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Viewing: Blog Posts Tagged with: Phillip Pullman, Most Recent at Top [Help]
Results 1 - 25 of 34
1. June -- The Sky Opens, Kids, Books, Movies, and Dogs

 

                 Jack-beanstalkCoverOpenPages

 

 

Overcoming, Defeating, and Conquering -- The Giant(s)

Five thousand years ago, people were telling the story of a boy who overcame the ogre.

Ogres are all powerful, huge, and devour people --  much like giants.

In nineteenth century England, the boy, now known as Jack, became famous through chap books and story books. He was outwitting and killing giants.

And in our era, the giants have returned...this time through the movies.

The story that was told around campfires before the bronze age has endured through time, and continues to be told and even seen around the world -- in 3D movies with music and sounds.

Tales of wonder, indeed.

....................................

Fairy Tales Have Ancient Origins

From Africa and Asia to Europe and the Americas, anthropologists continue to uncover information about our past and our Celticcultural history. Recently, Durham University anthropologist Dr Jamie Tehrani, and folklorist Sara Graça da Silva, from New University of Lisbon, made a breakthrough in the world of wonder tales. Here are excerpts from an informative article about their discoveries written by Allison Flood in the Guardian.

"Analysis showed Jack and the Beanstalk was rooted in a group of stories classified as The Boy Who Stole Ogre’s Treasure, and could be traced back to when eastern and western Indo-European languages split – more than 5,000 years  ago. Beauty and the Beast and Rumpelstiltskin  were found to be about 4,000 years old. A folk tale called The Smith and the Devil was estimated to date back 6,000 years to the bronze age..." 

"The author and academic Marina Warner, who has written a history of fairytales, called the paper 'fascinating'. 'What’s interesting to me is it shows how deeply this creative power of the imagination lies in the human being, how it’s about making sense of your world by inventing narratives that resist its difficulties..." - 

Here is a link to the article by Allison Flood in the Guardian.

Here is a link to the original article, published by the researchers, in the Royal Society Open Science Journal  The photo is of the Celtic Janus Stone, Boa Island, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland

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Tales of Hope

MilletPeople have always needed hope. Life was a constant struggle in the early days of fairy tales. Life expectancy was less than thirty years.

Fairy tales, with their happy endings, gave people hope. They helped people to cope with the wars, hunger, disease, poverty and religious conflicts that characterized their lives.

Fairy tales, tales of wonder, told of struggles to survive, of finding light in the darkness. They told tales where a brave boy, using his wits, could overcome evil forces, and destroy the ogres and giants.

Through the eons of time, stories of this boy were tales of hope. 

The illustration is by Jean Francois Millet 

..................

Jack, A Quick-witted Cornish Farm Boy

JackTwoHeadsGiantKillerJack and the Gyants, published in 1708, was an immediate success and initiated a variety of tales where Jack, through quick-witted chicanery, good luck, and violent death overwhelms many giants. He also achieves wealth, and a noble wife. "An immediate success, Jack and his giants were frequently alluded to in familiar terms by eighteenth century writers lilke Henry Fielding, John Newberry, Dr Johnson and Boswell, and William Cowper...When Jack tales were rewritten for refined sensibilities in the 18th and 19th centuries, the cruelty of their gory killings disappeared...Jack became an earthy Everyboy, and the Giant a geographically unlocalizable married oaf, reachable only by the magic of a bean that grew endlessly heavenward."

Ruth B. Bottigheimer -- The Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales

..................

English Fairy Tales-Joseph Jacobs

EnglishFairyTalesJosephJacobs" 'Who says that English folk have no fairy tales of their own?' Jacobs asked with a rhetorical flourish in the preface to English Fairy Tales (1890)...These collections were the British answer to Perrault in France, and to the Brothers Grimm in Germany, aiming to capture an oral tradition before it died out and to reveal that the British could pride themselves on a powerful, imaginative native lore...

'This book,' he wrote of English Fairy Tales, "is meant to be read aloud and not merely taken in by the eye' "...

Jack and the Beanstalk was one of the tales included in Jacob's book.

from Maria Tatar, The Annotated Classic Fairy Tales


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BruegalTalkingThe Tellers of the Tales

..."The tales came to the tellers from other tellers, or they read tales, digested them, and made them their own. Indeed, we always make tales our own and then send them off to other tellers with the hope that they will continue to disseminate their stories..." - 

Jack Zipes, The Forgotten Tales of the Brothers Grimm,  in the The Public Domain Review  

The illustration is a detail from a painting by Peiter Bruegal

...................... 

Centuries of Oral Tradition

Greek"Our version of the 'Iliad' was composed toward the end of what we assume were centuries of oral tradition — the 'Iliad', like the 'Odyssey' and other oral poems, had a genetic ability to reproduce itself, changing with each recital, picking up new details even as old ones were discarded, but always remaining recognizable. Almost nothing material in the poem can be traced with certainty to the Mycenaean Greeks.."  William Logan in his NY Times review of ‘Memorial,’ Alice Oswald’s Version of the ‘Iliad’ 

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SpiderMamanLoiseBourgeoisFantasy Is True

"For fantasy is true, of course. It isn't factual, but it's true. Children know that. Adults know it too, and that's precisely why many of them are afraid of fantasy. They know that its truth challenges, even threatens, all that is false, all that is phony, unnecessary, and trivial in the life that they have let themselves be forced into living. They're afraid of dragons, because they are afraid of freedom."

Ursula Le Quin(The Language of the Night) as quoted by Terri Windling's Myth and Moor

The sculpture of Spider Maman is by Louise Bourgeois

...................

 

Castle In The Mist

CITM-blog size-382KBDo you think that it is possible for dogs to stop a war?

Author Robert J. McCarty has created a charming fantasy-allegory that can be read and understood on at least two different levels.  Children will enjoy the story about dogs who come from another planet to help people on earth.  But under the surface are the important messages of friendship, love, loyalty, and how to overcome evil with good.”  The same things are true as the story continues in Castle in the Mist.  The book is well written and easy to read.  It will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next..." 

From a review by Wayne Walker -- Stories for Children Magazine, Home School Book Review, and Hone School Buzz

The illustration from Castle In The Mist is by Stella Mustanoja McCarty

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GiantGameThrones3Before the Coming of Civilized Man.

"John Matthews writes in Taliessin, Shamanism and the Bardic Mysteries of Britain & Ireland (1992) that giants are very common throughout British folklore, and often represent the "original" inhabitants, ancestors, or gods of the island before the coming of "civilized man", their gigantic stature reflecting their otherworldly nature. Giants figure prominently in Cornish, Breton and Welsh folklore..." from Wikipedia  
The illustration of the giant is from Game Of Thrones
 

 
 .......................

 
National Rifle Association (NRA) Adds Guns to Fairytales.

Maria Tatar, in her Breezes from Wonderland blog, has joined those protesting or questioning the NRA's insidious
NRAWOLFpublication of revised fairy tale violence. In the NRA's versions, both Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel use rifles to destroy their enemies. Tatar's post is entitled, I Finally Net Some Fairy Tales I Do Not Like. 

 John Schwartz  interviewed Ms Tatar for an article he wrote about the NRA in the NYTimes. Here's an excerpt:

"I got in touch with Professor Tatar, because how often do you get an excuse to talk with a professor of Germanic folklore and mythology? She said that one of the problems with these gun-toting, sanitized tales was that they missed the point of Grimm. Success in fairy tales, she explained, comes down to more than tight shot grouping. 'They are very much about problem-solving, using your wits and courage to get out of trouble,' she said. 'Unfortunately, because they take up very basic cultural contradictions and are supremely malleable, they can also be harnessed for almost any purpose. The Nazis recast Little Red Riding Hood as the innocent Aryan victim of a Jewish wolf.' "

The illustration is by Henry Justice Ford

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Nyt-logo

 

Untold Damage...

The New York Times posted a report on children killed in the USA from Gun Deaths in 2015

ChildfuneralPhilTownsend36 age 12 and under

23 age 13-17

Children Injured/wounded by guns in the USA in  2015

36 age 12 and under

77 age 13-17

Here is a link to the article: Untold Damage,

The photo is by Phillip Townsend/WFAA

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Breezes from Wonderland

Cersei-lannister-game-of-thrones-43Once again, I have had a very rewarding visit to Maria Tatar's blog. Currently, in addition to her criticism of the NRA's gun-toting fairy tales, she writes about the impact of story, fairy tales, and animated film in a complex family situation..."It’s a film that ends up animating us, rewiring our brains and rearranging our senses.  And it lets us look inside the minds of others in compelling ways–suddenly we see what they see, feel what they feel as we discover how the symbolic helps us navigate reality." 

Her current blog also has fascinating and provocative insights on women, Game Of Thrones. our fairy tale heritage, and the outrageous graphic violence of TV and film..."Our on-screen entertainments rarely replay real-life anxieties. Instead they haunt us in ways that are often errant and unpredictable. In a culture that has renounced the ideal of beauty, the beautiful dead woman of Edgar Allan Poe’s fantasies may now have moved into middle age..." 

The illustration is of Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones

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The New Yelodoggie Book Is Coming

What do others think when they see Yelodoggie?

CatloveIs this really a dog?

If so, why is Yelodoggie  yelo?

Yelodoggie must find the answer. 

This is the story in the new book.

Yelodoggie is a creation of C.A. Wulff.
Here's a link to Wulff's Yeloddoggie  paintings.

Here's a link to her Up On The Woof website. Wulff is the author of wonderful books about dogs

 ..................

CtWrevisedCoverKindleAmazon Review of Circling the Waggins by BrittdogPub

..."The book is filled with funny animal stories... The book also includes many sad times when one pet after another made the sad journey to the Rainbow Bridge. I highly recommend this book to animal lovers. You will definitely laugh and cry. You may even learn a few things about animal care and the treatment of various health issues pet owners often face. I enjoyed this book so much that I am now reading another of this author's pet tales." 

Circling the Waggins is also an Amazon Kindle Book

 

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PirateThePitBullKids, Books, and Dogs

Here is a link to a touching 30 second video  reaffirming the hope engendered by the human canine bond...Every Thursday, Jacob, a 6-year-old boy with autism brings a small mat to the Carson Animal Shelter and sits down in front of Pirate the pit bull's cage to read to him. "If I read to the dogs, they will come out of their cages and find homes," says Jacob.

 

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BFGGood Giants, Bad Giants, and a Young Girl


Stephen Spielberg,
the gifted director of films ranging from Schindler's List to Indiana Jones, and The Color Purple to Saving Private Ryan, has a new film, the BFG, opening on July1. The man who gave us E.T., has now made a film based on Roald Dahl's book, the BFG (the Big Friendly Giant). Disney, a co-producer with Amblin Entertainment and others, will distribute the film in 3D. The writer is the late Melissa Mathison, who also wrote E.T..

Here's a wikipedia link regarding Dahl's book,the BFG. 

