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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.
Many thanks to our good friend (and 2006 Caldecott winner!) Chris Raschka, for his excellent illustration of Maria, Queen of the 'Page by Page' Blog (right).
Native American Heritage and a dearth of children’s books
This morning my son was asking me about a movie he saw ages ago called "Hook" (Sony, 1990). It's a Robin Williams film that involves an adult Peter Pan and Captain Hook.
As I was re-examining books on my shelf, I came across a stunning book with the same title but an all together different subject. Hook by Ed Young (Neal Porter/Roaring Brook) is about an abandoned egg that hatches into an eagle.
The chickens recognize this ugly little guy is meant for greater things, and so with the help of an Indian boy, is taken up to the top of a pueblo and gains his wings — and his rightful place in the natural order of things.
Stunning illustrations appear to be pastels and echo images of the West and a people that once lived there. But it's the soaring eagle that that stayed with me. The story is a little like an ugly duckling story, Western style.
And that reminded me the November is Native American Heritage Month — a time to celebrate a living people and their rich heritage. There are terrific resources on Reading Rockets and its sister site, Colorín Colorado as well as from the U.S. government.
But I'd like to see more books by Native people written and available — they are severely underrepresented in books for children and young adults — but I'm flummoxed as to how to encourage it.
Any ideas would be most appreciated.
Why not use graphic novels with younger children?
I recently read an article describing how two library clerks would not allow an 11 year old to check out a graphic novel. They lost their jobs over it — it was a violation of library policy plus they clearly exceeded their authority — although they likely did so with the best intentions.
It brings up a much broader question; that is, why is the graphic form so popular with children of all ages?
Maybe because it allows readers to find narrative — of fact and fiction — in a form that uses print and image. (A website from the UK includes picture books as well as novels in building literacy.)
And there are lots of graphic novels created especially for young children. Some are originals, while others are re-dos of traditional novels.
Newbery honor winner Jennifer Holm and her brother, Matthew Holm, have created a series of graphic novels about Baby Mouse (Random), a sassy young rodent with very human characteristics. Readers (and in my experience boys and girls) as young as 6 enjoy following Baby Mouse's exploits.
Younger children, say ages 3-6, can easily relate to another mouse in Little Mouse Gets Ready (Raw Jr./Toon) as he dresses, in this deceptively simple and thoroughly engaging book.
(The creators of Toon Books have demonstrated that this format can fuse perfectly with what we think of as "easy readers" — books that newly independent readers can actually decode by themselves, enlivening an already lively subset of picture books.)
The Adventures of Polo (Roaring Brook), begins a series of adventures had by a small dog. The books appear to be traditional picture books but with characteristics of a graphic novel. A series of framed panels conveys the action and creates characterization — only without words.
And because the form seems to be increasingly popular, even old books like the Boxcar Children — first published in the 1940s as traditional novels — are popping up as graphic novels (Whitman).
Visit the library or bookstore and take a look at the wealth of graphic novels. Like all books, some are better than others; some are very appropriate for children to read independently or shared with an adult or in small groups.
Slightly spooky books are fun now — and later
I'm the kind of adult who does not (emphasize not) like scary movies. I stopped reading scary books after I read a Stephen King novel that gave me nightmares.
So if you like the type of books that give you major creeps, then don't bother reading any more. But if you're up for not-too-creepy books to share with the children in your lives, you may find an idea or so here.
The Amelia Bedelia of the poultry world, the little white hen is back for an autumn tale. Here, Minerva Louise interprets the fall celebrations with her own literal spin in Minerva Louise on Halloween (Dutton). Loveable but not very bright Minerva always allows young children to stay one step ahead.
When a big bad Bullybug comes from outer space to terrorize "itty-bitty baby bugs," well, let's just leave it that something larger — maybe child-sized — saves the day (and the smaller bugs). Bye-Bye, Big Bad Bullybug! (Little Brown) cleverly uses page cut-outs to build the Bullybug — then get rid of it.
