As the Christmas season approaches, ReadersMagnet recommends these heartwarming memoirs for kids.

Drawing from Memory by Allen Say

Drawing from memory is a unique children’s memoir. It is part memoir, part graphic novel, and features a bit of history as well. It is a story about the relationship between a mentor and a student. In this book, Allen Say shares his journey to becoming one of the top renowned artists today. Learning from the great Noro Shinpei, Japan’s prominent cartoonist, Allen was inspired to rise above challenges and to improve his skills. Featuring historical events such as WWII, Drawing from Memory takes us not only to Allen’s personal journey but also to an adventure back in time. To say that Allen Say’s memoir is an inspiring work of art is an understatement.

Grandpa Nick’s Bump by Lynda Daniele

Grandpa Nick’s Bump is a heartwarming children’s story. Lynda Daniele wrote the memoir as a tribute to her husband who passed away after his battle with meningioma. Published in 2019, the book recalls how Old Nick became friends with four neighborhood children he and his wife were babysitting. The children grew fond of Nick and asked him to be their grandpa. For the remainder of his days, Nick showered the children with love and care and treated them as his own children. Grandpa Nick memories will forever live in this wonderful children’s memoir. For more about Lynda Daniele’s Grandpa Nick’s Bump, check out her website and other related articles via ReadersMagnet.club.

Reaching the Moon by Katherine Johnson

Talking about inspiring memoirs, Reaching the Moon: The Autobiography of NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson is an amazing memoir about a young girl who would soon make waves as she helped launch the famous Apollo 11 mission that landed the first men on the moon. Published in 2019, Johnson chronicles her childhood and her exceptional aptitude for math. Johnson, an African-American girl living in an era of racism and sexism had to struggle to reach her dreams. In the 1950s, she would jing NASA and eventually landed an opportunity to be a part of the Apollo 11 mission. Reaching the Moon is a story that will definitely inspire young kids to pursue their dreams no matter the obstacles.

When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant

Published in 1982, Cynthia Rylant’s book When I Was Young in the Mountains is a recollection of her childhood living with her grandparents in the Appalachian Mountains. In her book, she shared her wonderful memories including eating fresh cornbread, the swimming hole, bathing in the tin tub, encounters with snakes, and going to a community church. As the description reads, “An evocative remembrance of the simple pleasures in country living; splashing in the swimming hole, taking baths in the kitchen, sharing family times, each is eloquently portrayed here in both the misty-hued scenes and in the poetic text.”

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by Bryan Mealer and William Kamkwamba

The book that inspired the film of the same title starring Hollywood actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is a book by Bryan Mealer and William Kamkwamba. It follows the story of 12-year old William growing up in Malawi. His village is hit a drought and all the crops began to fail. Desperate to help his family and the rest of the village, William struggles to find a way to bring electricity to his village. Finally, William was able to build a functioning windmill made out of junkyard scraps. Because of his hard work and perseverance, William brought progress to his community and thus named ‘the boy who harnessed the wind.