I am thinking of starting a book club this Summer. My friend and I have been talking about this ever since we met. We are so busy that we have never gotten around to it.
I have a stronger motivation this Summer, so maybe I'll do it. I have a goal. I plan to read 25 chapter books and 23 picture books before school starts, this August. It's a tall order but I will have help, you see. I have four daughters and hopefully some of their interested friends, who might join me in my quest. Then, if I don't quite get to all of them, at least I'll have a reliable review source. So, admittedly, it will be a group effort. I suppose we will meet at our neighborhood swimming pool, maybe weekly, through out the Summer. If anyone gets bored with the discussion or tired of reading, they can just go play in the water. It is a good plan.
The books I intend to read are from a list compiled at the University of Georgia, in connection with a program called The Georgia Children's Book Awards. This program was established in 1968 by Professor Sheldon Root, to foster a love of reading in Georgia's children and introduce them to good books. Books are nominated throughout Georgia by media specialists and teachers. From these nominations, a committee selects a final list. During the school year teachers and media specialist are encouraged to introduce these books to students. The students who read or listen to the majority of nominees are allowed to vote on their favorite. Some past winners have been The Lightning Thief, by Riordan and Flush, by Hiassen, in the middle school category, and Sweet Tooth, by Palatini and Superdog, by Buehner. While these are good books, even great books, they were not my first choice, but then, I am not eligible to vote, since I am not in elementary or middle school.
The nominees for the 2010-2011 school year have been announced. You can find this list and more about the Georgia Book Award Program at the UGA website www.coe.uga.edu/gcba.
Some years ago, a librarian or media specialist, (I'm not sure which), named Helen Ruffin started a reading Bowl in the Atlanta Area. It's called the Helen Ruffen Reading Bowl, now, and has grown over the years from the Atlanta area, to the greater Atlanta area to now there are four districts covering most of the state. The bowl is similar to an academic bowl with 2 teams of 4 or 5 students buzzing in to answer questions. The difference is these question for the Reading Bowl are taken from the current list of Georgia Book Award Books.
So schools all across counties in Georgia form reading bowl teams, read the GA book Award books, and begin writing questions for each other and quizzing each other. The teams that are really good, begin preparing as soon as the new list comes out. Originally, the competition was open only to middle school grades. But the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl has grown in popularity and now their is a division for 4th and 5th graders at the elementary schools. I coach the team for my daughter's elementary school. We read, we write question, we practice, we borrow the buzzers from the academic bowl coach (Last year we nearly lost the buzzer machine! YIKES!) We get ready to compete. So far we have not won at the county level, but when we do, we will go to the region , then state. Whether we win or not, we will have had a good time and experienced excellent literature. It's not always the winning that is important. It is the process of engaging children and helping them know themselves better, helping them try something and see they can do more than they expected at first, helping them grow that counts.
A Summer Reading Club - Good Books, Good Fun, Good Stories, Good Idea!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
All Time Greats!
For some reason I keep thinking about the books I read in junior high (It's called middle school, now.) I think it's because I still read on that level. When I was in 7th and 8th grade, I read some books over and over. I was going through a fantasy phase and read most any of that genre that I could get my hands on. Yes! I was that kind of geek! I read all of Susan Cooper's, including her most famous The Dark Is Rising, series. (That title is the second book in that group of five, by the way.) I also read Lloyd Alexander's, The High King, another story that took five books to tell. Also, I read The Phantom Tollbooth, many times, and ,Madeline L'Engle's, Wrinkle In Time trilogy, although now I think there are two more books associated with that collection.
I liked historical fiction, too. I read Russell Baker's, Growing Up. I can still picture where it was in the stacks of our Junior high library. I had just out grown a biography phase, where I was reading these old, abridged versions of historical figures. I always picked the women to read about. Looking back, I am not even sure if they were that accurate, but it was so fun to read a heroine story. One day, I was going to be like Maria Mitchell, First Women Astronomer - the next day, I was Annie Oakley, Frontier Sharpshooter.
My favorite authors at the time were J.R.R. Tolkien, Louisa May Alcott, and C.S. Lewis. I realize I am not alone. Most of the directors, writers who have made movies Of Narnia or The Lord of the Rings are probable around my age, which means they were also reading and re-reading those authors as pimply-faced pre-teens, just like me. Now that I am thinking of these authors, I don't suppose they need any introduction but, just for kicks, I'll share their background.
