Mindfulness and Yoga Books for Kids!

Looking to start the new year on a calmer note? Check out this list of yoga and mindfulness books for kids, hand-picked by our Youth Services Department staff!

Yoga and mindfulness for children promotes resilience, positive perceptions, good health habits and mindful awareness, empowering children to excel at school, at home, and in life.

  • All of the titles featured here we have in our collection. To see if an item is available to check out or place on hold, click the cover image or button to the right of the description.

Sloth at the Zoom

by Helaine Becker

Sloth is a sloooooow creature. She’s supposed to be going to the Zzzzzoo, but is mistakenly delivered to the ZOOM! She wants to make friends in her new home, but it seems like all the animals here are always busy, late, and in a rush. Finally, the sloth meets someone more to her speed: a tiny snail who invites the sloth down for a cup of tea. The friendship of these two animals is surprising and delightful enough to stop all the other animals in their tracks. And as day became night, and night became day, the animals at the ZOOM! slowed down–j̥ust long enough, that is, to all become fast friends. A lovely story of mindfulness in an over-stimulated world! Kids will relate to being rushed around and longing for the undivided attention of the people around them.

Meddy Teddy: A Mindful Yoga Journey

by Apple Jordan

Meddy encourages readers to try yoga poses as he comes out of hibernation, greets the springtime, and teaches his forest friends how to mindfully get through a variety of situations. On each page, Meddy shows how to execute a pose, including downward-facing dog, tree pose, the Warrior, and more.

Hurry up!: A Book About Slowing Down

by Kate Dopirak

For one busy boy, life is all hurry up, hurry down, hurry round and round and round! That is until he takes a big breath…and a big break…and slows down to see all the wonderful things in the world around him.

Straw

by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

A bendy drinking straw loves to speed through life, but he learns to appreciate taking it slow with the help of a friend.

Already A Butterfly: A Meditation Story

by Julia Alvarez

A too busy butterfly who spends her day hurrying and worrying finds her own “quiet place” after learning about meditation and mindfulness from a flower bud.

Good Morning Yoga: A Pose-by-Pose Wake-up Story

by Mariam Gates

Yoga helps children learn how to focus, relax, and both self-monitor and self-soothe. [This book] instills these four skills and more, enabling children to jumpstart the day with excitement and meet the adventures that come with mindfulness and perspective. Gates presents both a wake-up story and a series of simple poses for welcoming the natural world as day begins. It’s practice for kids and parents to begin the day in a calming, mindful way.

Good Night Yoga: Relaxing Bedtime Poses for Children

by Lorena Pajalunga

The perfect book to play yoga with your children and to encourage concentration, calmness and self-confidence. Twenty yoga positions inside inspired by animals and accompanied by step-by-step instructions.

I am! : Affirmations for Resilience

by Bela Barbosa

Ten relatable emotions are each followed by a centering exercise and a positive affirmation to be recited, as a practice in mindfulness. Young readers are encouraged to find their inner strength by recognizing and addressing their emotions, instilling a sense of power and self-confidence.

Yoga Animals: A Wild Introduction to Kid-Friendly Poses

by Paige Towler

Roar like a lion! Arch like a kitten! Stretch like a cobra! Did you know that many yoga poses were inspired by animals? Let these creatures inspire your young ones to get moving, practice mindfulness, or calm down after a long day. Simple step-by-step instructions explain the kid-friendly moves.

Yoga for Kids

by Susannah Hoffman

Teach your kids about yoga and mindfulness with this mindful yoga activity book with more than 50 poses and activities. Yoga is a great way to teach children about relaxation, meditation, and peace – while having fun at the same time. This book is packed with yoga activities for kids and mindful games – they can stretch into tree pose, bend into butterfly pose, learn how to make a mindfulness jar, and find out why and how we should stretch through a series of fun yoga poses and sequences.