When the "wind whispers winter" it becomes time to decide what to be on that special night at the end of October. And Then Comes Halloween (Candlewick) culminates the change of season with costume preparation and candy collecting on that night. Poetic language builds excitement as the day grows closer.
Remember the old folksong, "Over in the Meadow?" It's been Halloween-ized in a recent book, Over in the Hollow (Chronicle). In this version, there are skeletons that boogie, ghosts that boo and more — all rhythmically and playfully depicted.
And finally for slightly older readers (those learning to read independently), there's The History of Vampires and Other Real Blood Drinkers (Grosset & Dunlap). Each short chapter is liberally and comically illustrated and attempts to differentiate fact from fiction.
So, there you have it: not-very-scary books especially appropriate for this time of year — but good enough to continue sharing.
The gift of a thank you letter
I love children's writing. It can be fresh, fun, and unexpected. It can also be rare. E-mails just don't have the staying power of a pen (or pencil) and paper correspondence.
But recently I got a batch of thank you letters from a group of 4th graders at the grade school from which my son graduated. I had donated some new books to the school.
The librarians and teachers are always appreciative as their budget frequently doesn't allow them to purchase new materials.
The librarian at this school — a woman whose commitment and passion about books, reading, and children is positively contagious — suggested that a 4th grade class write a thank you note to the mom of a former student who had given the books to the school.
They were all simply wonderful. And it reminded me of the power of books and the statement that school libraries can make providing children with new and often refreshed books.
One boy wrote: "Thanks for all kinds of book entertainment you've given us. I love reading. If it weren't for you, I have to go to the public library which is very rough anyways. Thanks."
Another student, a girl, wrote THANKS in big, bold printing with a picture of a full book shelf — and told me her teacher is fun and that I "rock!" (I am thrilled that a 4th grader says a person rocks because of books!)
Another girl thought I asked me how it felt to be can actor (she must have heard about my son's budding acting career which started at this school); another boy asked for Diary of a Wimpy Kid while someone else requested a Guinness Book of extreme sports (I think he'll have to write it).
Yet another child hoped that I'd enjoy reading all of the thank you letters. (I still do!) Others hoped for a "playground full of books" or to meet me some day — just as I'd love to meet them — and celebrate our mutual love for books and reading.
Knowing what you see
A film critic's review of the film version of Where the Wild Things Are in today's Washington Post started me thinking. In it, the writer says clearly that the film adaptation of a picture book classic is not typical family film fare but that the film version "created a fully realized variation on its most highly charged themes."
How? By using the filmmakers' tools: real-life actors, costumes, sound, music, dialogue, and more — the general wizardry of movie making.
The idea of understanding what one sees, however, is critical. So crucial in fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics has suggested guidelines for parents about the use of media with children.
It seems to me that imbedded in the use of media is the broad notion of "visual literacy" — the ability to see, understand and interpret ideas and/or information conveyed through images. There are a great many sources available both off- and online.
But I'm not at all sure that adults pay much attention to what they see — I know I'm often oblivious. So how can we help children see and understand what they see in movies, on television, and the other images we're bombarded with everywhere?
One essential element is watching movies and TV together, adult and child/ren. Co-viewing is not a new idea at all, but it's one that should be taken to heart. It means not only respecting but investing time in what may interest a child.
I'm convinced that just as young children can effectively compare different versions of stories in books (I've done it with them), they can be guided to see visuals for what they are.
The depth of that comparison, of course, will depend on the age and sophistication of the individual child. But parents and teachers know the children with whom they live and work best. And why not use film adaptations — on television and in the movies — to start it all.
The payoff is that the movies they see and the books they read leads the way to their own storytelling and the ability to see beyond the most obvious.
A new Pooh or Pooh continued?
It's being released this month…a new adventure of Winnie the Pooh. You remember Pooh bear, I'm sure. He and his pals from the Hundred Acre Wood have been part of childhood since well, for the past 80 years. A.A. Milne, the author of Pooh (and more) died in 1956.