J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973) was an Engilsh writer, poet, professor and philologist. A philologist is a lover of words -I think my dad is one - but in an academic sense, a philologist studies languages, ancient texts. Tolkien lost his father at age 3 and his mother at age 12. Since his mother had converted to Catholicism against her family's wishes, a priest was assigned to be his guardian. Catholicism was an important part of Tolkien's life. He married Edith, then served in WWI where he was invalided with trench fever and lost many of his childhood friends. He and Edith had four children and a happy life together. He wrote the Father Christmas Letters for them - I love this collection. He and C.S. Lewis were friend and in fact, Tolkien was part of Lewis' conversion back to Christianity, though Lewis ultimately chose the Anglican church over the Catholic church - and that bothered Tolkien.
I am blown away by the depth of imagination it took for Tolkien to create middle earth. He was steeped in Medieval literature, Old English, Gaelic, Welsh mythology and ancient texts, and that is where I feel I am, when I read The Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Rings, The Two Towers, or The Return of the King - completely transported to a strange, alien, mystical place and time, with some hauntingly familiar pull - as if his words and that time are part of all of our past.
Louisa May Alcott, on the other hand, stretches my imagination in a completely different way and to a different time. Maybe it is slightly more familiar to me, since I am a female, with sisters, and daughters, and the 1800's are ever so more recent than the dark ages. Plus,. Massachusetts is within driving distance (I would have to take an Elvin ship and been bearer of the ring to go to Frodo and Bilbo' world)
When I read Little Women, I always wanted to be Jo, but I suppose I am more like Meg. Hopefully, I have a bit of the good of each character she writes about. All of Louisa's books are wonderful. I think An Old-Fashioned Girl is my favorite.
Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888), was an American novelist and the daughter of Amos Bronson Alcott and Abigail May Alcott. Her father, Bronson, was and educator and transcendentalist. This is a philosophy that believes we are innately spiritual and our senses and ego can hinder our path towards enlightenment, and that we must lessen our "self" in order to become part of knowing and becoming part of God. I am not sure I understand it completely.
This philosophy and way of life meant that Louisa and her three sisters were rich in ideas and poor in sustenance. They were always scraping by. Louisa was raised listening, absorbing and discussing ideals with her own parents and other great thinkers like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller - Nathanial Hawthorne. No wonder her books stretch and challenge. I think her ideas and her depiction of characters and relationships make her books timeless and relevant, even to today's time.
Once, at a library sale, I found most of her major works in an old set of 8 or 9 books, with a copyright date of 1911! I snatched these books up - They may be worth very little money, but the are worth a lot, sentimentally, to me.
Now on to C.S.Lewis (1898 - 1963), who was a novelist, academic, medievalist, and Christian apologist, among other things. He died 2 years before I was born, yet still I want to talk to him. But what would I say? "I really, really like your books , Mr. Lewis, sir. Really Really - " Probably, it would not go well - I think he was a complicated man. He may have been grumpy or very brusque with me. It is better this way - him living three generations ago and me just benefit ting from his work. My great- grandmother was of his era. If I had lived during his time, I am not sure a woman would have gotten much notice. It would have been great fun, though, to be an invisible presence at one or two of those Inklings meeting, watching the interactions and taking in the discussions of Tolkien, Lewis, Warnie, his brother, Hugo Dyson, Owen Barfield, and more.
Lewis lost his mom at an early age and his dad was emotionally distant. I suppose after his mom's death, his older brother was the brightest spot in his youth. He spent much time in boarding schools. These awful places might have been like, Roald Dahl describes in his memoir Boy. The boarding school experience was so bad, he was brought home and given a tutor. His tutor was Kirkpatrick, his best teacher, who became his friend and taught a love of Greek mythology, how to debate, and how to reason.
Though raised in a Christian home, Lewis, decided to become an atheist for a time, then converted back to Christianity in his early 30's. He served in WWI and was wounded, he also lost a friend Paddy, whom he made a promise to. His promise was, that if Paddy died in the war, he would look after his mom, and that he did. Later in life, in his 60's he met and married an American, Joy Gresham. Their marriage was happy but brief, only 2 years. Joy died of bone cancer, then Lewis died 2 years later of renal failure.
