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What started as an intrepid idea from two bloggers has become an effective fundraiser generating new books for kids in need. First Book is pleased to announce that the “Leave A Mark” auctions featuring books “marked up” with notes from the author, have generated 369 new books for kids across the country!
This year’s auctions featured best-selling books by Catherine Ryan Hyde, Aprilynne Pike, Melissa Walker, Becca Fitzpatrick and Erica Perl. A huge thanks goes out to everyone who participated, from the featured authors and individual bidders to Lauren and Chelsea, the auction organizers.
Be on the lookout for the next round of charity auctions coming to the Leave A Mark site in Fall 2010!
New Envoy’s Old Advice for Children: Read More
Katherine Paterson was named the next National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature this week – and you won’t want to miss Motoko Rich’s article about the new Madam Ambassador.
Autographed Shirt Benefits First Book
Check out the cool t-shirt that Amy Krouse Rosenthal and other New York Times bestselling authors created to benefit First Book at our second annual Book Bash celebration.
Six-Word Memoir Book Trailer
Stop over to the Olive Reader blog to watch and enjoy the latest “book trailer” (like a movie trailer, but for books!) for It All Changed in an Instant: More Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure, edited by Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser.
10 Best Books That Are Years
To kick off a new year, check out this list of the best books whose titles are years.
Bookstore Night in Buenos Aires Encourages Reading
Check out NPR’s story about Buenos Aires’ annual Noche de las Librerias — Bookstore Night. The city closes a main avenue, and replaces cars and trucks with sofas and chairs for people to lounge in with books from nearby bookstores.
Guest blogger Danny Pettry is the author of Discover Hidden Secret Wisdom: A Recreational Therapist’s System on How You Can Become Great at Anything. In honor of the release of this book, Mr. Pettry has made a donation to First Book to provide new books to children in need.
“The book you don’t read won’t help you,” is a quote that was often said by the late legendary motivational speaker, Jim Rohn. Rohn’s quote is a key to personal growth and development. Great wisdom is hidden in books. However, a person must read books to discover their secrets.
Reading and writing are two of my favorite hobbies. Helping people is my life’s passion. Naturally, I felt the desire to write a book on how “reading books” can help a person to become self-fulfilled and successful in life.
Discover Hidden Secret Wisdom: A Recreational Therapist’s System on How You Can Become Great at Anything is a book that was designed for people who are seeking to find their way in life. Each of the 12 chapters is a prescription towards wellness, success, happiness and greatness. Readers can find this book to present a captivating approach to self-discovery. Many of the lessons in the book are based on my personal experiences as a recreational therapist for a children’s unit at a psychiatric hospital. I weaved together personal experiences and examples from a wide range of sources from self-help authors to scientific researchers. Bibliotherapy (the therapeutic use of books) is a technique that I use to help children with aggression problems to become more empathetic. We read children’s stories and have discussions about how each character felt during different parts of the story. We talk about safe and fair solutions that characters in the story could have taken. Learning to read promotes the child’s self-esteem and social skills, based on my personal experiences. I try to promote and encourage these children to become avid readers at a young age.
Discover Hidden Secret Wisdom is more than a book. It is mission to promote reading and literacy. There are a large number of people who’ll never read another book after high school. Many more will never read another book after college. An estimated 13 percent of adults in my home state of West Virginia didn’t have basic literacy skills in 2003, according to a report from the National Center for Education Statistics.
I decided to form a partnership and donate to First Book in honor of Discover Hidden Secret Wisdom because of their shared vision and mission to promote reading and literacy. I am always glad to hear about the wonderful things that First Book is doing to help provide books for children in need. I believe that avid reading should start during childhood.
Dr. Seuss said it best: “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
Have you read any good self-improvement books lately?
For more information about Discover Hidden Secret Wisdom, please click here.
The clock is winding down, but there is still time for you to win your very own 2010 Book Lovers calendar by reminding us of your favorite author and their birthday!
Read more about the contest and share your favorite author’s birthday here. So go ahead – post a comment, help us remember all those fabulous authors who wrote the books that make us smile and take a chance at winning a 2010 Book Lover’s calendar!
The First Book blog team recently took a field trip to see Wes Anderson’s film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic book, Fantastic Mr. Fox. Read the team’s thoughts below as they share their likes, dislikes and opinions on how the film compares to the book.
Nisha:While the filmmakers may have doctored the foxes’ family dynamics a bit, Ash and Kirstofferson were the perfect charmingly blunt pair of troublemakers to keep audiences engaged. The book reflected a slightly different story, with four fox cubs and a far more shameless means of putting food on the table. In the book, Mrs. Fox places requests for supper, which Mr. Fox proudly obliges by stealing from one of the three farmers. The movie did however stay true to the spirit of Roald Dahl’s witty and imaginative world, including many direct quotes from the book itself. Told in Dahl’s characteristically windswept fashion, viewers are dragged along for the ride of a lifetime (literally) as the animals fight to outsmart farmers Bean, Bunce and Boggis.
