Self-Esteem Week: Be Who You Must Be

Otter and Odder: A Love Story
by James Howe
illustrated by Chris Raschka
Candlewick Press, 2012
review copy provided by the publisher

What happens when you fall in love with someone you're not supposed to fall in love with...say, your food source, for instance, if you're an otter and you fall in love with a fish? All the rest of the pond-dwellers will gossip about you, and your families will pressure you to make a more natural choice. But hopefully, there will be a wise beaver in your life, who suggests you try eating apples and bark, instead of fish. And suddenly, with that one shift in perspective, your true love is no longer your food source, and you can live happily ever after, and 100% true to yourself.

Big Mean Mike
by Michelle Knudsen
illustrated by Scott Magoon
Candlewick Press, 2012
review copy provided by the publisher

What happens if you're the biggest, meanest dog on the block, and these cute fluffy bunnies start showing up, no matter what you do to discourage them? At some point, you need to admit to yourself that you love your fluffy bunnies and you need to stand up to any of the other dogs on the street who want to make fun of you because of your friends. Being true to yourself also means being true to your friends.

Zephyr Takes Flight
by Steve Light
Candlewick Press, 2012
review copy provided by the publisher

What if your passion gets you in trouble when you fly it into the china cabinet, and you're sent to your room? Don't stop dreaming there, because your story might turn out to be a bit like Max's and you can go to place where pigs DO fly, and YOU fly, and your passion comes to life, and when you get back home, your dad is calling you to come eat your pancakes. Be true to your dreams for as long as it takes to make them come true.

Oliver
by Birgitta Sif
Candlewick Press, 2012
review copy provided by the publisher

What if you feel a bit different from everyone else? What if you like to play alone, and create new worlds for you and your toy friends? If you are happy alone, be happy alone. But if, when you're playing tennis alone and your ball bounces to another person who is playing tennis alone, be open to a new beginning and a new friend. Be who you must be, but don't be afraid to change.