To start the blog this week I have completed a pre-reading quick write activity where I answered the question "how you would characterize a “good children’s book?"
I would characterize a “good children’s book” by being highly engaging for students. Books that are highly engaging have topics that students like and/or are curious about and they make students think and wonder. The students should also be able to make connections to their own life and experiences. In addition, the books have to be appropriate both in content and readability and rigor.
This week I read Story as World Making by Kathy G. Short. The article really made me think about how important stories are to life. Throughout history stories have been told and read to teach children about the world. The Story of the Three Kings on page 9 and 10 reminded me of how stories teach people and pass wisdom from generation to generation. I think my favorite quote the author included was by Barbara Hardy, "[f]or we dream, remember, anticipate, hope, dispair, believe, doubt, plan, revise, criticize, construct, gossip, learn, hate, and love by narrative. In order to really live, we make up stories about ourselves and others, about the personal as well as the social past and future" (as cited in Short, 2012, p. 10). This quote was so powerful to me. It made me think about how are students are natural story tellers and we, as teachers, have the ability to help them see themselves as readers and writers. Another one of my favorite quotes was "Literature illuminates what it means to be human and makes accessible the most fundamental experiences of life -- love, hope, loneliness, despair, fear, and belonging" ( Short, 2012, p. 11). I read this quote multiple times and I thought it was so true and powerful.
After reading this article I read The Wild Robot by Peter Brown and The Girl and the Wolf by Katherena Vermette. When I first started reading The Wild Robot I wasn't sure that I was going to like it. As I continued reading I couldn't put it down. I wanted to hear more about Roz and Brightbill. Once I finished I read the note about the story at the end. I personally like knowing what inspired artists (poets, musicians, authors, etc.) so I really enjoyed hearing what inspired Peter Brown. Peter was inspired by his experiences and his interaction in the natural world. It made me think of Kathy Short's article about how we use stories to tell about the world and make sense of life. The Girl and the Wolf also had a note about what inspired Katherena. She thanks all the storytellers in her life for teaching her. These two stories connected to how the authors make sense of their worlds and the natural environment.