elvis and me

I have to say that I’m pretty pleased with the idea of my unit plan. Writing ones autobiography or memoir could serve as an incredibly validating exercise for anyone. When dealing specifically with children and all of the harsh realities they must face every day, I can envision the autobiography workshop being a truly cathartic experience for them.
The ultimate goal of the Autobiography Workshop is to encourage children to explore their own stories and develop their own literary voice by reading and discussing the assigned texts and engaging in writing exercises that tie back to the readings. Hopefully the children who participate will have developed their reading skills, autobiographical writing skills, and will have developed a portfolio of writings that can serve as the beginnings of their own memoir/autobiography, but, what’s more, learned something profound about themselves.
I may be particularly drawn to the autobiography idea because my very first ventures into adult books were biographies and autobiographies that my mother bought but never read. Ernest Hemingway, Presilla Pressley, Dorothy Hammill, Time/Life: Cowboys…some of them desperately cheesy and horrible; others completely fascinating. But I got a rush from all of them. Reading these intimate stories was way better than the secrets I thought I could find (but never did) by rummaging through family members’ drawers.
Who knows, perhaps I will one day actually implement this plan (or something similar) in a library where I am actually employed. Imagine!

for the birds

My new passion is bird watching. I’m no ornithologist, but I’m suddenly in love with birds. Seeing a hawk soaring or perched in the top of the enormous dead pine in front of my apartment, without fail, makes my day. So, when I saw that one of the books listed in my groups section of chapter 11 was The Race to Save the Lord God Bird I knew I had to read it. It’s quite a dense read. It hardly seems geared toward children at times. School Library Journal says it’s intended for 6th grade and up. The book is well-detailed and incredibly informative, but also depressing as all get out. It seems we humans are bound and determined to destroy anything that crosses our paths even (or especially) the things we find most beautiful. The Ivory-billed Woodpecker’s population was flourishing in the US in the early 1800’s. Then along came logging, plumed hats, collecting…When the book gets too depressing I look out of my window. The tufted titmouse is still here. I see a male and female cardinal, a tow-headed cowbird, a few robins, some chickadees…and I say “everything is going to be okay,” and repeat…

a cold reception for Antarctica

I wish I could say I was in love with our group reading choice for chapter 11…but I’m not. I think I am missing some huge piece of the what-makes-books-for-elementary-aged-children-good puzzle. Antarctica by Helen Cowcher wasn’t horrible. I appreciate the message of humankind’s serious threat to wildlife populations and the environment. But I just wasn’t drawn in to the story or pictures. The style (slightly disjointed) of writing and the aesthetic of the paintings didn’t move me. However, I feel almost certain that I haven’t learned how to read a book for elementary aged children yet. I need to talk with some of the teachers in class and get their take on what my problem may be. Just last night, I was reading to my best friends 2 year old. The book was Stomp! Stomp! and as I was reading it to Toby I was thinking that this kid couldn’t possibly be enjoying this. Suddenly he started bouncing in my lap, slapping at the book, laughing, and yelling “stomp! stomp!” It was then I realized…I really don’t get it. Maybe I should see what he thinks of Antarctica.

eating kid's book crow

I must say I desperately needed a class in children’s literature. I don’t know exactly how I missed so many great books that mostly everyone else has read or are very familiar with. Finally, after reading a lot of additional books for the Unit Plan, I really feel like I know so much more about the genre. It’s funny to think about it now…my best friend, Merritt is always reading YA fiction for her own pleasure…and I always wondered how she could get anything out of such “fluff.” Now I’m embarrassed to admit how wrong I was. There are some REALLY GOOD children’s books out there. Tuck Everlasting rocked my world, Gary Paulson made me cry (several times!), and Jerry Spinelli can tap into what it feels like to be a kid better than some kids can (okay, a bit of an exaggeration, but still). I can actually now imagine seeking out some children’s books to read for total pleasure.