Aesah:I loved it—and was pleasantly surprised that I did. The filmmakers kept the spirit of the original work when they expanded the story but also managed to sneak their own quirky brand of humor into the film. I had my doubts about an entire movie done in stop-motion animation, especially in this age of CGI and big special effects, but it was actually the perfect medium; the jerky motions adding to the story’s overall quirkiness and the simplicity of the settings giving it a hint of nostalgia. Wes Anderson’s masterful hand turned it into just another layer of the story. George Clooney and Jason Schwartzman were perfect choices to voice the Fantastic Mr. Fox and his son Ash, respectively. It has something for everyone and I will definitely be adding this movie to my collection.
Bonnie: With the opening scene playing the song “Davy Crockett – King of the Wild Frontier” – I knew I’d love this movie! Wes Anderson is known as a less than typical director, which fits with a Roald Dahl story perfectly. I especially enjoyed the choice to use stop-motion, and like Aesah stated with most movies are now using big special effects I was a bit wary but this difference in animation made the film visually interesting and it is still able to move along in a fashion that adds to the charm of the story. Wes Anderson’s first animated film is a goodie and I recommend it for kids and adults alike.
Katie: All in all, I was delighted with the film version of Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. I’d give director Wes Anderson three cheers for the vocal casting, soundtrack and the seamless additions of new characters. The casting of George Clooney and Meryl Streep as Mr. and Mrs. Fox was spot on, and it was fun to pick out recognizable voices including Jason Schwartzman as Ash and Owen Wilson in a cameo as Coach Skip. The film’s soundtrack added a rich background that complemented the visual animation. With artists as varied as the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones and Burl Ives, this soundtrack includes something that just about everyone will like. Finally, I loved some of the charming characters – Kylie the opossum being my favorite – that were added in the film version. They brought a dash of whimsy that was a perfect foil to highlight the original characters from Roald Dahl’s story.
Just in case you needed any more reasons to be convinced why books are great gifts, our friends at the Association of American Publishers have asked some of the most popular and prolific authors to share their reasons why books make great gifts. Enjoy the video below and check out the videos featuring even more authors on YouTube.
A few years ago I decided to read only holiday-themed books for the month of December. I had so much fun that it’s now one of my annual holiday traditions. There must be a lot of people out there who share in my tradition because every December I find myself fighting for my place in line on the library waiting lists.
I mostly prefer the holiday mysteries such as those by Mary Higgins Clark, Anne Perry and dozens of others. The best is when they combine mystery and food such as Joanna Fluke and Dianne Mott Davidson. I’m also a sap for a good heart-warming story such as The Christmas Shoes and the holiday books in the Cape Light series by Thomas Kinkade. I’ve also read some good comedies and last year I found a holiday/vampire novel that I strangely enjoyed.
So far this December, I’ve read The Christmas Secret, A Wish For Christmas, Dashing Through the Snow and Engaging Father Christmas (which had me sheading tears on the metro yesterday). Up next are The Christmas Cookie Club and Plum Pudding Murder.
So, fellow holiday readers, what else should I put on my reading list this year?
Every March we celebrate the birthday of the beloved Dr. Seuss. Classrooms everywhere read Oh, the Places You’ll Go! and kids parade around in those classic red and white, striped top hats. It is a day of fun for all.
This year, we are wondering, why stop at celebrating the birthday of only one of our favorite authors? Let’s kick off the next decade of books and fabulous authors yet- to-come by remembering the birthdays of our favorite authors!
And as an incentive, we are giving away 10 copies of the 2010 Book Lovers calendar, complete with author birthdays, stories about our favorite classics from Sails for the South Seas to Of Mice and Men, and pictures that every booklover wishes they could hang on their kitchen fridge! Plus, each copy helps First Book provide new books to children in need.
Want to get your own copy of the 2010 Book Lovers calendar?
Here’s how you can: post a comment mentioning your favorite author and their birthday by 11:59 pm ET on December 28th. Ten participants will be chosen at random to receive their very own Book Lover’s 2010 Calendar.
Post a comment and help us celebrate all of the authors who wrote those books that make us smile!
First Book and Simon & Schuster are cheering for Heather Henson’s book That Book Woman, recently chosen for the 2010 – 2011 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List!
Last December, Simon & Schuster and First Book simultaneously released That Book Woman, a story about the 1930’s Pack Horse Librarians who carried books to children in the hard-to-reach Appalachian Mountains. Illustrated by Caldecott award-winning illustrator, David Small, That Book Woman tells the story of a country-loving boy named Cal who lives in the hills and hollows of the Appalachian Mountains. He can plow. He can take care of sheep. He can do just about anything . . . . except . . . read. That is until the Book Woman climbs the mountains in sun, rain, or snow, shining the spotlight on the power of books and turning Cal into a reader.
With a character as cool as Cal, and a story that is both touching and entertaining it is no wonder That Book Woman has made the Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List. During the 2010 – 2011 school year, children across the state of Texas will read books on the Master List and vote for their favorite book. The book with the most votes will receive the Texas Bluebonnet Award. Previous winners include books by some of First Book’s favorite authors, such as Kate DiCamillo’s Because of Winn-Dixie and Jon Scieszka’s Math Curse.
