Jubilee - Launching a Year of STORIES ABOUT RESILIENCE

How do we teach resilience, grit, and emotional fortitude? That is one of the questions that weighs on my heart these days. For that reason, I'm launching a year of stories about resilience for 2023, and I'm starting with Jubilee by KT Johnston, illustrated by Anabella Ortiz.

If you follow my blog or my newsletter, you know that I often discuss narrative non-fiction picture books on a variety of subjects including history, science, and disability. One of the hot topics in education these days is mental health. There is a children's mental health crisis going on in our country brought on largely by issues connected with the pandemic. Books on the subject are flooding the marketplace, but resilience is not an easy quality to teach.

One of the ways that young people learn about grit, perseverance, resilience, and developing a growth mindset is by reading stories about real people (and animals) who have overcome extreme obstacles. When we see another person do something courageous, we start to believe that we can be courageous, too.

To kick off the new year, I'm featuring the narrative non-fiction picture book, Jubilee: The First Therapy Horse and an Olympic Dream. Find the book HERE. 

Lis Hartel began competing in dressage when she was thirteen years old. In 1943 and 1944 she and her horse, Gigolo, were the national champions of Denmark, but within a few months of their second title, the tides turned. Lis contracted polio and was told she would probably never walk again and would definitely never ride.

Horses were her life and so Lis made up her mind that she would find a way to ride. Unfortunately, Gigolo was injured, but Jubilee was available. Jubilee was not a showhorse, but he was gentle and patient. Even so, Lis fell off of Jubilee many times. But each time, she got back up again. Gradually, Lis regained some of her strength and her balance, but not all of it. She had to use very subtle movements to direct the horse. Jubilee began looking and acting like a showhorse. They began competing and winning shows until they eventually qualified to compete in the Olympic games. You will have to read the book to find out what happened next.

Lis went on to create the first riding center for people with disabilities. The partnership that she and Jubilee formed inspired similar centers all around the world and a type of physical therapy called hippotherapy. 

As a speech-language pathologist, I'm familiar with the many benefits of hippotherapy. To learn more about this exciting intervention and the resources available for families, visit the American Hippotherapy Association HERE. 

Although Jubilee is a picture book, it is appropriate for older students because of the advanced concepts and vocabulary. Consider teaching it alongside Come On Seabiscuit! by Ralph Moody written for grades 7-9. 

Moody's book was originally published in 1963, but it made a comeback after Laura Hillenbrand's book for adults. Seabiscuit was the depression-era underdog that won the famous match race against War Admiral featured in the 2003 movie named after the thoroughbred. There is also a one-hour PBS Documentary on Seabiscuit found HERE.

Watch my blog in 2023 for more stories about people (and animals) that are examples of grit and resilience. Sign up for my newsletter and receive a free PDF of the first book in my Decodable Series, No Gift for Man. The PDF is text only. It also links to an online audio version of the book. The illustrated version will be available on Amazon soon. This is the first installment in the HOT ROD Series (Higher Order Thinking Through the Reading of Decodables.) Visit the Sign Up Page on my new website at www.wordtravelpress.com for details. Then explore strategies like Pair and Share Reading. Find downloadable activities to go with the book on my page for COR Instruction.