Today's Writing @ Reading Prompts focus on the giving the gift of literacy. Our very good friend Mrs. P., is not only sharing her own thoughts about the gift of reading, but has a few other surprises. No, I'm not going to tell you up front!
Sharing the Gift of Reading
by Mrs. P.
A few years ago, a friend gave me a nightgown for my birthday that was so large I wound up using it as an emergency parachute in case I ever had to jump out of my second-floor bedroom. Last Christmas, I received a pair of red socks from my cousin that were so small I wound up using them as ear warmers for my cat.
There is, however, one gift I enjoy receiving even when it doesn’t fit. Sometimes especially when it doesn’t fit. That gift is a book.
Getting a book that doesn’t “fit” can open up your world in ways you never imagined. “Why I never showed the slightest interest in Ancient Egypt,” you think. “Why would someone give me a book about
that?” Then you read it and are transported back to a world so amazing and compelling, you read three more books about it simply because you don’t want to leave.
“Why would someone give
me a book about a racehorse? I’ve rarely gone to the races and have no special interest in horses.” But then you read
Seabiscuit: An American Legend
by Laura Hillenbrand and are hypnotized; swept away against your will by the evocative writing and astonishing story.
Sometimes, I enjoy wandering through a library or bookstore and letting serendipity direct me to my next book. And if it’s the last thing I ever thought I’d read, odds are it’s going to be a fulfilling experience.
On my free website,
www.MrsP.com, I sit in a cozy chair by the fire and read classic stories to kids. It’s one of my favorite ways to share the gift of reading. My website features a library with dozens of tales, from the hilarious to the scary. I encourage kids to not just choose the stories that immediately strike their fancy, but to give others a try too. For some reason, those often turn out to be the stories that stick with you – and even change your life.
Or course, I realize it’s not always easy to persuade kids to read
anything if they haven’t developed a love and appreciation of books. To help parents with a child needing a bit of encouragement, and to celebrate Share a Story, Shape a Future, I’ve created a new,
free activity on my website.
It offers fun ideas about how you can – with very little time and money –
create magical, handmade books out of stories created by your child. And when a child sees a story woven out of thin air from her or his imagination turned into a
real book – well, I guarantee, that child will be a lot closer to understanding the power of books and the wonders of reading.
Thank you Mrs. P! You ARE the best reader in show biz!
If it's March then it must be time to share your love of reading. Read Across America and World Book Day have put us in an oh-so-perfect frame of mind for Share a Story ~ Shape a Future 2011.
Over the last month, our hosts have been crazy-busy identifying, inviting, and coordinating posts with their guests, not to mention thinking about their own posts. This is an unbelievably enthusiastic crew, and each person we've contacted has said "yes" without any hesitation. At last count, there were more than 35 people participating!
All week long our literacy curators are sharing personal stories, photographs, writers journals, and lots of great ideas. Did you notice the change to the term literacy curators did you notice that in this post? Brenda Power of Choice Literacy used that term in a recent Big Fresh and it just seems so appropriate in describing the Share a Story ensemble. )
Okay, here's what you've been waiting for a few more tidbits about next week.
- Author and TV personality Katie Davis (of Katie Davis' Brain Burps) has an exclusive interview with Terry Doherty, founder of The Reading Tub. Look for her podcast early in the week.
- Mrs. P. of MrsP.com has written an original story, will give us a demonstration of how her website is a portal to reading, AND is launching a new program. [Still a secret!]
- Award-winning authors Tanita S. Davis and Mitali Perkins, and Hannah Ehrlich of Lee & Low Books join Terry Doherty in a roundtable discussion about multiculturalism in books for children and teens.
- Elizabeth Dulemba, Sarah Mulhern (The Reading Zone), Donalyn Miller (The Book Whisperer), Franki Sibberson and Mary Lee Hahn (A Year of Reading), and their author and illustrator friends will be talking about how they fell in love with reading, who gave them the gift of reading, becoming a write, and ... well, we can't tell you everything now, can we? Here are some of their friends: Sarah Darer Littman, Kathi Appelt, JP Voelkel, Paul W. Hankins, Terri Lesesne, Mitali Perkins, Megan McCafferty, Jess Leader, Jonathan Auxier, Courtney Sheinmel, Barbara Dee.
It is going to be such an awesome week! Each day we'll post the day's lineup here and then publish the Writing @ Reading prompts. We hope you'll join in by adding posts of your own ... link them with the host or here on the Share a Story blog.
I know I said it the other day, but it is worth repeating: Although our focus is on young readers-to-be and readers-in-need, there are millions of adults who don't know how to read. If working with adults is something that interests you, we encourage you to visit Zoe's well-annotated list of literacy charities from around the world at
Playing by the Book or our
Reading & Literacy Wiki.
Each of the three years that we have celebrated the Share a Story ~ Shape a Future literacy blog tour, we have had authors and publishers donate their books to share with children and families. This year is no exception!
The Thank Yous!
Before we go any further, we would like to thank Barefoot Books, MrsP.com, and Reading is Fundamental for their generous donation of books to Share a Story ~ Shape a Future 2011.
Each of these organizations is powered by the idea of making a difference for kids by broadening their world through creativity, imagination, and literature. We cannot say thank you enough for all that they do every day, not just today.
Because of their generosity, you have a chance to win ...
, Pippi Longstocking from the book Pippi Longstocking
, and The Grinch from How The Grinch Stole Christmas
.
Pippi, who is very strong, could pick up the table with one hand and move it into the sun if we become too chilled sitting in the shade of the oak. Pollyanna would then get a chance to play her “glad game” and be glad that even though we were cold we had warm sunshine to move our table into. [image credit: Photobucket]
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The handmade book activity if great. It's easy to find in the activity drop down menu under bookmarks/bookmaking too. I didn't realize the site had so many other free activities, so this article was very helpful! Thanks