Mindful Games: Sharing Mindfulness and Meditation with Children, Teens, and Families

by Susan Kaiser Greenland

Encourages parents to use mindful play to help their children develop focusing skills while learning to regulate their emotions and respond to any situation calmly, with kindness and compassion.

Llamaste & Friends: Being Kind Through Yoga

by Annabel Tempest

Meet Llamaste, a llama who loves yoga! Join her in this funny, sweet story as she helps Tiger calm down and Koala be brave by showing them simple, practical yoga poses. The easy-to-use text also encourages children to explore their emotions and develop empathy skills. All of Llamaste’s poses are designed to help parents and children to begin their own yoga practice at home!

Want more recommendations?

 

You can check out all of our online booklists (for kids and for adults), or reach out to us! Our staff is ready and willing to make reading, listening, or viewing recommendations to you! Email us at reference@benlib.org or contact us via our online form!

Let’s Dance! | Picture books that encourage kids to dance

Want to get your little ones up and moving this holiday season? Let’s dance! Check out this list of picture books, hand-picked by our Youth Services Department staff, that will encourage kids to dance, dance, dance!

  • All of the titles featured here we have in our collection. To see if an item is available to check out or place on hold, click the cover image or button to the right of the description.

Wiggle

by Doreen Cronin

A dog wiggles his way through the day, with infectious rhymes that invite readers to wiggle along with him.

Monster Boogie

by Laurie Berkner

Monsters aren’t scary, they just like to dance! Monsters love to boogie and want you to boogie too!

Dance with the Animals: Shake Your Tail and Stomp Your Feet

by Ella Bailey

Children will love to dance with this cast of colorful animal characters. Perfect to read together, kids can follow the simple instructions to create their own dance moves.

How Do You Dance?

by Thyra Heder

There are so many ways to dance! You can jiggle or wiggle or stomp. You can bop or bounce or go completely nuts. You can dance at the market or the bus stop, with your fingers or your face. You can dance because you’re happy or even because you’re sad. But what’s the best way to dance? Exactly how you want to! There are so many ways to dance! You can jiggle or wiggle or stomp. You can bop or bounce or go completely nuts. You can dance at the market or the bus stop, with your fingers or your face. You can dance because you’re happy or even because you’re sad.

Everybunny Dance!

by Ellie Sandall

Bunnies dance, play, sing, all while including you in the dancing fun! Do you have a bunny’s rhythm?

Salsa Lullaby

by Jen Arena

How to get baby to sleep? Mami and Papi will try anything in this bouncy, loving, bilingual lullaby that gently says good night in both Spanish and English.

From Head to Toe

by Eric Carle

Can you do it? ‘I can do it!’ is the confidence-building message of this fun-filled interactive picture book. A variety of familiar animals invite young children to copy their antics, and as they play, they will learn such important skills as careful listening, focusing attention, and following instructions.

Stomp

by Ian Aurora

Readers will be up and out of their chairs as they follow―and stomp―along with the diverse group of children and adults featured in this rowdy read. From stomping really fast to stomping while you wiggle all your toes, this interactive title promises to be an engaging and fun read.

Clap

by Josie Silver

Clap is a book where we all clap along because sometimes a book has a beat like a song! This fun twist on a call and response picture book has kids clapping their way through the story. Pick up Clap to read aloud and get ready for things to get a little loud!

How Can You Dance?

by Rick Walton

Rhyming text explores the many ways one can dance, like the leader of a marching band, like a crab on a sunny day, like a tree as it waves in the breeze.

Want more recommendations?

 

You can check out all of our online booklists (for kids and for adults), or reach out to us! Our staff is ready and willing to make reading, listening, or viewing recommendations to you! Email us at reference@benlib.org or contact us via our online form!

Staying Connected During the Holiday Season

In years past, the holidays were often filled with non-stop activity, concerts, shopping, school programs, parties, etc. This holiday season will be one the likes of which few of us have experienced before. 

Let us help you and your family reclaim the joy, fun, and focus of this holiday season in your bubble with ideas and resources to keep you connected this time of year.

