Diane Frankenstein

To read is to ponder, reflect, contemplate.

I swim in a sea of print, not only children’s books, but articles and books on subjects that relate to children’s well being. All of these ‘musings’ serve to point our attention to issues that impact children by providing food for thought so that we might enrich the life of a child to best support their intellectual and emotional development. As such, I intend to use this ‘musings’ section to discuss current topics and ideas that relate to raising children who not only love individual stories and books, but children who learn to love to wrestle with ideas, stories, and in the end, become critical, clever thinkers.

~ Began as a writer for advertisements for such products as Flitt, a bug spray repellant

~ 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.”

Celebrate Jewish Book Week February 27-March 7, 2010
To find out more, visit http://www.jewishbookweek.com/

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.

One of my favorite quotes from Abraham Lincoln is:
” My best friend is a person who will give me a book I have not read.”

“Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.” Pablo Picasso

“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?

So many books offer insights and wisdoms I want to remember, ponder, savor and share.  Hence why I love looking for “souvenirs—” a quote from the story I want to remember— in the books I read.
Here is one of my many favorite “souvenirs” from Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
 
“Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”
 
A fun way to “travel” through a story:
~ Look  and find your souvenir in the book you are currently reading.
~ What makes it difficult to choose just one souvenir?
~ Do you find that you always choose the same souvenir, or does it change with each new reading?
~ Go back to a book you love and choose a souvenir.

Visit http://www.ala.org/ala/awardsgrants/index.cfm
and learn more about the awards for excellence in Children’s literature.

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

Two books that honor the sprit of Martin Luther King

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.

“You can’t stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” A.A. Milne

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.

Congratulations to Katherine Paterson who has just been appointed the national ambassador for young people’s literature. Paterson is quoted as saying: “The main advice she’ll be giving adults: Read aloud to your children.” In honor of our new ambassador I am sharing one of my very favorite poems—it fits perfectly into the wintry month of January and has always evoked the coziness of a warm house and a cup of tea on a wintry night. Enjoy and read the poem aloud to your children!

The Lamplighter, Robert Louis Stevenson

My tea is nearly ready and the sun has left the sky;
Its time to take the window to see Leerie going by;
For every night at teatime and before you take your seat,
With lantern and with ladder he comes posting up the street.

Now Tom would be a driver and Maria go to sea,
And my papa’s a banker and as rich as he can be;
But I, when I am stronger and can choose what I’m to do,
O Leerie, I’ll go round at night and light the lamps with you!

For we are very lucky, with a lamp before the door,
And Leerie stops to light it as he lights so many more;
And O! before you hurry by with ladder and with light;
O Leerie, see a little child and nod to him to-night.

At a presentation I did last week, the audience was asked to introduce themselves and name their favorite childhood book. It was heartwarming to hear and see the love that washed over the titles mentioned. What book turned you into a lover of reading? I am not sure I can definitively answer that question but I do know that I became hooked by the power of storytelling with, “and then what happened?” after meeting the Arabian Nights, Tales From A Thousand And One Nights.

As parents we want our children to love the books we loved as a child—and sometimes that happens. Rudyard Kipling’s classics the Jungle Books (1894) and its sequel, The Second Jungle Book (1895), as well as his Just So Stories (1902) seem to have stood the test of time—being enjoyed by every new generation of children. Kipling, a writer of short stories, novels, and poetry, was the first English writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize. Although many of his works stirred up controversy, his least controversial achievements are his children’s stories. The Jungle Books chronicles the adventures of a human boy, Mowgli, who is raised by wolves and taught the lore of the jungle. The Just So Stories recounts, with humor, how various animals developed certain physical characteristics. These books seem to defy Mark Twain’s definition of a classic, ” A classic is a book which people praise and don’t read.”

December is the month with the least amount of light and by 5 p.m. I am ready for an early dinner and bedtime — there is genius in why bears hibernate in the winter. But for us humans, hibernation is not an option however we do get something very special in December— the holidays and the lights — the delicately draped lights on houses and the lights shinning in the windows from the Hanukah menorahs. I love the lights and it makes me realize how much I love color. Hailstones and Halibut Bones (an ‘oldie but goodie’) by Mary O’Neill is one of my favorite books of poetry that takes me into the world of colors.

Treat yourself this holiday season (and the rest of the year for that matter) and dip into this odyssey of the colors of the rainbow.

Here is one poem from her collection.