Here is a link to the trailer for the BFG. 

 

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Movies That Are Good For The Soul

BFG GirlGiantHandStephen Speilberg
was interviewed by Manhola Dargis of the New York Times. Here is an excerpt from a Speilberg reply:

" My only advice — and I don’t have a studio, I have a very small company — is that there needs to be a good balance of crowd-pleasers and movies that are good for the soul, that get us to dwell in the aftertaste of an experience that is so far-fetched or out of the box, but three days later we realize that we saw something that might change our lives..."

Here is a link to this excellent Manohla Dargis  interview with Stephen Speilberg

................................

Disney has announced that Gigantic is coming in 2018... a 3D musical loosely based on Jack and the Beanstalk. The story includes a young girl giant inspired by Gulliver's travels. (More news on this next month)

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SaveTheChildrenlogo
 
Do They Have Hope ?
I don't know the answer. But they certainly have experienced the painful wrath of the Ogre. He sits in Aleppo and does't care about their pain. He keeps destroying more lives and creating more pain.

RescueChildAleppBehaelHalebiAnadoluAgyGettyImagesT
his is a link to a video of children from war ravaged Syria who tell us what they have experienced. It is a moving experience to witness this brief (2:18) video. It is frustrating and sad to know that this continues.

It was produced by the wonderful Save The Children organization. The following information is from their website:

Approximately half of the 19.5 million registered refugees globally are children and youth. Their number is growing dramatically as a result of escalating crises in places where violence, persecution and conflict are uprooting entire populations.

Children and families are fleeing out of fear for their lives and embarking on perilous journeys. Many hope for the chance of a better life and the opportunity for asylum. But while they are on the move, they are extremely vulnerable...

  • Here is a link to their website. Save The Children
  • Photo by Behal Halebi Anadolu, Agy/Getty Images

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Kidlit_central 
The Society of Bloggers in Children’s and Young Adult Literature 

WeWishForWingsLucyCampbellScottishI highly recommend Kidlitosphere as a source for anyone interested in children's literature.

The following is excerpted from their site..."Some of the best books being published today are children’s and young adult titles, well-written and engaging books that capture the imagination. Many of us can enjoy them as adults, but more importantly, can pass along our appreciation for books to the next generation by helping parents, teachers, librarians and others to find wonderful books, promote lifelong reading, and present literacy ideas.

The “KidLitosphere” is a community of reviewers, librarians, teachers, authors, illustrators, publishers, parents, and other book enthusiasts who blog about children’s and young adult literature. In writing about books for children and teens, we’ve connected with others who share our love of books...".

The illustration of "We Wish fof Wings" is by Lucy Campbell

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WCDogsheader9

1000-DOG-ARTICLES-1-242x242Congratulations to Nancy Houser, Sandra Marquiss, and Marita Megan on their 1,000 blog posts dedicated to helping dogs and dog lovers. Here is an excerpt from their website based in their home and rescue center in Wilcox, Nebraska...

"We’ve created WayCoolDogs.com about seven years ago, in March of 2009, with the purpose of helping dog owners understand their dogs better so they can provide quality care for them.

We have worked very hard ever since to provide you with the best information about dog health, dog insurance, breeds, the latest in dog research, dog worms, military dogs, therapy dogs and lots of how-to articles on many other topics!

Or perhaps you just want to read some dog stories, like the one of Jerry Mathers and his hero dog Ron Ton Ton."

Here's a link to WayCoolDogs

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NorthernLightsIllustrationBearWhy do you think it's so important that young people read?

For the same reason that I think it's important that they breathe, eat, drink, sleep, run about, fool around, and have people who love and look after them. It's part of what makes us fully human. Some people manage to get through life without reading; but I know that if I'd had to do that, an enormous part of my mind, or my soul if you like, would be missing. No one should be without the chance to let their soul grow.

Phillip Pullman in the Guardian. The question was asked by Luke, 13 years old.


The illustration is from Pullman's book, Northern Lights.

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 "I would not, for any quantity of gold, part with the wonderful tales which I have retained from my earliest childhood or have met in the progress of my life." -- Martin Luther
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PODLogo


CITM-blog size-382KBWe have free reader copies of the Planet Of The Dogs series for therapy dog organizations, individual therapy dog owners, librarians and teachers...simply send us an email at [email protected] and we will send you the books. 

Our books are available through independent bookstores, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Powell's and many more.

The Planet Of The Dogs series (including Castle In The Mist, and Snow Valley Heroes, A Christmas Tale) is also available in digital format at..Barnes & NobleAmazon, Powell's, KoboInkteraScribd, and Tolino.

Librarians, teachers and bookstores ..You can order the Planet Of The Dogs  series, through Ingram with a full professional discount. 

To read sample chapters of the series, visit PlanetOfTheDogs 

 The illustration from Castle In The Mist is by Stella Mustanoja-McCarty
 
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Sunbearsquad-logo
If you see a dog in trouble or encounter a lost dog and you are uncertain as to what to do, you'll find the information on Sunbear Squad..."Transforming animal lovers into welfare defenders with knowledge, tools, and inspiration."
 
 
 
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"Ever wonder where you'd end up if you took your dog for a walk and never once pulled back on the leash?" -- Robert Brault
            ........................................................................................................ 
 

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2. Celebrate the Brothers Grimm

Fairy Tales From the Brothers Grimm: A New English Version

By Philip Pullman

 

A picture book author friend of mine put me on to this title. I’m pretty excited to share it with all of you parents, grands and just about any one that reads to children.

Just a thumbnail sketch of who the author is might read that Mr. Pullman’s previous “Dark Materials” is a three book trilogy.

The first book was made into a movie in 2007 called “The Golden Compass”with Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig. Did not do so wonderfully well at the box office here, and, in an article I read as I was writing this piece, indicated the less than stellar box office performance was due in part to a reaction from some people’s concerns that it might be anti-Christian in tone or promote atheism to children. That said, here is his book on fairy tales that is great.

Did you know that we celebrated recently the 200th anniversary, of the first volume publishing of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm’s book called “Children’s and Household Tales?” That event provided the impetus for this book, in fact.

Our imaginations have reveled in these tales for two hundred years. And here, Mr. Pullman takes 50 of his favorites and retells them. One of its highlights are the “Commentaries” he includes at the end of each tale. These are small gems that provide a window into the tales’ sources, their various forms over the years and why their appeal has lasted. Have my own ideas on that topic, too. Fairy tales are not just entertaining. They allow children to confront unconscious fears they cannot name, but only imagine.

Witness the story of “Hansel and Gretel.” Here the fear might be called abandonment or a loss of one’s parents. The tales are both entertaining AND therapeutic in a way!

Mr. Hoffman has included the popular favorites such as “Cinderella”, “Hansel and Gretel”, “Rumpelstiltskin”and “Rapunzel.”

But, I was excited to see some of the lesser known titles that I remember were included in a book with golden imprinting on the front and a red binding that my mom gave us. I still have it and it too had some of the lesser known tales Mr. Hoffman includes here: “Jorinda and Joringel” “The Shoes that Were Danced to Pieces”, and “Bearskin.”

The American poet, James Merrill is quoted in the introduction to this book. He discusses two characteristics of the fairy tale: the “serene anonymous voice”that relates the narrative and the collection of stock characters that inhabit the tales.

Perhaps you might try a bit of an experiment with your young readers. I am planning to do the same with my story time 3-5 year olds. Ask them to “imagine” the story! Ask them to picture the setting, characters and action in their minds. Perhaps start off with the shorter tales and move on from there.

I’m convinced young ones need small, continual doses of this kind of reading. Their world is literal and very visual. The technology that floods their days, while admittedly amazing, and a continuing part of the world they will grow up in, may not allow the time or leisure to build the imaginative mind nor their attention span.

This book, I believe, is a way for your child to build BOTH.

And there is an extra bonus here. You, too can be re-enchanted as you read some favorites from your own childhood and discover some new ones from the brothers Grimm.

Do you remember the phrase “spinning a yarn” that refers to telling a story? Well, what miller’s daughter, do you remember, spun straw into gold and was backed into a bargain by a tiny man with a silly name?

Did you know that having a mate that could spin was a much prized skill set in a wife in days gone by? And, if she could spin AND produce gold, so much the better. So, the king in “Rumpelstiltskin”  must have thought he was receiving a very worthy prize by marrying the miller’s daughter, no? Bet HE couldn’t spin worth a dime! Found these pieces of info in the “Commentaries” following each tale.

Spin your own straw into gold by reading the pages of this wonderful book to young readers on these rainy spring afternoons and evenings. Transport both of you to a compelling and pretty complete collection of Jacob and Wilhelm’s tales.

Celebrate their storytelling anniversary that’s lasted 200 years and counting….and still continues!

 

 

 

 

 

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3. Authors Fight Ban on Books in UK Prisons

photoBritish authors Phillip Pullman and Mark Haddon are among many that have spoken out to stop new rules that restrict access to books among prisoners in the UK.

“Any government worth having would countermand this loathsome and revolting decision at once, sack the man responsible, and withdraw the whip from him,” Pullman told The Guardian.

Mary Sweeney launched a Change.org petition today urging Rt. Hon. Chris Grayling MP to “review and amend” the new rules. The petition has already generated more than 5,000 signatures. Here is an excerpt from the petition: “Access to books can be crucial for education and rehabilitation. Access to family items are important for continued family connection, and should not additionally punish children of prisoners who need contact.” (Via The Guardian).

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

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4. Entering the Dark Forest

 

  Raasepori-MoonLohja-summer2013 032

 The forest  has played a major role in children's literature from the earliest time.

The forest was mysterious, a place of unknowns and often darkness and fear.

From legends to fairy tales, the forest was a place of wonder and often a place of danger...from Winnie the Poo to Little Red Riding Hood

Eastern Finland-PunkaharjuThe forests are central to the Planet Of The Dogs and Castle In The Mist.

For readers, the forests, like the books whose stories embrace them, open the doors to the imagination.

This blog is dedicated to children's literature that opens the doors to the imagination. And to the amazing role of dogs in enhancing our lives. - 

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 the NewYorker NewYorkerPageTurner_banner_n (1)


SLEEPING BEAUTIES VS. GONZO GIRLS By Maria Tatar  

In this fascinating article that moves through children's literature and cultural myths ranging from Gretel and Red Riding Hood to Katniss Everdeen and Lady Gaga, Maria Tatar explores the evolution of the female archetype today. Here are excerpts.

"We’ve come a long way from what Simone de Beauvoir once found in Anglo-European entertainments: 'In song and story the young man is seen departing adventurously in search of a woman; he slays the dragons and giants; she is locked in a tower, a palace, a garden, a cave, she is chained to a rock, a captive, sound asleep: she waits.' Have we kissed Sleeping
Beauty goodbye at last, as feminists advised us to do not so long ago...
Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy and Suzanne Collins’s “Hunger Games” series have given us HungerGamesJenniferLawrencefemale tricksters, women who are quick-witted, fleet-footed, and resolutely brave...  they are not just cleverly resourceful and determined to survive. They’re also committed to social causes and political change...

