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A teacher’s gift: Building connection, one story at a time

A teacher’s gift: Building connection, one story at a time

by Shannon Dufresne

The Christmas season creates a natural pause in the school year — a time to slow the pace, enjoy quieter moments, and settle in with a good book. When families read the same book over break, reflecting on it together can help build thoughtful and lasting connections.

This idea reflects what English teacher Pamela Vasile hopes her students and their families will embrace. ”Reading has the unique ability to expand the imagination, develop critical thinking skills, and cultivate empathy,” she explains. “When parents and teens read the same book and talk about it, there's an opportunity to capture some of the magic of a good English class discussion.” 

She calls English “the quiet workhorse of education,” supporting sustained focus and helping students view situations from multiple perspectives. She states quite simply that “reading makes you smarter,” adding that “good readers tend to be good writers and speakers; it’s not a mere coincidence.”

“For parents, talking to their daughter about some aspect of the book they've both read offers a different way for parents to learn not just what their daughter thinks, but how she thinks.”
- Ms. Pamela Vasile, English teacher

As the season unfolds, Vasile believes a shared book can offer a meaningful way for families to reconnect and enjoy a different kind of togetherness. “Books invite readers into a world of fiction, where they can imagine the characters as real people,” says Vasile. She explains, “You don’t have to like or agree with a character to understand where they're coming from, and that’s where empathy begins.”

Bringing reading home helps develop the whole person

December fills quickly with travel, gatherings, and responsibilities. Vasile encourages families to carve out moments of stillness during the break. Reading the same book, each person in their own time and space, creates common ground for conversation. Shared reading also offers a quiet way to reset focus during a season when screens and constant activity can easily take center stage.

“When families read the same story, the conversations happen naturally,” she says. “A character’s decision, a moment of conflict, a glimpse of courage — all of it can become an entry point to talk about real experiences, values, and hopes.”

This practice reflects Ursuline’s mission of helping students grow as whole persons, guided by curiosity and reflection. Vasile adds, “For parents, talking to their daughter about some aspect of the book they've both read offers a different way for parents to learn not just what their daughter thinks, but how she thinks.”

And because Christmas is a season of giving, Vasile suggests writing a brief note inside the cover when gifting a book. “It’s the simplest keepsake,” she says — something personal and lasting.

Mother-daughter reading picks for Christmas break

Vasile offers several engaging titles that lend themselves to meaningful conversation between mothers and daughters:

Suitable for all readers

  • “Anne of Green Gables” by L. M. Montgomery
     
  • “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott
     
  • “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” by Betty Smith

To help families choose, Vasile shared what she loves about these timeless works:

“These novels are completely charming. Each, in its own way, explores family, belonging, home, friendship and community. There’s a reason they’re classics — discover, or rediscover, them with your daughter.”

Suitable for more mature readers (high school and up)

  • “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen
     
  • “All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr
     
  • “Everything I Never Told You” by Celeste Ng
     
  • “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker
     
  • “The Bell Jar” by Sylvia Plath
     
  • “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou

She also offers the following insight into the selections best suited for older teens:

“Of these novels, ‘Pride and Prejudice’ is thematically the lightest, though technically the most challenging because of its early 19th-century style. The others delve into darker themes, but none are gratuitous, and all are grounded in realism — nothing a teenager doesn’t already understand. Each offers rich opportunities for meaningful conversation.”

Where books can take us

Vasile hopes families use Christmas break to let books carry them somewhere new, to another moment in history, a fresh perspective, or a better understanding of one another. “One of the best reasons to read is that it's a way to expand your understanding of what it means to be human,” she explains.

“Even if we are blessed with a long life, it's impossible to experience everything — to go everywhere, to see everything, to live all the possible lives, the good, the bad, and everything in between. Reading great books helps us fill some of those gaps.”

She encourages families to choose a book, enjoy its pages, and let the conversations unfold at their own pace. In a season rooted in gratitude and giving, shared reading offers a quiet kind of closeness that can become a cherished tradition.

 

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