Something to Remember Me By:
Start With Story

"A gem of a book that celebrates and encourages special connections between generations."

Generations United, Washington, DC

"A story that captures the bond between a granddaughter and grandmother and shows how love can live on.... A nice story for sharing."

Booklist (American Library Association)

"Surpasses the definition of a 'children's book'.... A life- affirming, soul-satisfying story that speaks to all ages."

Portland Family Magazine

"A simple, yet moving text and extraordinarily real illustrations.... Both touching and life-affirming.... A celebration of love and continuity, this book will be enjoyed by children, parents and grandparents alike."

Children's Book News

The Legacy Project's Across Generations program has been inspired by the award-winner Something to Remember Me By, a seemingly simple little 32-page picture book about special bonds and legacies across generations. It's a true story I wrote as a tribute to my grandmother. Since its publication, this book has become a bestseller as it has captured the hearts of children, grandchildren, parents, and grandparents across the country. It has also won six national awards, including the Joan Fassler Award for an Outstanding Contribution to Family and a Parents' Choice.

Something to Remember Me By was purposefully written not just as a "children's book" but as an "intergenerational book" -- one that reaches both children and adults (although on different levels) and prompts discussion and sharing between generations. I use the story all the time in workshops I do with adults, and mixed groups of adults and children. After reading the story, children usually ask lots of questions. For adults, the story often evokes emotions and memories. The story serves as an intergenerational catalyst.

There's a line that's repeated in Something to Remember Me By: "She gave her a big, warm smile and a warm, snuggly hug." That's what it's all about, right there, in one sentence. That's the timeless essence of the grandparent connection. That's what we all need, whether you're a child or a grown-up. Sometimes I think it's just that simple -- and that's why young and old respond to this story so strongly.

Many schools and community groups use Something to Remember Me By for discussion and activities leading up to a Grandparents Day event, share the story at a special reading with young and old during a Grandparents Day event, and/or use the book as a fundraiser. Contact the Legacy Project at
1-800-772-7765 for more information about the special discounts available on the book, and on its nonfiction companion book How to Build the Grandma Connection (which gives parents and grandparents practical ideas on building connections and legacies in their own families). Something to Remember Me By is also available in Spanish and French.

Activities: Read & Discuss; It's a True Story; Look Closely; Share & Compare.

Read & Discuss

Suggested Activity Timing: Before a Grandparents Day event; during a Grandparents Day event.

Curriculum Connections: Language Arts.

What You Need: Copies of Something to Remember Me By.

Doing It:

You can read and discuss Something to Remember Me By with children to introduce and explore intergenerational themes leading up to a Grandparents Day event. Many schools also use the book during an event. An adult can do a special reading (perhaps a grandparent who has been preselected), or a group of children can each practice and read part of the story (other children can even act out the story as the text is being read). Pass out copies of the book so that everyone can look at the illustrations.

The following summary of the plot and themes of Something to Remember Me By helps you lead a discussion about the book. Read the story aloud; then invite comments. Ask open-ended questions (e.g. What did you like about the story? What was your favorite part? What did you feel as you read different parts of the story? Why do you think the relationship between the granddaughter and grandmother was important? What are some of the things the grandmother gave her granddaughter? What are some of the things the granddaughter gave her grandmother?). Also encourage personal memories and reflections (e.g. Does the story remind you of anyone you know? What do you do with your grandparents? Do you have any special keepsakes from your grandparents?).

More than anything else, Something to Remember Me By is a celebration of connections and legacies across generations. It's a true story about the gift of love, and about the special things that young and old can give each other.

The pile of photographs at the front of the book sets the stage for the story. The photos follow the relationship between the two main characters -- a grandmother and her granddaughter -- over time. The middle, right photo captures the affection in the relationship as grandmother and granddaughter playfully rub noses. The bottom, left photo shows the grandmother cradling her newborn granddaughter. Other photos show the granddaughter at various ages sharing a secret, having a heart-to-heart talk, and giving her grandmother a kiss. Two of the top photos show the relationship in the context of other family members -- with the grandfather, and with the girl's mother. The middle, left photo captures one of the most common grandparent/grandchild interactions -- talking on the telephone. Research shows that grandparents are usually the first people children regularly talk with on the telephone; grandparents help children learn telephone skills and etiquette.

