~ First book was turned down 43 times before being published

~ Began writing political cartoons in 1941 because he/she was concerned that American isolationism left America vulnerable.  Although (he/she had no great interest in social issues, he/she said, “I always wanted the good guys to win.”

~ He/she is credited with “killing off” the Dick and Jane Books by creating the first I Can Read book in 1957.

The above information belongs to the infamous Dr. Seuss and today we wish him a Happy Birthday. Take a fresh look at some of his books and see his sentiments about some of his concerns of the day.

Yertle the Turtle is an anti-fascist tract.

The Sneetches is plea for racial tolerance.

The Lorax delivers an environmental message.

Horton Hears a Who was conceived from his experiences in Japan in 1954, with the theme of a person’s a person no matter how small— everyone counts.

The Butter Battle Book is his 1984 polemic for nuclear disarmament.

The Cat in the Hat’s red and white striped tower of a stovetop hat has become an American icon.

How did the Cat in the Hat come to be written?

In 1954 John Hersey wrote an article in Life Magazine “Why do children Bog Down on the First R?”  Hersey concluded that “primers were bland, idealized and terribly literal, unable to hold youngsters’ attention” and that was the reason children bogged down on the First R.

This was the impetus for Dr. Seuss to agree to write a book using only 223 words that children would recognize. The Cat in the Hat uses only 223 words and was written to teach children how to read, which launched the Beginning Books series, followed by the I Can Read Books.

The Cat In the Hat took Seuss 1½ years to write and in his own words: “ Writing The Cat in the Hat experience was like being lost with a witch in a tunnel of love- only job I ever tackled that I found more difficult was when I wrote the Baedeker that Eskimos use then they travel to Siam.”

A few recommendations for some of my evergreen favorites~

Family recommendations:

• Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer

• While Standing on One Foot by Nina Jaffee and Steve Zeitlin

• The Feather Merchants & Other Tales of the Fools of Chelm by Steve Sanfield

• When Shlemiel Went to Warsaw & Other Stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer

• The Diamond Tree Jewish Tales from Around the World selected & retold by Howard Schwartz & Barbara Rush

For adults~

A Treasury of Yiddish Stories Edited by Irving Howe and Eliezer Greenberg is a collection of stories that continues to  amaze me in how it delivers such pleasure and where I find myself going between emotions such as laughter and tears fomr story to story.  As Isaac Bashevis Singer aptly said, Yiddish is a language with vitamins.

“A study out this week confirms every modern parent’s fears: We’ve raised a whole new generation of gadget addicts. The Kaiser Family Foundation released a study that says young people spend more than 7½ hours every day — or about 53 hours a week — watching TV, playing video games, texting, listening to music and otherwise staying glued to their phones, though not in the usual manner.” …To no one’s surprise, those kids who used media devices a lot less than their peers reported better grades in school.

My concern is that children are plugged in and tuned out. The more they are connected to their devices, the more time they spend in the world of social networking, the less “connected” they seem to be.

Computers do enhance children’s education—the Internet is a valuable research tool but my concern is the over use of technology and how compatible and child-friendly digital technologies are to the growth and development of children.

Another concern is how computers are filling children’s’ minds with information at the expense of teaching them how to think.—children learn through socialization and interaction with peers and teachers and parents.

To make good choices for children, parents need to be informed and have accurate information. The sheer amount of information about the effects of technology on children can feel over whelming. Although there are many very good books that speak to this subject, I highly recommend, “Your Child’s Growing Mind: Brain Development and Learning from Birth to Adolescence” by Jane Healy. Her book is an excellent starting point on a subject—the effects and possible hazards of children spending too much time with technology— that speaks to parental concerns.

A couple of questions to ponder?
How much technology is good for your child?
Who decides how much time your child spends with their devices?
How much time are they spending on social networking?
Children get much of their information from the Internet: Do they trust everything they read on the intent?
Do they stop to find out the source of the information they are getting from the Internet?
On a daily basis, how much time do you spend with technology?
On a daily basis, how much time do they spend reading a book?
On a daily basis, how much time do you spend reading a book?

But— do stop and ask yourself:

~ Which books do you love that never won an award!
~ Which books do you think deserve an award?
~ If you could make up an award—what would it be?

Let’s congratulate the award winners and at the same time, not let our taste be dictated only by awards. Some of the award winners~

2010 Caldecott Medal
The Lion & the Mouse,
illustrated and written
by Jerry Pinkney

2010 Caldecott Honor
All the World,
illustrated by Marla Frazee, written by Liz Garton

Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, written by Joyce Sidman

2010 Newberry Award
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

2010 Newberry Honor
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice
by Phillip Hoose

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
by
Jacqueline Kelly

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Flgg
by Rodman Philbrick

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

2010 Carnegie
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Williams

One of my favorite awards is the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal
2010 winner
Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone

Marching For Freedom: Walk Together Children, and Don’t You Grow Weary by Elizabeth Partridge, takes readers to the months of protest that culminated in the landmark march from Selma to Montgomery inn 1965, focusing on the courageous children who marched alongside King. The photos that accompany the text make the story come alive.

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice (6th grade+) by Phillip Hoose, 2010 Newberry Honor

Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Ala. bus boycott that began in 1955 is a well-known name in the Civil Rights Movement, but few people know the story of Claudette Colvin. When she was 15, she refused to move to the back of the bus and give up her seat to a white person—nine months before Rosa Parks did the very same thing. Up to now, Claudette Colvin’s role in the Montgomery civil rights drama had been largely lost to history. Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice (6th grade+) by Phillip Hoose, 2010 Newberry Honor now brings to life Claudette’s story.

Pooh Bear has many friends—“fearful Piglet, bossy Rabbit, single-minded Kanga, glum and underappreciated Eeyore, and energetic Tiger —and who can resist the charm of Winnie-the-Pooh himself, who loves “ a little something” at eleven o’clock?

~ Who are your stuffed animal friends?
~ Which of Pooh’s friends do you like the most—why?
~ Who are you most alike —Eeyore, who frets, Piglet who hesitates, Rabbit who calculates, Owl who pontificates or Pooh?
~ Would you like to live in the Hundred Acre Wood?

A thought to ponder: Today the 2010 Newberry and Caldecott awards were announced. A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh is loved and admired —and never won an award.