by Dana Cognetta Fritchie, AIWC Frankfurt, and the Education Team
To mark Children’s Book Week, the Education Team highlights beloved children’s books and offers heartfelt appreciation to the teachers who inspire and shape our lives.
This year’s Children’s Book Week theme, Books: Get Curious, resonates deeply with the FAWCO Education Team as we continue to spark curiosity, share stories, and connect members across cultures through a shared love of learning and literacy.
Do you see any of your favorite children’s books on our list?
Karen Boeker: “One of my favorite children’s books was When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr. It‘s the first book I read about this (horrible) part of German history and I was around 10. Judith Kerr wanted this to be a book for children and it not only introduced me to Germany’s history, but I remember also how much I could identify with the (main) characters of this book; not mainly fleeing their country, but the struggles they had along the way and with each other within the family. I remember how deeply I cared for Anna, Max, their parents and Uncle Julius. Developing empathy through the stories we read is one of the many benefits of reading books.“
Rebekka Klingshirn: “My absolute favorite children's book is Ronja Räubertochter (Ronia, The Robber's Daughter) by Astrid Lindgren. Ronja grows up in a loving and seemingly very chaotic nest of robbers. She is absolutely fearless in whatever she does—be it running around with the robbers or telling her dad or the elvish creatures off and also when falling in love with the son of her father’s biggest enemy. She loves and lives with her whole heart and being; a truly inspiring girl.“
- About spring: “I have to scream a spring scream or I will burst! Listen—can you hear the spring, too?“
- About friendship: “We can’t always take each other’s difficulty off each other, but we can always hold one another. Being together doesn’t necessarily make things easier, but more bearable.“
Dana Cognetta Fritchie: “Children’s books have always held a kind of quiet magic for me, showing up in every stage of my life. Books have a way of opening up new worlds, sparking imagination, and staying with us long after we close the cover. As a kid, I was all about Nancy Drew—smart, fearless, and completely sure of herself; my grandmother read to me the series of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and I loved her tenacity and the fact that she became a teacher and married her true love. As a mom, reading Where the Wild Things Are with my son, Lincoln, became one of our favorite rituals. In the classroom, I returned again and again to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe with my fifth graders, along with Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson. And with my younger students, Stellaluna by Janell Cannon and Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola were always in heavy rotation, along with the Frog and Toad series. These are books that never lost their magic.”
Mary Manning: “As a child, I LOVED Nancy Drew books! I devoured all of them!”
Margie O’Rourke: “Believe it or not, the book that I remember reading and loving as a child was on the life of St. John Bosco. There are several books for children on John Bosco, and I really cannot remember the name of the book that I read, but I do remember enjoying it thoroughly. And I was also a fervent reader of the Nancy Drew series of books.”
Martha Payne: “Take your pick! So many favorites over many years of matching books with children in the library! From wordless picture books like Flotsam by David Wiesner and Journey by Aaron Becker to early readers like Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parrish and Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown to modern classics like Charlotte's Web by E.B. White; A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle; Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo and anything by Roald Dahl. For the slightly older crew, The Giver by Lois Lowry and The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. Too many YAs to list! From my own childhood many many years ago, I loved the Laura Ingalls Wilder books.”
Nancy Lynner: “Here is my old copy of Mrs Piggle Wiggle by Betty MacDonald. It made me want to be a librarian, and I stapled an envelope type holder into it so my family could check out the book… .”
Mary Adams: “I loved Millions of Cats by Wanda Gág! Another favorite was Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman.”
Hollie Nielsen: “Today, what jumps into my mind is The Boxcar Children. I remember taking the series out from my primary school library. 📚”
Tania Miller: “Judy Blume’s books and characters made the awkwardness of growing up not so lonely.”
Michelle Miller: “I love It’s Okay to be Different by Todd Parr. I read all of his books to my daughter when she was little. He included being adopted, which is a way to be “different” that most people omit. All of his books are great with powerful messages of inclusion!”
Lindsay Nygren: “Like Dana, Margie, Martha and Mary, I loved Nancy Drew books and any sort of mystery story!”
Ginny Trowman: “This was my favourite book, The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier. It is the only one I have kept from when I was a teenager. My son read it and loved it too!”
Gweneth Johnsen: “I have two favorite children’s books, and I still hold on to the original copies that were gifted to me. The first is Cynthia and the Unicorn by Jean Todd Freeman which I received as a 6-year-old, and the second is from when I was 12, The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge. Every other year I read The Little White Horse. Unsurprisingly they both feature unicorns and started my love affair with mythical creatures.”
Photos courtesy of Gweneth Johnsen.
Ulrike Naeumann: “I was about twelve when I discovered Momo by Michael Ende, and the idea of the grey men stealing people’s time really stayed with me. It made me realize, even then, how easy it is to lose time without noticing and how important it is to use it well. What I also loved about Momo herself was her quiet kindness and her rare gift of truly listening to people. Even now, I think of Momo as a reminder to slow down, listen and spend my time on what truly matters. It’s a story that has quietly shaped how I think about time ever since.”
