You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'Books' tag.
Resources for Reading Out Loud | Geekdad from Wired.com
It’s not enough that every time I read them a Dr. Seuss book, especially the “read to me” ones (as opposed to the “I can read” ones), I end up tucking the boys into bed using spontaneous and improvisational couplets, but now I’m being teased with a resource for improving on the accent I use for Hagrid…apparently it’s a popular effort.
The British Library Collect Britain Project. For those of you planning on reading the Harry Potter books to your geeklets, spend a few hours here listening to over 650 extracts from the Survey of English Dialects. Search by place name or date to find that perfect Hagrid accent.
I cant help but get animated when I’m reading stories to the kids, as long as I can avoid “reading” picture books and the horrible Disney collection texts. So I’ll have to explore some of these titles if only to get some tips for those moments during Harry Potter when I run out of available cockney accents.
What are the Best Children’s Books of All Time?
The list includes picture and chapter books, works of fantasy and verse. At the top is The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Between that and Number 20, Peter Pan, you’ll find Winnie the Pooh, The Cat in the Hat, and The Wind in the Willows.
It’s a great list to keep handy. Of the 20, we own only six. Both Seven and Four enjoy reading on their own and being read to, and we are more than happy to both oblige and encourage their interest in literature. If I had to make, say, a half dozen suggestions for the list, I’d include:
- Where the Wild Things Are
- Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
- Pinocchio
- The Adventures of Huck Finn
- Mike Mulligan and His Steamshovel
- and, finally, the complete collection of age-appropriate works by the brilliant and timeless Shel Silverstein. Take your pick from The Giving Tree, Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book, or one of his books of verse, like Where The Sidewalk Ends.
A recent Newsvine article, and its subsequent conversation, by LucidCommunication, called “America’s Literary Apathy,” explored the unfortunate trend of American children becoming less and less interested in reading. It doesnt matter if we’re talking about fiction, journalism, history or poetry — our children are slipping away from the written word. Lucid, a talented writer himself, clearly summarizes the issue, how to approach it, and how profound its effect on society might be,
The solution to the problem begins with awareness ourselves. Read a book this month. Start with one. Re-discover the genre you enjoy, and read it. Encourage your children to read. Make it enjoyable. Force it to take priority over screen time. We’ve created a difficult battle for ourselves, but it is not insurmountable. At least not yet. It will be soon, however, if we don’t begin to reverse the tide of disinterest in the written word.
I saw a recent post on BoingBoing describing how to make a little book pocket for the side of a bed. A few months ago, as a reward for a great progress report at school, we bought for Seven a lamp that clips on the headboard of his bed so he can read at night. And, even more exciting for parents like my partner and I, Seven has taken to journaling at night, as well.
The boys sleep in a bunkbed — Seven on top and Four underneath. The book pocket idea is going to make a nice gift in the near future — it has that attraction of being unique and clever, like a detail in a Seuss drawing, which kids find appealing, and its functional purpose seems a good way to continue to encourage reading by building it, literally, into their home. Sure, they receive books for Christmas and birthdays, and reading is a regular event here. But by providing these little “extras,” we are helping create for them a fun environment that happens to include literature, in all its forms. The pocket and the lamp, though designed for reading and writing, do not demand a certain genre or theme or even a certain medium. They are both merely accessories for the active reader, who will put them to use in their own way.
Embracing literature sounds dull and pointless — embracing literature for what, exactly? The answer cant be self-contained; it must transcend literature itself. One of the most important reasons that I am a divorced father is that I embrace literature, and: why? to what end? To live a life of artistic integrity. I ended up settling in marriage because I was choosing to neglect my instincts to surround myself with reading and writing. So it’s natural, I think, for us to provide, without pressure, an environment which includes the possibility of ranking literature high on the list of interests.
And this is more than just providing a hobby for the kids. We need a literate society. The most influential ideas throughout history have been communicated and distributed via the written word. As we see the evolution of media in the internet, despite the clutter, it is still the written word out there defining ideas and bringing people together.
Being a divorced dad gives us the opportunity to focus on some of these child-rearing plans by making them distinct from the “other” house. I look at it as a chance to make those things I so strongly value stand out from the background. Surely the boys, like most children of divorced parents, have more than they need in terms of environmental stimulation. As such, I feel it is deeply important to define this environment in a distinct way — in a consistent and visible way. I dont intend to force onto our children a career or lifestyle choice, but I intend to express to them how important reading is to us, and how valuable it can be for them.
At the very least, they will develop a consciousness of the written word. They may not end up writing novels or owning a bookstore, but they are growing up with the distinct knowledge that reading is vital and that the tools of reading — lamps, accessories, bookmarks and journals — can fall into the “fun” category that includes toys, homemade forts and DIY Batman outfits.