This year, the Master List features books about fantasy, pirates, the deep seas, faraway and not-so faraway lands! The competition may be tight, and the race, close, but we will cross our fingers and hope our little Texan friends vote for That Book Woman to join the list of Texas Bluebonnet Award winners.
Renowned children’s author R.L. Stine recently joined First Book in celebrating the distribution of one million books that KPMG’s Family for Literacy has made possible during the first two years of our partnership with the audit, tax, and advisory firm.
Just in time for the author’s favorite holiday, the Halloween celebration took place at a school in Harlem where Mr. Stine shared that nothing scares him more than the thought of kids growing up without books. The message was well received by the students, who greeted Mr. Stine with rock star adoration. A group of older students on the playground recognized him and flocked to him – saying how much they loved his Goosebumps, Fear Street and latest Goosebumps HorrorLand books and sharing how cool it was to have him at their school. Mick Jagger couldn’t have felt more loved by his fans.
Thanks to generous contributions of funding and volunteer time by KPMG partners, staff and their families and friends, First Book has been able to reach tens of thousands of children with wonderful new books. First Book is especially grateful to Susan Flynn and Beth Veihmeyer who helped originate KPMG’s Family for Literacy which has quickly proven to be an innovative model for engaging partners, employees, alumni, retirees, and interns, as well as their families and friends in a shared cause that benefits the educational needs of children in need in KPMG communities nationwide.
Ashley said, on 11/11/2009 2:15:00 AM
Great to see big companies and established authors promoting literacy, well done.
Guest blogger Lisa Holton is the CEO of Fourth Story Media, a new media company that tells stories that unfold across books, the web, mobile phones, and other forms of media. Fourth Story Media’s first series – The Amanda Project - is now live, and the first book Invisible I hit stores last month.
I grew up in traditional children’s publishing, and have had the privilege of working with many extraordinary authors, illustrators, editors and designers–the small villages that create beautiful books. I love books. I love the way they look on the shelf and the way they feel in your hands. I love the physical act of reading–curling up on the couch with a great read, and losing yourself in the story. Many kids feel the same way, and thanks to First Book, many more kids are getting the opportunity to experience reading their own books every day.
Over the last several years, I spent a great deal of time thinking about how our readers interact with technology in profoundly different ways than we do. With each new generation, that relationship becomes more pronounced. I started asking myself, how do we keep traditional book publishing alive and thriving in this age? Is there a way to marry our art forms to online and digital media in a way that makes sense to readers? It was out of these ideas and some encouragement from friends and colleagues–most notably Lorraine Shanley and Ariel Aberg-Riger–that Fourth Story Media was born.
Our first series is a mystery for teens about an enigmatic girl named Amanda Valentino who shows up at Endeavor High School one Halloween, and disappears the following spring. The story is told by different YA authors–kicked off by Melissa Kantor, author of Invisible I– across an 8-book series (being published by HarperCollins) as well as an interactive website where we invite readers to log on and actually become a character in the story. On the website – www.theamandaproject.com – they create character profiles, write in their characters voice, debate clues, and submit art. We continuously weave in their contributions both online (within the weekly stories we publish), as well in the books themselves (the first book includes a beautiful essay written by Lisa Sturm – a 17-year-old from Texas, and one of our first members, who dreams of someday becoming a published author!).
Like many ideas, The Amanda Project came out of a bunch of different, seemingly disparate threads. We were interested in inviting talented authors to collaborate on an ongoing narrative; we wanted to see if we could publish a story that would allow interactivity and reader participation, and we were thinking about how girls use technology to express themselves.
So far, our readers have been AMAZING in their participation. They are completely immersing themselves in Amanda’s world, and constantly submitting really impressive writing and art. If anything, we are continuously searching for additional avenues we can give them to create. For example, after a six-month period of beta testing in which we worked with a small group of about 100 girls, we added a new section to the site called The Zine where our readers can post and submit their writing to share with the community and receive feedback.
We’re also working with teachers and librarians to develop ways that The Amanda Project can be used as a creative reading and writing tool in classrooms. At www.theamandaidentitykit.com you can download resources (including discussion questions, lesson plans, and templates) to use with your students and young readers.
We’re always looking for feedback, ideas, thoughts, and comments. Feel free to get in touch – either in the comments here, or at [email protected] – and let us know what you think!
Have you ever wished you could know what an author was thinking as they developed their characters, settings or plot twists? Thanks to Lauren and Chelsea, the Leave A Mark auction mavens, now you can! The Leave A Mark auctions are back this fall with more great books “marked up” by your favorite authors and are up for auction to generate new books for kids in need.
Leave a Mark is all about marked up books. That means you aren’t just bidding for a book you could buy in stores or a signed book you could get from a regular signing. These books have notes/behind-the-scenes looks into their story written by the author in the margins or on post-it notes, etc. It’s up to them to decide how they “mark it up.” Even better, 100% of funds from the auctions will benefit First Book, with every $2 donation providing one new book for a child in need.
The first book up for auction is Becoming Chloe by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Bids will be accepted now through Sunday, October 25th at 11:59 P.M. EST.