The story in Something to Remember Me By follows the characters through different stages of their life. At first, the granddaughter is a little girl. Then she grows into a teenager. By the end of the story, she is a young woman. At the beginning of the story, the grandmother is an active, involved older adult. By the end of the story, she is very, very old. Researchers describe a person's life course in terms of different stages: infant, child, teenager, young adult, middle-aged, young-old, old-old, and oldest-old (defined as those over 85 years).

The story begins with the happy times the grandmother and young granddaughter share together (pages 4-9). One study with several thousand elementary school-aged children found that if children were in charge of family vacations, their first choice would be to go to grandma/grandpa's house -- "because it's fun!"

Relationships with grandparents are often less complicated and much freer than with parents, because grandparents have a very different role in children's lives than parents. Grandparents (and other older people) are often able to give children an undivided attention and unconditional kind of love they don't get from other relationships. They make children feel special and allow them indulgences. Some examples from the story: "The little girl could have a snack anytime she wanted" (page 4); "And if she spilled her juice, her grandmother would just wipe it up" (page 4); "The little girl could choose whatever she wanted her grandmother to cook for dinner" (page 6).

One of the story's themes is that the more complicated life gets, the more the simple things matter. It's the little things, the simple moments, that make memories. The text and illustrations show the simple things grandmother and granddaughter do together -- arts and crafts, read books, play games, bake cookies, go for walks, take care of errands and chores, talk, watch television. And, of course, there are lots of the grandmother's big, warm smiles and warm, snuggly hugs!

Memories are another theme in the story. One of the best ways to evoke memories is through the senses, particularly taste and smell. So many memories for people involve food. Research shows that many intergenerational memories are made in the kitchen, which is why the book starts with a sunny, warm kitchen scene. The kitchen is often the center of family life. Baking something simple together like cookies (even if you use a mix) is a common intergenerational activity. Family get-togethers often involve special foods, and children enjoy being able to participate in preparations ("the little girl would figure out exactly the right place to put each shiny spoon and knife and fork" -- page 7).

As the story progresses (pages 10-15), many of the visits end with the grandmother's familiar words, "I want to give you something to remember me by." Then she gives her young granddaughter a small keepsake. As happens with most children, not all the gifts are to the granddaughter's taste ("that tablecloth was the one thing the girl thought was really ugly" -- page 13). But, the granddaughter is polite ("she took it and said 'thank you' as always").

An important theme in the story is the give-and-take between generations. Each generation has something to offer the other. At the beginning of the story, the grandmother obviously gets enjoyment from her granddaughter's company. At the same time, she is the one doing most of the conscious giving (e.g. her time, her undivided attention, the small keepsakes). On pages 16-17, she still gives (i.e. attention through her pride in her granddaughter's accomplishments; the needlework cushion keepsake), but we begin to see a shift in the relationship. The granddaughter makes a point of keeping in touch and makes her grandmother happy through frequent telephone calls.

Pages 18-23 are the turning point in the story. The granddaughter clearly and consciously gives to her grandmother. The grandmother is older now and can't do many of the things she once did. Life has brought its changes. The granddaughter supports her grandmother through the major life change of moving from her home. She listens to her grandmother's concerns. She provides comfort and hope in the seemingly small gesture of giving her grandmother the photograph. It is here that the idea of being "remembered" is reversed. Even the layout of pages 22-23 is the exact reverse of pages 10-11. The passing along of the final, major keepsake -- the cedar chest -- symbolizes the major shift in the relationship and the flow of life from one generation to the next. There is a sense of connection to something bigger, to the past and to the future.

When the granddaughter visits her grandmother on pages 24-27, the grandmother isn't well and is very, very old. When the grandmother doesn't recognize her granddaughter, the granddaughter expresses understandable emotions of surprise and sadness. The grandmother later has a moment of seeming recognition. These are the moments of joy you hold on to.

