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Updated October 2020
For a new list of books to read, check out this October 2020 blog post on my Daisy Activities blog.
On my Daisy Girl Scout blog, I shared some wonderful children’s books that could help you start your meetings that involved earning a Daisy petal. As a teacher since 1987, I can honestly say that I am enamored with books. I have to go to the bookstore alone (yes, I still visit mine!) so I can peruse the newer titles in children’s literature. While hand held devices are fine, I am simply old fashioned. I love the way a book feels in my hand!
Photo from Pixabay and altered by the author in Canva
While you do not want to be formulatic and begin every Daisy meeting with a book, it is a quiet way to introduce the concept you want to teach.
Here are some new titles for you to use to help your troop earn Daisy petals.
Books to Earn the Spring Green Daisy Petal Considerate and Caring
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.
Books 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.
Books to Earn the Purple Daisy Petal, Respect Myself and Others
It is very important to learn to love ourselves for who we are. Not in a conceited kind of way, but in a way that promotes self respect. While no one is perfect, we were made just who we were supposed to be. There is no one else on this planet like you.
But, sometimes we wish we were smarter, thinner, richer, etc. We can try to make improvements to ourselves by eating right, exercising, and taking time to slow down and breathe, but it is inward where we all need to find peace and self-acceptance.
In this funny book, I Don’t Want to Be a Frog, 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.
Treating others 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 a Bucket Today can be used for any and all of these Daisy petals.
Books to Earn 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.
In Truthy Ruthy, 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.
Of course, she cannot get away with telling a lie! Her father devises a plan that will finally have Ruthy understand why it is important to tell the truth.
One lie can lead to another..and another…and another. In Lying Up a Storm, children learn what happens when one person has to tell one lie on top of another, and it brews up like a storm inside of you.
Books to Earn the Red Daisy Petal, Courageous and Strong
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 ant to do it?
In Giraffes Can’t Dance, leggy and knobby kneed Gerald is a giraffe who wants to dance at the jungle dance that is being held. When he does make an attempt, the other animals make fun of him. But when a wise cricket helps him and tells him that he can dance, all he needs is to find a different song, Gerald knows what he has to do.
This book can also be used to earn the yellow Daisy petal, Friendly and Helpful.
When life is easy, we are comfortable. We do not want to make a change, even if it is good for us. Kids feel the same way…think about the first day of school or their first practice with a new team. In Don’t Be Afraid to Drop!, a raindrop learns the valuable lesson of having the courage to try something new.
Books to Help You Earn the Green Daisy Petal, Use Resources Wisely
For children today, the three “r”‘s are not just about reading, writing and arithmetic; they are about reduce, reuse and recycle. Not a new concept for those who grew up a century ago, but it is one that we teach our children at home and in schools.
There are so many wonderful crafts you can make from recycled products, it will be a fun and easy meeting for you to plan. You can launch it by reading Biscuit’s Earth Day Celebration. This is an easy and enjoyable read for kindergarten and first grade girls who can do all of the activities that Biscuit does.
These are just some of the terrific books you can read to your troop to earn Daisy petals!