Explore a new cookbook or cuisine

Holiday celebrations are filled with memories of the tastes, smells and textures of family food traditions. So, whether you go for traditional family recipes, cookie baking/decorating with the kids or decide on trying a totally new exotic menu, the Library has cookbooks with recipes waiting to be sampled. There is something sure to please everyone in the house.

Listen to some holiday tunes ...

For those long winter evenings, relax and reflect with sounds of the season. Select music CDs from our special holiday collection or borrow some of your old favorites through the Library catalog. You may also enjoy the Library’s Freegal music streaming and downloads — search for your favorite artists and albums, or stream Freegal’s curated holiday playlists.

... or make your own holiday concert!

Is there a pianist, guitar or ukulele player, or other musically-inclined member in the household? Check out holiday or popular sheet music books from the Library and enjoy their talent! Make your own concert! If you give them a venue, everyone can have a chance to shine!

Schedule a family movie night

Set up a themed movie marathon — from TV shows, to classics, or films in a series. Treat yourself to holiday favorites like The Christmas Story, Polar Express, A Christmas Carol, or The Nutcracker, with hot cocoa and cookies from your  very own “kitchen concession stand”. And don’t miss our brand new Binge Boxes!

Watch a craft or DIY video from the Library

Want to keep busy while staying safe at home? You can watch a variety of craft programs, DIYs, storytimes, and more on the Library’s Vimeo, Facebook, or Instagram!

We have videos for all ages! Enjoy the Library’s services  from the comfort of your home, and create something together. The best part is that our videos are available to stream anytime… day or night!

Need some time out of the house?

Take advantage of the Museum Adventure Pass program. You can use your Bensenville Community Public Library card to check out a pass to great Chicago area museums! There are a variety of area museums that participate in the program. For more details about the Museum Adventure Pass program and to see which passes are currently available, contact the Youth Services Department at (630) 766-4642.

Take time for yourself!

Be especially kind to yourself during the holidays. Make some time to relax and decompress with a good book and a warm beverage. Use one of our new services Novelist to help find read-a-likes for your favorite authors. Looking for more book recommendations? The Library has a collection of booklists for a range of interests and ages.

Above all stay connected! Call and chat with family, neighbors, friends, and especially those you know in nursing homes. Send cards, emails, and small care packages to those who are homebound or self-quarantining. Let them know they are remembered!

Wishing you and your family a happy and safe holiday season! From your friends at the Bensenville Community Public Library.

Want more recommendations?

 

You can check out all of our online booklists (for kids and for adults), or reach out to us! Our staff is ready and willing to make reading, listening, or viewing recommendations to you! Email us at reference@benlib.org or contact us via our online form!

Christmas Crime Novels

Love crime and also Christmastime? Check out this festive rundown of crime fiction set during the holiday season, hand-picked by our Adult Services Department staff.

  • All of the titles featured here we have in our collection. To see if an item is available to check out or place on hold, click the cover image or button to the right of the description.

  • Want more holiday reads? Contact the Adult Services Desk at (630) 766-4642 for recommendations.

A Christmas Revelation

by Anne Perry

Formerly a river urchin living on the banks of the Thames, nine-year-old Worm has never experienced a family Christmas. But thanks to a job at Hester Monk’s clinic in Portpool Lane, he’s found a makeshift family in kindly volunteer Miss Claudine Burroughs and curmudgeonly old bookkeeper Squeaky Robinson.

When Worm witnesses the abduction of a beautiful woman by a pair of ruffians just days before Christmas, he frantically turns to Squeaky for help. A one-time brothel owner, Squeaky knows the perils of interfering in nasty business, but he can’t bear to disappoint Worm—or leave the boy to attempt a rescue on his own. What neither of the would-be saviors expects, however, is that the damsel in distress already has her dilemma well in hand . . . and is taking steps to bring her captors to justice for crimes far worse than kidnapping. But the rogues, as cunning as they are deadly, are not to be underestimated. The aid of cynical old Squeaky and hopeful young Worm just might make the difference between a merry triumph over evil and a terrible yuletide tragedy.