The granddaughter comes to understand at a very personal level what she didn't understand earlier, on page 15 -- what it means to be remembered. We all need to feel like our life matters, that we are important to someone. Whether we are old or young, a basic human need is the need to be loved and to leave a legacy.

Through flowers to brighten her grandmother's room and holding her grandmother's hand, the granddaughter provides small but very important comforts. There is a heartfelt echo from earlier in the story: "You're the best grandmother in the whole world." If you love someone, that doesn't change. The message in the well-worn photograph is that the granddaughter was very important to the grandmother. That is the sort of comfort that both children and adults can hold on to.

On pages 28-29, the granddaughter realizes that although she will always treasure the keepsakes (there's even a perspective shift with age as the tacky tablecloth becomes something treasured -- not because of its intrinsic beauty, but because of what it meant to the grandmother), the most precious gift her grandmother gave her was her love -- and the happy memories it created (represented by the photos on the floor). The keepsakes and the photos also symbolize the spectrum of gifts one generation gives the next -- from material objects to life experiences and wisdom. And there's a continuity to life as the old cedar chest now sits at the foot of a new bed. Things change, but they also stay the same in some ways.

The final image of the smiling granddaughter (pages 30-31) symbolizes much more than a physical similarity. The granddaughter has her grandmother's "big, warm smile," meaning that who her grandmother was -- loving, warm, full of life -- has, in part, made the granddaughter who she is. The grandmother will always be with her granddaughter. The grandmother's love lives on, and both grandmother and granddaughter are part of a much bigger life connection.

There are some common "teachable moments" that frequently come up when I'm sharing the story with children. Many children ask why the characters in Something to Remember Me By don't have names. This can open a discussion about the book's focus on relationships rather than personalities, and about seeing yourself in a story (children can even try reading the story by inserting their own or a friend's name). It's also a good opportunity to explore different literary approaches. Many of the children's books listed at the end of this kit have characters with names, while others don't. Some books you may want to explore: Old Pig by Margaret Wild; The Boy and the Cloth of Dreams by Jenny Koralek; Our Granny by Margaret Wild; The Berenstain Bears and the Week at Grandma's by Stan and Jan Berenstain; Watch the Stars Come Out by Riki Levinson.

When many children read page 15 in Something to Remember Me By ("The girl didn't quite understand"), their immediate response is that they understand. This can open a discussion about what "being remembered" means and the concept of legacy. What is a legacy? Children can look up and compare definitions of the word "legacy" in various dictionaries (in general, the definition of a "legacy" is "a gift left behind" or "something handed down"). What, exactly, does the grandmother mean on page 15? How and why are legacies important to both the people who pass them down and the people who receive them? What are the different ways to remember someone? Why do you think it's important to remember people like our grandparents? Why do you think it's important to them to be remembered? In general, why is it important to remember people from long ago? What can learning about them teach us?

The last line on page 29 is, "Her grandmother had given her much more than would ever fit in the cedar chest." What does this mean? What else did the grandmother give her granddaughter? This part of the story can open a discussion about all the things grandparents give us. Sometimes what they give is material. Sometimes they give their time and attention. Sometimes they tell us stories that let us know about our ancestors or teach us about life. What have you learned from your grandparents or other older adults you know?

For discussion points using the story to discuss aging, illness, and death, see the Ages & Stages section in this kit.

Poet William Stafford once said that the power of stories is that they are about "discovering what the world is trying to be." Something to Remember Me By is about a world in which young and old can build strong connections and create meaningful legacies.

It's a True Story

Suggested Activity Timing: Before a Grandparents Day event.

Curriculum Connections: Language Arts.

What You Need: Copies of Something to Remember Me By.

Doing It:

You can read and discuss Something to Remember Me By with children to introduce and explore intergenerational themes leading up to a Grandparents Day event. The book is a true story, one that meant a great deal to both the author and the illustrator as we were working on it. Here's an interview that was done with me, author Susan Bosak, and with award-winning illustrator Laurie McGaw (if you're interested in other books Laurie McGaw has illustrated, try Polar The Titanic Bear by Daisy Corning Stone Spedden and Journey to Ellis Island by Carol Bierman). After you read through the interview, encourage children to share "true stories" about their own grandparents (or other special older adults in their lives).

