The book trailer follows:
Each year I host a party for children and their families, and every year it creates magic– not the storybook or pretend magic, but something very real.
Families gather with their children when school closes and have a pizza party on the playground. That event alone is incredibly exciting for young children. This year the weather was warm for New England, approaching 70 degrees. It was also foggy. Perfect for what was about to happen!
We carved pumpkins into Jack-O-Lanterns. That took quite a while; plenty of time for families to get to know each other, and plenty of time for each child and family to spend time together, doing something really fun. Yet, it was far more than fun.
Darkness descended and transformed carving pumpkins into another world of wonder and splendor. Imagine what it must be like for a child to be at school in the dark. When we stopped to look at all the Jack-O-Lanterns, everyone felt a great shift to something magical. This is what I wrote to families:
Tonight was a magical evening. Pizza dinner at school is pretty cool; yet carving a pumpkin with your family is a memory builder. We so enjoyed all the activity and excitement with each family. As the sun was setting, arranging all the jack-o-lanterns on the stone wall was filled with anticipation. Sitting together in a circle with our jack-o-lanterns and singing songs, as it became dark, was… perfect. Truly, it was a moment in time, the kind that leaves you with a feeling deep in your chest, yet you cannot find words to explain it. You just know that it is special. Often it is the little moments that are the most important and the best of all. Thank you for being there.
We gathered all together in a big circle. Jack-O-Lanterns were lit. Children were snuggled with their families. We sang the Jack-O-Lantern song, twice. The excitement of the singing the song in the dark was magical, indeed.
Yes, it was a moment that leaves you with a feeling deep in your chest, one that is difficult to explain, yet you know is special. It is magic!
Jennie
Singing is perhaps the second most important thing I do for children, right behind reading-aloud. The biggest impact seems to come when singing is spontaneous. Lunchtime was a case in point: “You Are My Sunshine” lunchbox note.
Savannah’s lunchbox often includes a note, full of loving words from Mom and Dad. When I pulled out this note, I just had to sing it. The note was meant for a song. Yes, I sang it to Savannah (and everybody else) in a big voice with my hands on my heart and my arms all over the place.
It meant the world to Savannah. Singing can do that.
When Colin and his mom skipped into school singing “You are my Sunshine”, the feeling of that song remained with Colin long after his mom left– happiness, or I should say sunshine. What did I do? I sang with him, and then we decided to teach the song to the class, together. Oh, how the children loved that song! We knew that it was Milly the quilter’s favorite song, so we spontaneously made her a music video.
I find that a song can appear anywhere with children, including the bathroom. Sitting on the waiting bench with children often becomes a place for “Down By The Bay” rhyming, and practicing rhythm with our hands and feet. Children who are shy love to squeeze together with me on that tiny bench and sing; pretend made-up songs make them laugh and feel comfortable. The layers of hesitation peel away, and they join in with gusto. Yes, singing can do that.
Every day, just before chapter reading, I recite Goodnight Moon. Often I sing those wonderful words, in a spontaneous way. Sometimes I just make up a tune. Other times I do a rap with clapping, or a lullaby. Regardless, singing spontaneously works.
Frankly, singing brings life to words, and to children. It is the voice of the heart.
Jennie
Gloria is perhaps the kindest and most beloved member of my class. She has been around for quite some time, and she returned to school this week. The children were… well, a bit unsure at first. After all, Gloria is different. She is terribly shy, and it took some coaxing to get her to look at the children and talk. Once she did, children were wide-eyed. They stared- they had never seen anyone quite like Gloria before. Slowly, each one greeted Gloria by coming forward to shake her hand. One child looked directly into her eyes to ask why she didn’t want to talk. Multiple children had conversations and questions. “Gloria, why is your hair like that?” “Do you have teeth?” “Gloria, are you okay?” Some children gave her a hug and a kiss. Savannah told her she liked her necklace. And Gloria told the children all about herself.
Give Gloria five minutes, and children want to hold her, talk with her and play with her. She has a way with children.
It all started many years ago. I was trying to bring an element of diversity into my classroom; a difficult prospect in my community back then, particularly with young children. When I saw Gloria, there was no doubt she was it– someone who was different and could help children see, or better yet, become blind to her many differences.
I never expected what would evolve.
Gloria would come to visit every week or so. She lived in a picnic basket above the cabinets. With every visit she projected her worries and her shyness and also her big heart. Children just loved that. They understood Gloria, because she was exactly like them. What began to happen? Children were forgetting their own worries and caring more for someone else. Children are egocentric by nature, yet not with Gloria.
