Week 2: Now & Then
1. I think everyone in the world should read...
When I was 10: Pippi
Longstocking, Caddie Woodlawn, The Diamond in the
Window, and Rabbit Hill come quickly to mind when thinking
about books I read in elementary school. But what would my 10 year-year-old
self have been trying to get others to read? I will go with All
of a Kind Family by Sydney Taylor. I loved this series. I
grew up in the city and could relate to the girls environment and their
close-knit family, but their way of life was so different as to be
intriguing. I think what attracted me was reading about life in a simpler
time.
Now: Oh dear. This is very
hard. There are so many books I want my students, friends and family to
read. I could easily say, Wonder by R.J. Palacio.
It is incredible and I have put it in every student, teacher, family
member and friend's hand that I can, but I am going to have to go with Winnie-The-Pooh by
A.A.Milne. This is a book that was read to me when I was young, that I read to
my children and that I try to put in students' hands. I give it away in a
new baby "basket of books". The celebration of imagination and
creativity is the best in any book I have read. I see the themes and
ideas from Winnie the Pooh reinvented in newer stories, such as when, in Bink
and Gollie, there is a trek to the Andes. Reading this part,
which I loved, felt like an homage to Christopher Robin traveling to Africa
and back one morning. Winnie-The-Pooh is also ever so
quotable!
2. If I could listen to anyone in the world read aloud to
me it would be...
When I was 10: My mother. She has a
beautiful cadence and a lovely lilt to her voice. She was an early childhood
educator - I was a student in her head start program in the 60's. She
knows how to read a story.
Now: Still my mother. These days we
often have three generations in a house at one time and inevitably Nancy Drew
or the Hardy Boys is pulled off a shelf and the performance begins. She is the
hands down read aloud winner.
3. When I read aloud, my favorite character to
impersonate is...
When I was 10: Tough to say. I think my
favorite character to impersonate was Pippi Longstocking. She was so
sassy and smart.
Now: Again, so many good ones to choose from!
I would have to go with Flossie, from Flossie and the Fox by
Patricia McKissack. What can I say....she's sassy and smart.
4. The genre that takes up the most room on my bookshelf
(or e-reader) is...
My house is and was filled with bookshelves of books.
Readers beget readers and my parents are very big readers, so for this
question, I will go with the book stack next to my bed.
When I was 10: Historical fiction, hands down,
followed by animal fantasy. As I mentioned above, I loved reading books
like Caddie Woodland and Rabbit Hill.
Now: If I take away the books I am reading for
work (which is a pleasure, mind you). I would likely say Poetry followed
closely by historical fiction, if you can call Jane Austen's books historical
fiction. They remain by my bedside so I can pick them up and visit with
old friends any time I want.
5. The last book I wish I’d written or inspired me to write my own story
is...
When I was 10: I would say The Diary of
Anne Frank. After reading the book, I kept a diary for fifteen years
straight. There's not much to my story, but it did inspire me to write!
Now: When my children were young they
loved the Boynton books. Inspired by A is for Angry: An Animal
and Adjective Alphabet, I wrote a winter alphabet book. It is sitting
on my desktop ten years later.
I had so much fun answering these questions. It shows that books
create lasting impressions. Help make connections like these possible for
all people around the globe.
on
March 6, 2013
