable, cards that you can fill in to create your own family history Pictionary game. I've done a few sample ones based on my own family history to give you an idea of how they work. On the top of the card is the word or phrase that must be drawn and guessed. On the bottom of the card is a small space where you can write HOW that relates to your family history. So, after time has expired, and whether or not the team has properly guessed the word/phrase, you can read that short sentence to the entire group and learn some facts about your family history and ancestors. These facts could pertain to life-changing events in your ancestors' lives, or more simple things like hobbies, games, or foods they enjoyed.

Sample Family History Pictionary Cards // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
So, please feel free to download this file below. You will need Microsoft Publisher to open and edit it. All of the cards are blank and ready to be edited by you. (You can also change size and type of font, if you want to.) Once you have your cards written and printed,  I do recommend that you laminate them for durability. This would be a great game to play at any family reunion or other larger family gathering. 
pictionary_cards.pub
File Size: 242 kb
File Type: pub
Download File

©2019 Emily Kowalski Schroeder
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Remembering Our WWI Ancestors

11/6/2018

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Remembering Our WWI Ancestors - GrowingLittleLeaves.com
The 100th anniversary of Armistice Day is nearly here, and a lot of nations and communities are commemorating the end of World War I and honoring the fallen in different ways - ceremonies, moments of silence, new statues and/or memorial sites, etc. On our own smaller scale, it's important to take the time to remember our family members who served in World War I - those who gave their lives for their countries and also those who survived, but had to live with the memories and other adverse effects of the war for the rest of their lives.

War was, unfortunately, a very real part of many of our ancestors' lives, and influenced their lives in sometimes very profound ways.  So, in order to help our kids understand our ancestors, we can't skip the discussion of war when we are talking about their lives, even though it IS a difficult topic to have with children.

My WWI veteran ancestor was Luigi Licciardi and he fought in the Italian Army during the War. We don't know much about his service, but by 1920 he was on a ship to America, with his wife and young daughters to follow in 1921. Had he always wanted to come to America, or did his experiences during the war push him to start a new life somewhere far from the destruction and chaos in Europe?  Enough Italian WWI veterans came to Cleveland, at least, that they started a social group/fraternal group known as Ex-Combattenti Italiani (Italian War Veterans), so perhaps that experience of serving and living through WWI did affect more peoples' decisions to emigrate out of Europe. Does your family have any ancestors that immigrated to America immediately after WWI? 

My husband had a great-uncle, Edward Tumbush, who served in the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) during the War. He was the grandchild of German immigrants who came from Northwest Germany. It's hard to think that he may have been fighting against some of his own cousins on the front lines. Unfortunately, a couple of my husband's ancestral towns in the Meuse department of Northeast France suffered damaged and enemy occupation during the war, as well.


I've made two simple worksheets kids can use if they want to write down some basic facts about their ancestors who served in World War I. Click on each image to download a PDF.

My WWI Veteran Ancestor Worksheet // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
My WWI Veteran Ancestor (2 pages)
My WWI Nurse Ancestor // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
My WWI Nurse Ancestor (1 page)
​Several years ago, I made some poppy crafts with my daughter while we talked about the war and what the poppy symbolizes. You can find that post at this link.

Below, I've listed some children's book recommendations for teaching children about WWI. It's a mix of non-fiction and fiction, for various ages, and certainly not comprehensive in scope, but it will give you a good start. Despite all the destruction and killing, there are actually some very inspirational and endearing stories from WWI, including several stories about how animals helped soldiers and the story of the Christmas Truce of 1914. (If you order through these links, a small portion of the sale will be returned to Growing Little Leaves. The sale price will be no different for you.)
©2018 Emily Kowalski Schroeder
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Remembrance Candle Bunting

12/22/2017

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Remembrance Candle Bunting // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
The holidays are usually joyous times to get together with our families, but sometimes they can also make us a little sad because people with whom we used to celebrate are no longer with us. I wanted to create a kid-friendly, visual way in which families can remember their loved ones who have passed away, so I give you the remembrance candle bunting.