Be sure to check Leave a Mark blog frequently to see what other great books are being offered in this year’s auction. More details on how the auctions work after the jump.
More details on how the auctions work:
* The Leave A Mark auctions runs now through December 2009. Books will be posted every week or two at the Leave A Mark blog.
* To bid, simply leave a comment on the auction post with your bid amount. Bids start at $10 and must go up in $1 dollar increments.
* The winners of the auctions will donate directly to the Leave A Mark page on the First Book Web site and send an email confirming their donation to the auction hostesses before receiving their book.
Every month the Library of Congress hosts numerous events through The Center for the Book. Yesterday, a colleague and I were able to listen to Leonard Marcus, one of America’s most respected authorities on children’s literature, along with special guest author Jon Scieszka, who is currently the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.
Leonard Marcus began the discussion by talking about his new book Funny Business: Conversations with Writers of Comedy. In this book Marcus interviews thirteen favorite children’s book authors and asks them “what makes funny, funny?”
The book details stories from authors such as Judy Blume, Daniel Handler and Jon Scieszka who explain their first experiences with humor, their sources of inspiration, and how comedy has played a role in their lives. Jon and Leonard discuss the many different types of humor and how capturing the essence of humor on paper is a difficult, and often undervalued, skill. If you are interested in finding out what makes funny, funny – check out Leonard’s book today!
Why should Jon Scieszka, Katherine Paterson, M.T. Anderson, Kate DiCamillo, and Nikki Grimes have all the fun? In support of the rollicking story game being played by these and a crew of other award-winning, talented and versatile authors and illustrators, the Exquisite Prompt writing contest from Reading Rockets and AdLit.org uses writing prompts inspired by the “The Exquisite Corpse Adventure” authors and illustrators to get K-12 students to flex their own writing muscles.
From October through June, two new writing prompts will be available each month. Winners in four grade level categories will be selected for each prompt. Prizes include online publication at Reading Rockets and AdLit.org, autographed books, and classroom visits with authors and illustrators via Skype.
The first Exquisite Prompt, inspired by Jon Scieszka, asks students to share a family story. Based on the author’s recollections of family togetherness in his memoir Knucklehead: Tall Tales & Mostly True Stories about Growing UpScieszka, the leveled prompt and online resources help students to think about their history and heritage and tell a family story.
Also for October, a prompt inspired by author and illustrator Chris Van Dusen and his book If I Built a Car that is sure to fuel imaginations and take creative and persuasive writing skills for a ride.
All Exquisite Prompts are accompanied by author/illustrator biographies, bibliographies, interviews and links to resources and primary sources related to the prompts. Resources for educators from Reading Rockets and AdLit include strategies for teaching writing and a writing basics toolkit.
Guest blogger and First Book supporter Mindy Klasky is the author of ten novels. Her most recent release, HOW NOT TO MAKE A WISH, launches the As You Wish series, which chronicles a mischievous genie and his effect on various theatrical productions and the people who run them. Mindy also wrote the Jane Madison series, about a love-struck D.C. librarian who discovers that she’s a witch. Visit www.mindyklasky.com to learn more about Mindy’s work and her support of First Book.
Last week, my newest novel hit the stands. HOW NOT TO MAKE A WISH is the story of Kira Franklin, a stage manager for a down-and-out dinner theater. When Kira discovers a wish-granting genie in a magic lamp, her entire life is turned upside down. I had a lot of fun writing Kira’s story, but it was challenging to come up with some aspects of her world. No, it was easy enough to depict Minneapolis, a city where I lived for several years. And it was easy enough to show how staging plays works – I spent a lot of time as a stage manager in college. Specifically, it was challenging to come up with limitations on the magic in Kira’s world.
How do genie wishes really work? Why doesn’t everyone just wish for more wishes? Why doesn’t everyone wish for infinite money, which would make a lot of other wishes come true? World peace, perfect health for everyone, the end of hunger – why not just embrace those possibilities and make them real?
In Kira’s story, the genie offers some very good reasons. (Short version: the genie has an attention-span problem. Major wishes take major time to implement, and the genie can’t concentrate for long enough to complete the task.)
Nevertheless, when writing the book, I started to wonder what small time-limited wish could have the broadest impact on society. My thoughts were gelled when I watched a segment on CBS News Sunday Morning, about long-time adult illiterates who found the courage to step forward and learn to read. Every single one of those adults said his or her life changed radically, once they overcame a lifetime of hiding their inability to read.
People often ask me what I would wish for, if I only had one wish. I have a whole long list of selfish things that I want. But, if I were making a wish to better the world, I’d ask for everyone to be able to read. (And if they chose to read my novels, well, so much the better! ::grin::)
To help boys, school creates the poster men for reading
A Philadelphia school created the “Real Men Read” campaign to locally address a national concern – boys falling behind academically, particularly in literacy – which is achieving impressive results.
Anderson University to dedicate space for rare children’s books
Anderson University’s rare books collection contains approximately 6,000 books—many of which are first editions—by authors such as A.A. Milne (Winnie the Pooh), Beatrix Potter (The Tale of Peter Rabbit), and Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are).