The colors live
Between black and white
In a land that we
Know best by sight.
Isn’t everything,
For colors dance
And colors sing,
And colors laugh
And colors cry—
Turn off the light
And colors die,
And they make you feel
Every feeling there is
From the grumpiest grump
To the fizziest fizz.
And you and you and I
Know well
Each has a taste
And each has a smell
And each has a wonderful
Story to tell…

November 29, 1832 is the birthday of Louisa May Alcott who wrote Little Women (1868) when she was 36 years old. November 30, 1835 is the birthday of Andrew Clemens (aka Mark Twain) who wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) when he was 41 years old and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) when he was 49 years old. One day and three years apart — there must have been something in the water.

After more than a hundred years, Jo March of Little Women might not seem like such a radical tomboy but for at least 5 generations of American girls, Jo was a rebel and an ideal and Louisa May Alcott’s contribution to challenging the way girls were supposed to act and speak is something to applaud and celebrate. Who can deny a direct link between Jo March and Pippi Longstocking, Harriet Welsch in Harriet the Spy and so many others?

Mark Twain’s Huck and Tom were also rebels — who expressed ideas and feelings not commonly accepted. Twain once said that Tom Sawyer was written in reaction against what he described as ‘good-goody boys’ books.” A successor to both Huck and Tom is found in Jerry Renault, a character in The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier.

Both Louisa May Alcott and Mark Twain created characters who “dared to disturb the universe” an idea expressed in the poem, The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot.

Let’s celebrate the rebels in literature — those characters who appeal to our imagination as they renew our capacity to question, act as a force for change and encourage us to ask “on what gournds do I accept the world as I know it?”

I have a few things in common with Kevin Henkes… As a child he loved to re-read books and he liked to take them everywhere. Even better, all his books showed signs of love— fingerprints on the pages, his name inscribed on the front and back cover and he liked peanut butter— and he was curious about the authors— did they have families, how old were they, where did they live?

And of course, I am still curious about Kevin Henkes and I love his books!
A quote from just one of my many favorites—

“He couldn’t help but give in to the occasional temptation to replay past events in his mind, altering them, changing them from cruel to comfortable, from sad to happy, from unfair to accommodating. Anything was possible in his imagination. Any ending. If only thinking it could make it so.” Kevin Henkes, Bird Lake Moon

What author would you put on your Valentine List?

There is a saying in my family that a superior meal must be accompanied by first-rate conversation. In keeping with this tradition, Thanksgiving – no matter the menu –provides an opportunity to talk about thankfulness and appreciation.
Wishing you a wonderful day filled with cuisine, conversation and camaraderie.

Some conversation jump starters—

* Aldous Huxley said, “Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted.”- Do you agree?

* Can you teach gratitude and/or appreciation?

* Does gratitude cultivate happiness?

* Is appreciation an attitude, a choice, or a habit?

* What do you appreciate? Why do you appreciate it?

* What does “count your blessings” mean?

* Have you ever thought of keeping a gratitude journal?

A poem that takes a little different approach to the usual Thanksgiving sentiments offers some “good food” for conversation as well.

Be Thankful, Author Unknown

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire. 
If you did, what would there be to look forward to? 
Be thankful when you don’t know something, 
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.


Be thankful for the difficult times. 
During those times you grow. 
Be thankful for your limitations, 
because they give you opportunities for improvement. 
Be thankful for each new challenge, 
because it will build your strength and character.


Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons. 
Be thankful when you’re tired and weary, 
because it means you’ve made a difference.


It’s easy to be thankful for the good things. 
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who 
are also thankful for the setbacks. 
Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive. 
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, 
and they can become your blessings.

I always try and be the first person to wish my sons “Happy Birthday”. Depending on what time zone they are living in, I often need to call them a day ahead so, no surprise that I also want to be the first to wish William Steig a Happy Birthday for November 14. He would have been 100 years old. Deep down, and I know it makes no difference, but there is a little bit of me that is delighted we share November as the month we were both born.

William Steig is on my Evergreen Valentine List and I would send him a Valentine every February 14 for the rest of my life. When I think of William Steig, the line that instantly comes to mind is “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. However, as much as there is no need to waste precious time trying to convince a child of the importance of reading, there is even less need to sing the virtues of William Steig and the magnificent universe his books evoke—just read his books!