The female trickster has a long and distinguished lineage...Many of our female tricksters—often new inflections of the ones we know from legends and fairy tales—have complemented their DoreRedRidingHoodarsenals of verbal weapons with guns and steel.Little Red Riding Hood has been revisited again and again in recent years. The girl in red, often positioned as a seductive innocent who courts the predator as much as she fears him, is no longer a willing victim. When Buffy, from the popular nineties TV series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” dresses up as Little Red Riding Hood for Halloween...

These days, the trickiest of them all may be Lady Gaga... Lady Gaga draws us out of our LadyGagaKidscomfort zones, crosses boundaries, gets snared in her own devices. Shamelessly exploitative and exploratory, she reminds us that every culture requires a space for the disruptive energy of antisocial characters. She may have the creativity of a trickster, but she is also Sleeping Beauty and menacing monster, all rolled into one."

Maria Tatar chairs the program for folklore and mythology at Harvard University. She is the editor of the excellent Enchanted Hunters, the Power of Stories in Childhood.

The Illustration Of Red Riding Hood in bed with the wolf is by Dore...

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                   RedRidingHood2011Movie

In recent times, many versions of the fairy tales of old have been made for film and TV. Producers of these retold versions of Little Red Riding Hood have been inspired by the early versions of the Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault with the ominous forest, the dangerous wolf, and the innocent young maiden. These retellings have often been heavily influenced by the quest for commercial success, and the reults have been decidely mixed. Often banal or cliched, they are examples of how commerce as well cultural change affects the retelling of fairy tales.

Here is a link to the trailer of the  2011 Movie film, Red Riding Hood

And here is an excerpt and a link to Roger Ebert's laugh out loud review.

"Of the classics of world literature crying out to be filmed as a sexual fantasy for teenage RedRidingHood2011moviesgirls, surely "Red Riding Hood" is far down on the list. Here's a movie that cross-pollinates the "Twilight" formula with a werewolf and adds a girl who always wears a red hooded cape...

What this inspiration fails to account for is that while a young woman might toy with the notion of a vampire boyfriend, she might not want to mate with a wolf. Although she might think it was, like, cool to live in the woods in Oregon, she might not want to live in the Black Forest hundreds of years ago because, like, can you text from there?

"Red Riding Hood" has the added inconvenience of being dreadfully serious about a plot so preposterous, it demands to be filmed by Monty Python..."

Like Mr Ebert, most critics gave the film a negative review. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the audience rating was 39%.

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RedRidingHood1997A sensual intepretation of Little Red Ridin Hood  from 1997 is found in this short film by David Kaplan adopted from Conte De LA Mere Grande...music by Debussy...the wolf moves like a seductive spirit of the forest...soft black and white images and a clever Red Riding Hood... 

Here is the Link: Red Riding Hood

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Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf

Roald Dahl wrote his own version of Little Red Riding Hood in the form of a RoalDahlhumorous,tongue in cheek poem. This is how it begins...

"As soon as Wolf began to feel
That he would like a decent meal,
He went and knocked on Grandma's door.
When Grandma opened it, she saw
The sharp white teeth, the horrid grin,
And Wolfie said, "May I come in?"
Poor Grandmamma was terrified,
"He's going to eat me up!" she cried.
And she was absolutely right.
RedRidinghoodDahlHe ate her up in one big bite.
But Grandmamma was small and tough,
And Wolfie wailed, "That's not enough!
I haven't yet begun to feel
That I have had a decent meal!"
He ran around the kitchen yelping,
"I've got to have a second helping!"...

The image above is from a fun film made of Dahl's Red Riding Hood poem using stop-motion puppets. The imaginative creators, Hannah Legere and Andrew Wilson, certainly caught the spirit of the Dahl poem. Link here to this delightful film version of Roald Dahl's  poem...

The dog lover in the photograph is Roald Dahl.

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Artists and Illustrators...

LittleRedRidingHoodBookCover Wisnewski 14 different artist's versions of Red Riding Hood are posted on the  Art of Children's Books  blog site..here is an excerpt from their introduction...

"Folk tales and fairy tales are at the top of the list when it comes to vintage children's books. The Brothers Grimm* folk tale, Little Red Riding Hood, has been a beloved and enduring story. Originally titled Little Red Cap, the story has a strong lesson. Since it's publication, Little Red Riding Hood has been illustrated by many artists over the years. Here is just a sampling of the different artistic interpretations of Little Red Riding Hood."

 Book cover by Andrea Wisnewski...*The original version was published by Charles Perault.

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RedRidingHoodForestThe Forest and Imagination...
The influence of the forest on the imagination will 
always be with us, especially in legend, folk tales and children's stories.
Innumerable film and TV versions, including 
many annimated cartoons, of Little Red Riding Hood will continue to be made. And wonderful writers like Roald Dahl in the past, and Philip Pullman in the present, will continue to find the forests of fairy tales a timeless setting for timeless stories. 

 The illustration is by Arthur Rackham...if you look closely, on the path beneath the huge tree, you will see red Riding Hood and the wolf.

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Reading for Pleasure...opening the imagination, opening the mind...

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Reading for pleasure puts children ahead in the classroom, according to a UK study of the reading behavior of appoximately 6000 young people. Here are excerpts from a report that reaffirms the value early reading and bedtime stories.

"Children who read for pleasure are likely to do significantly better at school than their peers, according to new research from the Institute of Education (IOE).

Jordyn castleThe IOE study, which is believed to be the first to examine the effect of reading for pleasure on cognitive development over time, found that children who read for pleasure made more progress in maths, vocabulary and spelling between the ages of10 and 16 than those who rarely read...

...Children who were read to regularly by their parents at age 5 performed better in all three tests at age 16 than those who were not helped in this way." 

The research was conducted by Dr Alice Sullivan and Matt Brown; To read the article, visit Pleasure Reading

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The Doors that Rose opens... 

“I consider myself a facilitator…if my dog could drive, she would not need me. Rose seems to enjoy seeing people multiple times and developing a relationship with the people… She is SusanPurseTDRose_01a working dog by nature and she just loves these jobs.  I am constantly amazed at the doors that Rose opens…she goes to places I could never get without her…reaches beyond my reach, touches a person deeper than my touch.  The restless or agitated patient who is calmed by Rose’s touch...the child in the classroom who won’t settle down and get to work but when Rose sits by them, they quiet right down and the hyperactivity seems to dissipate.  The child getting excited about reading to Rose every week; they wouldn’t do that for me, but they do it for Rose.  Lying with a dying patient who will smile, close their eyes and stroke her with a peacefulness that is so precious…I know I could not enter that person’s space without Rose…it really is all about occupying part of someone else’s space for just a short time be it in a school, home or hospital...” 

A former teacher, Susan Purser, and her Australian Cattle Dog, Rose, have been very active as a therapy dog team for several years in Sarasota, Florida. 

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Paws Giving Independence

 Paws Giving Independence is a recpient of a 2013 Planet Dog Foundation Grant. GIPGivingIndependeceBoyandDogPlanet Dog has this year donated $71,500 in new grants to 16 non-profit dog organizations..."The PDF grants will help fund assistance dog, therapy dog and search and rescue programs across the country and support a wide variety of non-profit programs that are helping children and adults with physical and developmental disabilities; injured service members; natural disaster survivors and many more people in need..."

"Paws Giving Independence is an all-volunteer organization that saves dogs from area shelters, trains them to be service/companion dogs, and places the dogs, free of charge, with those in need. GIPGivingIndependenceGirlDogKaraLogan Their Saving a Life to Change a Life project identifies suitable dogs in shelters and trains them to meet the specific needs of people with disabilities. They train dogs to open doors, pick up dropped objects, turn lights on and off, and other ways to assist in independence. In addition, they train dogs to alert for epileptic and diabetic seizures, and psychological assistance for military veterans with PTSD. PDF funds support veterinary care, special prosthetics and balance equipment and training."

 Paws Giving Independence was founded in 2008 by 3 Bradley University students who recognized the marvelous healing capabilities of dogs.

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for Dog Lovers and decent people...

Here's a Goodreads review that strikes home and makes sense for dog lovers and decent people...Passionate dog rescuer, animal rights advocate and author.C.A. Wulff wrote How to Change The World in 30 Seconds...

"At first i started reading this book as an animal rescuer myself. But as i started to go Arielchange world3edthrough all of the information in the book i realized that this book is a GREAT informative guide for people who have just dipped their toes into the realm of rescue. It is laid out in a way that focuses on an audience that may, or may not have already heard of some of the ideas. This way a novice rescuer can understand it, but the veteran rescuer isnt just wading through either. I saw several options that were detailed out even for someone in rescue many years. So really what im saying is.. it doesnt matter if you are new or old to it, this can give you great ideas, starting points and explanations for why so many rescuers are able to save lives on click at a time."

 Here is a link to the full review by Sylence of How to Change the World in 30 Seconds, in Goodreads... 

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 Much has been written of the importance of childhood experiences with books...books that meant a lot to an individual as a child and where the memory of the book remains important in their adult life. Here, thanks to Monica Edinger's Educating Alice blog, are excerpts from a rather fascinating converstion by two of the most prominent, respected, and imaginative writers of children's and YA literature...

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Guest Blog: Gaiman & Pullman Talk Children's Books in Literary Oxford

BY REBECCA REGO BARRY ON AUGUST 26, 2013 8:40 AM Guest Blog by Catherine Batac Walder 

 "Gaiman talked about reading the Mary Poppins books when he was six or seven and how they helped form whatever worldview he had as a kid. 'The idea that the world is incredibly unlikely and strange secret things are always happening, that adults don't really explain to you, or in fact, that adults may be oblivious to'...


''His (Gaiman's) wonder was infectious as he recalled discovering the library when he was very GaimenCoverCoralineyoung and having that incredible feeling of power; discovering the card catalogue in which you could actually look up subjects like witches or robots or ghosts; or you could just take down books and read the interesting ones. Both authors talked about discovering American comic books and marveled at the speed in the stories, the size of them, with Gaiman adding, "Everything was alien, everything was equally as strange and unlikely, so skyscrapers, and pizza and fire hydrants were just as alien to my world as people in capes flying around..."

 

 

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Monica Edinger, a fourth grade teacher, and a passionate advocate of the wonders and benefits of children's literature, has a very lively and informative blog:  Educating Alice . Her new book, Africa Is My Home, is receiving excellent reviews.

Here are excerpts from her blog ;

                                The Unjournal of Children's Literature 

EdingerAfricaIsMyHomecoverThe “un” movement is an intriguing one. Until recently I had only heard about it in terms of unconferences, participant-driven events such as this one. But now there is another sort of un-thing, an unjournal. Created by children’s literature graduate students at San Diego State University, the inaugural issue of The Unjournal of Children’s Literature is up and ready for viewing, reading, and responding. Gorgeous to look at, clearly designed in terms of navigation, fascinating in terms of content, this is one elegant web publication.

