Teaching Children About Community Helpers

Teaching children about community leaders is important because it shows children how much goes into being a part of a community. Although each leader is different and works in his or her own way, each leader brings an important skill to keep our community safe and running. Enjoy this quick list of community leaders who we may not always recognize but are beneficial to society.

You may think trash is gross, but who takes care of this stinky mess? Share some books about garbage collectors and all that goes into their job. Charlotte Mecklenburg Library has a brand-new book in the Hooray for Community Helpers series about garbage collectors titled Hooray for Garbage Collectors! by Tessa Kenan. Another fun book that explores the wonders of garbage collection is Kate McMullan’s I Stink! This book is fun and entertaining for a younger set and has a great section that describes various trash by using the alphabet.

Even though most people write notes to each other through the internet, people still love receiving mail in their mailboxes. Who delivers the mail? Mail carriers, of course! Children can watch Stanley as he delivers mail on a busy day in William Bee’s Stanley the Mailman. In Ann Owen’s Delivering Your Mail: A Book about Mail Carriers, Owen describes day-to-day tasks so children can follow along on a typical mail carrier’s day.

You know teachers are hard-working community helpers, but did you know librarians also help to build literacy in children from birth through high school? Families see librarians in action when they come to the library to check out books and attend storytime, but have you ever wondered what else librarians do during the day? Tessa Kenan presents another book from her nonfiction series called Hooray for Librarians! One of our favorite books about being a librarian is Carlo and the Really Nice Librarian by Jessica Spanyol. This is a brightly illustrated book to learn about exploring the library and meeting its “really nice” librarian.

If you’re looking for an interactive book that includes all types of careers, Kathyrn Heling’s Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do is a great book to check out. Children use the clues shown to guess what career people in the book do. The illustrations are simple, and the rhyming text makes it entertaining.

This list is just a start. Check out one of our many other community leader books that include jobs like bus drivers, mayors, life guards, reporters, daycare workers and more!