The Mistletoe Murder

by P.D. James

The newly appointed Sgt. Dalgliesh is drawn into a case that is “pure Agatha Christie.” . . . A “pedantic, respectable, censorious” clerk’s secret taste for pornography is only the first reason he finds for not coming forward as a witness to a murder . . . A best-selling crime novelist describes the crime she herself was involved in fifty years earlier . . . Dalgliesh’s godfather implores him to reinvestigate a notorious murder that might ease the godfather’s mind about an inheritance, but which will reveal a truth that even the supremely upstanding Adam Dalgliesh will keep to himself. Each of these stories is as playful as it is ingeniously plotted, the author’s sly humor as evident as her hallmark narrative elegance and shrewd understanding of some of the most complex–not to say the most damning–aspects of human nature. A treat for P. D. James’s legions of fans and anyone who enjoys the pleasures of a masterfully wrought whodunit.

The Twelve Clues of Christmas

by Hazel Gaynor

Scotland, 1933. While her true love, Darcy O’Mara, is spending his feliz navidad tramping around South America and her mother is holed up in a tiny village called Tiddleton-under-Lovey with droll playwright Noel Coward, Georgie is quite literally stuck at Castle Rannoch thanks to a snowstorm.
 
It seems like a Christmas miracle when she manages to land a position as hostess to a posh holiday party in Tiddleton. The village should be like something out of A Christmas Carol, but as soon as she arrives things take a deadly turn when a neighborhood nuisance falls out of a tree. On her second day, another so-called accident results in a death—and there’s yet another on her third, making Georgie wonder if there’s something wicked happening in this winter wonderland… 

He Sees You When You're Sleeping

by Mary Higgins Clark

Sterling has been waiting outside heaven’s doors since he was hit in the head with a golf ball 46 years ago, but his self-centered attitudes on earth haven’t earned him entrance. On a special probationary pass back to the living, Sterling must find one person who needs his help and meet that need. Carol Higgins Clark has a beautiful, musical voice, perfectly suited to this holiday tale of love and redemption. Highlighted by appropriate music at appropriate moments, her performance might be that of an angel, so sweet is its rhythm and so delicate its layers of emotion and excitement. No matter that Mary Higgins Clark’s mobsters and their antics don’t carry their usual tension and believability; this parable needs only the ring of spiritual truth, which sounds loud and clear.

Plum Pudding Murder

by Joanne Fluke

The Cookie Jar’s busiest time of the year also happens to be the most wonderful time…for Christmas cookies, Hannah’s own special plum pudding—and romance! She also gets a kick out of “Lunatic Larry Jaeger’s Crazy Elf Christmas Tree Lot,” a kitschy carnival taking place
smack-dab in the middle of the village green. But then Hannah discovers the man himself dead as a doornail in his own office…
 
Now, with so many suspects to investigate and the twelve days of Christmas ticking away, Hannah’s running out of time to nab a murderous Scrooge who doesn’t want her to see the New Year…

How the Finch Stole Christmas!

by Donna Andrews

Meg’s husband has decided to escalate his one-man show of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol into a full-scale production with a large cast including their sons Jamie and Josh as Tiny Tim and young Scrooge and Meg helping as stage manager.

The show must go on, even if the famous―though slightly over-the-hill―actor who’s come to town to play the starring role of Scrooge has brought a sleigh-load of baggage and enemies with him. And why is Caerphilly suddenly overrun with a surplus of beautiful caged finches?

How the Finch Stole Christmas! is guaranteed to put the “ho ho hos” into the holidays of cozy lovers everywhere with its gut-bustingly funny mystery.

Festive in Death

by J.D. Robb

It’s Christmas, but Lieutenant Eve Dallas is in no mood to celebrate. While her charismatic husband Roarke plans a huge, glittering party, Eve has murder on her mind.