And from an article on kids, books and reading: "Reading to me is many things and so I think we teachers need to provide many different experiences with reading and books.  My fourth grade students read all sorts of material on their own, for themselves, for all sorts of reasons..."  

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What do Therapy Dogs Do All Day?

Here are videos from Peple Animals Love (PAL), based in Washington DC, that document the wonderful work that their volunteers and their dogs perform. Click this link: PAL

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Fairy Tales as the Last Echoes of Pagan Myths...

Seth Lerner, in writing about the orgins and history of fairy tales and folklore, points out that Wilhelm Grimm, at the time the Grimm brothers books were being published in 1812 and 1815, wrote that fairy tales were the "'last echoes of pagan myths'. He GrimmRackhamHanselGretel(Grimm) went on:"A world of magic is opened up before us, one which still exists among us in secret forests, in underground caves, and in the deepest sea, and it is still visible to children.(Fairy tales) belong to our national poetic heritage..."

Lerner sees even more significance in Fairy tales. He goes on to point out that "what we find inside these secret forests, caves, and seas is not just a poetic heritage, but a personal one as well. For fairy tales are full of families, full of parents who bequeth a sense of self to children, full of ancestors and heirs whose lives play out, in little, the life of a nation from childhood to maturity..."

 Seth Lerer is Dean of Arts and Humanities and Distinguished Professor of Literature at the University of California at San Diego. The quotes and ideas above are from his informative and insightful book, Children's Literature, A Reader's History from Aesop to Harry Potter

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NYPLlogoNYPL's Children's Literary Salon is pleased to announce our event on Saturday, October 12th at 2:00 p.m.

The ABC of It: Curator Leonard S. Marcus in Conversation
Join Bank Street’s Center for Children’s Literature, Interim Director Jenny Brown as she interviews historian and critic Leonard S. Marcus about his current NYPL exhibit and the importance of children’s literature as a whole.
This event will be held in the South Court Auditorium in the main branch of New York Public Library.
For any questions or concerns, please contact Betsy Bird at [email protected].

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Harry Potter's Textbook...

"J.K. Rowling will write her first movie script for Warner Bros., writing Fantastic Beasts and Where to
JKRowlingBookFind Them–a film based on Harry Potter’s textbook from his school for wizards.

The film is part of a planned series featuring the author of the magical book, Newt Scamander. Rowling published a book by the same name in 2001. She had this comment on her Facebook page:

"Although it will be set in the worldwide community of witches and wizards where I was so happy for seventeen years, ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ is neither a prequel nor a sequel to the Harry Potter series, but an extension of the wizarding world..." Here is the link: JKRowling

 

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Dogs in the Forest...

The forest plays a very important role in the Planet Of The Dogs Series. Here is an excerpt from Castle In The Mist...

CITM-blog size-382KB"The dogs continued to lead the soldiers deeper into the woods.  Soon, it began to snow, slowly at first, and then, the wind increased and the snow was everywhere.  It became very difficult to see very far.  The leader of the soldiers told his men that they were to follow him.  They were returning to the castle. 

They started walking through the snow when one of the men, who was an experienced forest guide, said to the leader, “With respect sir, but I don’t think we are going in the right direction.” The leader was about to answer him when howling started.  It seemed to come from all directions.  Then the leader spoke, “You will follow me, I am certain that this is the way.”  They continued on through the swirling snow, unable to see, and surrounded by howling dogs..."

Here is an excert from a review:"Do you think it is possible for dogs to stop war? Author Robert J. McCarty has created a charming fantasy-allegory that can be read and understood on at least two different levels…a story about dogs who come from another planet to help people on earth.  But under the surface are the important messages of friendship, love, loyalty, and how to overcome evil with good…Castle In The Mist will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next. 

Wayne Walker reviewing Castle in the Mist for Stories for Children Magazine, the Home School Book Review and the Home School Buzz wrote:


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Canadian Service Dog Foundation logoCANADIAN SERVICE DOG FOUNDATION

           CanadianCSDFdog_walker

The Canadian Service Dog Foundation trains and provides service dogs for a wide variety of human needs and services. They provide a wide range of vital services,,,ten major humanitarian objectives are listed on their website. Here are the first two:

  • "To improve quality of life for Canadians through the use of service dogs, assistance dogs, therapy dogs and emotional support animals. Provide opportunities, resources, and support through the use of trained service dogs for Canadians living with psychiatric disabilities so as to allow for greater functional independence, sufficient to make healthy choices and lead active lifestyles."
  • To support past or present military personnel, emergency service workers, and related professionals dealing with operational stress injuries through the use of specially trained service dogs.
  • Here is a link to learn more about their wide reaching canine services for people: CSDF Services 
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Read sample chapters of all the books in the Planet Of The Dogs series by Pod bookmark back_flat

clicking here:Books

Our books are available through your favorite independent bookstore or via Barnes  Noble, Amazon, Powell's...

Librarians, teachers, bookstores...Order Planet Of The Dogs, Castle In The Mist, and Snow Valley Heroes, A Christmas Tale, through Ingram with a full professional discount.

Therapy reading dog owners, librarians and teachers with therapy reading dog programs -- you can write us at [email protected] and we will send you free reader copies from the Planet of the Dogs Series...Read Dog Books to Dogs....Ask any therapy reading dog: "Do you like it when the kids read dog books to you?"

And Now -- for the First Time -- E Books of the Planet Of The Dogs Series are coming on KDP Select...

Planet Of The Dogs will be available October 1...Castle In The Mist will be available on October 15 and Snow Valley Heroes, A Christmas Tale, on November 15...in time for the Holiday Gift Season... 


Any one of these books would make for a delightful—and one would assume cherished—gift for any child.  All three would be an amazing reading adventure. Darlene Arden, educator, dog expert, and author of Small Dogs Big Hearts wrote:  

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Finding Fido

"We are excited to announce that Barking Planet Productions is publishing a new book by C.A.Wulff.

"Finding Fido" will be available for purchase at amazon.com on September 30. "Finding Fido" is a handbook every pet owner will want to have in their library.

Between 3 and 4 million pets are put to death in shelters across the U.S. every year. Some of Fidofrontcover72them are owner surrenders, some are impounds, but the vast majority of them are missing or stolen pets.
 
C.A. Wulff and A.A.Weddle, the administrators of the service Lost & Found Ohio Pets, have compiled a guide to address this sad reality.  ‘Finding Fido’ offers tips for preventing the loss of a pet; advice for what to do with a stray pet you’ve found; and a step-by-step plan in case the unthinkable happens, and you lose a pet.  
 
This is an instructive and important tool every family with a dog or cat should have on hand… just in case.
 
100% of the proceeds from the sale of this book benefits The Beagle Freedom Project!"

 

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 WCDogsLogo

A Dog Health Update: here are excerpts from an article on Giardiasis – Parasitic Diarrhea in Dogs, Cats and Humans...The microscopic parasites known as Giardiasis are the most common intestinal parasites to be found in humans, dogs and cats. A protozoan parasite infection, it is the cause of a very serious diarrheal illness in the intestinal areas, known to be highly contagious but not lethal. However,  it is a parasite that can be transferred across species — from person-to-person or animal-to-person... The most popular locations for this parasite are on surfaces or within soil and food.However, drinking water and recreational water that has been contaminated with feces (poop) from infected humans or animals are the most common methods of transmission. This includes untreated or improperly treated water from lakes, streams, or wells...

Here's the link to read this comprehensive, informative article: Way Cool Dogs

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       New England Conferences-Book Shows in October for           IPNE Small-logo-blue-white       Independent Bookstores and Libraries

 As members of the Independent Publishers of New England (IPNE), we will be exhibiting Circling the Waggins and Snow Valley Heroes, A Christmas Tale at the New England Independent Booksellers Association (NEIBA),October 6-8, in Providence, RI and the New England Library Association(NELA), on October 20-27, in Portland, Maine.

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Green Eggs and E-Books? Thank You, Sam-I-Am By Julie Bosman

Here are excerpts from Julie Bosman's article...

"Dr. Seuss books, those whimsical, mischievous, irresistibly rhymey stories that have been passed down in print to generations of readers, are finally catching up with digital publishing...

DrSeussCatInHatThe Dr. Seuss canon will be released in e-book format for the first time, beginning later this month, his publisher said on Wednesday, an announcement that could nudge more parents and educators to download picture books for children...picture books have lagged far behind(adult fiction) . Several publishers said e-books represent only 2 to 5 percent of their total picture book sales, a number that has scarcely moved in the last several years.

But the release of the Dr. Seuss books, still hugely popular after decades in print, could move that number higher. The e-books will be available on color tablets, including the iPad, Kindle Fire and Nook HD. The first titles to be released, on Sept. 24, include “The Cat in the Hat,” “Green Eggs and Ham,” “There’s a Wocket in My Pocket!” and “The Lorax” (featuring an environmentally conscious character who might be happy about the announcement)."

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           LearEdmundBookofNonsensecover

''The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea 
In a beautiful pea-green boat, 
They took some honey, and plenty of money, 
Wrapped up in a five-pound note.''
Click here for information and videos of COROMANDEL , byTrevor Bachman's... Here is an excerpt from their site...A" vibrant musical odyssey for children and adults, Coromandel is a journey through the mind of poet Edward Lear"...playing in New York City in early October..." a fusion of rock, jazz, bluegrass, tango, musical theatre, and classical sounds makes for a diverse, delicious, and sonically satisfying evening. Told with a whimsical simplicity that appeals to children of all ages..."

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"We must fight against the spirit of unconscious cruelty with which we treat the animals. Animals suffer as much as we do. True humanity does not allow us to impose such sufferings on them. It is our duty to make the whole world recognize it. Until we extend our circle of compassion to all living things, humanity will not find peace." 

—Albert Schweitzer, "The Philosophy of Civilization" -

I found this quote on

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5. Sheds - Celia Rees



I recently visited the Boathouse in Laugharne. I'd been there before, and peered into Dylan Thomas' Writing Shed, but this time I was with my friend, the artist Julia Griffiths Jones http://www.juliagriffithsjones.co.uk, and she'd been inside! She had been allowed to go into the shed to draw. When she showed me the drawings that she had made there, and the photographs that she had taken, I must admit to being gripped by a strange excitement and considerable envy. There is something about the place where a writer works that exerts a peculiar fascination. Just to see what he or she had on the desk by way of distraction or because a particular object was special in some way; to see the pictures pinned up on the wall; the view, or lack of it from the window. These things serve to bring alive some of the process of mind that produced the work that one admires.



