January 11, 2001 | Read Time: 1 minute
The Giving Book: A Young Person’s Guide to Giving and Volunteering, Volume I, Ages 5-8 is the first installment in a three-part series designed to “cultivate in young children a commitment to the community through lessons in volunteerism, philanthropy, and financial literacy.” With stories, activities, and ideas for service projects that draw on children’s “natural impulses toward giving and caring,” this workbook is meant to help children better understand how they can give to and share with other people. Geared toward girls but useful for boys as well, the book suggests a variety of ways that children can contribute to society. One activity, for example, shows kids that by saving a small portion of their allowance each week, they can build up a substantial sum to give to charity or to a person in need. Colorfully illustrated stories–such as “Mrs. Barnes,” which tells how a young girl helped an elderly neighbor by reading to her several afternoons a week–offer children models of charitable behavior to follow. The workbook also includes a journal and a calendar that kids can use to keep track of their philanthropic activities, and offers several “Let’s Read” sections that list books for children that deal with topics such as giving and being kind.
Publisher: Women’s Fund of the Milwaukee Foundation, 1020 North Broadway, Milwaukee, Wis. 53202; (414) 290-7350; fax (414) 290-7344; womensfund@mkefdn.org; http://www.womensfund.com; 69 pages; $15.95.