Question to Susan V. Bosak: Something to Remember Me By is a true story about you and your grandmother, who you called "Baba" ("Grandma" in Ukrainian). Why did you write the story?
Answer: Ever since I was a little girl, I was close to my Baba. I loved her very much, and she gave me a lot of love. She didn't live too far away from our house, and in the summer I would often ride my bike over to visit her. We did a lot of things together. When she got older, our relationship changed. She wasn't well, and we couldn't do what we did before. I wrote Something to Remember Me By because I wanted to celebrate all the good memories and our special relationship. She made a big difference in my life.

Question to Laurie McGaw: Why did you want to illustrate this book?
Answer: When I first read it, it reminded me of people in my life. I thought about all the wonderful things I did with my grandmother when I was little. I thought of my own little girl and how close she is to her grandma. And, I thought of my mum, who's gone now. I have many fond memories of special older people.

Q to SVB: Did your grandmother really give you all those gifts?
A: Some of the gifts were changed a little for the story, but most of them I really did get from my grandmother -- even the tacky tablecloth! Before she would give me a keepsake she would say (in Ukrainian, of course) something like, "This will be something to remember me by" -- which is where the title of the story comes from. I still have all the keepsakes she gave me. The cedar chest sits in my bedroom, at the foot of my bed.

Q to SVB: Can you tell us a bit more about the cedar chest?
A: The cedar chest is one of the most precious keepsakes I have. My grandfather actually gave my grandmother the chest, and then she passed it down to me. My grandmother assigned a special piece of furniture to each of her children and grandchildren. From the time I was five years old, my grandmother would tell me that some day the cedar chest would be mine. And I took care of it! I might have bumped into the other pieces of furniture in my grandmother's house, but I was always extra careful around that cedar chest. The cedar chest is special to me not only because it's a beautiful piece of furniture and a keepsake from my grandmother, but also because of all the keepsakes it holds. A cedar chest is a safe place to hold some of your most important and special treasures. For example, my grandmother used to do a lot of needlework, and I have so many beautiful things that she made by hand. Sometimes when I'm feeling down, I visit my cedar chest and all the wonderful memories cheer me up again.

Q to SVB: What's the best gift your grandmother gave you?
A: My grandmother was always so proud of everything I did. She encouraged me to do well in school and to learn a lot. She helped me believe in myself, that I can do anything. That's a very precious gift.

Q to SVB: Did you and your grandmother talk a lot?
A: My grandmother was Ukrainian and she didn't speak much English. She told me some stories about her life -- like the family she worked for when she was young and how she took care of their pet bear! We talked half-English, half-Ukrainian. Even if I didn't understand everything she said, our relationship was still close. When you love someone, you can "talk" without words. That's why the grandmother in the story gives her granddaughter lots of "big, warm smiles and warm, snuggly hugs."

Q to SVB: What did your grandmother tell you about her life?
A: I have a good sense of my family history from the stories she told me. I even videotaped Baba telling me parts of her life story. I know that my grandmother was born in 1898 in a part of what is now the Ukraine. She came from a poor peasant family and had three brothers and a sister. When she was in her twenties, in the 1920s, she traveled alone on a boat to come to North America. Her father was already here. He chose a husband for her. She didn't like the first man he chose and begged her father to choose someone else! That's when he chose my grandfather. My grandmother and grandfather worked very hard to slowly bring all the other members of the family to North America from the Ukraine. They all lived in one small house until they got jobs and could afford a place of their own. I owe a lot to the hard work of my grandmother and grandfather as they made a new life in this country.

Q to SVB: Did you write the whole story before you had the illustrations?
A: Yes, although I changed the story a little as Laurie drew the illustrations. When I first wrote the story, I saw one of Laurie's other books and I loved her illustrations. I knew they would be perfect for my story.