Blood Read

Graham Salisbury’s story of a young Japanese boy living in Hawaii surrounding the Pearl Harbor incident is a fairly solid read. It won the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction. Although I wasn’t completely enthralled, I do have to admit (just like Number the Stars) has motivated me to learn more about WWII. Lowry’s story of WWII is through the lens of the Danish Resistance. Salisbury gives the reader a view of Pearl Harbor and the events surrounding that tragic day from the perspective of the many Japanese living in Hawaii whose loyalties to the U.S. was questioned. Many Japanese-Americans were imprisoned and killed due to ignorance and fear prevalent in the U.S. at this time. One can’t help but think of the fear and (often times) ignorance surrounding many Americans attitudes towards Muslims now. For discussion value alone, I would say this could deserve a place in a school library. Salisbury definitely taught me something…I just wished he could have also entertained me.

isms

Learning can take place anywhere and at anytime. It often involves play and action. Learning can be done alone or in groups.
There is not a singular road to knowledge. I believe in a sort of interdisciplinary approach. One subject, idea or issue can be approached and discovered via many different avenues.
Also, all people have a different setting that is most comfortable to them. Some may learn well in a classroom. Others may learn by doing. Personally, I try to get the information as it approaches, but I have to let it gestate for a while before I actually feel like I’ve “learned.” Usually, my EUREKA moments come when I’m having fun…some synapse is triggered or something opens up for me. In other words I just want to play all of the time!
These were my initial thoughts when first asked to think about how I learn and what I believe about learning. It has taken my entire life to make the progression from behaviorism to constructivism. Of course all the “isms” (with cognitive) in the middle are evident still. I certainly see the value of behaviorism in libraries. I mean, where would we be without late fees? But I think it’s important for every librarian to embrace some element of constructivism. Actually, after having explored these theories in class, I have been reminded that I should thank my lucky stars for my experiences as an Interdisciplinary Studies major at ASU for. My behaviorist shell cracked open after my first IDS class, and the crack continues to get bigger and bigger. Yes, I am comfortable with comparing myself to a nut. It’s funny how behaviorism seems like the simplest and most basic of the “isms”, however, when thinking about basics I think of how young children learn. The through doing, play, and creative collaboration with their teacher (aka parent), so the whole triad of “isms” kind of come full circle in a certain way.

from the mixed-up blogs of lyme kedic

Uh oh. Once again I blogged the individual book instead of group book. So sorry. Moving on. From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg comes in at number two on my list of the best books read so far in this class. Granted, nothing has really compared to Tuck Everlasting, but this book is definitely a quality read. Konigsburg succeeds in the same way as Babbitt does in that they both transport the young reader to alternate realities. They lift the reader out of the mundane into an imaginative exciting reality; Babbitt, with the supernatural idea of immortality, Konigsburg with a more based in reality idea of two children living in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Although I am a little uncomfortable with the way the book almost romanticizes running away from home, I do appreciate the adventurous spirit of its main character, Claudia. The book was written in 1972, but I think the age helps more than hinders its success with young readers today. I think readers would appreciate Claudia’s and her younger brother, Jamie’s desire to explore and learn in the real world instead of the almost virtual education and exploration children experience today. Reading this book could motivate children to walk away from the computer and ask their parents to take them to see some art or any other adventure they may think of.

Postflusky

Children’s Poet Laureate Jack Prelutsky knows how to grab his audience. The poems in It’s Raining Pigs and Noodles are geared toward a much younger age bracket than myself but my raggedy aged self could still appreciate a good gross-out poem or a weird animals-that-don’t-exist poem. My introduction to this book, strangely, happened at just the right time. I checked this book out while trying to recover from the flu. During my convalescence, I felt too wretched to concentrate on anything but really bad daytime television. Trying to make my achy eyes focus of any sort of grown up “literature” (including the word-fluff of a surfing magazine) was nauseating and impossible. But this could only go on for so long… I had to get some work done! Jack Prelutsky was the perfect segue back to a world without Judge Judy. The poems read quick, easy, and fun. Prelutsky obviously loves to play with words, and I think this could help young readers and/or listeners get a better handle on and pursue their interests in language.