And now, the Milne trust has entrusted Pooh to another writer.
Before I launch into a diatribe, I have to admit that I have not yet read or even seen the book. I have listened to a small part of the introduction in the audio book that the publisher is releasing. It's read by Jim Dale — known not only for his acting but for the extraordinary reading of all of the Harry Potter books. (I have to admit, too, that I could listen to this man read a telephone book.)
That said, I am not at all sure what to think about it.
What will happen to the characters and their characterization? I wonder if another author will subtly change what have become my characters — dour Eeyore, bouncy Tigger, and of course, Pooh (the so-called "classic" bear of little brain). How will another writer create a story with those characters without changing them for the time in which he works? Is it possible to revisit a classic and retain what made it so 80 years ago?
Sequels — particularly those written after the original creator is gone — well, in my opinion tend to be disappointing.
I may just read this book "with my ears" — Jim Dale is always worth the time.
An exquisite corpse?
Lots of people know the work of Jon Scieszka, Katherine Paterson, and illustrator Chris Van Dusen. But last weekend at the National Book Festival, a group of well known writers for children and young adults discussed their Exquisite Corpse.
It's not as bad as it sounds. This Corpse is actually based on an old game in which a story is written or picture drawn by multiple creators — each without having any control over the previous entry. It's similar to the old campfire game where people tell a story together one line at a time.
Anyway, Jon Scieszka and a host of well known authors and illustrators in a presentation moderated by NCBLA President, Mary Brigid Barrett, launched the first-ever (at least to my knowledge!) national Exquisite Corpse.
The Exquisite Corpse will involve a wide range of amazing authors and illustrators. You're bound to know many of the contributors!
Jon Scieszka read the first chapter from which other writers will develop their chapter. You can now read it online and see how it was illustrated at a special website hosted by the Library of Congress, www.read.gov.
Every two weeks a new chapter will be posted. And the first one is a hoot — with plenty for those who follow to chomp into.
And now kids from kindergarten to grade 12 can be inspired by the Equisite Corpse authors and illustrators to do their own writing — in a writing challenge called the Exquisite Prompt, hosted by Reading Rockets and Adlit.org.
This should be a lot of fun for readers and writers of all ages. So stayed tuned — and be sure to check out the ever evolving Exquisite Corpse Adventure at the Library of Congress website!
Book to screen
Children's books have inspired creators of other media for a long time. You can probably come up with many television programs inspired by characters who first appeared in print: Rosemary Well's Max and Ruby; Angelina, based on the mice-children created by Katharine Holabird, and Marc Brown's ever popular aardvark Arthur are just the start.
Films, too, have been inspired by children's books: the Wizard of Oz, Old Yeller, and more recently Shrek and Polar Express.
Books translated into film or television shows are a different medium. Pictures move, voice and music are added and often action is added to adapt the material to its new format.
The appeal of films or television from books is much like the appeal of series books. Known characters are brought to life again in a different way. And translations are good. I think.
One of my all-time favorite books, a practically perfect picture book, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (HarperCollilns) is being released as a live action (enhanced by computer generated animation, I think) next month.
Okay, it's a different medium. But how can this perfectly paced tale told through a flawless yet brief blend of words and illustration be adapted to a live action movie that will have to be at least 90 minutes long?
What will be added? And what will be lost? Will the audience be new or will it be for folks like me — those for whom Sendak's classic holds a special place?
I don't know. So I'll have to wait until next month to find out, I suppose. I don't worry about the film ruining the book for me — I know it by heart (and in my heart, too, I think).
I wonder about those children who haven't met Max personally yet. I wonder if the screen Max will diminish the Max of the imagination, the one who lives every time a child and an adult read Where the Wild Things Are.
A time to remember
The anniversary of 9/11 is here. The impact continues to be felt in subtle and not so subtle ways. One day changed our society and frankly, our world — the world of our children.