I had the honor to attend a happy and heart-warming celebration of Eric Carle’s 80th birthday and The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s 40th anniversary at a spacious terrace and loft in New York City on September 24. Superb, renowned illustrator Eric Carle is a charming, generous and funny man. When we arrived, Mr. Carle and his wife Barbara warmly greeted everyone. At one moment, I glanced over and saw Mr. Carle bending down graciously to talk with beautiful Alice Provensen, now in her 90s, who had traveled all day on a plane from California to attend and accept the Carle Artist Award. What a legacy of children’s illustrators in the room.
The loft terrace was bathed in light as the sun set on a perfectly warm fall evening. All of Mr. Carle’s friends saluted him and the Museum surprised him with a giant birthday cake shaped like the Very Hungry Caterpillar! Awardees received a precious framed print of a Carle butterfly. It was wonderful to see so many friends of First Book including Laura Geringer, Judith Haut, Lisa Holton, Leonard Marcus and Amy Schwartz, Ned Rust, Susan Katz, Barbara Marcus, to name a few, at the festivities.
Our talented friend and great supporter, Joan Allen, fresh from her riveting portrayal of Georgia O’Keeffe, was on hand to introduce First Book President, Kyle Zimmer, as the winner of the Carle Angel Award. Kyle told a wonderful story of one of our book Recipient Groups who used the Very Hungry Caterpilla to start a reading group among teen mothers and how it brought laughter to their stormy lives.
A great event with kudos and many thanks to Alix, Mo, Rebecca, and all the wonderful Museum staff. What a heritage they are preserving!
“Even so, the hidden clockwork of comedy… has long been considered one of the great riddles of life.” A hilarious documentation on the genius of comedy, Marcus’ work shares advice from thirteen wily writers on the inspiration needed to make a reader laugh out loud.
First Book President Kyle Zimmer was honored to talk with Marcus, the esteemed historian of children’s literature, about the pearls of wisdom he uncovered from literary giants the likes of Judy Blume, Daniel Pinkwater, and Carl Hiassen. From using humor as a device to navigate life challenges like bullying or divorce, or uncovering the secret of why girls giggle to read about boys, Marcus traces humor as part of the children’s genre from the earliest roots of American storytelling. “American humor had its start in tall tales, [like Paul Bunyan], where the hero wakes up and drinks a whole river for breakfast,” Marcus laughs.
For any aspiring writers seeking acclaim as a funny man (or woman!) for Funny Business, Vol. 2, Marcus has some advice as well: “…trust your own voice. Everybody has a voice. I think there’s a tendency to think that writers have voices and that you, the undiscovered writer, don’t. But you do, and the closer you come to finding that voice, the more you have to say. I think it’s a great way to know yourself.”
To hear more about Funny Business, including what book got Marcus hooked, check out the podcast recording:
Guest blogger and First Book supporter Mindy Klasky is the author of six fantasy novels, including the award-winning, best-selling The Glasswrights’ Apprentice and numerous short stories. Her latest trilogy, The Jane Madison Series, chronicles a love-struck D.C. librarian who discovers she’s a witch. Visit www.mindyklasky.com to learn more about Mindy’s work and her support of First Book.
When I was a child, my parents told me that books could take me anywhere I wanted to go. Books were like magic lamps, filled with genies just waiting to grant wishes for me. I could travel as far as Narnia as I read C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, or I could stay as close as my own backyard, reading through the field guides of Herbert S. Zim, searching for the birds and insects and other creatures so painstakingly drawn in those pocket books.
My short stories and novels allow me to continue studying the power of wishes. I can explore what the world would be like if witches truly did have powers to work their spells in the suburbs of Washington, DC (the Jane Madison Series). I can play with forces of nature, extrapolate how priestesses could harness the age-old wisdom of their predecessors through an ancient, all-observing tree (Season Of Sacrifice). I can study the high points and low points of human nature when children are used as political pawns, fighting to do what is good in kingdoms where evil is all too common (the Glasswrights Series).
In my most recent books, though, I can explore the power of wishing much more directly. Kira Franklin, the stage manager heroine of How Not To Make A Wish, finds a magic lamp that contains a wish-granting genie. She wishes her way into a production of Romeo and Juliet, thinking that her professional and personal lives will never be better. Only then does she discover that some wishes are much more complicated than she’d ever envisioned.
Playing with Kira and her magic lamp allowed me to consider what I would wish for if a genie ever manifested in my home office. (More bookshelves might be the first order of the day!) I’ve considered gifts that I would give my family and friends. I’ve thought about treasures I would seek for myself.
I’m collecting wishes, to include on my website in October, when the As You Wish series officially launches. Tell me your wish in comments below, and I’ll include it on my website! (Don’t be shy – I won’t be including names!)
Guest blogger Tina Chovanec is the director of Reading Rockets.org: the authoritative online source for comprehensive and accessible information about teaching young children to read and helping those who struggle. Reading Rockets is one of four multimedia educational websites created by Learning Media, a division of WETA, the PBS affiliate in the Washington DC area.
