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Reading Rockets' children's literature expert, Maria Salvadore, brings you into her world as she explores the best ways to use kids' books inside — and outside — of the classroom.
The color of summer
It's always good to rediscover something, especially if that something slows you down, makes you think, and creates vivid images.
What I've rediscovered is Mary O'Neill's collection of poems about colors, Hailstones and Halibut Bones (Doubleday). Though the book was originally published in 1961, it was newly illustrated in the late 1980s and recently reissued. Old is new all over again.
The collection of a dozen or so poems begins with a poetic invitation: "Like acrobats on a high trapeze/The Colors pose and bend their knees/Twist and turn and leap and blend/Into shapes and feelings without end…."
But this invitation does more than simply welcome. It effectively describes what readers will experience when they read the poems and examine the watercolor illustrations. Of course the pictures reflect the mood of the poems, but when word and image are shared together, well, it creates a place, a time, a feeling — all the more powerful when seen and heard (because after all, poetry cries to be shared aloud).
Colors around us change as the seasons change. We've just launched summer and summer reading. Why not use poetry to slow children (and adults!) down during the longer, color-filled days?
And it seems to me that yellow is best to welcome and describe summer for "Yellow is the color of the sun/the feeling of fun/The yolk of an egg….Daisy hearts/Custard pies and/Lemon tarts."
Traveling with books
We just got back from a family vacation to Ireland. It was my teenaged son's first time out of the country and the first time for his parents since their son was born.
Not surprisingly, we packed lots of books. I'm still reading for an award committee, so most of my books were for young readers.
My husband chose to take two novels for young readers by Richard Peck:A Year Down Yonder and A Long Way from Chicago (both Penguin). Both books are very funny family stories that feature the one of a kind Grandma Dowdel. And while they could be read independently by children in grades 4 and above, they make very funny read alouds for the entire family to share and discuss.
My son packed an enormously long adult fantasy with lots of battles, not unlike Tolkien.
Even without the delays caused by weather, there's plenty of time to read while traveling. I got through a couple of books en route to Shannon, another one on the return trip, and a couple in between. My husband finished the Peck novels and started in on what I'd finished reading.
And in Ireland, we visited lots of book stores, always checking out the section for young readers. I'm not sure why I was surprised but the connection between what American kids read and what is obviously popular in Irish villages from Ennis to Kenmare are amazingly similar.
We saw American writers and Irish (and other English language) writers that are widely read in the U.S.: Eoin Colfer, Kate Thompson, there was good old Harry Potter (with the UK cover) and even the Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan. Fantasy seems to be ever-popular.
But for younger readers books were much concrete; there was Jane O'Connor's Fancy Nancy books and lots of easy nonfiction.
It was interesting to observe a young mother calm her travel weary toddler by pulling out a book and reading it aloud in a soothing voice. You could hear the grumps going out of the child.
Books sure calm me, too. I'm glad they travel well.
Listening to kids talk about books
I'm on a national children's book award committee so submissions have been arriving at my home/office in increasing quantities. Even though I read a lot of books for young people anyway, I've been reading them to the exclusion of just about anything. (I can't give up the newspaper though; it's a must-have either online or in print.)
I'm reading so many books so quickly that I've been wondering how I can keep them clear in my mind — beyond taking notes (which is not always possible given all the places that I find myself reading these days).
But I have started asking colleagues, family members, and young friends to read the books that I think are worth their time and energy. And I've actually rediscovered a valuable and downright fun way to gain deeper insight into what works and why: simply talking to young readers provides a look into a book's appeal that I may not have considered.
For example, a young friend named Julia, a 3rd grader, read a book by Claudia Mills, How Oliver Olson Changed the World (Farrar). I was interested in her response even though the main character is a boy (also a 3rd grader, by the way). It was a girl in Oliver's class, Crystal, who intrigued Julia.
Apparently Julia was also interested in the demotion of Pluto. You see, Crystal becomes Oliver's friend over their shared interest in Pluto's astrological standing.
Julia told me she liked Oliver but kind of felt "sorry for him." When I reminded her that he found a way of dealing with his overprotective parents, she noted that he was "kinda smart."
It seems to me that the more we talk to children about substantive things, the better we get to know them and their tastes. In fact, sometimes the power of the story just takes over itself.
I'll always remember the mother who told me that if she put her mind to it, she could do anything — including raising her daughter as a single mom. That was a line right out of Mary Hoffman's Amazing Grace (Dial).
So, as we pack up for our family vacation, I'll take a batch of books and rely on my family — a captive audience — for feedback!
I'll let you know how it goes at the end of next week!
A day with art and artists
I spent the morning with young artists whose work was featured in an opening at The Phillips Collection that featured young (and I mean young) artists; the oldest were in 5th grade, most were prekindergarten through 2nd.
It was amazing, energizing, exciting, and downright remarkable.