The victim – personal trainer Trey Ziegler – was trouble in life and is causing even more problems in death. Vain, unfaithful and vindictive, Trey had cultivated a lot of enemies. Which means Eve has a lot of potential suspects. And when she and Detective Peabody uncover Trey’s sinister secret, the case takes a deadly turn.

Christmas may be a festival of light, but Eve and Roarke will be forced once more down a very dark path in their hunt for the truth.

The Body in the Sleigh

by Katherine Hall Page

 Caterer and minister’s wife Faith Fairchild is back to solve her eighteenth deadly mystery in The Body in the Sleigh—the latest perfect puzzler in author Katherine Hall Page’s multiple Agatha Award-winning series. Set on Sanpere Island in Maine’s Penobscot Bay, this atmospheric holiday whodunit is chock-full of suspense, surprises, real heart, and small miracles. And, as always, the mystery comes with recipes for delectable holiday treats from Faith Fairchild’s kitchen.

Want more recommendations?

 

You can check out all of our online booklists (for kids and for adults), or reach out to us! Our staff is ready and willing to make reading, listening, or viewing recommendations to you! Email us at reference@benlib.org or contact us via our online form!

Contemporary Christmas Novels

Looking for some festive holiday reads this season? Check out eight of our favorite contemporary Christmas novels of the last couple of years, hand-picked by our Adult Services Department staff.

  • All of the titles featured here we have in our collection. To see if an item is available to check out or place on hold, click the cover image or button to the right of the description.

  • Want more holiday reads? Contact the Adult Services Desk at (630) 766-4642 for recommendations.

Mr. Dickens and His Carol

by Samantha Silva

Charles Dickens is not feeling the Christmas spirit. His newest book is an utter flop, the critics have turned against him, relatives near and far hound him for money. While his wife plans a lavish holiday party for their ever-expanding family and circle of friends, Dickens has visions of the poor house. But when his publishers try to blackmail him into writing a Christmas book to save them all from financial ruin, he refuses. And a serious bout of writer’s block sets in.

Frazzled and filled with self-doubt, Dickens seeks solace in his great palace of thinking, the city of London itself. On one of his long night walks, in a once-beloved square, he meets the mysterious Eleanor Lovejoy, who might be just the muse he needs. As Dickens’ deadlines close in, Eleanor propels him on a Scrooge-like journey that tests everything he believes about generosity, friendship, ambition, and love. The story he writes will change Christmas forever.

Seven Days of Us

by Francesca Hornak

It’s Christmas, and for the first time in years the entire Birch family will be under one roof. Even Emma and Andrew’s elder daughter—who is usually off saving the world—will be joining them at Weyfield Hall. But Olivia, a doctor, is only coming home because she has to. She’s just returned from treating an epidemic abroad and has been told she must stay in quarantine for a week…and so too should her family. For the next seven days, the Birches are locked down, cut off from the rest of humanity, and forced into each other’s orbits. In close proximity, not much can stay hidden for long, and as revelations and long-held tensions come to light, nothing is more shocking than the unexpected guest who’s about to arrive….

Last Christmas in Paris

by Hazel Gaynor

August 1914. England is at war. As Evie Elliott watches her brother, Will, and his best friend, Thomas Harding, depart for the front, she believes—as everyone does—that it will be over by Christmas, when the trio plan to celebrate the holiday among the romantic cafes of Paris. But as history tells us, it all happened so differently…

Evie and Thomas experience a very different war. Frustrated by life as a privileged young lady, Evie longs to play a greater part in the conflict—but how?—and as Thomas struggles with the unimaginable realities of war he also faces personal battles back home. Through their letters, Evie and Thomas share their greatest hopes and fears—and grow ever fonder from afar. 