Children’s writer Sid Fleischman has a magical way with words. Before he ever took pen to paper to write his wonderful and original tall tales (By the Great Horn Spoon), mysteries (The 13th Floor), and biographies (Escape: The Story of the Great Houdini), Fleischman was a sleight-of-hand master, a magician in a traveling vaudeville troupe.
I can’t help but think that those years perfecting his magician’s patter and delighting audiences with the element of surprise and whimsy helped shape his approach to writing.
In The Abracadabra Kid, A Writer’s Life, Fleischman reveals some of his secrets to great writing. Here are three from his bag of tricks:
The main character should be changed by the events of the story. Magicians call this “transformation” – a silk handkerchief changing from plain white to carnival polka dots, seemingly right before your eyes. In The Whipping Boy, the willful, self-centered Prince Brat is slowly but surely changed by his adventures with the clever orphan Jemmy.
Give weather reports. If “the day’s so hot wallpaper is peeling off the walls,” say so – it creates real, tactile atmosphere and can help surround the reader with the story.
Use imagery – it’s powerful shorthand. Fleischman is master of the simile and metaphor: “He could make a half dollar tumble like a flashing silver acrobat across his knuckles.” Be careful with word choice as the language must feel authentic to the characters and the narrative. “I have never had any luck in the thesaurus,” says Fleischman. Find your own unexpected ways to bring words – colorful and plain – together.
In this video interview from Reading Rockets, Fleischman talks about why books matter to kids, his “mosaic-like” approach to writing non-fiction, and why he keeps a journal of names.
Fleischman’s advice for young writers? First, read widely and with enthusiasm. Second, exercise your writing muscles so that they become strong and limber. Keep a diary, pen a set of letters, or try your hand at writing a short story. Reading Rockets shares some simple ways that parents can encourage writing at home.
Student writers need lots of support as they build their skills. Teachers can use picture books to teach young writers about basic plot structures and how to organize their own stories effectively. In this video clip “Writing Poems,” a second grade teacher leads a writing workshop that actively engages kids in the writing process and learning how to avoid “tired words.”
Sometimes all it takes to spark student writing is a good prompt. Reading Rockets and AdLit.org will be giving kids a chance to flex their writing muscles (beginning on September 26th) with our new “Prompt Response” writing contest, inspired by the Library of Congress and National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance Exquisite Corpse Adventure. Here’s a sneak peek at the writing challenge, but stay tuned for more details in the weeks ahead!
[Oh, and if you’ve ever wanted to amaze your friends with aCool, Knock-Em-Dead, No Skill, Nine-Card Card Trick, here’s your chance to learn one from Sid Fleischman, the master conjuror himself. First, grab a deck of cards...]
Thousands of you have already voted and shared the books and memories that made you a reader. Check out some of the great comments we’ve received. Is your favorite book listed?
If not, make sure to vote today and share your story of how you got hooked on reading! We’ll post more comments throughout the next several weeks.
Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
“It was the first book I could read and understand myself. I grew up in a household of 8 siblings. I would hide in a closet with a flashlight and read an entire chapter.” – Vanessa
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
“I loved the book, I would have my parents read it over and over until they finally wouldn’t read it any more that day.” – Craig
Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
“I just remember the pictures and the little boy seemed unafraid of anything. I really wanted to be Max. Plus, what a cool set of p-j’s!” – Paul
Now We Are Six by A.A. Milne; Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey; and The New Zoo McGroo Zoo
“Sorry! I could not pick just one. These three books still bring back fond memories of my room in my grandmother’s house, snuggled in my bed and having an expressive rendition of such old favorites.” – Ellen
Happy Birthday to You by Dr. Seuss
“I got the book in second grade and could read it MYSELF! Books have always taken me on adventures, allowed me to be someone else and encouraged me to ‘fly.’” – Carolyn
Guest blogger and First Book supporter Mindy Klasky is the author of six fantasy novels, including the award-winning, best-selling The Glasswrights’ Apprentice and numerous short stories. Her latest trilogy, The Jane Madison Series, chronicles a love-struck D.C. librarian who discovers she’s a witch. Visit www.mindyklasky.com to learn more about Mindy’s work and her support of First Book.
Last month, I was paging through my friends’ Facebook status updates, and I saw a post that amused me. L., a rising high school sophomore, posted that she thought summer reading lists were cruel and inhuman punishment. L. is the precocious daughter of friends. She reads avidly, enjoying a number of genres. She is an articulate young woman who is able to hold her own with adults in conversations that range from culture to politics to athletics. She has tons of friends her own age, and she enjoyed a trip to camp for the summer.
And yet, this well-rounded, intelligent, academically gifted young woman despises summer reading.
I posted a response, gently teasing her for her opinion and noting that some of my summer reading lists introduced me to some of my favorite novels (Lord of the Flies, The Ox-Bow Incident, Animal Farm, and Huckleberry Finn, just to name a few that are visible from my writing desk.) Never one to back down from a good-intentioned argument, L. immediately wrote back, clarifying that her problem wasn’t with reading, itself. Rather, her problem was with writing — completing a mandatory “personal response” essay to every three chapters that she read.
