This month in Reading Club, we’re enjoying a heartwarming story called Papa’s Coming Home. This beautifully illustrated children’s book tells the story of a family waiting for their father to return after being away. It explores themes of love, patience, and the special bond between parents and children.

We chose this book because it encourages thoughtful conversation, helps students connect to emotions, and supports comprehension through simple but meaningful storytelling. The class has been practicing reading aloud, making predictions, and sharing how the story reminds them of their own families.

Ask your child about what they think will happen next or who their favorite character is. It’s a great way to keep the reading fun going at home as we close out the month of May and head into our Summer breaks. 

In 2024, the students in our Reading Club chose We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly as our Book of the Year. The story follows siblings Cash, Fitch, and Bird as they deal with challenges at home, school, and within themselves while looking forward to the launch of the Challenger space shuttle.

Students connected with the characters and their emotions. Bird’s love for space and quiet determination stood out, while Fitch’s struggles with frustration and Cash’s feelings of failure led to honest conversations about growing up and learning how to cope. The book helped us talk about things like feeling misunderstood, learning to express emotions, and finding hope in difficult moments.

This book was chosen because it sparked some of our most thoughtful discussions all year. It encouraged us to think deeply about our own goals, relationships, and how we can be kinder to ourselves and others. It was a powerful story that stayed with us even after we finished the last page.

As an educator and avid reader, I appreciated how the book gently explored family dynamics, emotional growth, and personal identity in a way that felt real and relatable. I especially loved how it gave quiet, observant students a voice through Bird’s character and reminded all of us how important it is to hold on to our curiosity and sense of wonder.