The Best Graduation Gifts

By Holly E. Newton

The end of the school year connotes graduation time, celebrating many different levels of school completions. Books, as always, are the perfect gift and help commemorate this important event in a young person¹s life. Here is a list of some outstanding picture books celebrating the graduate.

For the younger reader celebrating a change in schools, here is a simple tale about judgment.

Zen Shorts, by widely acclaimed author Jon J. Muth, is a story that involves three tales. Three children become friends with a giant panda. He imparts a clever story for each child. One of the tales expertly demonstrates how we need to forgive. A young monk criticizes an older monk for carrying an unappreciative traveler over rain puddles, as he says, "She didn't even thank you!" The wise older man replies, "I set the woman down hours ago." The older monk was able to forgive and forget, while the young monk was still learning this lesson of forgiveness.

Another perfect book for the younger child is This Little Light of Mine. This picture book is based on the familiar song of the same title and is illustrated beautifully by the acclaimed E. B. Lewis. The words of the song describe how the light from within will shine on and on. But, the pictures tell much, much more. A young boy sees another youngster sitting alone, appearing dejected as he is slumped with his head in his hands. As the song progresses throughout the book, the boy invites the sad fellow to join his friends and before long a smile shines through the sad face. This book will surely strike a chord with all ages!

Sometimes it's the wordless books that seem to have the greatest message. Home, by Jeannie Baker, shows the progress of life through an open window. Ms. Baker has small remnants of a girl's life on the windowsill, displaying her growth though the years. For instance, the book begins with congratulations for the birth of a baby girl. Through the window, you see the proud parents in their back yard holding this new baby. There are older looking vehicles on the street beyond the yard. Several pages later, there's the girl as a teen putting makeup on in a mirror that's sitting on the windowsill. Beyond the yard is a full garden and beyond that newer looking cars on the street. There's much to observe and reflect on one's own growth throughout the years.

Sometimes biographies are the perfect inspiration for graduates. Walt Whitman: Words for America, by Barbara Kerley, is a look into the life of one of America's best and most famous poets. His poetry reflected the feelings of our country during the tumultuous Civil War. I found it fascinating that when Walt was young, he loved words and loved to read. He was always writing down feelings and expressions in his little notebook. In the Author¹s Note located in the back of the book, he states that when he was eleven years old, he was given a library card. Later he added, it was ³...the signal event of my life up to that time." Brian Selznick beautifully illustrated the pictures throughout the book, and he studied many historical documents and locations to accurately reconstruct this amazing poet¹s life.

Here is a perfect companion to Walt Whitman¹s biography. When I Heard the Learn¹d Astronomer is a wonderfully illustrated book by Loren Long, based on Walt Whitman¹s famous poem. This poem celebrates the amazing imagination that is budding in all of us. The incredible pictures take you to a young boy's experience as he ponders life and the stars, ³In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time, look'd up in perfect silence at the stars.²

Mother Teresa, by award winning Demi, is an inspirational account of one humble woman serving those much less fortunate and extremely poor. This incredible woman gave all that she had throughout her life. Included here is wisdom that we can glean from her: ³Life Is An Opportunity --Avail It. Life Is Beautiful --Admire It. Life Is A Challenge --Meet It. Life Is Costly --Care For It. Life Is A Promise --Fulfill It. Life Is Sorrow --Overcome It. Life Is Too Precious --Do Not Destroy It.²

And lastly, here's a book celebrating and exploring the endless possibilities of life. Imagine a Day, by Sarah L. Thompson, and creatively illustrated by Rob Gonsalves, will spark your imagination --beyond imagination. ³Imagine a day Š when a book swings open on silent hinges, and a place you've never seen before welcomes you here.² Give a great gift to your graduate. Give a book to inspire, motivate and celebrate!

Visit Holly's Web Site!

Remember your Grad but don't forget Dad! One click gets you access to all the best Father's Day gift ideas on the web.
Click here for great Father's Day Gift Ideas!