And, at that point, I had to agree with L. I understand requiring students to write some sort of essay so that they can prove they completed their summer reading. (I’d like to live in a world where students could sign an Honor Code, stating that they’d completed their reading, and that such a signature would be accepted as binding, but I know that I live a fantasy life at times. )
But responding, every three chapters, in writing? Confirming “I’m still reading!” Verifying “I’m still here!” every few thousand words? That sort of micro-management demonstrates a grave distrust of students. Even more, though, it demands that readers pull themselves out of the story, put their books on hold while they craft written responses. Readers must set aside story for essay, forget about the sense-of-wonder, the other-ness of great writing, solely to check off mundane details in a monitoring essay.
In the end, L. and I agreed to disagree about summer reading lists. L. still felt that her summer was being impinged upon by required reading; I didn’t think the reading requirement itself was too demanding. But we both agreed that “personal response” essays had no place in a summer program.
What about you? Did you ever find any favorite books through summer reading? Was that reading required, or by choice?
Meet the staff members that make the First Book magic possible!
Name: Erica Perl
Where is your hometown? Burlington, VT
What do you do at First Book? I am the Director of the First Book Marketplace and National Book Bank. Which means I handle our relationships with our publishing partners, and I oversee our book selections to best meet the needs and interests of our recipient groups.
What are you reading now? I’m reading Joseph O’Neill’s Netherland for one book group and Andrew Clements The School Story for another. I’m also trying to get through Harry Potter book six before the movie comes out!
Tell us a fun fact about yourself. I am the author of several children’s books, including Chicken Butt!, Ninety-three In My Family and Chicken Bedtime Is Really Early. My first young adult novel, Vintage Veronica, will be published in March, 2010 by Random House. My Web site is www.ericaperl.com.
I’ll be signing copies of Chicken Butt! on Monday, July 13th at 1:00 pm in the Abrams booth #2343 at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. If you’re attending the conference or live in the area, please stop by and say hello!
What have you learned by working at First Book? I was pleased to learn that my ideal job exists! At First Book, I can wear both my lawyer suit (yes, I have a law degree) and my chicken hat (yes, I actually have two of these), although not always at the same time. I am at my happiest when I am surrounded by terrific, energetic people and wonderful children’s books… which is exactly how it is at First Book. At First Book, I learn new things every day and I am thrilled to work in a place where creativity and collaboration are valued so highly.
What’s the oddest job you’ve had? I have had several odd jobs, including driving an ice cream truck and teaching dog obedience. Combining these too jobs would have been a good idea — if ice cream is involved, my dog will do whatever is asked of her!
Do you have a favorite quote or saying you live by? I’m extremely fond of my Chicken Butt! book tour slogan: “No BUTTs about it, we love to read!”
If you could have an endless supply of any food, what food would it be? I think I could survive on a desert island if there was a theater concession stand on it: I love popcorn and red licorice.
Guest blogger and First Book supporter Mindy Klasky is the author of six fantasy novels, including the award-winning, best-selling The Glasswrights’ Apprentice and numerous short stories. Her latest trilogy, The Jane Madison Series, chronicles a love-struck D.C. librarian who discovers she’s a witch. Visit www.mindyklasky.com to learn more about Mindy’s work and her support of First Book.
Last month, I spent a lot of time in and around hospitals, helping a relative recover from surgery. With many long hours spent in waiting rooms, I completed a lot of reading. Day after day, I was struck by the nature of what people choose to read when they are worried, stressed, and generally out of sorts.
For my part, I took solace in a mammoth stack of back issues of The New Yorker. I enjoyed the cartoons, I dashed through some of the short columns, and I indulged in numerous long essays that had nothing whatsoever to do with doctors, nurses, or medical treatments. When I finished the dozen or so magazines that I’d brought, I treated myself to novels — light fiction — completely ignoring the stack of serious, thought-provoking “Literature” that sits on my to-be-read shelf.
Other people have other coping reading strategies. The hospital gift shop stocked dozens of gossip magazines, letting visitors escape into the Hollywood lives of movie stars and elite athletes. Those stacks were complemented by so-called women’s magazines, lifestyle periodicals designed to remind everyone that there *is* life outside of the four walls of a hospital room. Many visitors took advantage of the offered escapism.
Not surprisingly, many people read the Bible while they waited. Because the hospital was in a community with many Somali refugees, most hospital waiting rooms had a copy of the Koran available, as well as Old and New Testaments.
Mysteries were popular - anxious family members and friends could track down murderers and thieves, even as they waited for news that surgeons had vanquished corporal foes. Romances were present in abundance - many of them in large type, to facilitate reading by tired eyes.
The hospital hosted a library for patients and visitors, and the nun who founded the collection was memorialized with a lovely portrait in the main lobby. Staring at her patient, compassionate features, I was reminded that reading is an escape, a release, a necessary chance to be someone we aren’t, to go places that we can’t.
Now that my relative is well on the road to new health, I’m beginning to feel ready to tackle the meatier materials on my to-be-read shelf. I might, though, decide to baby myself just a little while longer… that’s what *summer* reading is all about, right?