I continue to love all of Lewis books. to this day. They are not fond memories, I still read them, All of seven the Narnia books, The Space Trilogy, Out of the Silent Planet, Perlandrea, That Hideous Strength, his books on Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Pilgrim's Regress, Mere Christianity, The Problem of Pain - (simply too many to list!) -They are dear friends to me. My favorite of his Narnia books, are The Magician's Nephew and The Last Battle. And I absolutely love, Till We Have Faces. That is one of those book I will read at different maturity points of my life and get different lesson from. The Great Divorce, is also very thought provoking. Hey, maybe I'll take a bus to Heaven, just like he describes in this book, and find him, the great C.S Lewis, speaking with the great George MacDonald, some imaginary day, and join their conversation. It Might Happen!
I liked historical fiction, too. I read Russell Baker's, Growing Up. I can still picture where it was in the stacks of our Junior high library. I had just out grown a biography phase, where I was reading these old, abridged versions of historical figures. I always picked the women to read about. Looking back, I am not even sure if they were that accurate, but it was so fun to read a heroine story. One day, I was going to be like Maria Mitchell, First Women Astronomer - the next day, I was Annie Oakley, Frontier Sharpshooter.
My favorite authors at the time were J.R.R. Tolkien, Louisa May Alcott, and C.S. Lewis. I realize I am not alone. Most of the directors, writers who have made movies Of Narnia or The Lord of the Rings are probable around my age, which means they were also reading and re-reading those authors as pimply-faced pre-teens, just like me. Now that I am thinking of these authors, I don't suppose they need any introduction but, just for kicks, I'll share their background.
J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973) was an Engilsh writer, poet, professor and philologist. A philologist is a lover of words -I think my dad is one - but in an academic sense, a philologist studies languages, ancient texts. Tolkien lost his father at age 3 and his mother at age 12. Since his mother had converted to Catholicism against her family's wishes, a priest was assigned to be his guardian. Catholicism was an important part of Tolkien's life. He married Edith, then served in WWI where he was invalided with trench fever and lost many of his childhood friends. He and Edith had four children and a happy life together. He wrote the Father Christmas Letters for them - I love this collection. He and C.S. Lewis were friend and in fact, Tolkien was part of Lewis' conversion back to Christianity, though Lewis ultimately chose the Anglican church over the Catholic church - and that bothered Tolkien.
I am blown away by the depth of imagination it took for Tolkien to create middle earth. He was steeped in Medieval literature, Old English, Gaelic, Welsh mythology and ancient texts, and that is where I feel I am, when I read The Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Rings, The Two Towers, or The Return of the King - completely transported to a strange, alien, mystical place and time, with some hauntingly familiar pull - as if his words and that time are part of all of our past.
Louisa May Alcott, on the other hand, stretches my imagination in a completely different way and to a different time. Maybe it is slightly more familiar to me, since I am a female, with sisters, and daughters, and the 1800's are ever so more recent than the dark ages. Plus,. Massachusetts is within driving distance (I would have to take an Elvin ship and been bearer of the ring to go to Frodo and Bilbo' world)
When I read Little Women, I always wanted to be Jo, but I suppose I am more like Meg. Hopefully, I have a bit of the good of each character she writes about. All of Louisa's books are wonderful. I think An Old-Fashioned Girl is my favorite.
Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888), was an American novelist and the daughter of Amos Bronson Alcott and Abigail May Alcott. Her father, Bronson, was and educator and transcendentalist. This is a philosophy that believes we are innately spiritual and our senses and ego can hinder our path towards enlightenment, and that we must lessen our "self" in order to become part of knowing and becoming part of God. I am not sure I understand it completely.
This philosophy and way of life meant that Louisa and her three sisters were rich in ideas and poor in sustenance. They were always scraping by. Louisa was raised listening, absorbing and discussing ideals with her own parents and other great thinkers like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller - Nathanial Hawthorne. No wonder her books stretch and challenge. I think her ideas and her depiction of characters and relationships make her books timeless and relevant, even to today's time.
Once, at a library sale, I found most of her major works in an old set of 8 or 9 books, with a copyright date of 1911! I snatched these books up - They may be worth very little money, but the are worth a lot, sentimentally, to me.