In many faiths, cultures, and traditions, lighting a candle has been a way in which to symbolize the presence of a deceased loved one. Lighting actual candles isn't always the most practical thing, especially with children around, so my kids and I instead decided to create a paper candle bunting to hang in our home.

​I found this simple candle design on OpenClipArt.org. If you click on the image below, you will be able to download a PDF containing two different sizes of this image, depending how large you'd like to make your bunting.

Remembrance Candle Bunting // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
Next, we glued an image of a deceased loved on onto each candle and wrote their name below. Then, I cut little slats in the upper part of the candle to make holes for the yarn to pass through. (Using a knitting needle made threading the yarn through the holes SO much easier.)
Remembrance Candle Bunting // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
Once you have all the candles on the string, find a central place in your home to display it! We strung it across our fireplace mantle. This is a great way in which to remember loved ones, especially around the holidays, or even during large family events, such as reunions. 
Remembrance Candle Bunting // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
Remembrance Candle Bunting // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
©2017 Emily Kowalski Schroeder​
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Disney Pixar's 'Coco'

12/20/2017

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Coco Movie Review // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
Today, my children and I went to see the newest Disney Pixar movie, Coco, and it is so wonderfully centered on family history that I feel compelled to write about it here.

Coco is the story to Miguel Rivera, a boy who absolutely loves playing the guitar, but must keep his love for music secret from his family. You see, his family has shunned all music since his great-great grandfather seemingly abandoned his family for his musical career many, many years ago.

On D
ía de los Muertos, Miguel inadvertently goes on a journey to the Land of the Dead and meets his ancestors. In order to get back home, he must receive the blessing of his ancestors. But what blessing will he receive? Will he be able to continue to play his beloved guitar, or will he have to accept his family's wishes and give up music forever?

Visually, this movie is a beautiful tribute to Mexican music, culture, and the traditions behind the Day of the Dead. There is a heavy emphasis on the purpose and importance of the ofrenda (ancestor altar), and since we had just recently created one in our family, my kids were excited to see that in the film. 

This film is FULL of conversation-starters you can use with the children in your family to talk about different aspects of family history, and I've listed some of them below. (I have attempted to keep these listed themes spoiler-free, but if you really want to know nothing about the film, perhaps stop reading here.)

1.) Sometimes we feel a special connection to an ancestor who we've never met.

2.) Our eldest living family members are important bridges between our living family members and our deceased ones.

3.) We exist only as as long as we are remembered. It the responsibility of living family members to share the memories and stories of the deceased ones, so they can continue to live on through the generations.

4,) Our ancestors may have done something that seemed to be dishonorable, but perhaps we should not judge their actions until we know (if ever) the entire story behind those actions. 

5.) Our family may try to prevent us from doing certain things out of love, in an attempt to protect us from hurt, or to try to prevent us to go down a path that has caused hurt in the past.

6.) Sometimes who we THINK we are related to ends up being an incorrect assumption. (Am I right, researchers??)

The Coco movie and related books can be ordered via Amazon.com via the affiliate links below; just click on each image. (A small percentage of your sale comes back to support Growing Little Leaves.)

©2017 Emily Kowalski Schroeder

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Honoring Ancestors on Day of the Dead

10/25/2017

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Honoring Ancestors on the Day of the Dead // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
The Day of the Dead (El Día de los Muertos) is a Mexican holiday celebrated between October 31 and November 2 each year. Drawing on both indigenous and Catholic traditions, Día de los Meurtos festivities remember, celebrate, and welcome back the spirits of dead loved ones. Family members build altars (ofrendas) to honor their ancestors and visit cemeteries to clean and decorate grave sites. Though individual traditions can vary from place to place, most Día de los Muertos festivities generally take on a happy, celebratory tone, instead of a mournful one.  