In Dylan Thomas' writing shed - Julia Griffiths-Jones

What I found especially wonderful here was the sheet of paper, stained and wrinkled, crisped by time, that was covered in lists and lists of words. Dylan Thomas is famous for the lyrical precision of his poetry,  the startling originality of his images, the sheer exuberance of the words he chooses. He once said that his first introduction to poetry was through nursery rhymes:

I had come to love the words of them. The words alone. What the words stood for was of a very secondary importance.
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6. Reading in bed

Is it Monday already? Where did the weekend go? Oh I know... taxes. hissssssss

I woke up this morning with a knot the size of Kansas in my back, which makes it pretty hard to do anything more than lay in bed and read all day. (Funny how your body forces you to take a day off once in a while, huh?)

Luckily a while back I stocked up on a few treats. Since I was up anyway making some Tater Tots (hey, its a "sick day", junk food is allowed) I thought I'd might as well blog about them (the treats, not the Tater Tots).

First up is Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!



This book is just charming!

Here's a nice little review of it, before it won the Newbery Medal.
And here is another nice article in the Medieval News blog about Ms. Schlitz and the book.
And Robert Byrd, the illustrator, has a cool slideshow of the books illustrations on his website.
I'd say that if you're into anything Medieval, or like plays, or would just like to read something refreshing, this is a good choice! I'm loving it.


My "read in bed at night" book right now is "The Golden Compass", which I'm aaaaaalmost finished with. I'm glad I bought the whole "His Dark Materials" trilogy so I can just dive right into the next one.



No, I haven't seen the movie. But I've seen enough trailers to have a hard time NOT picturing Nicole Kidman as I'm reading. Oh well.



This next book is more like "work", but its good:



I'd Rather Be in the Studio just says it all doesn't it?
This woman is good. She has a website. She just nails you on all the stuff you don't want to do to get yourself out there. I'm in kind of a "I need a makeover" mode right now and am looking for some guidance. Her advice is more for 'fine' artists than children's book illustrators, but its all good.
Just thought I'd share.

Well, the Tater Tots are done, my back is starting to scream at me from sitting in this chair, so I guess I'd better go. If I can get up... Read the rest of this post

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7. Story Writing With Your Child - How To Speed Up Learning Using “Chunking”

by Jen McVeity

WritingWriting a story is hard work, even for authors. There are characters to create, dialogue to deliver, plots to plan, tension scenes to capture, endings to invent and starts that have to sizzle align=”left”so much they superglue your reader onto a chair.

Then you have to put it all into interesting sentences that flow smoothly. Whew! Breaking the complex process of writing into chunks makes helping kids with their writing more effective - and far more fun too.

Here are two ‘chunks’ you could try to help your child write with more impact.

Show, Don’t Tell

As we read words, pictures form in our mind. See what happens when you slowly read the lines below:-

• Snow glistens, thick and white on a mountain top.

• Orange and yellow poppies stand tall and cheerful in a vase.

Our job as writers is to create these pictures in the brains of our readers. That’s what Show, Don’t Tell is all about.

However, how can we do this when the idea is more abstract - like emotions? That’s much harder for kids to write as there is no picture. Therefore we need to show them how to create one. For instance:-

TELL: My brother is lazy.

SHOW: ‘Your turn for the dishes Tank,’ said Mum. ‘Yeah, later,’ he said, yawning, and turned up the TV louder.

‘No, now,’ said Mum. She stood in the doorway, arms crossed. She knew later in Tank’s mind meant somewhere between the year 2012 and infinity. Once, as punishment, Mum put all the dishes and saucepans Tank had forgotten on top of his bed. He just dumped them on the floor. A week later they were still there, a shoe in the spaghetti sauce, sweaty socks on the plates and a really bad smell wafting out the door.

Ah, now we have the picture for our minds. It takes much longer to write - but as readers we are far more convinced.

How to Write Tension Scenes

Imagine a birthday party, a top restaurant, friends and family - and a massive earthquake that ends in disaster.

Here’s the starting point by a 9 year old boy:

We were having fun in the restaurant when suddenly the ground started to shake. I didn’t believe it. Then glasses started to break all over my plate. My sister tried to stand up, she was afraid. The ground was trembling, there was noise everywhere…

Tension scenes are one of the hardest parts of a story to write. Kids often make them too basic and short. Why? Well, we say ‘write what you know’, but children often don’t have enough ‘emotional experience’ to imagine this sort of thing.

However, other people do - and their words are all in a dictionary or thesaurus.

So try this: Get your child to underline key words in the story - and then use a thesaurus to help bring the scene alive. You can actually do this BEFORE they write as well. Just ask, ‘what are some things which will happen?’ and make a list for them to use.

e.g.

fun - delight, enjoyment, amused, teasing, laughing, happy

shake - shudder, shiver, quake, quiver, buzzing, tremor,

break - crumble, disintegrate, collapse, crush, shatter

afraid - scared, fearful, terrified, panicked

tremble - quiver, shudder, beat, vibrate, grind

The idea is NOT to merely substitute one word for another. It is to give a greater variety of words/inspiration/ideas to the writer - and let their subconscious do the melding.

After:

The waiter smiled as he put down a hot chocolate pudding right in front of me.

‘You’re not going to eat all that!’ said my Dad. ‘Here, I’ll help!’ He reached across with his spoon, teasing me. I pulled my plate away fast. Everyone laughed.

‘Just a little bit,’ Dad begged.

I shook my head. It was weird, but there was a strange buzzing sound as if everything was not quite real. I lifted my spoon, my hands felt like they were shivering. Or was it really the floor shaking? It wasn’t possible, but now all the glasses were starting to clink. Suddenly one fell, shattering glass across my plate and into the dark chocolate. Then the noise hit me, harsh, grinding, vibrating right into my brain…

Get the idea? See how the word ‘fun’ has turned into something more specific - teasing and Dad trying to steal chocolate pudding. A simple ’shake’ now has triggered ’shivering’ and a ‘buzzing’ in the head. Best of all look at that last line; the words suggested from ‘tremble’ have now made this incredibly evocative and powerful.

If you want rich writing, give kids plenty of rich ingredients to work with.

********************************

Jan McVeity© Jen McVeity, National Literacy Champion

Try our FREE Creative Chatterbox to find over 500 story ideas.

The Seven Steps to Writing Success program, designed by successful author, Jen McVeity, is used in over 900 Schools. Suitable for the home school curriculum and gifted children, it has been shown to rapidly advance children’s writing skills and enjoyment.

Visit our website at http://sevenstepswriting.com/ to learn about all the Seven Steps to Writing Success and to find more free writing resources.

Subscribe to our fast and fabulous Free Parent Newsletter, filled with top writing tips and activities. http://sevenstepswriting.com/newsletter.php

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jen_McVeity

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8. Creative Cure for the Do-Nothing Doldrums

by Hazel Booth

snowy dayAs a kid today, you’re usually so busy with school and other activities that sometimes when the action stops, and you’re stuck indoors on a “snow day” from school, you’re at a loss for what to do.

But don’t settle for dull and boring.

Next time the snow piles up outside and you’re stuck indoors, pull out your creative stops and see how much fun a snowy day can be.

Here are five activities to try:

1. Write a play. When I think about snowy or rainy day activities, I think of Jo and her sisters in Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott, and the delightful afternoons they passed in making plays.

Gather your friends and family and act out a well-known story or, like Jo, write some of your own. Laughter will draw you closer, and you may discover a hidden talent. With the advent of handheld video recorders, you can record your antics for future entertainment.

2. Devise a treasure hunt. Conceal a prize (it can be as simple as a chocolate bar) in an unlikely spot and write a series of clues to lead the treasure-seekers to the booty.

To extend the activity, wrap the prize in multiple layers of paper and string before hiding it, and when it is found, play the Hat Game: Sit around a table and attempt to unwrap the prize using only a knife and fork. The person wielding the knife and fork must don a hat, scarf, and gloves before beginning. All the while, the person to his right is rolling a die, hoping for a six. As soon as he rolls a six, the knife, fork, hat, scarf, gloves, as well as the die, pass to the next person on the left.

Continue in this fashion until the chocolate bar is unwrapped. Then share it.

3. Create an inspirational collage. Gather some old magazines and catalogs, a pair of scissors, and glue. Look for words, sayings, and pictures that speak to you in some way. Choose a theme, like sports, animals, or furnishings you’d like for your bedroom. Include inspirational quotes and words of encouragement.

Feel free to use your computer to scan and print items you don’t want to cut, or play with different fonts to emphasize or change the look of printed words. Compose your collage and embellish with lace, ribbon, feathers, stickers, buttons, etc. Hang it where you’ll see it and smile.

4. Plan a meal. Pull out the cookbooks, especially ones with pictures, and look for some tasty new recipes. Scan the list of ingredients to make sure it sounds as good as it looks. Bookmark it or make a list of recipe titles and page numbers for each book. Choose a recipe, make a shopping list, and schedule a time to help make it.

5. Make crayon rubbings. Gather an assortment of textured objects from around the house. Examples might be a cheese grater, a piece of screen, a comb, string glued to a piece of paper, corrugated cardboard, or a crumpled piece of foil.

Choose one item at a time, lay a fresh sheet of paper on top, and rub over the surface with the side of a crayon. Try not to shift the item, and watch the pattern emerge. Rub over each textured surface with two colors of crayon.

Try to fill the entire sheet of paper with different textures and colors. Then, take a fat paint brush and a set of watercolors and paint colors of your choice over each rubbing. Use your finished paper for cards or wrapping paper, or cut it up to include in a picture or collage.

Armed with creative ideas like these, you might find yourself looking forward to your next snowy day when you’re stuck indoors.

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Hazel Booth is a freelance writer and a student of the Institute for Children’s Literature. She reviews picture books for the National Writing for Children Center and is currently working on nonfiction articles for kids.

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9. Christmas Around the World - This Week’s Teaching Tip

Renee Kirchnerby Renee Kirchner, Teaching Tips Contributing Editor

People all over the world celebrate Christmas, but not everyone celebrates the same way. Many of the traditions in the United States originated in other countries. Listed below are common customs and traditions of many different countries. See if you can find the traditions followed by your family and find out what country they came from. You might even find a new tradition or two that you and your family would like to add to your celebration this year.

Christmas drawing

Norway

In Norway, the children are sent outside or next door while the adults decorate the Christmas tree. When the children return and see the tree for the first time it is fully decorated with presents underneath. Imagine how happy they must feel when they see the tree. The family then joins hands and stands around the tree singing Christmas carols.

Australia

In Australia, Christmas is celebrated during the middle of summer. They do not have a white Christmas like many parts of the United States. Australians like to eat their Christmas dinner outside and then go to the beach for family fun.

Britain

In Britain, children write letters to Father Christmas asking for Christmas presents. Instead of mailing their letters to the North Pole, the children toss their letters into the fireplace and they float up the chimney to the North Pole. Sometimes the lists catch on fire. If that happens, the child has to write another list.