Now on to C.S.Lewis (1898 - 1963), who was a novelist, academic, medievalist, and Christian apologist, among other things. He died 2 years before I was born, yet still I want to talk to him. But what would I say? "I really, really like your books , Mr. Lewis, sir. Really Really - " Probably, it would not go well - I think he was a complicated man. He may have been grumpy or very brusque with me. It is better this way - him living three generations ago and me just benefit ting from his work. My great- grandmother was of his era. If I had lived during his time, I am not sure a woman would have gotten much notice. It would have been great fun, though, to be an invisible presence at one or two of those Inklings meeting, watching the interactions and taking in the discussions of Tolkien, Lewis, Warnie, his brother, Hugo Dyson, Owen Barfield, and more.
Lewis lost his mom at an early age and his dad was emotionally distant. I suppose after his mom's death, his older brother was the brightest spot in his youth. He spent much time in boarding schools. These awful places might have been like, Roald Dahl describes in his memoir Boy. The boarding school experience was so bad, he was brought home and given a tutor. His tutor was Kirkpatrick, his best teacher, who became his friend and taught a love of Greek mythology, how to debate, and how to reason.
Though raised in a Christian home, Lewis, decided to become an atheist for a time, then converted back to Christianity in his early 30's. He served in WWI and was wounded, he also lost a friend Paddy, whom he made a promise to. His promise was, that if Paddy died in the war, he would look after his mom, and that he did. Later in life, in his 60's he met and married an American, Joy Gresham. Their marriage was happy but brief, only 2 years. Joy died of bone cancer, then Lewis died 2 years later of renal failure.
I continue to love all of Lewis books. to this day. They are not fond memories, I still read them, All of seven the Narnia books, The Space Trilogy, Out of the Silent Planet, Perlandrea, That Hideous Strength, his books on Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Pilgrim's Regress, Mere Christianity, The Problem of Pain - (simply too many to list!) -They are dear friends to me. My favorite of his Narnia books, are The Magician's Nephew and The Last Battle. And I absolutely love, Till We Have Faces. That is one of those book I will read at different maturity points of my life and get different lesson from. The Great Divorce, is also very thought provoking. Hey, maybe I'll take a bus to Heaven, just like he describes in this book, and find him, the great C.S Lewis, speaking with the great George MacDonald, some imaginary day, and join their conversation. It Might Happen!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Contemporary Greats!
What do Tomie dePaola, Patricia Polacco and Cynthia Rylant have in common? They are excellent writers of children's book. I am pretty sure you have heard of these authors before, but let me join their groups of admirers. I think I love them because they are good storytellers and they write about relationships in their own unique style. Each author works to tell their story, but also about their characters. I really like that. I always prefer a character-driven story over a plot-driven one. It also seems that they are telling me something about themselves, as I listen to the tales they spin, about their own culture, about concepts that are important to them, and about subjects that interest them. It might be naive to imagine, but I think I might like these authors, if I were to meet them.
Tomie dePaola began writing and drawing at an early age. Born in 1934, in Connecticut, he had a happy childhood and knew he always wanted to be involved in art. His love of books developed probably because his mom read to him, all the time. He draws on his family experiences and his heritage when he writes. He writes about legends, The Legend of Bluebonnet, bible stories, religious characters, St. Francis, the Poor Man of Assisi, folk tales and family. His books range from fun and silly, like Fin who outsmarted a giant, Fin McCoul, to some pretty serious topics, like a little boy dealing with his grandfather's illness, in Now One Foot, Now the Other. His writing is direct and honest, just right for children aged 7-10 years and his illustrations are clear and simple and make his point. I love his books about Strega Nona, an old Italian woman, and her friend Anthony. He also wrote about his own family - one of my favorites is Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs.
Patricia Polacco is also a well-known writer and illustrator. She illustrates her own books, beautifully with a sophisticated and emotive style. Her stories are usually about the relationship between a child and an older person, like a grandparent or teacher. She mentions in her short autobiography on her website, that she spent a lot of time with her own grandparents when she was young - and she cherishes those memories. Although she has always been an artist, she did not start writing her stories until she was 41 years old. Her stories are wonderful, because they show a her young characters learning something about themselves or about life, growing more confident, becoming a better person. These protagonists are always helped by the nurturing of some loving elder person in their community. In Mr. Lincoln's Way, a principal helps a troubled boy. In The Keeping Quilt, Ms. Polacco shares a special tradition from her culture with her readers. In Just Plain Fancy, two little girls gain a clearer understanding of their own faith. In Thank You, Mr. Falker, a little dyslexic girl is diagnosed and helped by her teacher. And in one of my favorite, Chicken Sunday, readers find an excellent example of tolerance and cultures living side-by-side. A warning to the tender-hearted: It is hard to get through Patricia Polacco's stories without emotion, so just know this if you are planning to read them to a group of children!