Older children and adults can grasp — to some degree at least — what caused these changes. But young children don't have the reservoir of experience to make sense of it.
When 9/11 first happened, my son returned to books in which the weak were able to gain power over stronger forces. To him, books provided a sense of control.
Books can also pay subtle homage to an event without confronting it head-on and may even help young children develop — or deepen — their emotional reservoir.
I still like Mary Pope Osborne's New York's Bravest (Knopf). Though he lived in the 19th century, Mose Humphreys is a larger-than-character whose courage lives on — just as the contemporary fire fighters to whom the book is dedicated. Not only do readers glimpse a real life hero through an old-time hero but presents another time.
Philip Petit was a daredevil who broke the law to walk between the Twin Towers back in the 1970s. His very real activities inspired Mordecai Gerstein to create The Man Who Walked Between the Towers (Roaring Brook). The stunning views will take your breath away and won this book the Caldecott Medal.
A less place-specific book about coping with an unexpected crisis is presented for young children by Jean Gralley. The Moon Came Down on Milk Street (Holt) tells the story of how a community comes together to return the moon to the sky in a simple rhyming text. People everywhere make a difference.
Like an earlier date, 9/11 is one that will live in infamy. For more books about 9/11 and children, visit Kay Vandergrift's (Rutgers University) site.
What's in a backpack?
My son started school today. Even though he's in high school, some things never change.
He packed up his backpack neatly and with great care, filled with clean notebooks, capped pens, and uncluttered with superfluous papers.
That'll soon change — and has ever since my well-organized, basically neatnik son got his first backpack in 2nd grade.
I was reminded of the infamous backpack when I read Kevin O'Malley's book called Backpack Stories (Albert Whitman). There are four tales in this funny, offbeat picture book — all with O'Malley's characteristic (and slightly madcap) humor.
Not only do the stories remind readers — adults included — of what happens with backpacks, there is potential to introduce satire in a straightforward comic book style, maybe start to explore the relationship between word and image (or even text as image), and even explore "what if."
This funny look at backpacks may just lighten kids' loads as they head off to school. And it sure served as a reminder to me to make sure to check the contents regularly!
First day jitters
Vacation is over. Many schools across the country opened this week. All will start within the next week or so.
Whatever kind of school children attend, no matter what grade they're in, the first day is the first day — always a source of nervousness and excitement.
I remember posing for photographs my mother insisted on taking every first day of school. My sister and I are in the same dorky pose — hand up in a wave, walking toward the sidewalk in fresh school clothes.
Obviously we changed as we grew up over the years (our mother continued this tradition through high school!) but one thing remained constant. That was the look of controlled terror, hope, thrill, or anticipation in varying degrees over time.
No matter, children have concerns. Maybe they're like Wemberly in Wemberly Worried (Greenwillow), afraid of everything.
Or children could get ready in as many different ways as those in Miss Bindergarten's kindergarten class (Puffin).
A day might be just like Vera's First Day of School (Owlet) — excitement followed by minor disaster but with a fine ending with lots of support. Or it could be just the opposite; starting out unhappily but winding up better than expected like Little Cliff's First Day of School (Puffin).
No matter what the response or how you look at it, it's here: the start of a new school year. And kids everywhere are figuring out how to deal with the jitters.
These and other books to remind readers of common concerns, sometimes make readers feel better about their own, and sometimes even ally fears. But these are also good stories worth sharing particularly at this time of year.
Mission Impossible meets Viola Swamp
What happens when a perfectly dreadful adult is forced to deal with a talented albeit unusual group of children? A very funny, offbeat book by Newbery Medalist Paul Fleischman called The Dunderheads (Candlewick).
As a teacher, Miss Breakbone makes Viola Swamp from Miss Nelson Is Missing fame (Houghton) look positively sensitive. She so revels in her meanness that she gives herself a gold star every time she makes a student cry. Plus Miss Breakbone is the master of confiscating kids' possessions.