Mexico

In Mexico, children leave shoes out for Santa rather than hanging stockings by the fireplace. On Christmas Eve, singers parade throughout the towns carrying bells and candles on long poles. The parade ends at the local church where everyone attends a Christmas service.

Hopefully this gave you an idea of how children in other countries celebrate Christmas. Maybe you would like to follow one of these traditions this year.

Here is a holiday craft to get you in the spirit.

Puzzle Wreath Ornaments

Supplies:

Cardboard
Puzzle pieces from old puzzles
Glitter
Ribbon
Scissors
Glue

Give each child a small ring cut out of cardboard. Staple a small piece of the ribbon to the top of the ring in a loop. This will be for hanging the ornament later.

1. Have child glue puzzle pieces to the cardboard ring and ask them to cover every part of it.

2. Ask them to put a few dots of glue on top of the puzzle pieces.

3. Let them sprinkle glitter on the glue.

4. Shake off excess glitter from wreaths.

5. Hang wreaths on a Christmas tree.

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10. Writing a Rebus Story

Renee Kirchner
by Renee Kirchner, Teaching Tips Contributing Editor

Christmas sceneA rebus story is a story that is not just made with words. It is a story that combines words and pictures. The picture can represent an entire word or part of a word. The reader will have to sound out each syllable of a word when they read the rebus story.

This type of story writing is an excellent way for young writers to begin writing stories. They can draw pictures for some of the longer words that give them difficulty.

The best way to begin to write a rebus story is to write out the entire story in words. Then go back and read the story out loud to yourself. Listen to each syllable of each word. For example: Sunday (This word could be represented by a picture of the sun and the word “day”).

Use the following story starters to write a winter rebus story.

1. I was sledding down a giant hill when suddenly….

2. Sharp icicles hung from my garage. I saw the neighborhood bully walking by just as some of the icicles started to break loose. He….

3. I made a nice round snowman dressed in a hat and scarf. When I woke up the next morning he was missing. What happened to him?

4. I was skating on the pond by my house when suddenly the ice cracked. I hollered and hollered for help. I started slipping into the freezing water…

5. Describe the most beautiful sunset you have ever seen. What were you doing while you watched it?

6. In my hometown it never snows. I knew it would take a miracle to get snow on Christmas Eve. The weatherman said it might happen this year …..

7. I had never been snow skiing before. I went to ski school and you will never believe what happened to me. I started down the hill….

8. My friend dared me to stick out my tongue and touch it to the freezing cold light pole. Now I am stuck. What will happen to me?

9. The animals and birds outside of my house must be very cold. Here is what I did for them.

10. My goals for the New Year are….

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11. Teaching Personification

Renee Kirchnerby Renee Kirchner,Teaching Tips Contributing Editor

Personification is a type of figurative language in which a non-living object is given human qualities. The verb in the sentence involves a human action. Here are a few examples:

The ocean waves rocked me to sleep.
The wind sang a beautiful song.
The thunder clapped its hands together in perfect rhythm with the rain.
The roses tilted their faces towards the sun.

Personification can make your writing more fun. Your writing will be stronger and more interesting if you try this technique some of the time.

The swimming pool invited me in for a refreshing swim.
The poison ivy vines raced up the side of the tree.
The sunrise painted a beautiful picture in the sky.
The tall grass danced in the wind.

The person reading your writing will understand that wind cannot sing and waves cannot rock you to sleep, but your writing will be more like a poem.

Can you use personification in your writing? Give it a try.

An Exercise in Using Personification:

Fill in the blanks with a verb that gives human qualities to the non-living object in the sentence.

1. The flowers _______________ at me as I walked through the park.

2. The fall leaves ________________ to the ground.

3. The rain __________________ his cheeks as he ran home.

4. The train _________________ the family through the woods and over the mountain.

5. The soccer net _________________ the ball in mid air.

6. The rainbow __________________ the sky with brilliant colors.

7. The thorn bush ________________ at our ankles as we walked on the trail.

8. I watched the flower bulbs _________________ out of the soil after the light spring rain.

9. Spider webs ________________ in the moonlight from the trees in my front yard.

10. The basketball ________________ from my hand as I released my final shot of the game.

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12. The Issue Heats Up

As more and more Catholic school boards pull Phillip Pullman's The Golden Compass, Pearce Carefoote, author of Forbidden Fruit: Banned, Censored and Challenged Books from Dante to Harry Potter has been appearing on radio and television, speaking to the issue of censorship.

Hear the CBC radio podcast for November 26th, 2007 as Jian Ghomeshi interviews Carefoote on the topic of censorship.

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13. Today’s Update!

Visit www.suzannelieurance.com to find out who will be the guest for the day on Book Bites for Kids, a LIVE radio show that airs every weekday afternoon at 2:00 central time.

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Every week, members of the Children’s Writers’ Coaching Club are given a simple writing exercise and invited to submit a manuscript for critique. The critique telesession takes place every Wednesday night. Find out more about the club here.

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The National Writing for Children Center is looking for a new teaching tips contributing editor in January to take over for Renee Kirchner.

Every week, Renee has submitted an article with teaching tips for classroom teachers, parents, and other educators of young children. But now Renee is going back to school and will also be working part time. Everyone will miss her wonderfully informative articles. But we’re hoping another writer with experience in the classroom will want to become our new teaching tips contributing editor. For more information, email [email protected].

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CortonaFreelance writer and The Working Writer’s Coach, Suzanne Lieurance, will offer an exciting new weeklong writing workshop in Cortona, Italy in September called Have the time of Your Life - Write the Book of Your Dreams. Find out more about the workshop here.

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14. Metaphors - This Week’s Teaching Tip

Renee Kirchnerby Renee Kirchner, Teaching Tips Contributing Editor

Metaphors talk about one thing as if it were another. They are not introduced with the words “like” or “as”, but make direct comparisons. Here are a few examples:

His shirt was a flag, flying in the breeze. Her eyes were jewels, sparkling in the sun. The ocean is a playground for scuba divers. A song is a poem set to music.

Metaphors can compare something unfamiliar with something familiar to give you a frame of reference.

The surface of the moon is a snowy yard with footprint craters. The bottom of the ocean is a dark cave. A kiwi is a fuzzy lime. A resume is a report card for adults.

A metaphor comparison is not literal. You can’t always take the meaning directly. Here are some examples:

His room was a pigpen. (This means his room is messy, not that pigs live in it.) The harvest moon was a pumpkin. (This means the moon was round and orange, not made out of pumpkin.)
Her teeth were pearls. (This means her teeth were white like pearls, not that each tooth was actually a pearl.)
The baby’s cheeks were two rosy apples. (This means the baby’s cheeks are round and red, not really apples.)

Writers use metaphors to make their writing colorful and you can to. Give it a try.

Life is a Roller Coaster
Life is a Roller Coaster Sometimes!

An Exercise in Writing Metaphors: Complete the sentences to make your own metaphors.

1. The moon is a _____________________________________________.

2. Freckles are ________________ when they spread across your face.

3. His arms were _________________ as they lifted the heavy chair.

4. The stars are ______________ as they twinkle in the night sky.

5. The storm was a ______________ as it clawed against my window.

6. The freshly mowed lawn was a ___________________________.

7. The noisy children were __________________ as they raced through the museum.

8. I was a ___________________ as I tiptoed across the wooden floor.

9. The river was a _________________ as it twisted and turned down the mountain.

10. His cheeks were __________________ as he chewed the giant wad of bubble gum.

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15. Golden Compass

The Toronto Star reports that Halton's Catholic board has pulled The Golden Compass from school library shelves, pending a review by its trustees. Author Philip Pullman, who describes himself as an atheist, apparently wrote the series His Dark Materials as a response to C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia (which ironically have been challenged themselves).

Read a synopsis of The Golden Compass. It was voted the best children's book in the past 70 years by readers across the globe, according to news articles. Although it was published in 1995, the controversy is unfolding now because it has been made into a movie which will be released soon. Students can ask librarians for the book but it will not be displayed on shelves.

Toronto Star readers have voiced their opinions, many coming out in support of the presence of the book in schools.

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16. Similes - This Week’s Teaching Tip

Renee Kirchnerby Renee Kirchner, Teaching Tips Contributing Editor

Similes compare two unlike things using phrases that begin with like or as. Similes help you see pictures in your mind.

Can you see these similes?

The tree was as tall as a skyscraper. The stray dog was as thin as a needle. The playground looked like a busy anthill. Her new tooth was as white as a marshmallow.

Similes are descriptive, colorful, and clever. They help us see objects in ways we never have seen them before.

The swimming pool was as cold as an iceberg. Her hair looked like buttered spaghetti. The water slide was as slippery as a bar of soap. The soccer goal looked like a giant butterfly net.

Some similes are overused and we’ve heard them many times. These are called clichés. Try not to use this type of simile too much. Come up with your own ideas that are even better.

Have you heard some of these clichés before?

Her face was as red as a beet. He was as mad as a hornet. Their mother was as busy as a bee. His cat was as fat as a pig.

WavesThe best similes use the five senses of sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell to describe an object. Here are just a few:

The ocean tasted as salty as a pretzel. The cat’s tongue felt as rough as sandpaper. The old sleeping bag smelled like a wet dog. The school bell was as loud as a police siren.

Can you write a simile? Give it a try.

An Exercise in Writing Similes:

Complete the sentences to make your own similes. Try not to use clichés.

1. The candy tasted as sweet as __________________________________________.

2. The ice cream truck sounded like a _____________________________________.

3. Her smile was as wide as a __________________________________________.

4. She ran as fast as a _________________________________________________.

5. The pickle tasted as sour as a _________________________________________.

6. The movie was as sad as ____________________________________________.

7. Their teacher was as smart as ________________________________________.

8. The aquarium looked like a _________________________________________.

9. The berries were as red as a _________________________________________.

10. His old tennis shoes smelled like a ___________________________________.

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17. What is Autumn? - This Week’s Teaching Tip

Renee Kirchnerby Renee Kirchner, Teaching Tips Contributing Editor

Autumn, also known is fall is the transition season between summer and winter. In the northern hemisphere autumn starts in September and in the southern hemisphere, it starts around March. Although there are different definitions of autumn, it is generally assumed that autumn lasts from September through November. During these months the days begin to shorten and animals and plants prepare for the upcoming cold season.

When we think of fall, we usually think of beautiful fall colors such as red, yellow and orange on the trees. As the days become shorter, trees do not have enough light for photosynthesis. The leaves begin to stop producing the green chlorophyll and we begin to see pretty fall colors such as yellow and orange. Small amounts of this color were in the leaves during the summer, but the green chlorophyll covered it up.