The opening of the 'Young Artists Exhibition: Art Links to Literacy' culminated a yearlong museum-school program developed by Turning the Page (TTP), a DC-based organization whose mission is to link "public schools, families and our community so that we can ensure DC students receive valuable educational resources and a high quality public education." (By way of full disclosure, I believe in what TTP does and its approach, and serve as a board member.)
Collaborations with rich resources like the Phillips (and its forward thinking Education Department) helps make learning come alive for young children, their teachers and just as important, the children's families.
It was electrifying to see how many family members attended a daytime program. Not only mothers and fathers but grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles — it was just that special. And all partners — museum, TTP, and school staffs — made everyone feel welcomed and wonderful. Parents in particular were thanked and honored by the sponsors — and by their children.
After the various presentations, the families had an entire museum to visit using the "museum manners" that the children reviewed with the Phillips staff. They also had lots of books carefully selected to enhance not only the museum experiences but also the strides the children made in reading and making connections.
The children went through the exhibit with catalogs in hand, examining the child-artist creations carefully, savoring the moment and the experience.
And so should anyone who is in the neighborhood of The Phillips Collection. "Community Vision" will be up through August.
Series books
A colleague recently sent me a link to new and "hot" children's book releases. The majority of them were books that featured well known and proven characters like the eloquent Nancy of fancy language fame and a skeleton detective, Dirk Bones (both HarperCollins).
There are also a number of series books based on television and movie characters. Think Transformers, Spider Man, and even Max and Ruby.
I was always a bit dismissive of series books until I came across a piece of research by C. S. Ross published in 1995. In "If they read Nancy Drew, so what?: Series book readers talk back" Seems that Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden and all of the other series that I gulped down as a kid were actually beneficial to the emerging reader in me.
Ross concludes that series teaches children to read by not only getting children reading, but also by introducing them to patterns in books — and I'll add that these patterns are visual as well as textual (plot, characterization, etc.).
And so, maybe it's not such a bad thing — especially if adults read widely and continue to introduce young readers to a broad range of books — books that are stand alones, books that might stretch the imagination and even the comfort level of readers and listeners.
Frankly, I always think of poetry when I think of stretching security zones. A lot of adults are uncomfortable with it — but even here, a series book can help. Teachers and children alike will appreciate what Gooney Bird and others in Mrs. Pidgeon's 2nd grade class learn about poetry in Lois Lowry's Gooney Bird is So Absurd (Houghton).
And so I'll continue to read extensively but I won't feel nearly as guilty the next time I pick up one of my adult novels that just may be one of a series.
A week to celebrate: Children's Book Week
It's Children's Book Week, a longtime celebration of books and reading now celebrated in May. Even though it's almost over, the festivities should continue beyond this week.
Each year, there's a new poster illustrated by a topnotch artist. This year's poster is graced by the reading presence of Olivia, Ian Falconer's fabulous pig who keeps on top of her reading.
Also during Children's Book Week, children's book preferences are made known. This year's Children's Choice Winners were announced at a gala ceremony hosted by the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. Even Whoopi Goldberg and Al Roker, from The Today Show, were there!
Here are a few ideas to make every week Children's Book Week in your home or classroom. Hope you'll add to it!
• Visit the library every week; take out more than one book. Vote on your favorite of the week. (Kids' votes should count double!)
• Make a new bookmark and put it in the favorite book.
• Ask the teacher to share one of your child's favorite books with his/her class. Have other children bring in their favorite books. After a few weeks, take a class vote.
• Make a list of the children's favorite books; copy and send home before the summer.
Any other ideas? Let's add them as we count down to summer!
A day for moms
This weekend is Mother's Day. I always thought of it as a holiday created by, well, by Hallmark.
But it's not. I learned that it has roots in a feisty woman named Anna Jarvis who wanted to honor her mother. And apparently mothers were celebrated even farther back in history.
I admit that I have a particular point of view; that any day and any celebration is better with a book.
Much lauded artists, Leo and Diane Dillon, introduce readers to mothers and children around the world in a stunningly illustrated book entitled Mama Says: A Book of Love for Mothers and Sons (Scholastic). The simple words of wisdom, written by Rob Walker, appear in English as well as Russian, Hebrew, Korean, and other languages. The words are universal but the images go places quite literally.
For younger children, My Mom and Me (Little Simon) celebrates what mothers and children enjoy sharing. It, too, presents families from different cultures and uses words from different languages.
And look for a new Martha Alexander book recently completed by James Rumford. In Max & the Dumb Flower Picture (Charlesbridge), preschooler Max rebels against coloring in the lines of a pre-drawn flower to give his mom for Mother's Day.
Here's to mothers and celebrations — and to books shared between moms ands kids.
Maria is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Maryland, reviewer for School Library Journal and Capitol Choices, and former member of the American Library Association's Notable Children's Book Committee.
