Changing Our Lives

              Thanks to Alyson Beecher's Non-Fiction Picture Book Challenge at Kidlit Frenzy, those who link up share fabulous non-fiction picture books. I am grateful for all that I've learned through reading non-fiction picture books. 

      



         I've read some terrific biographies this year, people who have rare talents in quite an array of topics. Here is one more, living in our lifetime whose main role will always stay with those of us who watched Star Trek, but in this book, I discovered that he created much more than I ever knew.  It is a marvelous introduction to the Mr. Spock, Leonard Nimoy.  I remember all the talk about this "new" TV show about space and the strange adventures they were having. We were immediately hooked. What I don't remember is that the original show only lasted three years. It's made quite an impact on us since then, hasn't it?

Reading Love Two Ways

       I'm slicing with the Two Writing Teachers community today. It's always a pleasure to read what everyone writes about their lives.

         

Among other books, I am currently reading The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald. 

She writes: "Books are fantastic and probably come into their own in a cabin in the woods {referring to Thoreau's Walden}, but how fun is it to read a fantastic book if you can't tell others about it, talk about it, and quote from it constantly?" This started my thought path back to the classroom, thinking about how many times this "talking about it" happened. Sometimes it was spontaneous when a group would gather at a "best books" shelf because someone asked for some recommendations (not only my 'best' books but class members, too). Often it was a group meeting when emotions were high from a particularly hard passage, or high from total disagreement about a scene or a character. Nearly everyone read a book a week unless it was extra long, and on Friday afternoons we sat reflecting about the week, and sharing what  we were reading. We talked about other books by the same author. We spoke of times we wanted to throw the book across the room, or the times we needed to take a break because we could see that a terrible thing was coming. The conversation was often rich, often silly, and I'm glad we did it. 

         However, there was also that time when we read, then read some more, alone.That too seemed good. We relaxed after a vigorous work morning, had lunch and afterward we read. Students sat on the carpet, leaned against walls, stayed at their desks, lay on the floor. Sometimes I thought I could tell when a tense moment had arrived. The reader moved, perhaps sat up, turned over, went to get a drink. But they read, and I could see it was love happening. 

         I do like Bivalds's quote, and there are times when I read I would love to share a page, a few words, so I am sharing today with this community. I just had to share this quote!

photo credit: DesEquiLIBROS lectura reading via photopin (license)

It's Monday! Hurrah!

         Visit Jen at Teach MentorTexts and Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders to see what they've been reading, along with everyone else who link up. I'm still reading for the Cybils poetry, round one. I'm sharing some of those nominees today and a few more.

         It's a verse novel, not-to-be-missed read aloud about bullying! Jason Parker, Japanese-American lives in a small seaside town with his parents who teach. He has to do sixth grade again because of different rules, but his age doesn't help him be any safer from bullies who want the power over him. This verse novel with a strong voice leads us into Jason's story with so many tense moments, showing Jason's courage and strong wish to learn to be calm. I kept wanting help the teacher "see". Jason keeps quiet and hopes too that the teacher notices how terrible he's being treated. He has friends, but they only can help after school. The book gives a glimpse of this culture and traditions, the wise and the different ways from here in America. There are good developed characters that Jason counts on, too. The poetry/prose tells just what the reader wants to know in lean wording and both lovely and harsh images. Here is one sample from a night experiencing a typhoon: "Cora comes up to my bunk/and in the typhoon night/things rattle, crash/smash, slam/and groan." There’s a glossary, a cultural guide & further resources about bullying. Reading aloud with a group will bring questions and conversation that hopefully will help those who feel alone and unsafe

         Read carefully, preferably out loud! And you will love the wonder and celebration of this new discovery. My granddaughters speak their own language all the time and love this book. Maybe it's really for the young ones, or for others if you remember your own secret languages?

Sneaking In A Celebration

  Celebrating with Ruth Ayres at Discover Play Build.  and linking with others who share their celebrations, too. I am grateful to Ruth for helping us celebrate together!  

      Among all the wonderfully usual, but very good things in my life, like museums and ice cream with the granddaughters, this week I celebrate two special things, both connected. One is the used bookstore where I am the volunteer coordinator. I haven't shared an Instagram pic all week because it has been closed for the past eight days. This old building with crannies and creaks needed a facelift, and while the plan was for many fewer days in which to be done, it is looking more wonderful each time I go in. The background is off-white, and all the accent colors are a bright, kind of ship's blue. I'm celebrating the volunteers, including me, today, because this non-profit store, in business for over forty years, is run entirely by volunteers. And during this past week, different volunteers have arrived to dust down the books and shelves, clean  the broad surfaces and the floors, re-label areas, and unpack those books that had to be entirely removed. We still aren't finished, but almost, and it is with a thankful heart, that I applaud those volunteers. I'll share more pics next week when it's really complete. 

All these shelves were emptied in order to paint them
a beautiful blue.

The view from the front window. All around the
window and its shelf, also blue.

        As for volunteers, I, and many others in all the categories, have been reading in every spare moment for the first round of Cybils' judging. It is a joy to read and celebrate all the gorgeous words. But it does take time, and focus, and a lot of love, I think. I celebrate poetry and other books, the writers, and this time the readers, too. As you've seen me share before, if you'd like to check the Cybils' lists in all the categories here. There have been numerous lists shared recently of the best of 2016, and the Nerdy Award nominations are happening right now! Go here! Guess what, all those are volunteers too, who are working hard to bring you grand literature for reading and sharing. 

Poetry Friday - Surprise Mail

        Thanks to Bridget Magee at Wee Words for Wee Ones for hosting this first December Poetry Friday.  The only snow I've seen lately is that on my PF tag. Wishing!
         An FYI to all you poets with poems in One Minute Till Bedtime. My granddaughter just chose it to purchase at her school's book fair to give to her class! We've enjoyed reading it together, she spotted it (the book fair is at a bookstore), and that was the choice!
          I also want to say how much I am enjoying reading the fabulous poetry books that I'm reading for Round One of the Cybil's Poetry awards. We are fortunate to have such treasures available to us this year. Over and over again I say "Wow!"

         Today I'm sharing my last summer swap. It was a lovely surprise from Jone MacCulloch who blogs as a librarian and writer at Check It Out, and with a focus on photography at  Deo Writer. This package was a wonderful one that appeared in my mailbox to help me celebrate our beautiful autumn! It held a bounty of poetry and pictures!

           First, there is Jone's lovely book of poetry, haiga written to accompany her own gorgeous photographs.Among those pages sits a favorite flower of mine, the bleeding heart, and Jone's words that accompany it.