Our family does not have Mexican roots, but we are Catholic and our family has been for many, many generations. All Saints Day (Nov 1) and All Souls Day (Nov  2) are a big deal in the Catholic faith. These days give us a chance to remember and honor our loved ones who are deceased, and I just love the Mexican traditions during the Day of the Dead of filling these days with music, dance, parades, food, prayer, and memories. And I think celebrating the memories of those who have passed on can be a very positive and healing experience for all people, especially children.

Last year, we spent a day in Cozumel, Mexico, and one of the villages we visited had a traditional ofrenda on display. It's important to say that these ofrendas are NOT made in order to worship ancestors; they are made to honor them and remember them.  

Honoring Ancestors on the Day of the Dead // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
Authentic Mexican Ofrenda
This year, as late Oct and early November approached, I decided that my kids and I would try to create our own ancestor ofrenda and share it with you.

We used several online sources (links below) to help us learn what to include in our ofrenda. However, from what I have read, it seems that there is no 'wrong' way to create an ofrenda to honor your ancestor(s), and that every family has their own style and uses their own ideas and creativity to do it.

The Day of the Dead Ofrenda from Inside Mexico

Build a Day of the Dead Ofrenda to Honor Your Departed Loved Ones from Zinnia Folk Arts
How To Make a Day of the Dead Altar from TripSavvy
​
​So, here is a photo of our ofrenda. We covered a bench with a white bed sheet and placed a large  photograph of our ancestor (my grandmother, my kids' great-grandmother) in the center. We've included bread, water, salt, and fruit, along with various symbols of our Catholic faith, such as a cross, a statue of the Virgin Mary, and a rosary. We also have scented candles, which we lit (with adult supervision only!).  We included one of my grandmother's books, because she loved to read, and a deck of playing cards, because she also enjoyed card parties with her friends. You can also include a few smaller photos, if you like.
Honoring Ancestor on the Day of the Dead // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
Traditional ofrendas are decorated with cempasúchitl flowers, sometimes known as Mexican marigolds. We used some orange-colored silk flowers instead of real ones, but I still think it looks nice. You can also use mums, which are easy to find during this time of the year. Mexican ofrendas also typically include colorful papel picado banners. It is easy to make simple banners using string and tissue paper, but I found a good deal on Amazon for a small pre-made banner.

Day of the Dead ofrendas are also often decorated with artistic representations of human skulls, also known as calaveras or sugar skulls, because they are often made of candy or dough and edible. We did not make sugar skulls, but we did color some paper ones to include on our ofrenda. I found a public domain image of a black-and-white calavera, so I copied it to a document (in two sizes) and made a printable for you to download.
Sugar Skull Download
Here are a few other links at which you can download sugar skull templates or other free Day of the Dead printables and activities for kids:

Free Printable Dia de los Muertos Coloring Page
​Day of the Dead Printable Craft
​
Dia de los Muertos Sugar Skull Boxes
​Free Day of the Dead Printable
​
Day of the Dead Felt Craft for Kids
Elementary-Level Day of the Dead Vocabulary Worksheet & Word Search

​And, of course, don't forget that your local library likely has some great kid-friendly picture books about Day of the Dead festivities and what they mean. Some of these are bilingual, too, so they are great if you are trying to introduce your child(ren) to Spanish. I've featured a few below, and if you click on the image, you will be directed to the book's Amazon.com page. Purchasing through these links provides Growing Little Leaves with a small portion of the sale (at no extra cost to you).
Does your family regularly participate in Day of the Dead festivities? If so, I'd love to hear about your traditions and see photos! As always, thank you for reading!

©2017 Emily Kowalski Schroeder
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Back to School Blessings

9/20/2017

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Back To School Blessings // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
This month's Family History for Children Blog Link-Up is entitled "School and Family History." So today, I'm going to talk about how you can use your family's history to instill within your child(ren) a sense of gratitude for education.