Sounds awful, huh? But this is a very funny tall tale just in time for the start of school.
I can imagine a teacher (or even a parent) reading this book aloud to a child who has some familiarity with school — and even with older kids. Not only should it relieve jitters (no real teacher could be this bad!) but the book suggests that unusual skills have a place.
Each student who Miss Breakbone has dubbed a group of altogether "…mind-wandering, doodling, dozing, don't-knowing dunderheads" has a special talent. Used cooperatively, these talents foil the dastardly teacher for a happy and very satisfying ending.
I haven't had a chance to share this book with kids yet, but can't wait to. The illustrations are contemporary and just as wacky as the story.
If anyone does get a child's response, please let me know what it is. It might be an interesting way to start the school year!
Books as play
Recently I was looking for a birthday gift for a soon-to-be five year old girl. As I wandered into the toy department of a well known chain store, I was struck by the number of toys that included some kind of electronic noise or light — a gimmick to grab attention.
I heard guitars without strings, came across talking dolls (fuzzy and not), and even digital cameras for the very young. There were animals that talked, clocks that asked questions, and more.
While I understand that entertainment and education are not mutually exclusive, I do wonder these toys leave enough space for a child's creativity and imagination.
The dog days of summer seem to be a particularly relaxed time to share stories or even create them before children and parents gear up for Fall and the start of another school year.
Books can spark child-centered and child-initiated play — and, of course, are very portable playthings.
Have you ever asked a child what they might take on a trip to the pool or beach or how they might travel there? Even if you don't actually go, you may want to share How Will We Get the Beach? (North South Books). This clever and attractive book in both English and Spanish is a guessing game that introduces different modes of transportation, colors, and believe it or not, reasoning. It's great fun to figure out how the mom and baby with all of their prize possessions will get to the beach.
Closer to home, children may want to help with outdoor chores such as mowing and hoeing. Join the adult wolf and his child and try to figure out what the mishap will be in another bilingual (Spanish English) book called Can I Help? (North South Books).
Or imagine what your container of valuable would hold as the boy does in The Treasure Bath (Holt). In this wordless picture book, a boy bathes as he and his mom wait for a cake to bake. The bathtub becomes a fish-filled ocean with a treasure chest complete with soaps and shampoos just right to clean up for bed — and a piece of cake.
And so, for the gift I was looking for I wound up at my local bookstore and got the birthday girl an imaginative gift that didn't even need batteries.
Forty years strong
Are awards for children's books useful? What can they do in a real sense?
Children's publishing is a crowded field and for many, awards can help identify not only critically valuable books but help identify new and interesting work.
When it first started some 40 years ago, the Coretta Scott King was intended to recognize the work of African American authors and illustrators. It continues to do so and since 1995, the John Steptoe New Talent Award encourages and recognizes new authors and illustrators.
Many of the CSK award winners are legends in the field, creating books that strongly, clearly and continually resonate with readers.
And now, many of the CSK authors and illustrators are available to explore online at TeachingBooks.Net. It's possible to hear the creators introduce and read excerpts from their work, link to related resources, and more.
It's a fine resource for both home and classroom use. And it's a fine time to discover or rediscover some award winning books worth knowing.
Anniversaries of note
Summer of this year marks several things worth remembering. Some are happy anniversaries, others not so at all.
What do these events mean to children? Are they relevant to them in any way at all? What do stories — real or fictional — offer to children? Can they inspire as well as inform?
It was in July 1969 that Neil Armstrong left the relative safety of his spacecraft to walk on the moon. Many books are available about Apollo 11, about the moon itself and this special anniversary.
Nelson Mandela, stalwart leader of South Africa and the world, celebrated his 91st birthday this month. Frankly, a recent and accessible biography for young readers would be useful.
Anne Frank, the Jewish child who left a diary in revealing daily life in hiding during German occupation of Amsterdam, would have turned 80 years old this year. Instead, she perished in a concentration camp; this year marks the 65th year since SS Sergeant Karl Silberbauer arrested her.