Blessed be the Southern Gothic!

I’m so thankful to have been able to talk with Amy’s class in the discussion boards because I was given the opportunity to read To Kill a Mockingbird again. The last time I read it was at least ten years ago. This, being my third reading, found an even deeper appreciation for it (which I didn’t really think was possible). For some reason a lot of the humor rose to the surface for me this time. It was also really nice to read the dialogue of characters like Maudie Atkinson and be reminded of the way my grandmother spoke (e.g. “Oh, foot!” as an expletive).
The novel is so well balanced! Just the right amount of humor, tragedy, foreshadowing, and even well placed austerity.

Ramona

My girlfriend often references Ramona and her Father as one of her favorite childhood books. I, of course, had never read it before now. I expected to find the character of Ramona a little more rambunctious, but perhaps this particular story didn’t lend itself to the exploration of her wilder side. Something I really appreciated was the working class aesthetic the book maintains. Ramona’s father eventually finds a job (after a considerable dry spell) as a cashier in a supermarket. Cleary makes the characters very approachable by making them good working class people.
Cleary’s strong-minded and brave Ramona is an excellent role model to young girls. She’s precocious, smart, and funny. Through her relentless work and creativity, she even succeeds in convincing her father to give up a nasty smoking habit.
Even though Ramona and her Father was written in the seventies, I couldn’t really find anything that made it seem truly dated. It really is a timeless classic.

the wheel

While reading and thouroughly enjoying Tuck Everlasting, it hardly crossed my mind that I was reading a YA book. It was too enjoyable to even care about the characterization. This is really my first foray into YA literature. As a young adult, I basically skipped this genre of books altogether. As a thirteen year old, I guess I thought I probably knew too much about the complexities of the world to even bother with "kiddie lit." But Babbitt doesn't shy away from huge and heady topics. She explores the issue of the great cycle/wheel of life with young readers in a way that doesn't sugar-coat anything, but also doesn't mortify.
Also, I love the consistent theme of love and reverence for nature. Babbitt seems to be very anti-development; an issue that speaks personnaly to me.
I'm really looking forward to giving this book to my 12 year old nephew.

Tuck

I am really surprised how much I'm enjoying Tuck Everlasting. It is beautifully written. Just reading the first few pages where Winnie is beginning a relationship with the still and steady frog, the beauty of the character of this sort of long-suffering frog called to mind the turtle described in the first pages of Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. The frog and the turtle being these sort of wise and all-knowing characters. They're animalness seperating them from the triviality of the human condition, but bearing the burden of themselves all the same. Beautiful

a caterpillar isn't always a cigar

I love it when a class is mostly about reading books. I always feel like I’m getting away with something, because I usually enjoy it so much. Of course, these initial preschool to elementary school aged reads aren’t exactly my thing, but I haven’t even really minded that either. It’s actually sort of interesting to experience these books because I wasn’t aware of most of them as a child. I kind of feel like I’m catching up on them. It’s never too late!
One of the weirdest things about rereading some of the folktales that I am familiar with is that I think they strike me as more morbid and creepy than they did when I was a kid. There’s always a big bad wolf or fox or troll… something always lurking and waiting for the right moment to pounce! I can handle the creepiness if there is a lesson being offered. But the purpose of books like The Gingerbread Boy, honestly, escapes me. What am I not getting?
I’m actually appreciating the discussion boards more than I thought I would. It’s kind of fun to just sort of dissect what is, on the surface, simple and straightforward. Who knew I could reflect on the concept of transformation after reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar, or considering the importance of karma in the Hindu tradition while reading Once a Mouse? It’s been illuminative for me to think of the fact that it’s ADULTS writing these books. It really opens up a lot of issues to examine.