Like most first-world kids today, growing up, I took for granted the fact that I had the opportunity to attend school until full adulthood (and beyond). But, for many of our family members even just a hundred years ago, that opportunity was not available, and simply attending school was a huge privilege. 

One of my favorite pieces of information listed in the 1940 U.S. Census for each person enumerated is "Highest Grade of School Completed." When I first started learning about my great-grandmother, Sophia Krupa Bodziony, I found her and her family in this census and noticed that she only had a 2nd grade education (see below). In my subsequent research, I learned that she was born illegitimate in one of the poorest areas of what is now Poland in the late 19th century. I'm willing to bet she never attended a school at all, but learned the little that she did know from a family member.

Picture
Detail from 1940 U.S. Census showing education levels of Sophia Bodziony, her husband, Michael and four of her five children.
Sophia's decision to immigrate to America, along with changing societal attitudes about social welfare and educational access, made a huge difference for her descendants. Though the family was still poor, all of her children stayed in school longer than she did, and three of her daughters graduated from high school. Go just one more generation, and several of Sophia's grandchildren not only earned university degrees, but graduate degrees as well.  

Sophia's story isn't unique in my family tree. None of my great-grandparents had an education beyond the 8th grade level, yet all of them had children that graduated from high school and grandchildren that earned college degrees. And these stories of educational betterment are not limited to this time period. In fact, this discussion is very relevant in today's society, where everyday we hear stories about first-generation high school and college graduates, especially among families who are new to America. It is important for our children to realize how fortunate they are to have the educational opportunities they do have and to not take them for granted.

I encourage you to look at the 1940 Census with your school-age children or grandchildren and talk with them about some of the factors that may have limited their ancestors' educations:

- Lack of a school nearby and/or no transportation to get to nearest school.
- Illiterate parents who couldn't teach their children
- Need for children to help with work at home/farm
- Need for children to work a job to earn money for the family
- Too poor to afford proper clothing and supplies for school
- Limitations to education based on society's perception of gender, race, class, and/or nationality

I created a simple chart to help you and your child visually examine and organize how your family's levels of education have progressed through recent generations. Learning how to read and interpret charts is a skill that can be found in many state educational standards, and looking at census schedules is a great way to practice that skill. (Click image for PDF.)
Ancestor Education Chart from GrowingLittleLeaves.com
Ancestor Education Table
Now, not every family is the same, and you may find that your 1940 ancestor(s) was/were actually more educated than the average person was back then, which is a special family history milestone in and of itself.  Also, remember that apprenticing a trade or attending trade school was and still is today an important educational milestone in a person's life, and should be noted and admired.

Do you have school-related ephemera in your family history holdings? The start of the school year is a great time to get them out and show them to your children. Class photos, yearbooks, report cards, diplomas, and even just photos of your ancestors' old school buildings can help kids form a connection with their ancestors. Here are just a few examples from my family:
So, the next time your children or grandchildren grumble about getting up early for school or having to complete homework and projects, dig into your family's own history to show them that being able to learn and better yourself through education is truly a blessing.

©2017 Emily Kowalski Schroeder

Census Source: "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9M1-3L3T?cc=2000219&wc=QZXY-V33%3A790106001%2C798889101%2C800542301%2C800546801 : accessed 14 September 2017), Ohio > Cuyahoga > Cleveland City, Cleveland City, Ward 14 > 92-347 Cleveland City Ward 14 (Tract N-6 - part), Sisters of St. Joseph - St. Hyacinth's School > image 26 of 32; citing Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012.
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Jack O Lantern Family Tree

9/15/2017

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Jack O'Lantern FREE Family Tree Printable from GrowingLittleLeaves.com
I was going to wait until later in October to post this new little family tree printable, but I thought I would do so earlier, so people would have plenty of time to use it as Halloween approaches. It's pretty simple; the child's name goes in the box at the bottom, and then his/her parents,' grandparents,' and great-grandparents' names are written within the other boxes. (Great-grandparent couples must share their box.) 