Try this fun art project with your children:

FALL LEAVES (Torn paper collage)

Supplies:

Black construction paper (8 _ x 11)
Brown construction paper
Red construction paper
Yellow construction paper
Orange construction paper
Glue

The black construction paper will be the background for this collage. Tear red, yellow and orange construction paper into small one-inch pieces. These will be the leaves on the fall tree. Using a pencil, draw a tree trunk in the brown paper and carefully tear it out. Glue the tree trunk onto the black background. Arrange the leaves on the tree in a pleasing way and glue them down. It looks nice to scatter some of them on the ground for a true fall effect.

The black background will make the bright colors seem more vivid.

Fall Books to Read:

Fall by Nuna Roca
Fall by Nuna Roca. Barron’s Educational Series, August 2004

This title is for children in preschool through grade 2. Filled with colorful illustrations and sample projects and crafts, it is a great introduction to the season of Fall.

When autumn falls
When Autumn Falls by Kelli Nidey. Albert Whitman, September 2006.

As the heat of summer fades, fall begins. The temperatures drop as well as the leaves from the trees. Children will enjoy reading about familiar fall pastimes such as piling leaves up and carving jack-o’-lanterns.

Now It’s Fall
Now It’s Fall by Lois Lenski. Random House Children’s Books, October 2000 (reprint).

This newly reissued classic by Lois Lensky holds all of the pleasures of fall. A whole new generation can fall in love with her books.

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18. The History of Halloween

Renee Kirchnerby Renee Kirchner, Contributing Editor

Everyone is familiar with Halloween customs and traditions today. Children dress up in costumes and go door to door asking for treats. However, this tradition is fairly recent. How did this unusual custom originate?

The word Halloween has its origins in the Catholic Church. Halloween is derived from All Hallows Eve which is the night before All Saints Day celebrated on November 1. The Catholics used the day to honor of the Saints in heaven. It was a very significant day during the church calendar year.

During the 5th century BC in Celtic Ireland, the celebration of Halloween was observed on October 31. This was the day that summer ended and it is when the Celtic New Year was celebrated. The spirits of everyone who had died throughout the year would wander around on that night seeking bodies to possess. So, the Celts would extinguish the fires in their homes to make their houses cold. Next, they would dress up in costume and parade around the neighborhood to frighten away spirits.

The custom of trick-or-treating is thought to have originated with a ninth-century custom called ‘souling.’ On All Souls Day, November 2, Christians would walk from village to village asking for “soul cakes.” These cakes were made out of square pieces of bread with currants. The beggars promised to say prayers on behalf of the dead relatives of the donors.

Irish immigrants brought the custom of Halloween to America in the 1840’s. This is when the Irish were fleeing their country due to a potato famine. They used to play pranks on Halloween such as tipping over outhouses and taking the hinges off of fence gates.

Here are some stories for children to read to learn more about the history of Halloween:
The Story of Halloween
The Story of Halloween by Carol Greene. HarperCollins Publishers, September 2005.

This children’s book explains the traditions and the history behind the holiday of Halloween that we celebrate today. The holiday began more than 2,000 years ago, but it did not resemble our modern day celebration. This book also contains Halloween riddles and pumpkin art ideas.

A Halloween Reader
A Halloween Reader: Poems, Stories, and Plays from Halloweens Past by Lesley Pratt. Pelican Publishing Company, Inc., August 2004.

This anthology contains stories and poems of writers from the sixteenth to the twentieth century. Some of the stories are joyous and others are solemn. Some of the featured writers include: William Butler Yeats, Robert Burns, and James Joyce.

halloween
Halloween by Jennifer Blizin Gillis. Heinemann Library, October 2003.

This book begins by showing readers the Halloween they know and then explains the history of this holiday. Kids will learn that candy was not involved in early celebrations of Halloween. Americans have put their own spin on a holiday with Celtic and Roman history. Colorful photographs complement the text.

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19. Letter Writing Story Starters - This Week’s Teaching Tip

Renee Kirchnerby Renee Kirchner, Teaching Tips Contributing Editor

Young writers can sometimes be intimidated by writing. Yet, most kids like the idea of writing a letter to someone. Letters can be more fun to write than essays. Children can write a letter in their own voice and it feels more natural.

Try some of these letter writing story starters.

Letter to Santa

Dear Santa,
I’ve been so good this year. I want something very special for Christmas this year. Let me tell you about it…….

Dear Mom and Dad,
I hate summer camp! It is awful. You won’t believe all the crazy things that have happened to me. First, …..

Dear President Bush,
I am happy to hear that you got reelected. I have a few suggestions for how you can fix some of the problems our country. The first thing I would like you to change is ……

Dear Zookeeper,
My class recently visited your zoo on a field trip. The animals did not look happy. I have a few suggestions for how you could redesign the zoo to make it better for the animals. First I would …..

Dear Hollywood Movie Producer,
I had a dream the other night that could be made into a great movie. I think it could be a blockbuster! Here is my idea …….

Dear Book Editor,
I have written a great children’s story. I think it is even better than Harry Potter. I will enclose the story in my letter so you can decide if you wish to publish it. Here it is ….

Dear Astronaut,
I love studying about space travel in school. I want to be an astronaut just like you one day. I think that you should let me travel into space with you on your next mission because …..

Dear Guinness Book of World Records,
I am writing to you because I have just broken a record. Please come visit my hometown so you can see for yourself. I think you will put me in your latest record book because …..

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20. Tell a Tale - This Week’s Teaching Tip

Renee Kirchner
by Renee Kirchner, Teaching Tips Contributing Editor

We’ve all read tall tales before. The legends of Paul Bunyan and John Henry are examples of tall tales. The accomplishments of the hero in the story are larger than life or exaggerated. Read a few tall tales with your students so they can become familiar with the genre. Here are some good ones to start with:

Paul Bunyan
Paul Bunyan by Steven Kellogg. HarperCollins Publishers, June 1985.

The story of the larger-than-life lumberjack, Paul Bunyan, is familiar to many children. Steven Kellogg writes about all of Paul’s exciting adventures with Babe the Blue Ox. His illustrations bring the book to life.

American Tall Tales
American Tall Tales by Mary Pope Osborne. Random House Children’s Books, September 1991.

Nine folk heroes are introduced in this collection of tall tales by Mary Pope Osborne. Readers will meet Johnny Appleseed, John Henry, Paul Bunyan, and many others. The exaggerated stories of their adventures will delight children.

Dona Flor
Dona Flor: A Tall Tale about a Giant Lady with a Great Big Heart.by Pat Mora. Alfred A. Knopf, October 2005.

Readers will meet, Dona Flor, in this tall tale about a giant woman. She makes giant tortillas for everyone to eat and they can use the leftovers as rafts and she lets children use her giant flowers as trumpets. When a large lion threatens the village, Flora sets off to find it.

Tall tales all have one thing in common - they’re probably as much fun to write, as they are to read. Why don’t you try your hand at writing a tall tale, or at least the beginning of a tall tale? We’ve written the start of the first sentence, now all you have to do is fill in the rest. Whether you write one sentence, a paragraph, or a whole story, make sure that you exaggerate. See how wild your imagination is.

1. Dan Magallan and his horse traveled the country _______________________________.

2. The locomotive sped toward the car that was stalled on the train track. It would take a miracle to save the driver. Suddenly __________________________.

3. A long time ago in a land far, far away there was a knight who was braver than all of the men in the land. He was called the dragon slayer and he _____________________.

4. The giant waves of the hurricane were no match for ____________________________.

5. Big Tex rode a twenty foot rattle snake when he came into town _________________.

6. Giovanni, the pizza maker was legendary in these parts. He used to ______________.

7. Leo the Great could tame any wild beast. He rounded up the wild animals of the jungle and _________________________________________________.

8. Billy Bob had an amazing set of lungs. He could blow all of the sand out of the Sahara Desert. With one breath, he could suck up all of the water in Lake Michigan. These amazing powers came in very handy when ______________________________________.

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21. Scary Story Starters - This Week’s Teaching Tip

Renee Kirchnerby Renee Kirchner, Teaching Tips Contributing Editor

Halloween is just around the corner. Read a few great Halloween titles to your kids and then let them try their hand at writing their own stories.

Here are some great reads:

Happy Halloween, Biscuit
Happy Halloween, Biscuit! by Alyssa Satin Capucilli. HarperCollins Publishers, 1999.

This sweet story is aimed at preschool students. Biscuit, the puppy, gets into mischief on Halloween Day. This story follows Biscuit and his mistress through their day as they search through the pumpkin patch and go trick or treating. Children will love the delightful illustrations.

The Night before Halloween
The Night Before Halloween by Natasha Wing. Penguin Young Readers Group, 1999.

This story puts a Halloween twist on the traditional Night Before Christmas poem by Clement C. Moore. Monsters are getting ready for the trick or treaters.

Scary, scary Halloween

Scary, Scary Halloween by Jan Brett. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1988.

This Halloween tale, told in verse, sets the stage for Halloween. Four cats watch as a parade of witches, goblins, and a mummy pass by. Popular author, Jan Brett, has written another classic.

Use the following story starters to write a scary story.

1. I saw a witch riding her broom above my house when suddenly she landed on my front lawn….

2. My best friend dared me to knock on the door of the haunted house. I knocked twice and the door creaked open slowly. A hand reached out and …..

3. It was a dark, spooky Halloween night when the strangest thing happened to me.

4. My jack’o’lantern started talking to me last night. It told me the strangest story about…

5. When a black cat crossed my path, I knew I was going to have bad luck.

6. We were driving home in the car when we saw mysterious shape hovering over our car. It stopped on the road in front of our car.

7. My science teacher mixed up a funny looking green liquid in a beaker. The liquid started boiling over the top and crawling down the side of the table. Help! The liquid was coming to life.

8. I heard the rocking chair in my living room creaking back and forth. I crept down the stairs and saw someone sitting in the chair. The figure turned around and….

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22. Historical Story Starters - This Week’s Teaching Tip

Renee Kirchner
by Renee Kirchner, Teaching Tips Contributing Editor

If you want to get your kids interested in history, you should try reading some entertaining historical fiction stories to them. After you read a couple of stories, let them try their hand at writing.

Historical fiction stories:

Dust Bowl
Dust Bowl by David Booth.
Kids Can Press, Ltd., 1997.

A grandfather tells his grandson, Matthew, about growing up in the 1930’s during the Great Dust Bowl. He describes the dust clouds that would block out the sun and destroy the wheat crops. Children will feel the dust stinging their faces and taste the grit in their mouth as they read or listen to this story.

If a Bus Could Talk
If a Bus Could Talk by Faith Ringgold.
Aladdin, 2002.

This is the story of young Rosa Parks, an African American school-girl who refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man and changed the course of history. The story is told through a talking bus who retells the story of Rosa to a contemporary school-girl.

Civil War on Sunday
Civil War on Sunday (Magic Tree House Series #21) by Mary Pope Osborne.
Random House Children’s Books, 2000.

Once again Jack and Annie are transported by their tree house on another magical adventure. This time they travel back to meet Clara Barton during the Civil War. They end up saving their own great-great-great grandfather in the process.

