For Other Professionals
rss
e-mail
print
shareBlogs about Reading
Page by Page
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.
Many thanks to our good friend (and 2006 Caldecott winner!) Chris Raschka, for his excellent illustration of Maria, Queen of the 'Page by Page' Blog.
To read or not to read — what is the motivation?
Motivating children to read is a topic of great concern for many, so when I was recently asked about it I started thinking about why I — or any adult — read (or not) and what this may teach us about the kids in our lives.
One thing I know is that people of any age tend not to do what's excessively difficult, incomprehensible to them, or simply not fun. For me, the topic may be dull or maybe it's just that I don't know the subject which makes the decoding difficult.
In any case, a lot has been written about motivation. But what can we learn from our own experiences?
Michaela loves the beach. So when Bats at the Beach (Houghton) was read to her by her adoring grandmother, the not-quite three-year-old asked that it be read to her over and over until she could recite it verbatim. Not only did the subject of the book appeal, but she also had a caring adult who shared it with her.
Something in Where the Wild Things Are (HarperCollins) spoke to three-and-a-half year old Nicky who could soon recite the book word for word, adding sound effects for the pages with no text.
Third grader Kayla spent so much time decoding words that she simply didn't have the energy left to read for meaning or pleasure. That seemed to begin to change with a book that had familiar characters from a television show. It seems that Kayla built on this familiarity.
Kayla is now in fifth grade; Nicky is heading to high school. Both are honor students and read for pleasure as well for school. Michaela is really ready to read and will probably start before she gets to first grade.
Seems what each of these children have in common are books that somehow "spoke" to them. Add to that a caring adult, and they seemed to find inspiration. With inspiration comes motivation. But at the heart of their motivation are books.
A musical surprise — in a book
I like surprises, at least some surprises, that is. But mostly I like books that can surprise me.
And what a pleasant surprise I had when I read a new book entitled Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum by Robert Andrew Parker (Schwarts & Wade).
The early years of this jazz artist who was a child prodigy — and who had limited vision — is richly imagined in Parker's staccato text and delicately lined, well-crafted watercolors. The result is a surprisingly thorough, thoughtful, and warm presentation in a picture book biography.
I'm always surprised when a tough subject like this influential musician can be distilled into a fine experience for young readers. Parker obviously has respect for both the subject and the audience. What a great way to celebrate history, music — especially jazz — and musicians.
Here's hoping the entire New Year is filled with many more happy surprises!
Another Caldecott to talk about
I attended the press conference on Monday, January 14 where the winners of this year's Newbery, Caldecott, and Coretta Scott King Awards were announced. These have become the best known awards for children's books among ALA's Youth Media Awards.
There was a lot to cogitate, especially about the Caldecott.
The 2008 Caldecott Committee chose four honor books — a large but not unprecedented number.
These were: Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad by illustrated by Kadir Nelson, written by Ellen Levine (Scholastic), First the Egg, written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (Roaring Brook/Neal Porter), The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain, written and illustrated by Peter Sís (Farrar/Frances Foster), and Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity, written and illustrated Mo Willems (Hyperion).
The range of the honor books not only suggests the span of readers (defined for the Caldecott Committee as up to age 14) but also the range in the publishing year. These books represent rich and varied artistic styles and media, varied topics, and handsome productions.
I think many will agree that this year's Caldecott Medal is the most unique. It was given to Brian Selznick for The Invention of Hugo Cabret (Scholastic).
...Hugo Cabret is tough to categorize. It's a movie, it's a play, it's a picture book, and it's a traditional novel. It's all of these things in part; it's none of these things all together.
But it is a really good story, told visually — but also in words. It sure doesn't look like any past winner in terms of its heft. But it is likely to be around for a long time especially now. I can't help but wonder if this somewhat redefines the Caldecott Medal...
If you haven't seen the book yet, take a look and let me know what you think about it. I look forward to hearing from you!
What a way to start the year
A bunch of parents and their newborn children have started the New Year on a bright note. They're leaving the hospital with a board book.
I was heartened to read about this program in Nebraska that gives books to newborns — actually their parents. This is where literacy really starts, isn't it — with a parent cuddling, talking, reading, or singing to an infant?
Libraries have always provided a great start for children of all ages, in any stage of development, and at any time of the year. I'm hard-pressed to think of any other organization that provides services to the very young and the significant adults in their lives. In fact, the Association of Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, has a program called Born To Read. Libraries across the country have been involved with an early literacy initiative, "Every Child Ready to Read."
I remember my son at six months old howling with laughter over Rosemary Well's Max's First Word (Dial). I still chuckle when I hear the word "bang" as I remember Max — the small, smart, and stubborn bunny that delighted my son so. I used libraries all the time when he was very young — and bought books that especially touched my son.
Some of his early favorites are still read by children today: Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, Martin Waddell's Owl Babies; and a bit later, Walter Dean Myers' Brown Angels. These books remain as special to me as they were to my son at one time and probably will be again.
Take a minute to share some of the books that are favorites of young children in your life. Maybe we can build a list of classics old and new.
National Ambassador for Young People's Literature announced in NYC
I'm usually up early, but to be on a moving train to NYC at 6:30 a.m. is a bit out of the ordinary even for me. But it was well worth it.
We arrived in time to get to the Mulberry Branch of the New York Public Library, for the announcement of the first National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, a joint project of the Library of Congress and the Children's Book Council.
Though it was in the various media today, it was a pleasure to see the first ever American Ambassador in action putting a face on the pleasure and power of literature for young people — which naturally supports literacy. And what a face it is!
The Ambassador is none other than award-winning author, Jon Scieszka, outspoken proponent of reading and the command of humor. (There's an interview with him on Reading Rockets, by the way.)
For the next two years, Jon will travel across the country to promote reading and the role of literature in young people's lives. Jon and his successors will help create lifelong reading and readers, touching children and young people and the significant adults in their lives.
Librarians are among those adults. So it seemed particularly wonderful when it was announced today that Ambassador Scieszka will visit a library somewhere in the country. This will be determined by a raffle during the Midwinter Conference of the American Library Association in Philadelphia, PA, later this month.
Neat stuff, huh? I'll be there for the drawing — and for the announcement of theNewbery, Caldecott, Coretta Scott King Awards, and others.
Stay tuned! There's a lot more to come!
