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...
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
Join the World Read Aloud Day movement
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