Poetry

Just the word poetry scares me. It always has, ever since the first time I started learning about it. I think that it is because they are so hard for me to understand. If given the choice between poetry and any other genre I would choose any other one. That being said I did write a poem for class this week. The only thing I could think of to write was a couplet which is a poem that has rhyming stanzas, each made up of two lines. Rhyming was the only thing I could think of to do.

I found this video about a sixth grader whose poetry is wowing the world.

0:01 / 9:33

 KIONI MARSHALL: I feel sorrow / Now a deep
 breath from my lungs / That sees all the pain 

Ruth E. Harper

       Ruth E. Harper is an illustrator of children's books. Two children's books that she illustrated are The Kissing Hand and Sassafras. 
         The Kissing Hand is a beautiful story for young children heading off to school. It is a great idea to set children's minds at ease when they are going to be away from their parents for the first time. 
       At my school the PTA buys one book for each entering kindergartner. The kindergarten teachers read this story to their students and it helps them to not miss their parents. It is a great lesson that we hold those close to us even when they are not physically with us. 
    A second book that Ruth E. Harper illustrates is called Sassafras. 
    In class we talked about artistic quality and looked at authors craft. Ruth's work has many curves and circular lines that suggest warmth and                                                             security. 


Ruth uses watercolor paintings to illustrate her stories. This is a video of how watercolors are transformed into books. 
Here is Ruth's website for all her information!

Mother Goose

Mother Goose: A Scholarly Exploration

When first looking over the resources on this study I found it interesting that I never noticed that Mother Goose was portrayed partaking in human activities. I always just thought of it as normal that she was wearing a bonnet and cooking!

I found the research about Mother Goose rhymes being used as a political protest and criticism shocking! I hate to admit that I had no idea about these nursery rhymes being used to create unrest or mockery of government but I did not! 

One of the stories is Jack and Jill at the Toxic Dump. It amazed me that there was a story that involves Jack and Jill and they die. I also am surprised that authors use this method to convey their ideas about what is going on in the world today. 

When Books Leave the Page (specifically picturebooks)

If a book is on a tablet, ipad,computer, nook, or kindle is it still a book? Can you still turn the pages? Smell the book? 

I think that the answer is yes. Some of the reasons why are outlined in the article Liftoff: When Books Leave the Page. 

Children that are struggling with reading are already resistant to books. Most children are not resistant to technology. 

A digital book is just as it sounds. It is not a video where the words are spoken out loud to the reader. The pictures and words are on the page and the reader can turn the page after they have read it. I think it is important to note that the reader can still interact with the book. They decide when to turn the page, they decide if they want to flip to the end of the book and see what happens before they have read the whole thing. 

Biographies and Memoirs

Biographies and memoirs are two important genres in literature. When we had the pleasure of having Lesa Cline-Ransome come and give an author's talk, she said some interesting things about biographies. She said that when she decides to write a person's biography the first place that she starts is with research. She also wants to create a balanced perspective of the account of the person's life. She also stated that another feature of biographies is they don't always have to start at the beginning of that person's life. I know if I was reading something I would be more interested if it started with something to grab my attention. Another feature that Lesa likes to include in her biographies is making it real for her audience, which is young readers, in order to make it real for them. 

We also had a great discussion in class about what biographies or memoirs our students would be interested in reading about modern day figures in society. One person I think is Derek Jeter. He is an icon in baseball of out children's time. 

Another person that I think our children would be interested in reading about her life so far is Malala Yousafzai. American children do not realize what it is like to not be guaranteed an education. 

Malala's Right to Education

Lesa Cline-Ransome Visits Mount Saint Mary

We had the pleasure of having author Lesa Cline- Ransome come to speak at the Villa Library. 

 

 Here is her website Lesa's Website. She has written many books and collaborates with her husband James Ransome, who is a well known illustrator. Her style of writing is picture book biographies. What child does not want pictures to go along with the story of the person's life they are reading about? 

I found many of the points Lesa spoke about interesting. The first was that she tries to find a balance when she writes her biographies. She tries to share successes as well as weaknesses. I think this is important for children to read because it helps them to realize that even famous people who have done great things have stumbling points in their life. She also spoke about a struggle that she has when researching, and that is how much do you reveal to the young reader? I find this interesting because I struggle with this in my 5th grade classroom. Children are exposed to ideas and concepts that are way to old for them, in my opinion. So where is the line drawn? 

Lesa Cline Ransome visits Mount Saint Mary  

Can words set you free?

Tonight I read Words Set me Free The Story of Young Frederick Douglass written by Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrated by James E. Ransome. When I first looked at the title I knew it was going to be about slavery somehow.

Sometimes I wish that my students would be this interested in reading. It is very different when a child feels they need to read in order to gain freedom and when they read because it is something they feel that they have to do in school. I think that many of our students today take advantage of the education that is provided to them. I do not think that it is their fault, I think that it is the time that they are growing up in. 

Can words set you free? I believe so. 

Controversial Books

        This week in class we had a guest speaker who was intriguing and compelling. I found what she said about mirror books very interesting. Having children in class they are always very interested in books that have some sort of connection to themselves. Mirror books allow them to see themselves in the literature that they read and make it that much more special for them. 
      We also talked about controversial books. When someone writes a book about a certain religion or culture a lot of students take it for truth and do not question the validity. The importance of teaching our children everything you read is not truth is invaluable. Sometimes people or cultures are not portrayed how they truly are. 

Once Upon a Time When I Was a Child...

My earliest memory of being read to is the book "The Snowy Day" written by Ezra Jack Keats. 

Once Upon a Time When I Was a Child...
I can clearly remember my grandfather reading me this story while I sat curled in his lap in front of their large bay window. My grandparents had a closet in their guest bedroom and I would take my grandfather's hand and lead him in there and he would let me pick the book of my choice. I can also remember when I began to be able to read and the joy I found in reading to my grandfather. 
Reading has always had a happy and positive connotation in my life. Throughout my school career I never struggled with reading. I can remember being bored with whatever books my teachers read with me in guided reading or as a read aloud to my class. I guess I can blame my parents for enriching my literature life so much that I had always already read the books that were offered in school. However reading still remained a happy and easy pastime. 
As I reached the  upper elementary grades I would always be in trouble for reading when I was supposed to be doing something else. I can remember reading "The Babysitters Club" or "Nancy Drew" but never any of the educational books that we were supposed to be reading. 
I remember an English teacher in high school who let us read whatever book we wanted and wrote a paper on it. I was so flabbergasted that she let us do this it was very difficult for me to choose a book and I ended up choosing "The Scarlet Letter," because I did not want to choose something different. 
This now takes me to my college career of reading. Throughout college I am ashamed to say that I have not had much time to read for pleasure. Most of the time that I am reading it is something for a class or a student's essay. However I do still very much enjoy reading.