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September 8, 2008
Happy Birthday Mom! Today is my mom's birthday, and I couldn't have spent it any better in class than learning
about resources available in the San Juan College Library and setting up a web page dedicated to reading children's literature.
My mother is the Queen of reading! She is never, ever, without a book. Some of my earliest memories is of her
taking us to the library, and of her reading to us, and listening to us read.
I chose two books to read to begin my literary list, The Faceless Friend by Howard Whitehouse, and The Silverskin Legacy by
Jo Whittemore. I am excited to begin reading.
September 15, 2008
I finished Escape from Arylon by Jo Whittemore, I really enjoyed it. It is just the first in a trilogy, the
Silverskin Legacy. I can't wait to read the other two books. I went to the library to get them but only the third
was there. I debated and debated on whether to read the third without reading the second and finally decided I would.
I really enjoy just walking up and down the library aisles and picking up whatever book catches my fancy.
I brought home a whole bag full of books and am anxious to get to each one of them.
September 22, 2008
I finished Stones in the Water by Donna Jo Napoli this morning. Wow, what a great book. I never knew
that Italian boys were kidnapped and forced to work for the Germans. The more I learn about that war, the more
it amazes me of the cruelty that went on. I did enjoy reading about Roberto, because he was kind, and
sacrificed, and did human things admist inhuman conditions. What an example!
On a handout for this class is a quote, "Sometimes you need a story more than food to stay alive." (Barry Lopez)
In this story Samuel tells Roberto stories that actually are better than food and do help him to stay alive.
October 1, 2008
I read The Mailbox by Audrey Shafer. I love it! This is Shafer's first novel and I hope that
she writes more. The story made me smile and cry and think quite a bit. That is what I like from books.
I like to come away thinking about the book and wondering about the characters and what they are doing after the book
is closed.
I was also excited this week because one of the books that I read last week was about geneology. I am part of a
group of people that is transferring written records to computer data bases to be used for geneology work. It was really
fun to see what the book had been talking about. It is also fun to see the beautiful handwriting that people had back
at the turn of the century, to see what their occupations were (marble polisher, farm laborer, dry goods clerk, musician),
and where they came from (Ireland, England, Prussia, Italy). It was fun to make the connections. These aren't just
names on a list they are actual people with families and interesting lives.
I also thought of all kinds of possible lesson plans that can be created using geneology themes. This is exciting!
October 8, 2008
I have found a wonderful author and can't wait to do some research on her. Her name is Patricia Pollaco.
She wrote my new favorite children's book, "The Christmas Tapestry." I love working with thread and fabric and so the
name of the book caught my attention and then I saw several other of her books on the shelf and grabbed all there were.
"The Christmas Tapestry" was a wonderful story, a story that has been told her by several poeple. Some of
the details were different in each version but the bones were the same.
The other stories she wrote are also based on true stories some about her own life.
I am still really enjoying reading so many children's books and being able to share them with students that I tutor and
with my family.
October 13, 2008
I have been reading picture books this last week and have
been pleased with the imagination that some of these books have. They make me
want to be a child again, or at least have some young children around to play with.
My children are ages 21,20,18,and 16. There are other picture books that
aren’t as fun, they seem to be adult books written as if an adult is talking babytalk to the reader. I don’t like those very much. If I were a children’s
book author, I would want to write the books that are imaginative and fun.
The illustrations are as important as the words in the picture
books, and there are some wonderful illustrators out there. My favorites are
the watercolor pictures and those that tell more of the story than what the words have told. I need to take a watercolor painting
class....
October 20, 2008
I have had a hard time keeping up with reading this week,
work and assignments have kept me busy, and every time I sit down to read, I am afraid that I fall asleep. Hopefully this weekend I will be able to get some reading done.
October 31, 2008
As I was preparing for another class that I am taking, a
math class, I discovered a collection of books that are great for using in math classes.