Which Steig books are my favorite—is like asking me which son is my favorite—and my answer is both! I will keep my list of “Steig favorites” to a few titles and this will be a good jumping off place to the magical and heartfelt “world of Seig” you are about the enter: Amos & Boris, Brave Irene, Doctor DeSoto, Gorky Rises, Dominic, The Real Thief, Abel’s Island and many others.

For those lucky folks who might find themselves in the vicinity of the Eric Carle museum in Amherst, Mass, there is an exhibition “”Heart and Humor: The Picture Book Art of William Steig,” on view through April 25.

To pay proper homage to Snuffleupagus, who used to be Big Bird’s imaginary friend until parents complained for the show to make him “real”, here are a few of my favorite books about imaginary friends.

Leon and Bob by Simon James
Jethro Byrd, Fairy Child by Bob Graham
Tashi by Anna Fienberg

One of my favorite imaginary friends was Gigani, my older son’s imaginary friend when he was little. Together we shared many spirited conversations about what Gigani was doing and thinking, and saying.

And let’s not forget all those wonderful stories about animals that take on a life of their own?

A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond
Corduroy by Don Freeman
The Jamie and Angus Stories by Anne Fine
The Lost Flower Children by Janet Taylor Lisle
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
The World of Pooh by A.A. Milne

Einstein said Imagination is more important than knowledge. What do you think?

The Baby Einstein videos were marketed to parents with young children (newborn-toddler), with the implication that they would turn your child into a genius.

Baby Einstein, founded in 1997, was part of a large electronic media market for babies and toddlers. An article on the NY Times website said “According to a 2003 study, a third of all American babies from 6 months to 2 years old had at least one “Baby Einstein” video.”

Walt Disney Company is now offering refunds for Baby Einstein videos. Why the refund? Not only did the video not turn babies into geniuses, but their claim that the video had educational merit was flawed.

It is essential to have accurate information to make the right choices about how much technology is good for young children. “The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time at all for children under 2.”

I am in complete agreement with the comments from Ms. Rideout, Vice President of the Kaiser Family Foundation “My impression is that parents really believe these videos are good for their children, or at the very least, not really bad for them,” “To me, the most important thing is reminding parents that getting down on the floor to play with children is the most educational thing they can do.”

Happy 40th Birthday to Ernie and Bert, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Grover, Oscar the Grouch, the Count, Elmo, Kermit and of course, Snuffleupagus (at 40 years of age, I hope he has finally grown into his name).
An interesting piece of Sesame Street lore: Snuffleupagus used to be Big Bird’s imaginary friend until parents complained for the show to make him “real”.

The Wall Street Journal ran an article about a new school called the Equity Project, “premised on the theory that excellent teachers—and not revolutionary technology, talented principals or small class size—are the critical ingredient for success.”

The Michigan Department of Education conducted a survey and found that more than budgets or teachers, parents are the reason children perform as they do in school, and the most consistent predictors of children’s academic achievement and social adjustment are parental expectations.

Parents or teachers–who are more influential to a child’s success and well being in school? Both! Parents are their child’s first teachers and once their child begins school, a partnership is needed between parents and teachers to ensure a child’s success.

What is the job “description” for a parent or a teacher in this partnership when it comes to reading? Turning children into lifetime readers calls for teamwork on the part of all the adults in the life of a child—family, caregivers, teachers, and librarians—to help kids find their “home-run books”— books where a child cares about the characters and what happens to them. Teachers are trained to teach children how to read, and all the adults in the life of a child have the opportunity to show that child how to love reading by helping him find great stories, and through questions that jump-start conversations, show him how to mine a story for its treasures.

Show children your passion for a story and see how your passion becomes contagious. Don’t waste precious time trying to convince your child of the importance of reading—just read him good stories.

I wish The Equity Project school community —the teachers, children and parents — great success in their first year and look forward to following their progress.

As some of you may know, on October 16 Where The Wild Things Are is coming out as a movie. Although the book was never a favorite of mine, many people sing it’s praises, along with the committee that conferred upon it the prestigious Caldecott Medal in 1963. The compelling question becomes— is it better to read the book before you see the movie or see the movie and then read the book? Does it matter in which order they happen? I think it does make a big difference and I recommend that a child first meet the story in the book and then see the movie.