Christmas 1968. With failing health, Thomas returns to Paris—a cherished packet of letters in hand—determined to lay to rest the ghosts of his past. But one final letter is waiting for him…

Hiddensee: A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker

by Gregory Maguire

Hiddensee imagines the backstory of the Nutcracker, revealing how this entrancing creature came to be carved and how he guided an ailing girl named Klara through a dreamy paradise on a Christmas Eve. At the heart of Hoffmann’s mysterious tale hovers Godfather Drosselmeier– the ominous, canny, one-eyed toy maker made immortal by Petipa and Tchaikovsky’s fairy tale ballet– who presents the once and future Nutcracker to Klara, his goddaughter.

Christmas in London

by Anita Hughes

It’s a week before Christmas, and Louisa Graham is working twelve hour shifts at a bakery on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. When a young cooking show assistant comes in from the rain and begs to buy all the cinnamon rolls on her tray, she doesn’t know what to do. Louisa is just the baker, and they aren’t hers to sell. But the show burned the rolls they were supposed to film that day; so she agrees.

The next morning, Louisa finds out that her cinnamon rolls were a hit, but the star of the show was allergic, and the whole crew is supposed to leave for London that afternoon. They want Louisa to step in for their annual Christmas Eve Dinner TV special at Claridge’s. And then there’s Kate, the show’s beautiful producer. On their first day in London she runs into the skinny boy she jilted at St. Andrew’s in Scotland ten years ago. Now he’s a handsome, brilliant mathematician, and newly divorced. Their familiar spark is still there, but so is the scar of how they left things. Kate and Louisa are busy preparing for the show, but old and new flames are complicating their work.

Christmas on the Island

by Jenny Colgan

It’s a time for getting cozy in front of whisky barrel wood fires, and enjoying a dram and a treacle pudding with the people you love—unless, of course, you’ve accidentally gotten pregnant by your ex-boss, and don’t know how to tell him. In the season for peace and good cheer, will Flora find the nerve to reveal the truth to her nearest and dearest? Will her erstwhile co-parent Joel think she’s the bearer of glad tidings—or is this Christmas going to be as bleak as the Highlands in midwinter?

Meanwhile Saif, a doctor and refugee from war-torn Syria is trying to enjoy his first western Christmas with his sons on this remote island where he’s been granted asylum. His wife, however, is still missing, and her absence hangs over what should be a joyful celebration. Can the family possibly find comfort and joy without her?

One Day in December

by Josie Silver

Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn’t exist anywhere but the movies. But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there’s a moment of pure magic…and then her bus drives away.

Certain they’re fated to find each other again, Laurie spends a year scanning every bus stop and café in London for him. But she doesn’t find him, not when it matters anyway. Instead they “reunite” at a Christmas party, when her best friend Sarah giddily introduces her new boyfriend to Laurie. It’s Jack, the man from the bus. It would be.

What follows for Laurie, Sarah and Jack is ten years of friendship, heartbreak, missed opportunities, roads not taken, and destinies reconsidered. One Day in December is a joyous, heartwarming and immensely moving love story to escape into and a reminder that fate takes inexplicable turns along the route to happiness.

Royal Holiday

by Jasmine Guillory

Vivian Forest has been out of the country a grand total of one time, so when she gets the chance to tag along on her daughter Maddie’s work trip to England to style a royal family member, she can’t refuse. She’s excited to spend the holidays taking in the magnificent British sights, but what she doesn’t expect is to become instantly attracted to a certain private secretary, his charming accent, and unyielding formality.

Malcolm has worked for the Queen for years and has never given a personal, private tour—until now. He is intrigued by Vivian the moment he meets her and finds himself making excuses just to spend time with her. When flirtatious banter turns into a kiss under the mistletoe, things snowball into a full-on fling.

Despite a ticking timer on their holiday romance, they are completely fine with ending their short, steamy affair come New Year’s Day. . .or are they?

Want more recommendations?

 

You can check out all of our online booklists (for kids and for adults), or reach out to us! Our staff is ready and willing to make reading, listening, or viewing recommendations to you! Email us at reference@benlib.org or contact us via our online form!