After reading some stories, ask the children to imagine themselves living during a different time period. Use one of these writing prompts to write a story with a historical perspective.

1. (Dust Bowl: Oklahoma) Today the dust blew so hard our fields looked like sand dunes. Ma and Pa say we might have to move to California like all the other families. I don’t want to leave.

2. (Pioneer) Pa is loading the wagon again. He keeps searching for wide open spaces. I like living by other families, but he seems restless. “Where is Kansas?” I ask him.

3. (Civil Rights Movement) Daddy says a man named Martin Luther King is coming over for dinner. He wants to talk about black and white children going to our elementary school together. I think it’s a great idea.

4. (Mayflower – Pilgrims) It has taken months to cross the ocean. I never want to see water again. I can’t wait to get to America, the land of plenty.

5. (Oklahoma Land Rush) Pa told me that when the starter gun sounds we can race for our free land. I still can’t believe the land is free. Ma told me to lie down in the wagon because we’re going to be moving very fast. What an exciting adventure this will be.

6. (Civil War) Today I had to hide in the root cellar because we saw union soldiers crossing the land on our plantation. I hope nothing happens to Ma while Pa is away at the war.

7. (Women’s Liberation) My mom got a job today. I’m not sure how I feel about that. There have been a lot of changes in my house since she marched for Women’s Liberation.

8. (Gold Rush) Daddy says he will send for us when he strikes it rich in California. I wish I could go with him right now.

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23. Teaching “Main Idea” Through Picture Books

Renee Kirchner
by Renee Kirchner
Teaching Tips Contributing Editor

Learning how to identify the main idea and supporting details is an important reading skill that children must develop. It helps them to create meaning as they read. Teachers can use a variety of strategies to explain main idea. Basically, the main idea is the main reason the story was written. For example, the main reason for going to an amusement park is to ride the rides and have fun. A child might eat some yummy food like cotton candy or hot dogs at the amusement park, but that wasn’t the main reason for going.

Every story has a main idea. Sometimes the main idea can be found in the first sentence of the story and sometimes it is found in the middle of a story. Tell children to think of the 5 W’s, who, what, when, where, and why to help them look for the main idea. All stories have supporting details that are related to the main idea. There could be just a few supporting details or many.

There are many fine examples of picture books that you can use to main idea. Read some of the stories listed below and ask children to try to tell you the main idea. It might be helpful for children to have a visual. Draw a daisy on the board and put the main idea of a story into the center of the flower and write the supporting details on the petals. Ask them to do the same when choosing the main idea from other stories.

Picture books to teach main idea:

Thanksgiving is here
Thanksgiving is Here! By Diane Goode
August 2003, HarperCollins Publishers

Main idea: The main idea in this story is that a grandmother and a grandfather are hosting a warm family gathering.

Supporting Details:
1) A stray dog shows up to the party (but tell children that the story is not about a dog). 2) One of the guests brings a gift to the host and hostess of the Thanksgiving dinner.

The Great Kapok Tree
The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry
March, 1990Harcourt Children’s Books

Main Idea: The Kapok Tree is important to many rain forest animals because it is their home.

Supporting Details:
A man falls asleep while trying to chop down the tree.
A butterfly whispers in his ear.
The rain forest has three layers: a canopy, an understory, and a forest floor.

Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
September 1996, HarperCollins Publishers

Main Idea: The little mouse, Chrysanthemum, loves her name.

Supporting Details:
The students in class all have short names
The students tease Chrysanthemum about her name
The teacher is named after a flower too.

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24. Diego Rivera - This Week’s Teaching Tip

Renee Kirchnerby Renee Kirchner, Contributing Editor

Diego Rivera, one of the most talented and controversial artists of the 20th century, was born in Guanajuato, Mexico, on December 8, 1886. He is most well known for his murals depicting laborers and peasants. He wanted everyday working people to see his artwork so he painted murals on the walls of schools, churches and hotels.

When Diego was a young boy, he loved to draw. His father had to cover the walls in his room with canvas so he wouldn’t cover the walls with pictures. At the age of ten, Diego told his family that he wanted to be an artist. They enrolled him in a night class at the famous academy of San Carlos. There he was most influenced by classical European art and Mexican folk art. Diego learned about Mexican art from Jose Posada, a local shop owner. He often watched Posada make his drawings and prints.

Beginning in 1911, Diego spent several years studying and working in Spain and Paris. The work of Pablo Picasso caught his eye and he began to try his hand at the cubism style of painting that Picasso was famous for. Diego produced over 200 works of cubism art, but he came to realize that Picasso’s style of work was for the wealthy. He wanted to paint pictures that average workers could enjoy. He decided to paint what he knew and that was Mexico.

Diego returned to Mexico in 1921 and began perfecting his mural techniques. He painted frescos like the ones he had seen on the walls of churches in Italy years earlier. A fresco is a painting that is done on wet plaster. When dry, the painting will last for a very long time. Diego always painted what he thought was important. Sometimes people didn’t like the subject of his paintings. One of his murals that he painted in the United States was destroyed before he ever finished it because it contained a picture of an unpopular Russian revolutionary leader.

Diego Rivera will long be remembered for his beautiful murals and especially for art that could be enjoyed by all people, whether they are rich or poor.

Art Exercises to Try at Home:

1. Lay a long piece of butcher-block paper on your kitchen floor. Using paints or crayons, create a mural that tells a story. You could show a scene from your favorite vacation. Tape the butcher-block paper on a wall in your home. The scene can be changed throughout the year to reflect different scenes for different seasons.

2. Diego Rivera loved to paint everyday people doing everyday things. Paint a picture of an everyday event in your home. An example would be to show your mother or father preparing dinner for the family.

3. Diego Rivera was famous for his portraitures of famous Americans such as J.P. Morgan or John D. Rockefeller. Using a photograph of a member of your family draw a funny caricature of them. Take one of their features, such as their nose or hair and exaggerate what it looks like.

4. Diego made realistic pictures by using the proper perspective or placement of figures on the paper. You can practice this by drawing a picture on a sheet of paper. Try to draw smaller objects near the top of the paper. You will need two sheets of tracing paper for the middle ground and the foreground. One the first sheet of tracing paper, draw pictures in the center of the paper. They should be medium sized objects. Now you will draw on the second sheet of tracing paper. You will be creating the foreground. Draw large objects near the bottom of the paper. Now tape the two pieces of tracing paper to the regular paper. You should see a background, middle ground and foreground on you finished picture. The items on the bottom of the paper should appear closer and the objects at the top of the paper should appear further away.

5. Diego is famous for capturing glimpses of the history of his home country of Mexico. Draw a picture of something that is happening in your hometown. Ask your mom or dad to help you come up with ideas.

Books about Diego Rivera:

Diego RiveraDiego Rivera by Mike Venezia. March 1995. Scholastic Library Publishing. This book is a good source of biographical information about Diego Rivera. The book includes full-color reproductions of Diego’s paintings.

Diego Rivera: Artist and MuralistDiego Rivera: Artist and Muralist by Megan Schoeneberger. January 2006. Coughlan Publishing. Diego Rivera was the most famous Mexican artist of the twentieth century. He is well known for his large-scale murals of Mexican workers. This book includes a time line of his life, a glossary, and information on how to access Internet sites.

Diego Rivera: Legendary Mexican PainterDiego Rivera: Legendary Mexican Painter by Laura Baskes Litwin. August 2005. Enslow Publishers. This well documented biography covers the artist’s life from birth to death as well as anecdotes about his life. In addition, boxed paragraphs explain people and events mentioned in the text.

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25. How to Raise a Writer - This Week’s Parenting Tip

Renee Kirchnerby Renee Kirchner, Contributing Editor

Encouraging children to write is even harder than getting them to read a good book. Yet, with a little creativity and persistence you can make writing more enjoyable and less like a homework assignment. Some suggestions will work better for your children than others. It will be a case of trial and error to see which activities will work best for your family.

Child writing

As a writer, I am always trying to think of ways to persuade my two children to write more. Here are a few suggestions for activities I have tried with my own family.

Have them write thank-you notes.

I have always encouraged my children to write than-you notes when they receive gifts for special occasions. Not only does this practice teach them manners and common courtesy, it can go a long way towards showing them how writing is used in everyday life. My children know I expect this of them and they don’t complain about it any more. I sit next to them and write my
thank-you notes at the same time.

Get you children involved in planning their own birthday parties.

Children as young as three or four can help fill out their birthday party invitations. You can find fill-in-the blank invitations at most party supply stores. Let them write the address on the envelope and put on the stamp as well. You can sneak in a short lesson about mailing letters. Your kids will be so excited about their birthday party; they will hardly notice that you’ve asked them to write something.

Buy your kids a travel log before you take a family vacation.

Let each of your children pick out a notebook before your next vacation. They can decorate the front cover and give it the title: Travel Log. Tell your children that the notebook is to record their special memories from the trip. At the end of each day’s activities, have your children unwind by writing in their journals. They will remember more if they write in the journals during the vacation because the memories will still be fresh. If they want, have them glue souvenirs into their notebooks. Small flowers, leaves, postcards, or travel brochures would add to the appeal of their travel diaries.

Show the children the importance of list making.

Even small children can write simple lists. Ask your children to help you write the grocery list before your next trip to the grocery store. Let your children hold onto the list while you are shopping. They will enjoy crossing off each item as you put the groceries into the basket. Who knows, they may just be better behaved at the store if you keep them busy.

Respect your children’s privacy by buying them a diary.

Explain to your children that writing is a good way to express their feelings. Buy them each a diary with a lock and a key. Tell your children that their diatry is for their use only and you will respect their privacy. They may enjoy writing even more when they know no one else will be reading their thoughts. It has been proven that writing is an excellent way to blow off a little steam. You may have less temper tantrums if your children can write their feelings away.

Let your children see you writing.

In today’s email environment, your children may not notice that you are composing letters to your friends via e-mail. Once in a while, let them see you writing an old-fashioned letter to a friend.

Encourage your children to try to get their writing published.

What child wouldn’t get excited about seeing his name in print? Many magazine publishers are open to submissions of poetry and fiction from young authors. Here are a few publishers willing to publish writing by young people:

New Moon Publishing, Inc., 2 W. First St., #101, Duluth, MN 55802, (218)728-5507.
Bimonthly magazine edited by girls ages 8-14. Fiction - prefers girl written material. Length 1200 - 1400 words (adventure, fantasy, historical or humorous).

Stone Soup, The Magazine by Young Writers and Artists, Children’s Art Foundation, P.O. Box 83, Santa Cruz, CA 95063-0083. All writing they publish is written by kids 13 and under. Non-fiction, fiction, and book reviews. Send complete manuscript. This is a magazine by kids, for kids. Website: www.stonesoup.com.

These are just a few suggestions to help your children develop the writing bug. You might just inspire at least one of your children to become the next John Steinbeck or Toni Morrison.

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