Make your Thanksgiving a culinary and literary feast.
November 23, 2011
Is there a child who has never felt ignored by a grown-up?
The children’s books of Florence Parry Heide (2/1919-10/2011) made the world a better place. My Thanksgiving this year goes to her wonderful book, The Shrinking Of Treehorn, illustrated by Edward Gorey. A delightful book and cautionary tale to parents who try to ignore their children, this story rings true for any child who has tried to convince adults of the existence of fairies, imaginary friends, or the Loch Ness Monster. And for every child who has experienced the uncertainties that rage through childhood experiences, do get your hands on, Some Things Are Scary(1969).
Happy Thanksgiving.
Stories have the power to nurture us.
November 20, 2011
I.B. Singer (11.21.1902) who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1978, understood the power of story to nurture a person’s mind and heart. He recognized how much we need stories in our lives. “What’s life after all? The future isn’t here yet and you cannot foresee what it will bring. The present is only […]
Curiosity drives learning.
November 18, 2011
“UCSF scientist touts inquiry as key to learning” Having to state the obvious spotlights the distressing state of education for too many children. The job of education should be to teach children how to ask good questions; questions that take them someplace in their thinking. The answers aren’t really important. What’s important is knowing the […]
What books made you the reader you are today ~ Wisdom found in children’s stories.
November 14, 2011
Scheherazade, Merlin, from the Once and Future King, and William Steig’s books for children made me the reader I am today. They all raised the bar for what I expected from the stories I read. I will always remember the moment I met William Steig’s Gorky Rises. My children were very small and I was […]
Literacy needs to be nurtured. It doesn’t just happen.
November 11, 2011
The groundwork for childhood literacy begins at birth. Parents, caregivers & other adults need to be mindful of the significance and importance of their communicative model: eye contact, body language, over all feedback. Our world of distracted and multi-tasking adults along with children plugged into gadgets does NOT foster the type of interaction and stimulation […]
