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When I launched this blog back in January 2014, I published a post that would be one of the most viewed in the over 230 that have been published. Books to Help You Earn Daisy Petals was based on my knowledge as an elementary school and preschool teacher since 1987.
Reading stories to children is an easy way to captivate their attention. No matter what age I taught, students live to hear stories. They can sit or lay on the carpet (I called it "belly or bottom"), and relax for the time the story is being read.
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Stories give the children a common springboard to the rest of the activities you have planned. A bonus for reading a book to earn Girl Scout Daisy petals is that there are a lot of teacher bloggers out there who have already published activities for you to use! Some even have freebies on the website Teachers Pay Teachers. Just do a search using the book title and a list of resources will appear. This makes planning your Daisy meeting so much easier.
Do I Have to Read a Book to Earn Daisy Petals?
The simple answer is no, you do not need to read a book to earn Daisy petals at every meeting. It is a good idea to mix it up so that meetings do not become predictable. Kids thrive on routine; they also like surprises as well. One teacher trick that many of us who teach younger students use...we read stories before dismissal time. Again, this is a quiet and calming activity that brings attention to the topic at hand.
As I stated in my previous post on using books during your Daisy meetings, it is imperative that you read it in advance to make sure that it is something that will work for your girls. Leaders also need to be familiar with the text as it will tie into questions and activities that you will be doing.
With so many Councils requiring that meetings be virtual, these books can help you get your virtual gathering off on the right foot.
While this list is by no means extensive, here is the 2020-2021 edition of books to earn Daisy petals. For more ideas, you can read my original Daisy book post with all different titles.
Books to Help Earn Sunny, The Yellow Daisy Petal Friendly and Helpful
One of the things you aspire to have as a leader is a cohesive group of girls who will get along. Yes, there will be some drama, and the goal is to keep it at a minimum. These books will help you launch into activities to earn the yellow Daisy petal, Friendly and Helpful.
Stick and Stone is a sweet book on how to lonely character find each other and help each other out. One day, a pine cone makes fun of Stone and Stick “sticks up” for this person (he is not bystander!). An unlikely union begins. One day. Stick gets blown away…will Stone help him out the way Stick helped him?
The ending is also important…Pine Cone apologizes for teasing Stone. This is another great message to teach young girls.
The Invisible Boy is a book that simply touched my heart. I guarantee it will pull at yours as well, as the author writes about experiences that most of us have had at one time or another during our childhood.
This book is the story of Brian, who is invisible to his classmates. When the book begins, Brian is drawn in black and white, while everything around him is in color. We read about two of his classmates, Sophie and Nathan take up a lot of space. You can ask the girls what does that mean?
I wrote more about this book and have a complete meeting plan in this blog post.
The Very Helpful Hedgehog is another book that your girls will enjoy hearing.
In this story, Isaac is a hedgehog who has never had a friend. Ask the girls how would that make them feel? Is it better to have a friend or not have one?
Then read to them this delightful tale of how Isaac learns that having a friend and being a friend is a good thing.
I have a detailed meeting plan that goes along with this book. You can read about it here.
The Name Jar is all about being the new kid at school. What makes being the student more challenging for Unhei is that she is from Korea and her name is not like the other children's in her class. She is uncomfortable with her name and tells her classmates that she will pick a new name in a week.
This book can also be used to teach Gloria, the Purple Daisy Petal, Respect Myself and Others. The students in Unhei's class are respectful of her name.
Strictly No Elephants is a tale about leaving others out. A young boy and his pet elephant want to join a Pet Club, but the sign on the door reads "Strictly No Elephants". So he and a girl with a pet skunk start an inclusive Pet Club.
This story is a great example about inclusion and making everyone feel welcome.
Books to Help Earn Gloria, the Purple Daisy Petal, Respect Myself and Others
In my classroom, I always include the 4th "R"-Respect. I tell my students that you do not have to be best friends with everyone in class; you need to always respect everyone in our class. I launch into a discussion about what respect is. These books can guide you as you earn the Purple Daisy Petal.
Respect-The Best That I Can Be is part of a series. In this book, Keigan learns about the word "respect" and what it means to show respect.
Seeds and Trees is a book about the power of words. The great author Maya Angelou said, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
I Don't Want to Be a Frog is a funny book about a young frog is upset because he wants to be anything BUT a frog. His father calmly explains why he cannot be a pig or a cat or a rabbit. Told with humor, children learn that being yourself is the most important thing to be.
Have You Filled Your Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids Treating others and yourself with kindness and respect, being considerate and caring, being responsible for what you say and do, and making the world a better place-Have You Filled Your Bucket Today can be used for any and all of these Daisy petals.
Books to Help Earn Zinni, the Spring Green Daisy Petal, Considerate and Caring
We all want our girls to be considerate and caring. This petal lends itself to community service projects. Here are some titles to help you get started.
Rude Cakes is about manners. Good manners are very important for people of every age. When people forget to say even the simplest “thank you” we tend to get upset. If you think cakes are sweet, then think again. In Rude Cakes, a cake is taken by a giant cyclops and is taught the value of having good manners.
The Wednesday Surprise is written by the beloved and prolific author and illustrator, Eve Bunting. In this story, Anna teaches her grandmother how to read. This is the ultimate in respect and giving back to your own family.
