Connecting couldn’t be more important than during the middle grade years when kids are deciding who they want to be; when they are discovering themselves as a unique person. A great book can be an important impetus in that formulation. Three authors of literature for children and young adults and two classroom teachers have come together to share ideas and strategies professionals can use with students to build resilience and empathy through the use of children’s literature.

1. Grow Through It:
Fostering Resilience and
Empathy Through Story

2. Presenters
Susan Dee: K-5 Literacy Strategist
@LiteracyDocent
Gigi McAllister: Teacher
Lynda Mullaly Hunt: Author
Jennifer Nielsen: Author
Leslie Connor: Author

3. Gigi McAllister
Teacher
@gigimcareads
thelatebloomersbookblog@blogspot.com

4. Early Elementary
Images from Goodreads

5. Middle Grade
Images from Goodreads

6. Questions to Ask During Reading:
•Why do you think the
character keeps
trying
even though
nothing seems to be
working yet?
•What choices does
he/she have?

7. Questions for After Reading:
•What could have
happened if the
character
had given up?
•How are you like the
character?
•Have you ever given
up when trying to
learn or do
something? What

8. For Older Students:
•How would you
describe the
character’s
personality?
•What were some
obstacles the
character had
to overcome?
•How are you like the
character?

11. Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Author
@LynMullalyHunt
LyndaMullalyHunt.com

12. Traits of a Resilient
Book Character.

14. Children who are loved
at home come to school
to learn.
Children who aren’t
come to school to be
loved.
~Nicholas A Ferroni~

15. Characteristics of Resilience
1) The ability—and willingness—to push through fear
and take chances. In books, we sometimes call this
“plucky.” 
2) Understand that failure is normal, expected –
and for *everyone.*
3) At least some level of positive self–esteem –must
feel real. Must impress themselves.
4) The capability to spot an adult who can help – and
accept that help.

18. Jennifer Nielsen
Author
@nielsenwriter
www.jennielsen.com

19. The Impact of Writing
• Readers will read themselves into a story.

20. Reading Ignites Neural
Pathways in the Brain.

21. Reading Ignites Neural
Pathways in the Brain.
2013 Emory University

22. What?
Others have emotions too?
2014 Journal of Applied Social Psychology

23. What?
Others have emotions too?
University of Michigan

24. Writing Takes It One Step Further.

25. Writing Prompts to
Explore Emotions
General Approach…
Prompts which
touch on
common childhood
emotions

26. Being Lost
Write about an animal
that gets lost from his
or her family. How do
they get home again?
Prompts which touch on
common childhood emotions

27. Fear of the Dark
Write about a
character
who was afraid of
the dark
…until they
discovered
something really
silly!
Prompts which touch on
common childhood worries.

28. The Desire to Matter
Write about a character who saves the class
from an attack of the marshmallow aliens!
Prompts which touch on
the need to feel heroic.

29. Above all…
Let the
child write
themselves
as the hero of
their story!

30. Leslie Connor
Author
www.leslieconnor.com

31. This little girl loved Laura Ingalls…

32. …and Garth Williams, too!

33. Thank you,
Rumer Godden

34. Leslie Connor
(is a genre hopper).

35. Where to Find Authors
Lynda Mullaly Hunt:
Penguin Young Readers 1:00
Anderson’s 4:00
Jennifer Nielsen:
Anderson’s Booth 3:30
Scholastic Booth 4:00
Leslie Connor:
HarperCollins Children’s Booth 2:30