Book List for Sandy Hook Project
I'm thrilled that so many of you asked for the completed list of books for the Sandy Hook project and are considering donating to your community or school libraries, too. Just FYI, I found it's best to give the money and the list to the library and let them order, as it speeds up the process when they get "shelf-ready" books from their own sources. They were happy to use my list; in fact, our librarian said it was a "great list" of books that would circulate well - hooray! The cost is about $340, so maybe you could get a few other friends to join with you (or suggest it as a project for your book club or faculty or church or college group or civic organization.) Thanks so much to my mom, Martha Brigman, who wanted to join with me and helped out with a portion of the cost. Thanks also to my teacher and librarian friends who offered advice and book suggestions. I included the characteristics of the victims shared by parents, relatives, and neighbors that led me to choose each book, but please contact me if you have questions. Again, I don't presume to know them, but I took great care in choosing books I thought they might like from what little I know about them.
Books to Be Donated in Honor of Sandy Hook Victims
For Charlotte Bacon – My Heart is Like a Zoo, by Michael Hall
Never met an animal she didn't love, wanted to be a veterinarian; loved dresses and wearing pink; was learning Tae Kwon Do with father and brother
For Daniel Barden – Drum City, by Thea Guidone
Played drums in band with brother and sister (dad – musician); swam and played soccer; loved foosball and making s’mores; dreamed of being a firefighter; would sit with kids who were alone in school
For Olivia Engel – Angelina Ballerina, by Katharine Holibird (25th Anniv. Ed.)
Loved to dance, twirled in her pink tutu; loved to sing and do theater; was to be angel in church Christmas play; played soccer and swam; liked to draw and paint; favorite toy was stuffed lamb
For Josephine Gay – The Best Bike Ride Ever, by James Proimos
Loved riding her bike in the street; set up lemonade stand in summer; favorite color-purple; nicknamed “Boo” for resemblance to Monsters Inc. character
For Ana Marquez-Greene – Jazz Baby, by Lisa Wheeler
Had gift for melody, pitch, and rhythm; from musical family (dad - jazz musician); loved to sing even before she could talk; “danced to all the music she heard … in air or in her head; loved God and reading the Bible
For Dylan Hockley – First the Egg, Laura Vaccaro Seeger
When asked why he flapped his arms when excited, he answered, “Because I’m a beautiful butterfly.” Loved to cuddle, bounce on trampoline, watch movies, and look at the moon; was so proud when he read book each day
For Madeline F. Hsu – And Then It’s Spring, by Julie Fogliano
Loved bright flowery dresses; neighbor said eyes lit up when she got off bus and saw neighbor’s dog; upbeat and kind; shy, always had a smile
For Catherine V. Hubbard –This Moose Belongs to Me, by Oliver Jeffers
Passion for animals; asked for pets every Christmas; had asked Santa for a pair of fish; was taking horseback riding lessons; pink was favorite color
For Chase Kowalski – Pete the Cat, Play Ball! By James Dean
Budding athlete who recently completed and won his first mini-triathlon; ran in community races, played baseball and loved riding his bike; Cub Scout
For Jesse Lewis – Rose’s Foal, by Scarlett Lewis (written by Jesse’s mother and read to him often; the last sentence is “Love never ends.”)
Was learning to ride horseback and loved family’s horses, dogs, and chickens; liked to ask “What if . . . and spin hypothetical tales; wrote “I love you,” on the car window in the frost the day before he was killed.
For James Mattioli – Press Here, by Herve Tullet
Loved math and came up with insights beyond his years to explain relationship between numbers; sang at the top of his lungs; loved swimming, diving, biking, and wore shorts and t-shirts no matter the weather; always said, “I need to go outside, Mom. I need fresh air.”
For Grace McDonnell – The Secret World of Walter Anderson, by Hester Bass
Wanted to live on the beach and be a painter; loved seagulls and shells and lighthouses and painted fish; danced, worked at gymnastics, and was a “fashionista” with a love of sparkles and a passion for cooking and cupcakes
For Emilie Parker – Each Kindness, by Jacqueline Woodson
Always had something kind to say; carried around markers and pencils and would rush to draw a picture or make a card if someone was feeling sad or frustrated; gave hugs and kisses to younger siblings when they would fall
For Jack Pinto - Sports Illustrated Kids 1st and 10: Top Ten Lists of Everything in Football 101, by Sports Illustrated
Huge NY Giants fan; loved football, skiing, baseball, and wrestling; described as having a “steely determination;” loved reading and his school
For Noah Pozner – Dragons Love Tacos, by Adam Rubin
Loved tacos so much he wanted to be a taco factory manager; loved to read, build Legos and have pretend sword fights with twin sister Arielle; liked to figure things out mechanically; when his mom told him she loved him, he always said, not as much as I love you
For Caroline Previdi – Happy, by Miles Van Hout
Always wanted others to smile; sat with neighbor child on bus to cheer him up when he was scared; emptied piggy bank to give money to church for presents for less fortunate children; loved to draw and dance
For Jessica Rekos – Hello, Hello, by Matthew Cordell
Loved everything about horses and wanted one of her own; watched horse movies, read horse books, drew horses and wrote stories about horses. “CEO of family” - looked up YouTube video to teach self to tie shoes; left love notes all over house for her family - one was found the day after they lost her.
For Avielle Richman – Every Cowgirl Needs a Horse, by Rebecca Janni
Happiest when she was on a horse; giggled when she trotted in her pink cowboy boots; loved swimming, archery practice, kung fu- also music, the library, telling stories and participating in super-hero adventures
For Benjamin Wheeler – Subway, by Christophe Niemann
Loved taking 7 train to NYC; “more interested in subways than museums and zoos;” played piano, sang; loved lighthouses, swimming, soccer, big brother Nate, and the Beatles; blew kisses and said, Catch it and put it in your heart.”
For Allison N Wyatt – Sky Color, by Peter H. Reynolds
Wanted to be an artist; turned her room into a studio and covered the house with her drawings; wonderful sense of humor that left family crying with laugher; generous – offered snacks to stranger on airplane
For Rachel D’avino – Giraffes Can’t Dance, by Giles Andreae
Boyfriend was about to propose; passion was work with autistic children as behavioral therapist; loved karate, cooking, animals, and photography
For Dawn Hochsprung – Olivia and the Fairy Princesses, by Ian Falconer
Dressed as book fairy once; led conga line at sock hop; infectious smile, pride in her work, accessible and welcoming, knew names of all 600+ students
For Anne Marie Murphy – Beautiful Oops, by Barney Saltzberg
Artistic, fun-loving painter; witty and hardworking; loved walking outdoors; a happy soul
For Lauren Rousseau – The Very Busy Spider, by Eric Carle
Always busy, always working; boyfriend called her Busy Bee; would change clothes in car between jobs; always wanted to teach; ecstatic to land full-time sub job; her mom said it was best year of her life; so kind she wouldn’t honk horn at people - said it was mean; loved Broadway shows and her cat, Laila
For Mary Sherlach – The Kissing Hand, by Audrey Penn
Cared deeply about the children she counseled; looked forward to retirement in a year and time at lake cabin with husband; sat on porch in wicker loveseat
For Victoria Soto – Sylvie, by Jennifer Sattler
Loved the beach, flamingoes; was the organizer of Christmas for her family; her black lab, Roxie waited for her every day and is lost without her; loved the NY Yankees