Cynthia Rylant - if I could just write one small story, as powerfully as she does! Her words have almost a lyrical quality as she describes her days with her grandparents in, When I Was Young in The Mountains. And I am carried away to my own memories, when I read The Relatives Came. Maybe that's because she writes poetry - a free verse type, or a prosy poetry, if that's such a thing. Many people, especially pet lovers, like her Dog Heaven and subsequent Cat Heaven books. The Henry and Mudge, chapter book series is excellent for 1st and 2nd grade readers. I must recommend two of her books. Though they are written for middle school age, any adult would grow from reading them. A Fine White Dust, a Newberry Honor book, is about a young boy learning truth about faith and God. And Missing May, a Newberry Award book, is about a girl and her adopted father, working through the grief of losing May.
I like these three authors, so much, that I collect any books they write. My collection is growing, since these contemporary authors keep writing wonderful books. I believe the reason their work resonates with so many people, is that these authors, dePaola, Polacco, and Rylant, write true words. Their stories never fail to spark interest, encourage and inspire, because the ideals they choose to write about, come from their own hearts, their own passion. Whether their tales are funny, sad, historical, mythical, or relational, they are mostly about learning to love.
Tomie dePaola began writing and drawing at an early age. Born in 1934, in Connecticut, he had a happy childhood and knew he always wanted to be involved in art. His love of books developed probably because his mom read to him, all the time. He draws on his family experiences and his heritage when he writes. He writes about legends, The Legend of Bluebonnet, bible stories, religious characters, St. Francis, the Poor Man of Assisi, folk tales and family. His books range from fun and silly, like Fin who outsmarted a giant, Fin McCoul, to some pretty serious topics, like a little boy dealing with his grandfather's illness, in Now One Foot, Now the Other. His writing is direct and honest, just right for children aged 7-10 years and his illustrations are clear and simple and make his point. I love his books about Strega Nona, an old Italian woman, and her friend Anthony. He also wrote about his own family - one of my favorites is Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs.
Patricia Polacco is also a well-known writer and illustrator. She illustrates her own books, beautifully with a sophisticated and emotive style. Her stories are usually about the relationship between a child and an older person, like a grandparent or teacher. She mentions in her short autobiography on her website, that she spent a lot of time with her own grandparents when she was young - and she cherishes those memories. Although she has always been an artist, she did not start writing her stories until she was 41 years old. Her stories are wonderful, because they show a her young characters learning something about themselves or about life, growing more confident, becoming a better person. These protagonists are always helped by the nurturing of some loving elder person in their community. In Mr. Lincoln's Way, a principal helps a troubled boy. In The Keeping Quilt, Ms. Polacco shares a special tradition from her culture with her readers. In Just Plain Fancy, two little girls gain a clearer understanding of their own faith. In Thank You, Mr. Falker, a little dyslexic girl is diagnosed and helped by her teacher. And in one of my favorite, Chicken Sunday, readers find an excellent example of tolerance and cultures living side-by-side. A warning to the tender-hearted: It is hard to get through Patricia Polacco's stories without emotion, so just know this if you are planning to read them to a group of children!
Cynthia Rylant - if I could just write one small story, as powerfully as she does! Her words have almost a lyrical quality as she describes her days with her grandparents in, When I Was Young in The Mountains. And I am carried away to my own memories, when I read The Relatives Came. Maybe that's because she writes poetry - a free verse type, or a prosy poetry, if that's such a thing. Many people, especially pet lovers, like her Dog Heaven and subsequent Cat Heaven books. The Henry and Mudge, chapter book series is excellent for 1st and 2nd grade readers. I must recommend two of her books. Though they are written for middle school age, any adult would grow from reading them. A Fine White Dust, a Newberry Honor book, is about a young boy learning truth about faith and God. And Missing May, a Newberry Award book, is about a girl and her adopted father, working through the grief of losing May.
I like these three authors, so much, that I collect any books they write. My collection is growing, since these contemporary authors keep writing wonderful books. I believe the reason their work resonates with so many people, is that these authors, dePaola, Polacco, and Rylant, write true words. Their stories never fail to spark interest, encourage and inspire, because the ideals they choose to write about, come from their own hearts, their own passion. Whether their tales are funny, sad, historical, mythical, or relational, they are mostly about learning to love.
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