1. Palm Beach County High School Baseball: South Florida Sun-Sentinel
... Palm Beach County High School Baseball: South Florida Sun-Sentinel ... SPORTS MAIN DAILY RESULTS, SCHEDULES STATISTICS ALL-COUNTY FOOTBALL Broward - Latest ...
http://www.sun-sentinel.c ...school/baseball/palm/

2. To finish high school, teens start college | csmonitor.com
... than five pages that school year. "If you take ... noting that national statistics show far fewer will ... grade make it to graduation - was the impetus ... the early college high schools. Founding ...
http://www.csmonitor.com/ ...0914/p02s01-ussc.html

3. TAP: Vol 15, Iss. 2. Aiming High. Garance Franke-Ruta.
... Greene also excluded GED recipients from his high-school graduation statistics on account of the extensive evidence that, over the course of their lifetimes, GED recipients look more like high-school ...
http://www.prospect.org/print/V15/2/gfr.html

4. High School Graduation Requirements
... Contact Information High School Graduation Requirements ... Campus during regular school hours) AP Calculus AP ... Spanish IV AP Spanish V AP Statistics Requirements for All High ...
http://www.northlandchris ...tion_requirements.htm

5. Party Ideas - High School Graduation Party Ideas
... up an ... School Fund-Raiser Auctions, Graduation Gifts, Teacher Gifts ... Paint-Your-Own ... ... Union High School Yellow Jacket Football - Home of Champions Includes news, statistics, game ...
http://www.partyideashq.c ...graduationpartyideas/

6. Augusta Georgia: High School Graduation Statistics
Overcast, 57 Humidity: 93% METRO | SPORTS | FEATURES | BUSINESS | SCI-TECH High School Graduation Statistics Click on category headers to sort by topic County School Number of Graduates Completion ...
http://www.namethelynx.co ...ionStats_county.shtml

7. Camden Catholic High School Project Graduation
... alcohol abuse are part of the celebration. Statistics show that graduation time is the most ... ... and send it to: Project Graduation Camden Catholic High School Rt. 38 & Cuthbert Blvd. Cherry ...
http://cchsprojectgraduation.org/purpose.htm

8. Jostens - Celebrating a High School Graduation
... and where to obtain it, job statistics (such as how many people ... & Kindergarten Homeschool High School College Super Bowl Rings ... & Services Portrait Programs Graduation Portraits Technology ASCII ...
http://www.jostens.com/graduation/steps.asp

9. More Scrutiny of High School Athletics Needed to Ensure Academics a Priority...
... based and data-driven high school reforms, where the ... analyzing and reporting graduation and dropout data. In this ... set of definitions and statistics. The compact being signed ...
http://www.nasbe.org/Fron ..._Release_Current.html

10. Best Practices - High School Focus
... Seniors take their graduation trip to San Diego ... one of the zeniths of high school. During our ... in and collected. A school-wide survey that is ... forgotten, facts and statistics. There were some ...
http://www.casc.net/highbest.php

11. Schurr High School Homepage
... is currently in progess Graduation Requirements C ... eStudent Planner Post High School Plans Survey for Freshman ... Pre-Calculus/Math Analysis " Statistics " Trigonometry " Pre ...
http://www.shs.montebello.k12.ca.us/

12. Wellston High School
... to do. Last year's graduation rate was 78.5 ... some time during their high school career and ... Therefore, our school didn't work for all ... Center for Education Statistics, who conducted a ...
http://hs.wcs.k12.oh.us/h ...rincipals_message.jsp

13. http://tx.rand.org/stats/education/graduate.html
... 2005 RAND Texas High School Graduate Programs and Outcomes RAND Texas High School Graduation Statistics provides the number of graduating students and type of graduation plan for Texas high school ...

