Ad-Lib Mondays
The WHY of Reading Aloud to Older Adults and Isolated People
In the almost ten years (!) since I wrote this series of blog posts under the umbrella heading of “reading aloud to the elderly,” there have been many changes in the world. Terminology has changed, so that I’ve found it important to change the word “elderly” to older people, despite the fact that it has…
Read MoreGeorge by Alex Gino — #WeNeedDiverseBooks
Title: George Author: Alex Gino Publisher: New York: Scholastic, 2015 Genre: Middle Grade fiction Audience Age: 9 to 12 years Themes/topics: Transgender middle schoolers, being true to who you are, bullying Opening Sentences: George pulled a silver house key out of the smallest pocket of a large red backpack. Mom had sewn the key in…
Read MoreOf Dot Day and Peter H. Reynolds
Last week, I talked a bit about International Dot Day, and posted a retrospective of some of the Dots I’ve drawn over the last few years. Today I want to look a little more closely at Peter H. Reynolds, who created the fantastic picture book, The Dot — the book that inspired T.J. Shay to…
Read MoreInternational Dot Day is Nearly Here! September 15th-ish, 2015!
“Make your mark and see where it takes you.” With those encouraging, creativity-freeing words, Peter H. Reynolds gives us all a gentle challenge to unleash our own creativity and see where it takes us. If you have read Peter’s wonderful picture book The Dot, you will know that a little gentle encouragement from her teacher…
Read MoreDramarama by E. Lockhart — book recommendation (part one)
[Edited to add: I will be revisiting this book in the fall. I want to tell you some of Demi’s story as well as Sadye’s. So watch for part 2 of this post in September!] Title: Dramarama Author: E. Lockhart Publisher: New York: Hyperion Paperbacks, 2007. Genre: YA Fiction Audience Age: 13 to 17 years…
Read MoreThe Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt — Book Recommendation
Title: The Wednesday Wars Author: Gary D. Schmidt Publisher: New York: Sandpiper, 2007, 2009. Genre: Late Middle Grade, Early YA Audience Age: 11 to 14 years old Themes/topics: Growing up, coping with fear, bullying, hope, Shakespeare (yes, that says Shakespeare!) Opening Sentences: Of all the kids in the seventh grade at Camillo Junior High, there…
Read MoreDash by Kirby Larson — Book Recommendation
I’m sure you are familiar with the saying “So many books, so little time.” I’m feeling a bit like that as I approach my blog’s summer hiatus. There are several books I want to tell you about before I take my summer break, so nearly all the posts from now until then will be book…
Read MoreVictoria Day
“The twenty-fourth of May is the Queen’s birthday — If you don’t give us a holiday we’ll all run away!” My dad (who was born in 1913, and attended a 2-room school in rural Saskatchewan) chanted a version of that poem along with his schoolmates, and, as it turns out, with many other school children…
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