This is a classic “chicken or the egg argument”, except, we know which came first, the book, and I believe that it is important for a child to meet the story as it was written and then see the movie, which is a wonderful way to extend how they feel about the original story. More times than not, when done in this order, the book wins hands down. The beauty is that this particular “chicken or the egg argument” is sure to spark some interesting conversation in your family

~ Was the movie the same as the book? How were they different?
~ Which did you prefer, the movie or the book? Why?
~ What other books have you read that you also saw the movie adaptation? Which did you prefer?
~ Have you ever seen a movie that was identical to the book?
~What advice would you give to someone if they asked, should they see the movie and then read the book or the other way around?

Enjoy the book, enjoy the movie and also, enjoy the conversation about both of them.

Last week (September 25) marked Shel Silverstein’s birthday. Here is one of my favorite poems by him:

Mr. Grumpledump’s Song

Everything’s wrong,
Days are too long,
Sunshine’s too hot,
Wind is too strong.
Clouds are too fluffy,
Grass is too green,
Ground is too dusty,
Sheets are too clean.
Stars are too twinkly,
Moon is too high,
Water’s too drippy,
Sand is too dry.
Rocks are too heavy,
Feathers too light,
Kids are too noisy,
Shoes are too tight.
Folks are too happy,
Singin’ their songs.
Why can’t they see it?
Everything’s wrong!

Banned Books Week, begun in 1982, started on Saturday September 26. As I think back on the different forms censorship has come in over time, I realize that I have a lot in common with the censors. I believe that books matter and make a difference. They open your mind to new possibilities and transport you to other times and places. But that is where my camaraderie with the censors stops. In fact, I am proud of the fact that many of my evergreen favorite books find themselves on the list of challenged books.

A significant portion of the books that are widely considered great literature seem to find themselves on challenged or banned books lists, no matter how much time is put between them and the original publication date. However, along with this thought, is the worthy of note fact that six out of seven petitions against a book are lost.

For example, The Story of Ferdinand, (written in 1936) by Munro Leaf often comes under contention. You might ask yourself, who could possibly have a problem with Ferdinand but the censors were concerned Ferdinand would turn children into pacifists.

However, if for some reason you don’t like The Story of Ferdinand, that is completely your choice and you should be able to not let your children read it. What you should not be able to do is stop other people’s children from reading about the loveable bull. As Clare Boothe Luce said: “Censorship, like charity, should begin at home; but unlike charity, it should end there.”

Censorship, as a subject, is a great conversation starter—most people have strong opinions on the subject. To make a conversation on censorship richer and more interesting, I highly recommend a recent article in the Wall Street Journal:
“Finding Censorship Where There is None” by Mitchell Muncy

The following are several questions to jump-start a conversation on censorship with your family:
~ Is there such a thing as a little bit of censorship?
~ Are books banned in the United States?
~ Can a best seller be a banned book?
~ Should books should be allowed to be “challenged” or banned?
~ Do you have a favorite book that is found on the list of challenged books and what might be some of the reasons the book found itself on that list?

Some of my evergreen favorite books that find themselves on the list of challenged books:
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Anastasia Krupnick by Lois Lowry
Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry
Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White
Crazy Lady by Jane Leslie Conly
Frindle by Andrew Clements
Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S.Lewis
The Lost Flower Children by Janet Taylor Lisle
Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
Sun and Spoon by Kevin Henkes
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
Where’s Waldo by Martin Hanford

To find out more about Banned Books Week visit: http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/index.cfm

Thank you Wall Street Journal for choosing The Arabian Nights in your column Masterpiece: Anatomy of a Classic. Abraham Lincoln said that “My best friend is a person who will give me a book I have not read.” so often the column Masterpiece serves as my best friend by introducing me to books I would otherwise never meet. Masterpiece is also dear to me when it highlights a book I have loved for many years — reminding me to go back and revisit many of my favorite books from long ago.

I look forward to this section of the newspaper every week, and felt that it was an extra special gift that The Arabian Nights was chosen the day before Reading Together was due to arrive on the shelves. I met The Arabian Nights as a nine-year-old little girl and I immediately fell under the spell of ‘tell me more’ and ‘then what happened?’

As a child I was captured by the power of story telling that came from reading Scheherazade’s stories in The Arabian Nights. Her tales embody the enchantment and transformative power of stories. The Wall Street Journal said, “The most seductive quality of the stories is Shahrazad’s serene conviction that her audience will follow her anywhere. And we do.”

Thank you Wall Street Journal for making September 1st just a little more special for me.

The New York Times featured an article in the latest in a series on the “future of reading.” The article compares two schools of thought: one that lets children have complete discretion of the books they read; the other that dictates assigning children a set curriculum.

