Book 4

Mine, Yours or Ours

Mine, Yours or Ours has been written to addressed to the nine-year-old in fourth grade. At this point, the academic expectations of the child increase significantly.

The child is growing socially and may be transitioning morally from a fear-of-punishment and a what’s-in-it-for-me? mentality to seeing himself or herself as a member of groups within which there are reciprocal relationships of sharing. These groups include family, school, neighborhood and community.

Alice’s and Charles’s families have changed residences in order to accommodate their fathers’ jobs and are temporarily sharing a house! They are suddenly part of several new groups and must adjust accordingly: a new school, an extended family, and a new neighborhood.

Throughout all these adjustments, sharing plays an important role in smoothing relationships and aiding in group participation and belonging.

Some of the subjects we explore are:

• Family love being built on sharing
• School cooperation being built on sharing
• Community harmony being promoted by sharing
• Private and public property
• The importance of everyone’s contributions
• Getting along together under trying circumstances
• The shared heritage of a family