Happiness is a Work of Heart: ENTHUSIASM

The Heart Attitudes from a Librarian's Perspective

A graduate of the UCLA Library School, I worked all my adult life as a children's librarian both in public and school libraries.

In my experience, the books most children love best and carry with them into adulthood are those in which the heart attitudes make all the difference. The heart attitudes that these tales and stories bring to life become part of the child, expanding not only his or her experience of the world but also expanding the capacity of the heart.

In the postmodernist culture in which today so many families find themselves struggling to find meaning, the world of children's literature is a precious resource for mining the heart attitudes. For this work I've chosen a few of the many heart attitudes that, until the last decade or so, were portrayed consistently in books by authors who wrote for children.

It's a Small World

Some years ago, I had the opportunity to work with teachers from a small school in South Africa; the heart attitudes they chose for their community can be see at the link below.

Heart Attitudes in Zulu

Banners
A teacher can take colored felt or paper, make captioned banners for various heart attitudes, and hang them on the walls of the classroom or the story circle.
Above is the collection I made. Before I began a story, I challenged the children to listen carefully and see if they felt that one or more of the heart attitudes might be hiding inside the story. They loved responding to the challenge, and together we found many more than any one of us might have found alone. An interesting lesson in itself.

Happiness is a Work of Heart

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ENTHUSIASM

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May the Sonshine in your heart, keep you warm and happy always.