In the end, these two competing ideologies each have certain merit, and a combination of the two creates an atmosphere for success. When children are young, they need the involvement and guidance from the adults in their lives to help them find their “home run” books; books that tap into their curiosity and interest, stories where they care about the characters and what happens to them. Don’t miss the opportunity to be the person who hands a youngster the memorable books that will carry them into young adulthood.

No matter when the school year actually begins, Labor Day symbolizes Back to School. For me, the beginning of a new school year always brought both anticipation and excitement along with the daunting reality of new schedules and responsibilities for my children as well as for me. As much as I looked forward to my children being back in school, I was always a bit sad, knowing how school tends to high-jack family time, which always included the pleasure we found in reading together.

This juggling act required of parents can feel overwhelming. How, with all the new responsibilities and demands, can you then still find time to make reading enjoyable for your children, and not just another assignment for them and you? As soon as the assignment— read 20 minutes a night and keep a journal showed up— the pleasure found in reading seemed to evaporate over night.

Reading with your children and talking with them about the books they read is a fun way to spend time with your children. Talking with children about the stories they read helps them engage and connect with a story and children who talk about stories better understand what they read. Let there be no doubt: Children who get more from the books they read are children who love to read. Many of the skills children need to become good readers are first learned in the stories they hear.

A few tips:
~ Don’t waste precious time trying to convince your children of the importance of reading; just read them good stories.

~ Help your child find their “home-run” books – books that tap into their curiosity and interests, stories where they care about the characters and what happens to them.

~ Choose books that are both appropriate in terms of reading level ability and emotional readiness for the story. Children want stories they can understand.

~ Talk with your children about the story—children who talk about stories better understand the stories they read.

~ Slow down. Encourage your child to read fewer books and know them well.

~ Audio books (not the abridged stories) are terrific. Listening to books on tape is not cheating!

And last but not least, remember what Alice* said:
“What is the use of a book without pictures or conversations?”

* Alice, from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland —I knew you knew which Alice I meant!

P. S. Today is International Literacy Day

Please come to a book signing near you!

“Our lives are not made up of atoms; they are made of stories.”
– Muriel Rukeyser

I was talking with a friend the other night at a San Francisco Giants game and I found myself mesmerized by his stories about his favorite baseball players and their struggles to get to the big leagues. I was struck by how animated and involved he was in telling me about their perseverance, their obstacles, their challenges, and their disappointments….

I told him how much I loved his passion for these stories and I asked him what were his favorite books as a child. He told me that as a child he had never read books he really liked or was excited about. Because the books he read didn’t spark his interests, he concluded he was not a good reader and didn’t like to read. My friend’s lack of confidence in his reading ability continues to play out today where he continues to shy away from reading fiction and feels most comfortable reading magazines and newspapers.

The reality, that my friend loves stories but doesn’t necessarily like to read and doesn’t feel confident as a reader, could have easily been avoided. Can you imagine if someone had handed him a story like Finding Buck McHenry, Casey At The Bat, or Summerland? Any one of these books could have been his “home-run” book.

People love stories but not everyone likes to read. Children need someone to hand them their home-run books—books that speak to their interests and curiosities. Home-run books are why children find pleasure in reading and become the readers they deserve to be.

Read what you love and love what you read!

The other day, a mom told me she was taking cupcakes to her daughter’s day camp to celebrate. The reason for this celebration was that her daughter was the camper of the week and each week, the ‘camper of the week’ is asked to do something that makes a difference in someone’s life.

In response to the mother’s cupcake celebration, I suggested a book to go along with the cupcakes. Why not leave the campers with more than a sugar high for the camp counselors to deal with?

And so I suggested the book Miss Rumphius, (by Barbara Cooney) – a story about a little girl whose Grandfather tells her that when she grows up, she must do something to make the world more beautiful. It is a charming story that jump-starts a conversation on what one might do to make the world more beautiful —”Can you make the world more beautiful in small ways?”; “Do you have to be an adult to make the world more beautiful?”; “What would the world be like if nobody thought to make the world more beautiful?”

Cupcakes last 37 seconds, but connecting her daughter’s experience as camper of the week to a story she loves will last a lifetime. There is a double victory here. On the one hand, the daughter will always associate her celebration with Miss Rumphius. Secondly, the questions that stem from the book – how could you make the world a more beautiful place? What did Miss Rumphius do? – will generate thought-provoking conversation.