Q to LM: How did you get ideas for the illustrations?
A: Usually, an author and illustrator don't even meet each other. But Susan and I worked very closely on this book. She had a lot of ideas, and we came up with a lot of ideas together.

Q to LM: How did you draw the characters?
A: I use models to help me draw. For this book, I used a real family -- a grandmother, her real, 7-year-old granddaughter (for the young granddaughter), her 11-year-old granddaughter (for the slightly older granddaughter), and her daughter (for the grown-up granddaughter). I took lots of photographs of the real people, and then used the photographs to make up the illustrations.

Q to LM: What did you use to color your illustrations?
A: I draw an illustration in pencil first and then, if it's okay, I often paint on top of the pencil. I used watercolor paint and casein (a water-based paint that dries semi-waterproof).

Q to LM: How long did it take you to do the illustrations?
A: Months and months and months! I like to do some work on an illustration, and then leave it while I work on another one. When I go back to the illustration, I see it in a fresh way.

Q to LM: What kinds of illustrations are your favorite to do?
A: I like to draw people. I love faces more than any other subject. And I like drawings that look like real people -- although my daughter likes my cartoon people and wants me to do more of them!

Q to SVB: Do you like to read Something to Remember Me By to people?
A: Very much. I wrote the story and then, as I read it to both children and adults, I noticed that some words didn't sound right or weren't necessary. In a picture book, just like in poetry, every word counts. I experimented with different words and ways to use them. Slowly the story got better and better. You need time and practice to make a story as good as it can be.

Q to SVB: Did your grandmother see the book?
A: I wrote Something to Remember Me By a few years ago, when my grandmother was still alive. But she was very, very old and wasn't well. I showed her the finished book and I think she understood that it was about her. My grandmother even came to the launch of the book and the hundreds of people there stood and clapped for her. She liked that very much. She lived to be 102 years old. Even though she's gone now, she will always be in my heart and the things she taught me are very important to who I am today.

Q to SVB: What's your best memory of your grandmother?
A: I have so many wonderful memories! But maybe the best one is that we had a little tradition on my birthday. She would get up extra early and be the first one to telephone me and sing "Happy Birthday." Today, I still think of her every birthday and, in my mind, I can hear her singing to me.

Part of the discussion after reading this interview can include sharing other "true" stories. Here are some suggestions: Dear Hope... Love Grandma by Hilda Abramson Hurwitz, Hope Wasburn and Mara H. Wasburn (ed); Supergrandpa by David M. Schwartz; How to Take Your Grandmother to the Museum by Lois Wyse and Molly Rose Goldman.

Look Closely

Suggested Activity Timing: Before a Grandparents Day event, or any time.

Curriculum Connections: Language Arts; Art.

What You Need: Copies of Something to Remember Me By.

Doing It:

A picture book is a complex art form that interplays words and illustrations to tell a story. Although a picture book is often only a few pages long, the experience of reading it can be a rich one -- with stops along the way to discuss themes and reader reactions, explore details in the illustrations, and look at how text and illustrations work together. In today's image-oriented age, it's especially important to help children develop a certain level of visual literacy. Here are some ideas for exploring the illustrations in Something to Remember Me By.

Start by taking a general look at the illustrations. They were painted using watercolors and casein on a 100% rag, cold press surface illustration board. Watercolor is made up of powder color bound with gum arabic and glycerine. It is a transparent medium applied with water. Casein is a water-based paint that dries semi-waterproof. Painting emphasizes the use of color to convey meaning and emotion. What are the dominant colors in Something to Remember Me By? Why are they appropriate for the story? Do the illustrations look unrealistic and dreamlike, or the way things really look in the world? Why is this style appropriate for the story?

Next, explore composition. Each illustration in Something to Remember Me By was created to work with and enhance the words and the other illustrations. Some questions for exploration:

• How many two-page spreads are there in the book (i.e. illustrations that run over two full pages)? How many single-page illustrations? How many small vignettes? What feeling does each size of illustration evoke? How and why does their dominance vary from page to page? Where is each illustration located on each page? How does size and position relate to what's happening in the story at the time?
  