You see that is what I want to teach is math, and I have learned in several UNM classes that children should be read
aloud to each and every day, so think how excited I was to find a collection of books that can be read aloud in a math class! My favorite so far is Sir Cumference and the First Round Table, by Cindy Neuschwander. It uses characters named for geometric terms and tells a story in such a creative
way that students can’t help but remember what circumference, diameter, and radius are.
I can’t wait to find other books along these same lines.
November 6, 2008
I finished reading “Fire in the Hills” by Donna
Jo Napoli today. It is the sequal to “Stones in Water.” I enjoyed it. I am looking forward to reading it with my literature
circle. Stones ended with a question as to whether or not Roberto made it home
or not and it was sure nice to read more about him in “Fire.”
“Stones” introduced me to the Italian life during
World War II and Fire helped me learn more about the Italian resistance. World
War II was such a complex war. My husband spends many of his free hours watching
documentaries about the war and there doesn’t seem to be an end to the layers of information, and the interpretations
of it.
I have fallen behind in reading anything else because of
the rush to read “Fire” in time for class on Monday. I have a book
bag full of books that I am anxious to get to and so am glad to have finished “Fire.”
November 12, 2008
I have been reading several books at once this week. It seems that each time I enter the library I am captivated by more books and I can’t
seem to wait to read them one at a time. So I have been reading a book of Celtic
fairytales, a book about J.R.R. Tolken’s Lord of the Rings series, and a fiction book, The Whispering Road.
I am fascinated by anything Celtic (maybe it’s in
my genes?), and so the Celtic fairytales literally jumped off the shelf at me. I
enjoyed reading about fairies, and the middle world. The book also contained
the music for the fairy songs that were spoken of in the stories. I want to read
some more.
I have tried several times to read the Lord of the Rings
but have not been able to get into it, but I have been fascinated with the book and the rest of the series and so when I saw
a book about the making of the book I thought I would try reading it so that maybe I will gain some insight that will help
me finally read the book.
The Whispering Road, is interesting, but I read it in bed
before I fall asleep and so am only progressing a page or two each night. It
just isn’t interesting enough to keep me awake to read, but I do want to know how it ends and so I keep plodding on.
November 19, 2008
A certain interpretation of a story is only valid “when
it is applicable to the thoughts and experiences of the readers.” JRR Tolkein
This quote caught my eye as I was reading a book about JRR
Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. I thought about all those teachers that insisted that their students interpret literature
a certain way, their way. I have never felt that that was right. I believe that there is value in looking at literature through other’s eyes, but I have never felt
that a teacher’s or “expert’s” interpretation is the only true one.
I was glad to get a backup on my beliefs.
November 26, 2008
I have really
enjoyed reading the biographies of Mark Twain and Louisa May Alcott, these are two of my favorite authors and it was fun to
find out about their lives and their inspirations. Once I have finished reading
all the required books for each genre I intend to read some more biographies.
I know I have said this before, but it is true and so I
say it again. I thoroughly love being able to walk through the aisles of the
library and just grab up whatever catches my attention. Reading Rocks!
November 26, 2008
I have really
enjoyed reading the biographies of Mark Twain and Louisa May Alcott, these are two of my favorite authors and it was fun to
find out about their lives and their inspirations. Once I have finished reading
all the required books for each genre I intend to read some more biographies.
I thoroughly love being able to walk through the aisles
of the library and just grab up whatever catches my attention. I know I have said this before, but it is true and so I say
it again. Reading Rocks!
December 1, 2008
It is a sprint to the finish line… I am at the end
of the semester and all the class projects and papers are due, I am working everyday and my son has come home after being
away for two years. I have had a hard time keeping up on the reading list. My goal was 100 but I may not make it. I
enjoy reading all these children’s books and so I will keep running.
My two favorite books for this week are Carnation, Lily,
Lily, Rose and Linnea in Monet’s Garden. These are books about
famous artists, and I love seeing the photos of the paintings and the illustrations, and the stories are told very well. I look forward to sharing these books with children.
I sure admire the talents of authors, illustrators and painters.
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