* It is important to encourage children to read, so I have linked some of the best books available through Amazon for you.
* Toys and games encourage children in creative play and assist their development. Look for toys that are educational and toys that are simply cute and cuddly. Consider what game your child can make from a toy rather than what movie it is linked to or what it costs.
* Adults love to read too and science fiction/series fantasy bridges the reading gap between adult and childhood reading. However, parents may wish to check books over before they give them to teenage readers. Many modern books contain battle scenes, romances and supernatural elements... your family will have a policy as to what attitudes and values you wish to see portrayed in literature. 
* finally - some health and family books have been included, mostly for you parents.

Daniel and the Art Competition.

Daniel loved to draw and paint. So when he heard that a local community group was running an Art competition, he asked his Teacher whether the children in the class could enter. Miss Mackay thought about it for a while and then said “yes.”

Daniel was very excited and spent hours planning his picture. The competition rules said that the picture had to feature a native animal or bird, and live creatures were very hard to draw. At last he decided to do a magpie sitting on a fence. The magpie was filled in with bold back and white, and the fence was red. The grass and trees in the background were painted in light and dark green. Everyone admired Daniel’s picture as he set it aside on the shelf to dry.

Some of the other children in the class were having trouble with their pictures and Daniel decided to help them. Just a little, because the competition entry had to be “all your own work”. He encouraged the girl who was drawing a koala and the boy who was stuck for an idea. No one was allowed to give up!

While Daniel was talking to the other children, a strong wind entered the classroom. It picked up Daniel’s painting, which was dry except for the thickest bits of black paint and blew the paper down onto the floor. The page landed face down on the linoleum.

Miss Mackay called out to Daniel and he ran across the room in alarm. Together they picked the paper up and turned it right side up. Some of the black paint on the edge of the magpie’s wing had smudged across onto the beautiful white patch on its back.

Daniel was devastated, but Miss Mackay said it might be possible to fix it very carefully using some white paint. They closed the window and put the painting back on the shelf to dry. There was nothing more Daniel could do for his own picture, so he went to help the other kids again. The boy who had been stuck for an idea was now drawing a tiger snake and colouring the stripes very carefully. The ground behind the snake was dark brown and the contrast was very good.

The next day, Daniel mixed a very strong solution of white paint and applied it to the body of the magpie with a fine brush. In the end, all you could see was a small grey smudge. Daniel’s picture was good enough for the competition, but it was no longer perfect. Miss Mackay got the children to fill out their entry forms and then delivered the paintings to the community organisation which was going to judge the competition.

The school went to the Institute to look on the following Monday. First prize had been given to a child from another school and second prize had also been awarded to a child from a different school. The third prize had been presented to the boy who had drawn the tiger snake.

Daniel’s magpie picture had been granted a certificate of merit. Daniel was pleased and sad at the same time. He called Miss Mackay to look.

Miss Mackay pointed out that one whole wall was covered with paintings from their school. “This is all your doing,” the Teacher said: “You should be glad that you helped our class get involved.” And Daniel was happy, because he knew he had done much more than win a prize for himself.

© Cecelia