  
• From what perspective are illustrations drawn (i.e. from the perspective of someone looking at the characters, or the perspective of the characters themselves)? Why is this important?
  
  
• What's included in each illustration? Do illustrations complement, extend, or highlight the text? Which illustrations include things that are not stated in the text?
  
  
• What's the first thing that catches your attention in each illustration? Why?
  
  
• The cedar chest is closed on the title page and open on the dedication page. Why? How does this relate to the story?
  
  
• What do you notice about the illustrations on pages 10-11 and the illustrations on pages 22-23? How does this relate to what's happening in the story?
  

Now do some really close observation. Explore the illustrations in detail and how they work together. Try to notice things you may not have noticed before, and make connections to the story's themes. Here are some "Find It" challenges:

• Find the Photographs: Start by looking closely at the illustration at the front of the book of the pile of photos. What's happening in each photograph? Next, where is the pile of photos found later in the book? Answer: On the floor on page 28. What does it mean that the photos appear at this point in the story?
  
  
• Find ALL the Photographs: Where else in the book do photographs appear? Answer: Pages 7, 9, and 18. Bonus Answer: There are photo packets on page 22; the granddaughter is writing on a photo on page 23; and there's a photo album on the dedication page. What's in each photo? Why are the photos important?
  
  
• Find the Cedar Chest: Find all the places in the book where the cedar chest appears. Answer: Title page, 11, 19, 20, 22, and 28. Bonus Answer: The page border design is based on the lid and bottom wood carving of the cedar chest. Why is the cedar chest important?
  
  
• Find the Tablecloth: Where else in the book does the tablecloth on pages 12-13 appear? Answer: Page 28. Do you think the granddaughter's attitude toward the tablecloth changes? Why?
  
  
• Find the Note: Where else in the book does the note on page 30 appear? Answer: Page 17, and also on page 28 (in miniature on the floor, above the photo packets). What does the note refer to in each case?
  
  
• Find the Artwork: What did the granddaughter draw on page 5? Answer: The grandmother cooking soup at the stove. Where else does the granddaughter's drawing on page 5 appear? Answer: Page 18. Why do you think the grandmother kept the drawing? (Bonus Find: Where else do you see the granddaughter's drawings? Answer: Page 6.)
  
  
• Find the Needlework: Where does needlework appear? Answer: Pages 10 (pictures on wall), 17, and 19 (pictures on wall, box on rocking chair). Bonus Answer: Endpapers, jacket flaps. Even though the story doesn't say so directly, do you think the grandmother made the cushion on page 17? Why?
  
  
• Find the Key Words: Where in the text and illustrations do the words "something to remember me by" appear? The words "best grandmother"? What do the words mean each time they appear?

After you've explored the illustrations in Something to Remember Me By, compare different mediums, styles, compositions, and illustration/text interplay using other picture books listed at the end of this kit. For example, these books represent a wide variety of illustrations: Song and Dance Man by Karen Ackerman; The Magpie Song by Laurence Anholt; My Grandmother's Journey by John Cech; Something from Nothing by Phoebe Gilman; The Boy and the Cloth of Dreams by Jenny Koralek; All the Places to Love by Patricia MacLachlan; Prayer for the Twenty-First Century by John Marsden; Everything to Spend the Night from A to Z by Ann Whitford Paul; The Party by Barbara Reid; Happy Birthday Mr. Kang by Susan L. Roth; Selina and the Bear Paw Quilt by Barbara Smucker; Our Granny by Margaret Wild; A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams.

Share & Compare

Suggested Activity Timing: Before a Grandparents Day event.

Curriculum Connections: Language Arts.

What You Need: Copies of the books suggested below.

Doing It:

Read and discuss a variety of children's picture books to introduce and explore different intergenerational themes leading up to a Grandparents Day event.

I've come across many excellent children's books with intergenerational themes. You can find a complete annotated bibliography at the end of this kit. If you find the list a little overwhelming, start by reading and discussing some of my favorites, which I've grouped into themes below (other theme groupings are found with relevant activities in other sections of this kit).