14. U.S. Senator Patty Murray - Murray Introduces PASS Act to Boost High School ...
... Our nationÄôs high school graduation rate is 69 percent. And in ... approximately 70 percent of high school graduates enroll in college ... academics. I hope these statistics will call us to action ...
http://www.murray.senate.gov/news.cfm?id=207153

15. High School Diploma At Home - Free Information Package
... The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states high school ... activities. James Madison High School is accredited by the ... accrediting agency. At graduation, you'll receive your ...
http://www.4education.us/high_school_at_home.htm

16. Stuyvesant High School Math Team (1970)
... James' brother, teaches math and statistics at Laney College, in Oakland, California. He, and the team, got the highest score in the country on the Annual High School Mathematics Exam. The second ...
http://65.104.11.121/MathTeam.html

17. John F. Kennedy High School
... expose students to statistics and mathematical ... traffic either after school or Saturdays at the ... is a requirement for graduation. Physical Education ... History Copyright © John F. Kennedy High School
http://www.kennedyhschica ....jsp?REC_ID=4824&id=0

18. Looking for Cell phone rates ?
... manuals for cars rover car breakers london car audio school georgia window tint law high school graduation statistics Best selected cell phone rates cell phone rates these abuses so long secret, the ...
http://cell-phone-rates.hade.info/

19. 1999 Minnesota High School Follow-up Survey
... stated plans to enroll the fall following graduation, are far more likely to enroll in a ... ... High School Follow-up Survey Student Data Fast Facts Index of Student Data Tables Enrollment Statistics ...
http://www.ohe.state.mn.us/mPg.cfm?pageID=1033

20. Sitka high school 1989
... offer used book store chicago charter school statistics northeast metropolitan regional vocational ... ... driver for epson 100lx money for high school graduation gift epson inkjet photo printers ...
http://sitka-high-school-1989.dacus.kepno.pl/

21. graduation
... graduation requirement in fl graduation gifts for girlfriend graduation letters high school graduation statistics graduation certificates Azumanga Daioh:Vol 6 Graduation [ graduation ] Lowest New ...
http://www.collectible-mo ...m/mkw/graduation.html

22. President Discusses No Child Left Behind and High School Initiatives
... Nominations Application Federal Facts Federal Statistics West Wing History Home > News & Policies ... ... complete high school on time. Now, we live in a competitive world. And a 68 percent graduation rate ...
http://www.whitehouse.gov ...05/01/20050112-5.html

23. Military car sales
... antitrust san diego attorney 1 sheridan college oakville cell phone battery charge high school graduation statistics kid fun games live taxi web cam webcam2c hidden american express travel funds card ...
http://military-car-sales.hade.info/

24. Graduation Area News
... Florida high school graduation statistics hailed and deplored St. Petersburg Times - TALLAHASSEE - Gov. Jeb Bush hailed an increase in Florida's high school graduation rate as evidence of progress ...
http://www.graduation-area.com/news_1.html

25. Section 3: High School Graduates, Projections of Education Statistics to 2013
... projections of public high school graduates have been less ... Averaged Freshman Graduation Rate for Public High Schools ï NEW ... Center for Education Statistics Institute of Education ...
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/projections/ch_3.asp

26. Alaska's "High School Graduation Qualifying Examination": Web Resources Page
Alaska's "High School Graduation Qualifying Examination" (HSGQE): Web Resources Page Dr. Claudia Krenz (cloudk@gci.net) Nikiski, Alaska Remember the Alamo. Remember the 707. 4/19/05, a day that ought ...
http://www.srv.net/~msdata/ahsqe.html

27. DeMatha Catholic High School - Headline News
... graduate of DeMatha High School. School News ... of 1955. The list of graduation awards is online ... ran a story as well. School News Mrs. Yarrish ... pre-calculus and statistics, served as DeMatha ...
http://www.dematha.com/code/vbs/HeadlineNews/

28. Graduation i : High School Graduation Gifts
... Speeches Graduation Standards Graduation Statistics Graduation Supplies Graduation Tassel ... ... Songs Graduations Speeches Harvard Graduation Hawaii High School Graduations Highschool Graduation ...
http://graduationi.com/hi ...uationgifts/index.php

29. High School Counselors
... to top Important Dates High School Juniors and ... s mission and statistics regarding degrees ... www.cs.cmu.edu Tepper School of Business (TSB ... is the four-year graduation rate? 69.1% of ...
http://my.cmu.edu/site/ad ...on/page.persp_counsel