Then one day I forgot to put Gloria back into her picnic basket. She was sitting in the big rocking chair when we came back inside from the playground. I didn’t notice, but the children did! A crowd gathered around the rocking chair and began asking her questions and talking away.
Eye-to-eye contact, important conversations, every child. This was big. After that day Gloria lived on the couch.
I took Colin to the bathroom later that week. He looked pensive.
“Jennie, can Gloria come to my house for a sleepover?”
“Oh, Colin. I don’t know. She’s never had a sleepover before.”
“I have a night light. She won’t be scared.”
“I’m really not sure, Colin.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll have a talk with her.”
He did! Gloria had her first of many sleepovers. Since then, she has been everywhere with children; vacationing, trick-or-treating, high school graduations and basketball games, holidays to help decorate a Christmas tree, the movies, and camping. She is a true friend and quite an important member of the class.
This week with Gloria was just as exciting and meaningful and tender as ever. Gloria seems to work magic, bringing out the best in everyone.
Gloria designed the quilt that is my blog photo. She has her own peace quilt, and children wanted to create one, too. It now hangs in a national museum. I have written about the quilt and also about Gloria on my blog. So important!
Jennie
“Dogs speak words. But only poets and children hear.”
Those are the opening words in Patricia MacLachlan’s new book, The Poet’s Dog. I have read the book twice, because there are many words not to be missed; words that are pure and don’t need added adjectives and text. MacLachlan’s writing stands alone in a field of masterful literature. Her eighty-eight pages are some of the best I have ever read. In the words of the publisher:
“Alone in a fierce winter storm, Nickel and Flora are brave but afraid. A dog finds them. Teddy speaks words and brings them to shelter. The Poet’s cabin has light and food and love. But where is the poet? Teddy will tell the story of how words make poems and connect to those who hear each other.”
Sylvan the poet constantly reads to Teddy. He reads Yeats and Shakespeare. He also reads Charlotte’s Web, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Ox Cart Man. Teddy learns how words follow one another.
I had no idea that Ox Cart Man, one of my favorite children’s books, is actually a poem. I scrambled to find my copy and read the words again, this time seeing the words for what they are meant to be – a poem. When I read the book again to my preschoolers this month, it will be more beautiful than ever.
The Poet’s Dog is a story of adventure, survival, love and friendship, death, reading and poetry. The beginning is a fishing line that hooks the reader, and the ocean opens to… well, you will have to read the book The ending is as surprising as ever.
I told a friend and fellow teacher about The Poet’s Dog and quoted to her the first lines, “Dogs speak words. But only poets and children hear.” Our conversation went something like this:
“I hear my cat. I know what she’s saying.”
“Then you must be either a child or a poet.”
“I’m a child. My heart is always a child. And I love poetry.”
She smiled a knowing smile. I did, too.
Jennie
I am pleased to tell you about Charles French, an accomplished author and educator who is publishing his new book, Maledicus: Paranormal Investigative Society Book I. Let me start at the beginning of my story of Dr. French; his blogging, teaching, reading, and writing. Gee, those adjectives are just what describe me, too.
When I began writing my blog, Charles French was an early follower. He often commented on my posts with incredible enthusiasm as if he were telling the world, “You must read this, it is really important!”, and as if he were a teacher in my classroom. I became his blog follower as well, and I marveled at the breadth of what he had to say. His posts encompass the best in literature and education and writing. In the words of my husband, “Charles is teaching the students you first taught”. Exactly. I’m so glad to have this link from early childhood to young adulthood, from my teaching and writing to his. Thank you, Charles. Keep sharing your wisdom.
I had the privilege of interviewing Charles French. I am quite excited to read his brand new book, and also to give support and a kick-off to his blog tour. Please visit him at https://charlesfrenchonwordsreadingandwriting.wordpress.com
Interview with Charles French:
1) When did you start to write?
I have been writing in some way or other for most of my adult life, but much of this was student writing or academic writing. I committed to being a novelist over 5 years ago when my wife challenged me to do so. I had worked on and off on several projects previously, but I had not completed them. Since I made the decision to be a writer, I have completed one novel, am near completion on another, and have written first drafts of several others. I should also mention that I completed my PhD. dissertation in English Literature in May 2014.
2) What books inspired you as an adult, and what books did you love as a child?
I have been reading for as long as I can remember, so the list of books that have moved me is large! As an adult, some of my favorite books are The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, A Soldier of the Great War by Mark Helprin, all of Shakespeare, The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, and The Stand and Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King, A Star Called Henry by Roddy Doyle, and the entire Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. I could add many more, but I would rather list a few than make this a massive accounting.