A Sick Day for Amos McGee uses animals to tell the tale of how they help each other one one friend falls ill and cannot hang out with the others at the zoo,
Books to Help Earn Tulia, the Red Daisy Petal, Courageous and Strong
In Giraffes Can't Dance, Gerald wants to dance with the others. It is hard to do something new, especially in front of others. We do not want to fail and we do not want to be laughed at, either. But what if we really, really can't to do it?
The Paper Bag Princess is one of my favorite books that I read to my second grade class many years ago. It is about the brave Princess Elizabeth, who does not need Prince Ronald to help her challenge the dragon.
When You Are Brave is a book about a girl who needs to summon up her courage in different situations. Girls will be able to relate to this.
Books to Help Earn Mari, the Orange Daisy Petal, Responsible for What I Say and Do
It is our job as Girl Scout leaders to teach our girls to be responsible for their words and actions. This is the Girl Scout way. Here are some books that will help your troop earn the orange Daisy petal.
I Just Forgot is a classic story that many of your girls may have heard before. We have all had days like this!
Train Your Dragon to Be Responsible features Drew and his Dragon Diggory Doo and is part of a series of books. In this tale, the dragon shows no self control and does whatever he wants to do whenever he wants to do it. It is up to Drew to teach him how to be responsible as his actions affect others.
Clean Your Room, Harvey Moon! is a story that your troop can relate to. Keeping their room clean is a part of being in a family and being responsible for their belongings. Harvey's mother and he have different ideas on what a "clean room" looks like.
Not Me! is another fun story that the girls will be able to relate to. While geared for the very young, the illustrations give way to discussion about what is wrong and why a child needs to own up and be responsible.
Books to Help Earn Lupe, the Light Blue Daisy Petal, Honest and Fair
What happens when we lie to another person? The one we lied to can no longer trust what we say. It is along road to earn back another human being’s trust.
Young children tell lies for many reasons. One of the most frequent fibs is the one where they deny that they did not do whatever s/he is accused of doing.
The Berenstain Bears and the Truth is another tried and true classic book that discusses the importance of being honest.
Truthy Ruthy is a book where we are introduced to Ruthy, who denies any wrongdoing when she is asked by her father who messed up the walls or who ate the candy. When she is dishonest, her father devises a plan to teach her a lesson.
Howard B. Wigglebottom and the Monkey on His Back is the story of Howard, who lies because it seems to be easier than telling the truth.
Books to Help Earn Rosie, the Rose Daisy Petal, Make the World a Better Place
One of the things we teach the girls is to make the world a better place than we found it. The Girl Scout Motto-Do a good turn daily-reflect this.
In City Green, a young girl named Marcy decides to turn a vacant lot into a community garden. It is a realistic book that shares the process, which is not easy, and how it changed the people in her community.
I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark is a child's biography of the late, great Supreme Court Justice who made it her life's mission to create equality where there was none. This is one of several children's biographies of the Notorious RBG.
The Curious Garden is another book about how making the world a greener place also makes it a better place.
Books to Help Earn Clover, the Green Daisy Petal, Use Resource Wisely
It is nothing unusual for kids to recycle, as now it is part of our culture. There are many wonderful non-fiction books about recycling that you can read. Here are a few fiction books that get the point across equally as well.
Something From Nothing is one of my favorite children's books. It is a folktale that takes place in a shtel (Jewish village) in Russia. A grandfather makes his grandson a blanket, and then that gets turned into a shirt, etc, until the end there is a surprise. There is also a second story going on, a mouse family lives below and the children get to see what is going on with them.
I Had a Favorite Dress is similar to Something From Nothing. In this story, a girl's dress transforms into other clothing over time as both she and the dress get older.
Curious George Plants a Tree features our beloved monkey and the Manin the Yellow Hat. In this story, George wants to help the science museum as it plans its "Green Day", dedicated to recycling and planting. Find out what George tries to recycle as his curiosity gets the better of him.
Books to Help Earn Gerri, the Magenta Daisy Petal, Respect Authority
There are many community helpers that are a part of the girls' lives. Here are some books you can read to them about these important people.
One Word From Sophia is about a girl who wants a pet giraffe. She goes to the adults in her life, respectfully, and pleads her case.
Officer Buckle and Gloria is a Caldecott winning classic book that has withstood the test of time. While trying to teach the children safety tips, Officer Buckle has his canine companion, Gloria, acting each one out!
Library Lion shares the tale of a lion who is so quiet and listens to the librarian's rules, that is until he needs to rescue someone.
Books to Help Earn Vi, the Violet Daisy Petal, Be a Sister to Every Girl Scout
As a Girl Scout leader, you need to plan team building and sisterhood activities right from the beginning. Your troop will be together for years, and the better they get along, the easier it will be for you! Here are some books about friendship that you can share with your girls.
The Big Umbrella is a story about no matter how you look or what you wear, you are welcome.
All Are Welcome is a book whose title is self-explanatory. This book follows children through a day at school and how everyone is accepted.
In Bad Apple, A Tale of Friendship, and apple and an worm become friends. Others call one of them names, and Mac decides that friendship and happiness is more important than what others think.
Do you have any books that you have read to earn Girl Scout Daisy petals that you can share?
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