These theme lists are just "samplers." I've done a special list of grandfather books because there are fewer of them than grandmother books. The grandmother books I've listed are ones in which the portrayal is particularly poignant, spirited, or nontraditional. The generations list has books that show the important and special connections across several generations (usually grandparent, parent, child). There are very few books that deal with extremely old people, so I've done a list of those. The list about understanding differences involves differences in age, religion, culture. The life lessons learned are often by the young, but also sometimes by the old. Finally, there are books that remind us of the little things and the big things that are most important.

Grandfathers
Song and Dance Man by Karen Ackerman
The Magpie Song by Laurence Anholt
The Grandpa Days by Joan Blos
Dear Annie by Judith Caseley
Granddaddy's Street Songs by Monalisa Degross
Grandaddy's Place by Helen V. Griffith
Grandfather's Lovesong by Reeve Lindbergh
Gus and Grandpa series by Claudia Mills
The Jukebox Man by Jacqueline K. Ogburn
Lucky Pennies and Hot Chocolate by Carol Diggory Shields
Grandpa Was a Cowboy by Silky Sullivan

Grandmothers
Gifts by Jo Ellen Bogart
My Grandmother's Journey by John Cech
The Disappearing Island by Corinne Demas
Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs by Tomie dePaola
Abuela by Arthur Dorros
Grandma Gets Grumpy by Anna Grossnickle Hines
Emma by Wendy Kesselman
Annie and the Old One by Miska Miles
My Grandma's The Mayor by Marjorie White Pellegrino
Grandmother's Alphabet by Eve Shaw
It's Not My Turn To Look for Grandma! by April Halprin Wayland
Our Granny by Margaret Wild
How to Take Your Grandmother to the Museum by Lois Wyse and Molly Rose Goldman

Generations
Dancin' in the Kitchen by Frank P. Christian and Wendy Gelsanliter
Bigmama's by Donald Crews
Big Wind Coming! by Karen English
Just Right Stew by Karen English
The Patchwork Quilt by Valerie Flournoy
The Purple Coat by Amy Hest
Two Mrs. Gibsons by Toyomi Igus
Deep Thinker And The Stars by Patricia Murdoch
Fireflies for Nathan by Shulamith Levey Oppenheim
The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco
Dumpling Soup by Jama Kim Rattigan
A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams

The Oldest-Old
The Chicken Salad Club by Marsha Diane Arnold
Great-Grandmother's Treasure by Ruth Hickcox
Down the Winding Road by Angela Johnson
Maebelle's Suitcase by Tricia Tusa

Understanding Differences
Halmoni's Day by Edna Coe Bercaw
I Have an Olive Tree by Eve Bunting
Luka's Quilt by Georgia Guback
Bubbe & Gram by Joan C. Hawxhurst
Fishing Sunday by Tony Johnston
The Stars in My Geddoh's Sky by Claire Sidhom Matze
Grandpa's Amazing Computer by Ursel Scheffler
Mimi's Tutu by Tynia Thomassie
Liliana's Grandmothers by Leyla Torres

Life Lessons Learned
Cherry Tree by Ruskin Bond
Mandy by Barbara Booth
The Lucky Stone by Lucille Clifton
How Old is Old? by Ann Combs
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
The Boy and the Cloth of Dreams by Jenny Koralek
Through Grandpa's Eyes by Patricia MacLachlan
Grandmother's Dreamcatcher by Becky Ray McCain
Waiting for the Whales by Sheryl McFarlane
Sitti's Secrets by Naomi Shihab Nye
There's Nothing to Do! by James Stevenson
Storm in the Night by Mary Stolz
Keepers by Jeri Hanel Watts
The Language of Doves by Rosemary Wells
Old Pig by Margaret Wild

 What Matters Most
Three Cheers for Catherine the Great! by Cari Best
The Wednesday Surprise by Eve Bunting
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
Good As New by Barbara Douglass
Nana's Birthday Party by Amy Hest
Grandpa's Visit by Richardo Keens-Douglas
A Birthday Basket for Tia by Pat Mora