What books have guided you when you have been stressed? Which books have been a comfort?
K said, on 7/8/2009 3:09:00 PM
Sometimes it feels silly to go to the young adult/teen section of libraries and book stores in search of reading material since I’m rather clearly above that age level, but I’ve often found that that is sometimes where I find exactly what I need. I don’t always want something that takes intense focus, has more characters than I can keep track of, and has such details that as I pick it up and put it down in the fifteen minutes of my breaks through the day I loose track and have to reread.
For me, that’s always the escape, and often the books I return to. Especially the ones with good humor to them.
deborah blake said, on 7/8/2009 5:01:00 PM
I also like to read YA when I’m stressed, especially some of my old favorite fantasies. Chicklit (despite its rumored demise) is one of my g0-to’s when things are tough, and also romantic comedies. I will reread a favorite author like Jennifer Crusie or Katie Fforde (British). And in the dead of winter when I am sick or brain-dead from working in the art-retail world, I love to go back and reread Dick Francis mysteries. His writing is so smooth, it takes no effort at all to read.
And your books, of course :-)
Mindy Klasky said, on 7/9/2009 10:08:00 AM
K - I, too, venture into the YA section of the library a fair amount. While I enjoy the humorous books, I’m sometimes astonished by the amount of angst in other YA titles. Then, of course, I remember how *I* was as a teen… :-)
Deb - Thanks for your kind words :-) I, too, love Dick Francis mysteries - they saved my sanity in law school!
Last Thursday, June 25th, I was lucky enough to join the President, the First Lady, and hundreds of Congressional family members to prepare 15,000 backpacks with books and other items for the children of servicemen and women. With the incredibly generous support of Random House Children’s Books and Disney Publishing Worldwide, First Book was able to donate 30,000 books (two for each backpack!) with a retail value of almost $250,000.
The service event highlighted ‘United We Serve,’ President Obama’s call to all Americans to engage in service projects and create meaningful impact in their towns and communities. The ‘United We Serve’ summer service initiative began June 22nd and runs through the National Day of Service and Remembrance on September 11th. The initiative is being led by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency dedicated to fostering service in communities across the country.
Curious about the books the President and the First Lady helped us pack? Here’s the list — full of great choices for your own summer reading!
Clementine by Sara Pennypacker and illustrated by Marla Frazee
Magic Tree House #28: High Tide in Hawaii by Mary Pope Osborne
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
Heroes of the Valley by Jonathan Stroud
Holes by Louis Sachar
Gina said, on 6/30/2009 3:26:00 PM
Bravo Chandler, Kyle, the most dynamic Jane R. and the rest of the First Book team for taking such an important role in this great new initiative! The country is watching and citizens are starting to rally. Glad that First Book and your work to bring books to kids is getting a fresh round of attention. First Book is an investment in the future of America, in my opinion.
What started as an intrepid idea from two bloggers has become an effective fundraiser generating new books for kids in need. First Book is pleased to announce that the “Leave A Mark” auctions featuring books “marked up” with notes from the author, have generated 369 new books for kids across the country!
Guest blogger Danny Pettry is the author of Discover Hidden Secret Wisdom: A Recreational Therapist’s System on How You Can Become Great at Anything. In honor of the release of this book, Mr. Pettry has made a donation to First Book to provide new books to children in need.
The First Book blog team recently took a field trip to see Wes Anderson’s film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic book, Fantastic Mr. Fox. Read the team’s thoughts below as they share their likes, dislikes and opinions on how the film compares to the book. 
Renowned children’s author R.L. Stine recently joined First Book in celebrating the distribution of one million books that KPMG’s Family for Literacy has made possible during the first two years of our partnership with the audit, tax, and advisory firm.
I had the honor to attend a happy and heart-warming celebration of Eric Carle’s 80th birthday and The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s 40th anniversary at a spacious terrace and loft in New York City on September 24. Superb, renowned illustrator Eric Carle is a charming, generous and funny man. When we arrived, Mr. Carle and his wife Barbara warmly greeted everyone. At one moment, I glanced over and saw Mr. Carle bending down graciously to talk with beautiful Alice Provensen, now in her 90s, who had traveled all day on a plane from California to attend and accept the Carle Artist Award. What a legacy of children’s illustrators in the room.
The loft terrace was bathed in light as the sun set on a perfectly warm fall evening. All of Mr. Carle’s friends saluted him and the Museum surprised him with a giant birthday cake shaped like the Very Hungry Caterpillar! Awardees received a precious framed print of a Carle butterfly. It was wonderful to see so many friends of First Book including Laura Geringer, Judith Haut, Lisa Holton, Leonard Marcus and Amy Schwartz, Ned Rust, Susan Katz, Barbara Marcus, to name a few, at the festivities.
wonderful and original tall tales (By the Great Horn Spoon), mysteries (The 13th Floor), and biographies (Escape: The Story of the Great Houdini), Fleischman was a sleight-of-hand master, a magician in a traveling vaudeville troupe.
Great to see big companies and established authors promoting literacy, well done.