Have fun exploring the site, I think you will like it. You can also access it through Multnomah County Library:

* Click Databases
* Choose S-T
* Select Tumblebooks

I do love a virtual story time — brings back fond memories of the cassettes and books packaged together, when the reader would ring a little bell to let us know when it was time to turn the page. These were a big hit with my cousins, my sister and me. I played with the site today when the third-grade students, kinders and first graders were in the library. They seemed to enjoy it.

Happy reading!

Best,

Ms. Nancy

Enjoy!

– Ms. Nancy

Seven to ten years. I have a 7-year-old at my house and a 10-year-old, coincidentally. So that statistic really hits home for me. A few parents every week ask me, “How do I get my kid to read?” This is sometimes followed by, She hates reading, or he doesn’t seem to find anything that interests him or “I am tired of fighting about this one.” Parents sometimes confide in me that they find children’s books “boring.”

Well. If the book is boring you, it might be boring your child, too. So lively things up. My own kids are rebellious, and perhaps since their mother is a bibliophile they do not always want to take my suggestions. Therefore I have one child who adores dinosaur encylopedias and anything disgusting about snakes, worms, bugs and reptiles, and one who loves creepy books that I steer clear of.

We’ve found a compromise in Harry Potter, which we all three love. Jim Dale’s recordings of the books are fantastic — his voices are just right. They’ve read the books, watched the movies and are now “listening” their way through the series.

I suggest the usual: find books that are at their level and, if they’re already reading, encourage them to read aloud to you. Encourage them to find a quiet corner and read to themselves. Find books that are too hard for them to read alone and read aloud together. Find books that are too easy for them and encourage them to read to their younger siblings, the dog, the cat, the neighbor kids… whoever you can find.

The littlest readers love the classics, “Where the Wild Things Are,” Robert McCloskey’s “Make Way for Ducklings” and “Blueberries for Sal,” any and all Dr. Seuss, Clifford, and the David series and the pirate books by David Shannon. Ian Falconer, who writes the Olivia series, is one of the most popular authors in my library. Once they’re a little bigger, they like Beverly Cleary, the Magic Tree House and the Magic School Bus series, easy reader non-fiction (anything about animals, especially big scary ones and little, cute, cuddly ones). Older students love Melissa Lion, Blake Nelson, Sherman Alexie, Mark Twain, Judy Blume — pretty much any book that hints of controversy.

I can say this on the Internet, but I find it difficult to say face-to-face: Kill your television. Log off the computer. Say buh-bye to Facebook. Hang up the telephone. Celebrate TV Turn-Off Week. It’s ironic, isn’t it, that I’m blogging and podcasting this? OK, turn it off.

To put it another way: “What they see is what they’ll be.”

So… read. Read your own books, read magazines, read newspapers, read aloud to your friends and family, read and your kids will probably read, too.

Probably. There are no guarantees in life, people. I do not give this advice because I am better than you, oh no. I give this advice because I am much worse than you. I love television, movies and Facebook, and they consume too much of my time, and my family’s. But we can always try harder, yes? Yes.

Happy reading to you!

SOME ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES (from the friendly folks at TV Turn-off Week).

1. Volunteer in a school to teach reading, math, computer skills.
2. Learn to play the guitar or other musical instrument.
3. Attend community concerts.
4. Organize a community clean-up.
5. Put together a puzzle.
6. Visit the library. Borrow a book. Attend library activities.
7. Go ice skating or roller skating.
8. Listen to the radio.
9. Visit the zoo.
10. Paint a picture, a mural or a room.

Best,

Ms. Nancy

The show faced a lot of teasing for using television to try to get children to read. “Shouldn’t they just be reading instead of watching TV?” people asked. But you know what? “Reading Rainbow” worked. The show got children — and their parents, including me, reading, reading and reading some more.

I use the Internet and this blog for the same reason — whatever it takes to get kids reading is good by me. Every week I will try to review at least three different books, for three different reading levels. For this week, I’ve chosen author and illustrator Jon J. Muth, author Mildred D. Taylor, and author Brian Selznick.

Jon J. Muth has illustrated books for authors Karen Hesse and Eric Kimmel, and has also written and illustrated award-winning comic books that have been published in both Japan and the United States. (Just fyi, fancy comic books are now called “graphic novels” and you can look for large sections devoted entirely to the art in bookstores and libraries.) One of my favorite books by Muth is “Stone Soup,” which tells the story of three monks and their journey along a mountain road. The story has its traditional roots in European folklore. Another favorite of mine by the same author is “Zen Shorts,” about the Zen philosophy of Stillwater, a giant panda. The author uses lovely watercolor and ink in his art. I recommend these books for my little and big students — the art is inspiring and gives us lots of ideas for our own drawings and paintings, and the stories are inspirational, too.

My husband, kids and I are reading a graphic novel that we just love. This one is appropriate for all ages of readers, too. (Warning: The book contains the death of a parent, which may upset some younger readers.) It won the Caldecott Medal for 2008 and is called “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” and was written by Brian Selznick. It tells the story of young clock keeper, thief and inventor Hugo. His father is dead, his uncle and guardian has disappeared, and he has a goal. It’s a goal that he thinks will kill him if he can’t achieve it. What is he working on? Will he succeed? This book is fantastic, suspenseful, well-written and illustrated. Give it a read.

My favorite book that I’m reading this week is called “Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.” This is a famous book by author Mildred D. Taylor. It was written in 1976 and won the Newbery Medal in 1977. It’s set in 1933 Mississippi during the Depression, and is best geared for mature readers grades six and up.

This poignant and evocative book is one of the best works of fiction I’ve ever read. The Logan family, the central characters of the novel, also appear in the books “Song of the Trees” and “Let the Circle Be Unbroken.” The Logans are fighting for their dignity, their family, their lives, and their 400 acres of land during a time when the KKK and the night riders are making their ugly presence known in the Southern United States.

It would be nice to say that those days in America, the racial strife and violence, are long gone. We live in what is far from being a perfect world. To paraphrase one of the characters, Mr. Morrison, make yourself remember the past. Make sure you do what you can to try to make things better. Stay educated.

Reserve your books (and DVDs and music CDs) from your local library, check them out at your school if you are a student, and keep reading! I go to the library once or twice weekly, buy books new and used, and borrow what I can from friends and family. Just don’t forget to take those books back to the library when you’re done!

That’s all for this week.

Best,

Ms. Nancy