Nearly every single day, someone says to me, “I want to read more, but I just don’t have time.” As with everything else in the world, the time to read only comes if you make it part of your daily groove. Surprisingly, many of the folks who’ve told me they want to read more confess to not doing this number one tip:
Anything you want to read, keep it handy–books, your Kindle, your phone, magazines, newspaper pages… Try it!
Welcome/Welcome Back–so good to see you here!
I’ve read so many interesting articles online this week and thought I’d share a few of them with you. The topics range from life in general, to parenting and learning–all of them I found to be positive and enriching. I hope you check out one or two– do let me know your thoughts if you do.
*Five Myths About Young People and Social Media—this is a rich, informative article I encourage all to read. Social media and the online world are here to stay, it’s time to make peace with it and understand where the kids are coming from.
*This Is What a Librarian Looks Like—even in this day of Internet and digital bookshelves, librarians are a valuable tool. This article not only includes a photo gallery of librarians with excellent quotes, it also acknowledges the value of librarians and the public library.
*“I wanted them to be like children, playing outside, running and jumping and not sitting inside at a desk” –Gold medalist Jamie Anderson’s Mom, Lauren Anderson. I enjoyed this article most of all because it’s refreshing to read about parents who sidestep mainstream philosophies and forge a path with their children, a path that works for their family.
*”The first thing I can remember buying for myself, aside from candy, of course, was not a toy. It was a book.”– this article is basically an appreciation of loving to read and how integral reading is to life.
I hope you’ll find at least one of these links to be worth your time and of interest to you. As always, I’d love to hear from you– you can post here in the comments or join the conversation over on Facebook.
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Recently I wrote about seeing and speaking art in everyday and promised to follow up with some great art book ideas for kids. There are so many! I choose just a wee sampling for this post, so remember to go forth and browse what’s out there.
The first art book resource I’d like to share with you is a set that my own children and I loved so much that we still tell other families about them:
Mike Venezia’s Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists series – in his set of 48 biographies, each one covering a different artist, Mike Venezia brings the facts to children in an engaging way while also sprinkling charming and funny cartoons throughout the book. This book series is so well done and so phenomenal, it opens the world of famous artists and their works to both children and those who are reading along with the children.
These next books are recommendations I’ve gathered from various friends and online sources—some I’ve read, others I have not, but I believe all to be great resources that are both engaging and informational. There’s nothing quite like a great book that brings you good information in an interesting and memorable way.
Katie Meets the Impressionists– upon a visit to the museum with her grandmother, Katie is transported into various paintings that come alive for her. She meets family members of the artists and tours studios as well as finds herself onstage amid a ballet. This book is one of several featuring Katie and her adventures, check out the other titles for more artists and art styles.
Van Gogh and the Sunflowers – told from the point of view of a young boy who meets a strange artist, this story is based on a true account of the artist’s interactions with Camille and his family. While the story can be a sad one, recounting how Van Gogh was considered odd and not well accepted, it is thus a classic portrayal of the differences in people and how acceptance is key.
Mini Masters is a board book set about famous artists for the littlest of readers with bright pictures and catchy short story bits. I love board books for little ones–and about art, too!
Have you and your children found great books about artists and art? I’d love to hear what books you’ve enjoyed–about art or about anything else, as well. I’m in love with books!
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**Bonus feature: ‘The Great Big List’ for over 100 suggestions of things to do!**
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Coming Soon: You Might Also Like:
“I’m Bored” Learning Defined
It occurred to me that Teen Read Week (October 13-19) would be a great time to talk about book ideas for teens. There are so many fantastic ones out there!
By definition, Teen Read Week is when libraries around the country promote teen reading with enticing activities and fun ideas. In addition to being fun for libraries, many of the ideas are great for parties, gatherings and even just plain fun at home with friends and family–including book themed cupcakes and costumes.
Often teenagers are either reading their own book choices or only reading what they must for school related subjects, but I think it is always a great idea to share links about books and sometimes even check books out of the library to leave lying about the house. I say it time and time again–the bathroom is a great place to leave a book waiting to be discovered!
Without further ado, here’s a list of great teen book ideas I gleaned from talking with several teenagers: (this list is not a review of the books nor will I copy spoilers)
*John Green’s Paper Towns – from the author’s webpage: Paper 
Towns debuted at #5 on the New York Times bestseller list and won the 2009 Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Mystery. I should mention that the same author’s The Fault in Our Stars is wildly popular right now.
*The Fallen Series by Lauren Kate– my daughter really enjoyed this series from the very beginning and begged me to read it. I read the first one, Fallen, and immediately saw why she liked it. Goodreads says “Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page-turning thriller and the ultimate love story”
*Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury– this spooky story about a terrifying carnival and two 14-year-old boys is a timeless classic, especially for the Halloween time of year.
* Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynn Jones
Originally a falling star, Calcifer is a fire demon under a magical contract with the wizard, Howl.
‘It’s quite a risk to spank a wizard for getting hysterical about his hair’ – Howl’s Moving Castle
* Into the Beautiful North by Luis Urrea– from the author’s site: filled with unforgettable characters and prose as radiant as the Sinaloan sun, this is the story of an irresistible young woman’s quest to find herself on both sides of the fence.
*13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson – my attention is piqued–I put this book on my own reading list: Would you follow the directions? Would you travel around the world? Would you open the envelopes one by one?
*The Book Thief by Markus Zusak– quite possibly one of the best books I’ve read, this book about The Holocaust is poised to become a timeless read, shared over and over again. I typically don’t read a lot of YA novels, preferring to ask those who do read them for opinions, but I did read this one at the urging of my son. I’m very glad I did.
” First the colors. Then the humans. That’s how I see things. Or, at least, how I try. –Death (from The Book Thief)
*And last–but never, ever least The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling- so many now-young-adults grew up reading about Harry, so many literary lives affected–even shaped–by the stories of the young wizard’s battle for good against evil.
The actor who played Severus Snape in the movies
Clearly this is just a tiny list in the whole realm of masterful books that might be enjoyed by teens, but hopefully there’s something here that will spark an interest and open a door to astounding adventures.
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**Bonus feature: ‘The Great Big List’ – over 100 suggestions of things to do!**
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Coming Soon: You Might Also Like:
Flash Tips ‘I Hate Reading’
Art in Every Day Library Scavenger Hunts