There is a version both with and without the little black cat peeking out from behind the child's jack-o'-lantern. My daughter wanted a kitty in hers, so that's how it ended up there. (Click on either image to download the two-page PDF with both versions.)

Jack O' Lantern FREE Family Tree Printable from GrowingLittleLeaves.com
Jack O'Lantern FREE Family Tree Printable from GrowingLittleLeaves.com
Sometimes it's fun for kids to visualize a family 'tree' in different ways, so I thought my kids would enjoy this new take on a genealogy chart and I'm happy to pass it on to you! Enjoy!
©2017 Emily Kowalski Schroeder
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Grandparents As Teachers

8/24/2017

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Grandparents As Teachers with FREE Printables from GrowingLittleLeaves.com
Grandparents Day is coming up on Sunday, September 10, so I have been thinking a lot about ways in which to remember, honor, and document our relationships with our grandparents. 

When my brother and I were young children, there was a period during which both of our parents were working full time and our grandparents watched us during the day. And I was thinking about that time the other day and realized how much our grandma and grandpa taught us while they were caring for us.

Naturally, my grandparents had a role in teaching us how to be nice to each other and how to use good manners and things of that nature, but they also taught us a lot of practical skills. My grandmother taught me how to sew a button. She would give me an old sock and her tin of random buttons, and I would just keep sewing on buttons until my fingers hurt. My grandfather taught us how to play the card game, Uno. He also taught my brother how to play chess, but I didn't have the patience for it at the time. He was a woodworking hobbyist, and he taught us how to hammer a nail and use a vise to hold things while you were working on them.

These may seem like small little everyday memories, but now that my grandparents are gone, they mean the world to me. I want to document those memories, so my kids have some insights into my relationship with my grandparents. I also want my kids to think about what their grandparents have taught them (and are still teaching them). 

I created these simple printables for getting kids to think about how their grandparents have been a teacher to them. Please feel free to use them with your family, playgroup, or church group. This activity is not limited to children - adults can and should also write about or draw what their grandparents taught them. My intents for these worksheets are: 1.) To get families talking about the importance of the grandparent-grandchild relationship and 2.) To provide a concrete, kid-friendly way in which to document some of our everyday memories of our grandparents. (Click on either image to download the two-page PDF.)

What Grandma Taught Me FREE Printable from GrowingLittleLeaves.com
What Grandpa Taught Me FREE Printable from GrowingLittleLeaves.com
If you are a grandparent or grandparent-to-be, here are a few resources I found online that speak to a grandparent's role as a teacher: 

​Five Important Things Grandparents Can Teach Grandchildren

10 Things Grandchildren Can Learn From Their Grandparents
Grandparents Are Teachers, Too (Infographic)​
I also want to draw your attention to a Grandparents Day campaign organized by CaringAcrossGenerations.org, to let your lawmakers know how much we value the aging population AND the caregivers who dedicate their lives to upholding their quality of life. If you go to this website (postcards.care), you can create a postcard. Upload a photo of a loved one, briefly tell their story or say why they matter to you, and the postcard will be sent to your Senators, free of charge. 

©2017 Emily Kowalski Schroeder

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Grandparent Butterflies

8/18/2017

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Grandparent Butterflies from GrowingLittleLeaves.com
It has been a little while since I have created a genealogy activity that gets back to the basics of teaching children about who is in their family tree and how they are related to those people. Grandparents are treasured members of a child's extended family from the day they are born, so I decided to create a simple 'Grandparent Butterfly' template that can be used for a couple of activities, which I will explain below.  

The template consists of a simple butterfly body and, when you cut the two hearts down the middle, four butterfly, 'wings.' The simplest way in which to use this template is to write a person's name on the butterfly body, and then write the name of one of the person's four grandparents on each wing. You could even add photos to the butterfly wings, if you have them.  Encourage your children to use their creativity when coloring the butterfly parts. Then, glue the parts together and display them somewhere in your home. This is an easy family home evening idea that can get your children talking about their grandparents and learning their grandparents' birth names, something that most younger children do not know.

