Who nurtured you to become a reader?
July 30, 2010
I do love to learn how authors became the readers they are, and therefore, the writers they are. I have often heard praise for librarians, a specific teacher, an uncle or aunt and I am amazed at the depth of gratitude expressed.
Let me share an anecdote I recently read that brought a smile to my heart. Karen Hesse was asked, “What was the next-best thing— aside from the Newbery award itself, of course—about winning their medals? What happens after the call?” She told a story of how her publisher helped her locate three primary mentors from her childhood, her fifth- and sixth grade teachers and her public librarian. She told how these three people had a profound effect on the writer she became. She contacted them and was able to thank them for the depth and breadth of their influence.
Don’t be shy—do tell the people in your life how they have affected the reader/writer you are today. It takes a universe to nurture children to grow up to be lifelong readers. Be part of the universe that nurtures a child to become a lover of reading. I can’t think of a better endeavor. It is a gift that keeps on giving.
Happy Birthday Bass Reeves! Who was he?
July 23, 2010
Bass Reeves was born July 1838 and is thought be one of the first, if not the first, African Americans to receive a commission as a Deputy Marshal west of the Mississippi River. I grew up with stories about Hopalong Cassidy, The Lone Ranger, Wyatt Earp, Pecos Bill, Maverick and Annie Oakley but I had […]
Do screen technologies dumb-down reading?
July 13, 2010
The Internet encourages us to read rapidly, skimming and surfing, bouncing from one link to the next. It does not encourage deep reading. I clearly see how the Internet has impacted not only what I read, but also the way I read. The best way I can explain the difference brings to mind a wonderful […]
“The essential thing with a bully is they’re unhappy. — May Stolz
July 8, 2010
I am always looking for books with really good bullies. Why? Because bullies are part of growing up and the more exposure children have to stories where bullies play a role, the more children will have an opportunity to think and talk about how to cope with the bullies they will meet in real life. […]
Let’s remember the pleasure principle.
June 30, 2010
We are approaching the Fourth of July which shouts “Summer!”—and summer hopefully brings the notion that NOW you can read for pleasure—read what you want and read for the sheer enjoyment of getting lost in a book. I recently read that so much emphasis is being placed on “functional literacy” that it has left little […]