30. Compass Measure - High School Graduation Rates
... the graduation rate. This is helpful when comparing to national Completer statistics. On Compass: Assets for Youth Drop-Out Rates Enrollment - Ethnicity Foreign-Born Residents High School Drop ...
http://www.larimer.org/compass/gradrate_ed_k12.htm

31. ASNE High School Journalism -
... Brings together statistics, investigation and ... on the case of a high school that expelled ... and put them in a school context. The First ... focusing on a graduation day speech with a ...
http://www.highschooljour ...son_Plans/Archive.cfm

32. High School Dropout Rates for Latino Youth. ERIC Digest.
... A. K. (1999). Risk of high school dropout among immigrant and ... A. K. (forthcoming). College graduation among academically ... Center for Education Statistics. (1996). Descriptive ...
http://www.ericdigests.org/2004-3/latino.html

33. Connell High School
... PERMISSION (JR AND/OR SR HIGH) CLASS DESCRIPTION: Students ... students will work in the school store, use various other ... of geometry, ratio/proportion, statistics and probability, and
http://www.nfsd.k12.wa.us/chs/classoff.htm

34. High school graduation exam requirement linked to lower SAT scores
... with high school graduation exam requirements ... Marchant said. High school exit exams have come ... become the focus of high-stakes testing ... Some interesting statistics include: White ...
http://www.bsu.edu/news/article/0,,24184--,00.html

35. Chevrolet tv commercials
... department of health and human services freestyle watch company 1997 ford explorer high school graduation statistics 2004 ford f 150 4x2 pictures free opt in email list carlton comprehensive high ...
http://chevrolet-tv-commercials.hade.info/

36. Morristown High School Profile 2004
... Department of Education. GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS Top Students ... rank-in-class. Morristown High School provides decile ranking ... AB, Chemistry, Physics C, Statistics, English, US History ...
http://www.morristownhigh ...guidance/profile.html

37. Housing Authority of the City of El Paso
... framework. Commissioner Escobar said that he had asked for the high school graduation statistics before and was told that we could not get them due to some privacy. He asked how did Mr. Chacon get the ...
http://www.hacep.org/meeting_detail.sstg?id=89

38. dental school admission test
... madison high school vienna virginia colorado art school elementary school rankings high school graduation statistics texas high school extra school tech expo rafael the school of athens nursing school ...
http://www.matolkm.ca/den ...l-admission-test.html

39. Oklahoma Requirements for State Graduation
... Requirements for High School Graduation State Law (Title 70 O.S ... graduate from high school in the 2004-05 school year or after ... or Precalculus, Calculus, Statistics and/or Probability ...
http://www.sde.state.ok.u ...mpleguid/gradreq.html

40. Cleveland Central Catholic High School - Mathematics
... Test Students can prepare for the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT) by visiting the Ohio Department ... ... of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and statistics in preparation for the State of Ohio's Math ...
http://www.centralcatholi ...nts/mathematics.shtml

41. EPAA Vol. 11 No. 1 Dorn: High-Stakes Testing and the History of Graduation
... as a factor in the chances of early graduation after "socioeconomics/social class" is ... ... with high school credentials in the late 1990s (National Center for Education Statistics, 2001 ...
http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v11n1/

42. Grosvenor hotel orlando
... prescription drug identification rent cars router drivers texas nursing home lawyer high school graduation statistics free lemmings download game district of columbia motorcycle accident attorneys ...
http://grosvenor-hotel-orlando.hade.info/

43. Curie Metro High School
... Links Teacher Web Links Graduation Requirements Service ... Center for Education Statistics National Student Loan ... Symbols And Mascots School Web Sites Web 66 High Wired Schools ...
http://curiehs.org/student_web_links.jsp

44. Education Working Paper 3 | Public High School Graduation and College Readin...
... Previous Research High School Graduation Rate Statistics on high school graduation rates are unnecessarily confusing and notoriously unreliable. There are three types of methods by which graduation ...
http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/ewp_03.htm

45. DE High School Graduation Requirements [Delaware Department of Education]
... Education Reports & Statistics School Curriculum Educator ... Delays School Bus Safety Career/Tech Student Orgs Graduation ... U.S. Dept of Education DE High School Graduation Requirements ...
http://www.doe.k12.de.us/info/gradreqs.shtml