A new book about how Simon Wiesenthal identified Anne's captor — proving once and for all that her diary was authentic — is tough but valuable reading. Don't let the picture book format fool readers into thinking that this is a book for younger children. The Anne Frank Case: Simon Wiesenthal's Search for the Truth (Holiday House) by Susan Goldman Rubin tells a difficult though riveting story and is most appropriate for grades four and above.
Carefully chosen books can share stories in memorable ways, perhaps at least familiarizing adults with real stories to share (or choose not to share) with children.
Roar (and more)
Imagine…a small mouse being chased by a hungry owl disturbs a fierce looking lion. The lion, however, release the mouse only to be caught up in a rope trap himself. When the mouse hears the lion's roar, what does he do?
If you've read the "Lion and the Mouse," a fable credited to Aesop or even a tale called "Androcles and the Lion" (in a collection by Joseph Jacobs now long out of print) then you know it's been around for a while, a long while.
What can be done to make an old, even ancient tale brand new? You'll want to be sure to look for Jerry Pinkney's wordless picture book telling due out this September. I just returned from a conference where I actually got to see and hold The Lion & the Mouse (Little Brown) — and it's truly a stunner.
Everything from the feel of the paper calls to mind the African savannah (maybe the Serengeti) where both animals live. No words — even on the cover — are needed in this unique telling of unlikely friendship and assistance coming from surprising places. The emotions, subplots, motivation, and tension — all hallmarks of well-told tales — are conveyed visually.
Children, even the youngest, can visit the lion's habitat again and again. It might just spark interest in lions or other animals or even in Africa. Who knows where it could go? That's what makes books so exciting. They intrigue and inspire — and the good ones do it without being didactic.
The Lion and the Mouse really is a tale that roars, and more.
Lovely words
I was reading a novel last night, a book called Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba by Margarita Engle (Holt). It's a tough subject even for the target reader (12 years and older) as the title suggests.
The telling, however, is filled with beautiful images that somehow both soften and strengthen its power. Daniel, a Jewish refugee who is one of the voices, describes the music of Cuba as "…an entirely new/sort of music,/the sound of a future/dancing with the past." (p. 108)
'Dancing with the past'….how interesting it sounds. What does the future sound like? And even if I didn't think about these things, I'd probably just enjoy the sound of the words; they kind of trip off the tongue.
Books for young children should also sound good. After all, these are books that should not only look good but sound good — even if young children don't understand all of the words, it's the sound of the language that can captivate.
There are books like Denise Fleming's In the Small, Small Pond (Holt) in which a child witnesses seasonal goings-on like "lash, lunge, herons plunge."
All of Baby, Nose To Toes by Victoria Adler (Dial) rhythmically describes the child such as "Baby's got legs,/strong little legs…Caper and prance legs./Kick me in the pants legs…" The naming of familiar parts of the body is made lively and fun — all while celebrating the baby's special place in the family.
Rhyming words are illustrated to make a humorous, short, but fun-sounding concept book (that also creates outrageously comical short stories with its lively illustrations) in Billy & Milly: Short & Silly by Eve Feldman (Putnam).
A pleasure that can last a lifetime, the pleasure in words — lovely words that sound good, feel good on the tongue, create powerful images — starts by introducing young children to a steady diet of rich language in books.
The color of summer
It's always good to rediscover something, especially if that something slows you down, makes you think, and creates vivid images.
What I've rediscovered is Mary O'Neill's collection of poems about colors, Hailstones and Halibut Bones (Doubleday). Though the book was originally published in 1961, it was newly illustrated in the late 1980s and recently reissued. Old is new all over again.
The collection of a dozen or so poems begins with a poetic invitation: "Like acrobats on a high trapeze/The Colors pose and bend their knees/Twist and turn and leap and blend/Into shapes and feelings without end…."