And make sure you and your spouse make one as well, and explain to your children how your grandparents are their GREAT-grandparents. If you want to make the activity more of a challenge for older children, give them a name of an ancestor from farther back in your family tree, and see if they can make a butterfly with that person's grandparents. It's sure to get them looking at pedigree charts!

I also think this could be a GREAT activity/game to use at family reunions or any other large family group gatherings: 

1.) Each family member is given a butterfly body, on which is written one family member's or ancestor's name.

2.) Scattered in a pile, or hidden around the house or other gathering place, are butterfly ‘wings,’ on each of which is written the name of another family member, alive or deceased, who are or were grandparents. Because one person might be grandparent to many people, make sure you have multiple copies of that person’s name written on wings. Use maiden names for the women.

3.) The goal is for each person to find the four grandparents of the person whose name is written on the butterfly’s body. Rules are up to you; you can have people work in teams or individually. I would definitely partner younger children with a teen or adult.

4.) Color the butterfly parts before gluing on the wings, and display them together for everyone to see. You could put them on a large poster board, a length of butcher paper, or string them into a colorful bunting.

The family reunion game will require more planning and maybe even some research, because some people's grandparents will not be blood-relatives to everyone at the reunion. (I think that would be fun though - I still love learning about my cousins' grandparents who aren't related to me.)  You can make it as complicated or simple as you'd like.

The template is two pages long, and can be downloaded by clicking on either image below.
 

Grandparent Butterflies // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
Grandparent Butterflies // GrowingLittleLeaves.com
I have not yet had the chance to try this at a family reunion, so if you do, send me a message and let me know how it goes!

©2017 Emily Kowalski Schroeder

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Book Review: Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier

4/20/2017

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Book Review: Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier // GrowingLittleLeaves.comGhosts by Raina Telgemeier
Part of honoring your family's history involves remembering family members who have passed away. Dealing with the loss of family members and processing the subsequent grief can be difficult for the younger members of our families. Ghosts, a graphic novel by Raina Telgemeier, explores themes of death, loss, fear, and family heritage and tradition.

Cat is an average California teenager who is apprehensive over having to move upstate with her mom, dad, and younger sister, Maya, who suffers from cystic fibrosis. As Cat and Maya soon find out, their new town, Bah
ía de la Luna, is historically known for the thin veil that exists between the worlds of the living and the dead. 

Through the course of the book, Cat and Maya, who are part Hispanic, learn a little about their maternal grandmother, who passed away before they were born. The girls' mother laments over her troubled relationship with her mother, and expresses regret over not learning about or taking pride in her mother's Mexican traditions and recipes. With the help of neighbors and new friends, the girls start to learn a little more about traditional Mexican food and celebrations. They even build a traditional ofrenda for their grandmother in their home.


Like other Hispanic communities, every year, Bahía de la Luna hosts a festival to commemorate Día de los Muertos. Unlike at other community festivals, though, the ghosts of loved ones actually DO make themselves visible and speak and sing and dance with the living like they were any other party guests. Cat attends the festival saddened that Maya is too sick to join the party, but still hoping to find and speak with her deceased grandmother. 

Throughout the story, Maya struggles with the physical limitations of her cystic fibrosis, and Cat struggles with her fears of ghosts, the unknown, and losing her sister. In addition to the theme of 'resurrecting' family tradition and culture, this book has a unique, but comforting way of using the folklore of D
ía de los Muertos to paint a picture of what the afterlife might be like, AND to emphasize that our loved ones are still with us, even after they leave their mortal lives.

I recommend this graphic novel for Grades 3 and up. 

©2017 Emily Kowalski Schroeder

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    Emily Kowalski Schroeder

    Founder and Author of Growing Little Leaves

    Emily Kowalski Schroeder / Founder and Author of GrowingLittleLeaves.com

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