As a young person, from early childhood through my teen years, I read a wide variety of books, but those that stand out to me as being very important include the Sherlock Holmes stories and novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne, Dracula by Bram Stoker, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, and Narcissus and Goldmund by Herman Hesse.
3) Can you tell me about a moment in teaching that was memorable?
I have been fortunate to be able to engage much of my adult life with one of my passions, and that is teaching. I have been a teacher, in one capacity or another since 1988. I have had many wonderful moments, but one that stands out is from a summer class at Muhlenberg College Renaissance Plays in Process. We were studying Christopher Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus, and I believe strongly in using experiential education in the classroom; therefore, the students conducted a “star-chamber trial” of Marlowe in which he faced charges of heresy and treason for the issues in his text. This was a class with both traditionally aged college students and adult students. They banded together in an extraordinary fashion and served as prosecutors, defense, and jury. I was the judge, complete with robe! Their approach to the trial was deeply engaged, and they learned much more about the text than if we had simply studied it. I am very proud of what they accomplished in that exercise.
4) Do you read aloud to your students?
Even though I teach college, with some exercises, especially those relating to writing, I still read aloud to them. Shared experience of a book or story is a wonderful feeling.
5) Who are your favorite authors?
Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Stephen King, William Shakespeare, Cervantes, Herman Hesse, Mark Helprin, Ernest Hemingway, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Anne Rice, Harper Lee, Roddy Doyle, Umberto Eco, and Isabel Allende. As with a previous answer, these are only some of my favorite authors.
6) Why did you choose to write a horror novel?
I have loved horror, gothic, and speculative fiction since I was a child. It has been a part not only of my reading experience but also of my academic study and teaching. Horror and other such genres allows the opportunity to explore very real issues but in an environment that is somewhat different from the real world.
7) Briefly, what is the story about?
In Maledicus: Paranormal Investigative Society Book I, three retired gentlemen, all of whom have suffered the loss of a loved one to death, need to know if there is life after death. They are close friends and decide to form a ghost-investigation group. In their efforts, they are confronted with something that is far worse than a ghost. It is a demon that, in life, was a sadistic and sociopathic pimp, torturer, spy and murderer for Emperor Caligula during the Roman Empire. In death, he has become an even worse demon that is able to manifest on earth and target people to corrupt, make ill, die from disease, and cause to commit murder and suicide. This demon has targeted a 5 year old girl in the town in which these men live. After determining the problem is not a haunting by a ghost, they are forced to confront the contemporary ethical problem: is this their fight, or do they walk away, essentially saying “find someone else to help.” The three older men, along with a few friends, choose to battle this demon to save the child at the potential risk of their sanities, their lives, and their souls.
8) Is there anything else you would like to say?
I would like to thank you, Jennie, very much for you kindness in being willing to be a host in my blog tour. I am grateful, and I hope readers will continue to follow your excellent blog.
Hello Everyone,
My questions for you today are:
This amazing video that I will share with you has the perfect answers for these questions. I hope that you will enjoy! 🙂
My son, Matt, reading to my four grandchildren.
Reading aloud to my four children is one of the fondest memories I have of their growing up years. They are all adults now with their own families and busy lives, but I have wonderful memories of cuddling on the couch with them, reading stories together, watching their eyes light up as we traveled to other lands and other times through story.
As a teacher, reading to my children seemed a natural part of the parenting process. Even when they were babies, they would sit on my lap as we enjoyed books like Pat the Bunny. As they grew older, we graduated to story books. Some were fairy tales, some were Bible stories, but all were chances to bond together over printed word. They had their favorites that they asked to be read to them over and over and over. We went…
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September 26−October 2, 2016
Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it highlights the value of free and open access to information. Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community –librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types – in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.
Moreover, one of my favorite trilogies, His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman was almost banned once. The Catholic League campaigned against The Golden Compass / Northern Lights, declaring that it promoted atheism and attacked Christianity…Well, that it did I guess.
On fantasy & how it encourages difficult behavior: Reading Harry Potter books makes children MENTALLY ILL says headmaster who warns letting them become ‘addicted’ to fantasy novels is as bad as feeding them ‘heaps of…
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I am excited to share with you my book review of Raymie Nightingale my Kate DiCamillo for Read Aloud West Virginia. Their mission is to promote literacy and motivate children to WANT to read. This publication is distributed to over 4,000 people.
A Teacher's Reflections 