46. Cleveland High School
... Advanced Studies curriculum meets the high school graduation requirements and prepares students ... ... Applied Technology Health and Life Skills* AP Statistics, AP European History, AP Art History, and AP ...
http://www.clevelandhs.org/en/sas.jsp

47. IQRA-VOA High School | Home
... My Bookmarks - Site Statistics - PM Pager Active Users: 0 ... See More Pictures from the graduation ceremony Spring is here! 05 ... 2005 - 8:56:15 PM VOA - IQRA high school holds regular sewing ...
http://www.akhri.net/

48. Cape Elizabeth High School
... Handbook 2005-06 Groupings Graduation Requirements and Grading ... 2005 SAT Test Results, other statistics Student Physical Exam Form ... Yearbook 2005 Cape Elizabeth High School Our School Cape Elizabeth ...
http://www.cape.k12.me.us/sHigh.html

49. Quartz Hill High School
Quartz Hill High School - Home of the REBELS! In ... Activities Calendar Graduation 05 Grad Night 05 ... Schedule IB Summer School at Stanford ... Requirements IBNA Statistics (PDF) Registration ...
http://www.qhhs.org/index-old.html

50. CSUSB Admissions Main Web Page
... Student Population Statistics Honors Program ... Dates and Deadlines School Catalog Class ... PAWS Report Graduation Check Course ... For Eligible California High School Graduates ...
http://enrollment.csusb.edu/

51. Sequoia Union High School District - Redwood high school honored in 26th ann...
... in order to change the statistics of teen parents being more ... and achievement throughout high school. The Family Service Agency ... keep up with their required graduation requirements in addition to ...
http://www.seq.org/content/view/23/39/

52. High School Reform
... Media Center Scholarships Statistics Technology Charter ... Changing Direction High School Redesign Accelerated ... of Current and Proposed Graduation Requirements updated 11/2 ...
http://www.idahoboardofed.org/HiSchlRedesign/

53. EED - Assessment, Accountability and Student Information
... Profile English Language Proficiency High School Graduation Qualifying Examination (HSGQE ... ... & Students Publications Standards State Board Statistics & Reports Teacher Certification Teacher's ...
http://www.educ.state.ak.us/tls/assessment/

54. car fort repair worth
http://www.repair-central ...r/carfortrepairworth/

55. School Reform Economics REVIEWED by MARTIN R. WEST - Education Next - Spring...
... Recent high school graduation statistics are even more alarming. The percentage of American students completing high school has actually fallen since 1970óa trend masked in official statistics by the ...
http://www.educationnext.org/20052/73.html

56. Penn State High School Projections
... Task Force Report Annual Crime Statistics, By Campus Graduation Rates Student Financial Aid ... ... White & Minority Highlights Pennsylvania High School Graduate Projections This report covers the ...
http://www.budget.psu.edu ...olProj/HighSchool.asp

57. Codes for ps2 games
... safety course and texarkana engine for ford pickup cause depression teen adipex high school graduation statistics 1972 mustang mach 1 golf course living townsend ga prescription weight diet pills ...
http://codes-for-ps2-games.hade.info/

58. Alliance for Excellent Education
... programs that promote high school graduation is a shrewd ... were calculated using graduation rates data from the ... Center for Education Statistics and the Manhattan Institute ...
http://www.all4ed.org/press/pr_040405.html

59. NYS Ed Dept. Admits High School Graduation stats Were Wrong
... dropped out of high school without graduating. Also ranking fairly high in the number of ... ... in District 28. The corrected statistics put the District 30 graduation rate at higher than 55 ...
http://www.qgazette.com/news/2005/0720/Front_page/

60. Estimated Probability of Competing in Athletics Beyond the High School Inter...
... total number of high school student-athletes ... others are four-year high schools. The estimated ... 99 Participation Statistics Report. To estimate ... due to normal graduation. To estimate the ...
http://www.ncaa.org/resea ...ty_of_competing2.html