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Reading Rockets' children's literature expert, Maria Salvadore, brings you into her world as she explores the best ways to use kids' books both inside — and outside — of the classroom.
A rotary phone — what is THAT?
It was new to us, but our house was almost 100 years old when we moved in some years ago. The previous owner left us hard-wired rotary phones. (They still work, by the way.)
My son had no clue how use these weighty antiques; they were from another era entirely. He, like all children, is growing up in a different time in which technology is ubiquitous.
Kids today are technologically savvy, but I wonder if they're connected to the power of the imagination? Do they really understand that people — and their creativity — are responsible for the wonders of technology?
Books can ignite the imagination and raise questions while entertaining young children. Like Duck, in his role of negotiator as Farmer Brown's cows make typewritten demands in Click, Clack, Moo (Simon & Schuster), books can show the world before word processing and computers.
I remember using both rotary phones and typewriters. I wonder what my son's children will think of the technology he remembers?
My hope is that books — regardless of how they're shared — will still be prized.
I'd never considered that, Jamie! Technology is even changing the way we interpret literature.
Posted by: Anonymous | August 30, 2007 05:50 PM
Comments
I was reading a book (2007 copyright!) the other day in which the character hangs up the phone and listens to the dialtone. As someone who never uses anything but a cell phone for personal interactions, I found it jarring. And then I thought of all the scary books and movies in which the suspense came from cut phone lines and "The call is coming from inside the house!" and realized another great plot point was now gone.
Posted by: Jamie | August 30, 2007 03:55 PM