But this invitation does more than simply welcome. It effectively describes what readers will experience when they read the poems and examine the watercolor illustrations. Of course the pictures reflect the mood of the poems, but when word and image are shared together, well, it creates a place, a time, a feeling — all the more powerful when seen and heard (because after all, poetry cries to be shared aloud).
Colors around us change as the seasons change. We've just launched summer and summer reading. Why not use poetry to slow children (and adults!) down during the longer, color-filled days?
And it seems to me that yellow is best to welcome and describe summer for "Yellow is the color of the sun/the feeling of fun/The yolk of an egg….Daisy hearts/Custard pies and/Lemon tarts."
Traveling with books
We just got back from a family vacation to Ireland. It was my teenaged son's first time out of the country and the first time for his parents since their son was born.
Not surprisingly, we packed lots of books. I'm still reading for an award committee, so most of my books were for young readers.
My husband chose to take two novels for young readers by Richard Peck:A Year Down Yonder and A Long Way from Chicago (both Penguin). Both books are very funny family stories that feature the one of a kind Grandma Dowdel. And while they could be read independently by children in grades 4 and above, they make very funny read alouds for the entire family to share and discuss.
My son packed an enormously long adult fantasy with lots of battles, not unlike Tolkien.
Even without the delays caused by weather, there's plenty of time to read while traveling. I got through a couple of books en route to Shannon, another one on the return trip, and a couple in between. My husband finished the Peck novels and started in on what I'd finished reading.
And in Ireland, we visited lots of book stores, always checking out the section for young readers. I'm not sure why I was surprised but the connection between what American kids read and what is obviously popular in Irish villages from Ennis to Kenmare are amazingly similar.
We saw American writers and Irish (and other English language) writers that are widely read in the U.S.: Eoin Colfer, Kate Thompson, there was good old Harry Potter (with the UK cover) and even the Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan. Fantasy seems to be ever-popular.
But for younger readers books were much concrete; there was Jane O'Connor's Fancy Nancy books and lots of easy nonfiction.
It was interesting to observe a young mother calm her travel weary toddler by pulling out a book and reading it aloud in a soothing voice. You could hear the grumps going out of the child.
Books sure calm me, too. I'm glad they travel well.
Listening to kids talk about books
I'm on a national children's book award committee so submissions have been arriving at my home/office in increasing quantities. Even though I read a lot of books for young people anyway, I've been reading them to the exclusion of just about anything. (I can't give up the newspaper though; it's a must-have either online or in print.)
I'm reading so many books so quickly that I've been wondering how I can keep them clear in my mind — beyond taking notes (which is not always possible given all the places that I find myself reading these days).
But I have started asking colleagues, family members, and young friends to read the books that I think are worth their time and energy. And I've actually rediscovered a valuable and downright fun way to gain deeper insight into what works and why: simply talking to young readers provides a look into a book's appeal that I may not have considered.
For example, a young friend named Julia, a 3rd grader, read a book by Claudia Mills, How Oliver Olson Changed the World (Farrar). I was interested in her response even though the main character is a boy (also a 3rd grader, by the way). It was a girl in Oliver's class, Crystal, who intrigued Julia.
Apparently Julia was also interested in the demotion of Pluto. You see, Crystal becomes Oliver's friend over their shared interest in Pluto's astrological standing.
Julia told me she liked Oliver but kind of felt "sorry for him." When I reminded her that he found a way of dealing with his overprotective parents, she noted that he was "kinda smart."
It seems to me that the more we talk to children about substantive things, the better we get to know them and their tastes. In fact, sometimes the power of the story just takes over itself.
I'll always remember the mother who told me that if she put her mind to it, she could do anything — including raising her daughter as a single mom. That was a line right out of Mary Hoffman's Amazing Grace (Dial).
So, as we pack up for our family vacation, I'll take a batch of books and rely on my family — a captive audience — for feedback!
I'll let you know how it goes at the end of next week!