Readicide

A colleague recommended Kelly Gallagher's 2009 book Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It, and I have been taking notes and rereading phrases so much that my progress is slow. My blood pressure is high, however (at least it was at the doctor's office today, and I had been reading the book while waiting). I agree so strongly with Mr. Gallagher's statements and research that I almost cannot keep myself from talking about it with my family (none of whom really want to have this discussion; they know what good reading instruction looks like).

Essentially, the book is based on the definition of readicide: "systematic killing of the love of reading, often exacerbated by the inane, mind-numbing practices found in schools." (p.2) Instead of promoting reading, schools increasingly value test-taking and limit the authentic experiences readers should have. By preparing students to take multiple-choice tests, the curriculum has become shallow, continuing the challenges faced by struggling readers and creating aliterates, people who can read but have no desire to do so.

As a reading teacher and librarian, I strive to provide positive reading experiences for students (and adults), and this book has completely reinforced my thoughts about what is important.

For more information about the national movement to curb standardized testing, view this document:
http://timeoutfromtesting.org/nationalresolution/

For fun activities that promote reading, vocabulary development, and literacy, visit the Alphabet Forest at the Minnesota State Fair, beginning August 23rd: http://www.mnstatefair.org/entertainment/fair_alphabet.html

Unlikely Reading

Murder mysteries have never been on my list of favorite genres, yet after two people I trust recommended Donna Leon's series set in Venice, I decided to spend some time with Detective Guido Brunetti. And quite unexpectedly, I am enjoying these books. Having visited Venice for a day, I can track some of his routes through the city, know where I am when he gets to the Rialto Bridge, and can easily imagine the places he eats. Most amazing for me is the lack of urge to check the ending. Instead, I savor the clues Brunetti uncovers and attempt to figure out the murder mystery for myself. In Death at La Fenice, I came pretty close to solving it before he submitted his report to his pesky superior. Now halfway through Death in a Strange Country, I am determining motives in the murder of a young American found floating in the canal. Buona Notte!

Living Vicariously

I have accompanied Ted and Betsy Lewin to so many places around the world: Machu Picchu, Mongolia, Uganda, Botswana. Appropriately, I journeyed to Heimaey, one of the Westman Islands off the coast of Iceland, this August, the same month the children of the island have served in the Puffling Patrol, rescuing young puffins who have landed accidentally in the town and cannot take off from the flat streets. The artwork is superb, as always, and their description of a visit to Heimaey easily transports me there with them. This will be one of the books I share with second graders in the coming school year.

State Fair Revisited

We (along with many other book lovers) spent the day preparing the Alphabet Forest for visitors to the State Fair. As I imagined people finding words to fill their Alphabet Game Cards, I could picture Bink and Gollie, the two friends created by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee, finding words on their State Fair journey. In their latest book - Two for One - the complementary pair makes their way to things that should delight each one: Whack a Duck! for Bink and the Amateur Talent Show for Gollie. Neither experience ends like the girls hoped, yet they make the best of the situation. When they enter Madame Prunely's booth to have their fortunes told, the only important thing is that they remain friends. I hope readers will laugh at their antics like I did, try some new things at the State Fair, and add words like winner, recite, donut, and fortune to their lists.

Perspective Through Young Eyes

The neighbor kids are on vacation this week, and I missed having them here to read with me. The feeling of a warm head tucked under my arm and small hands grasping my hands or resting on my leg as giggles erupt from them is treasured. What I love most, though, is their understanding of what we read.

They adore Chico Bon Bon, the crafty monkey with an incredible tool belt in Chris Monroe's Monkey With a Tool Belt. We read one of the books about him each week. Each time, they express frustration that, after he is trapped in a box by the evil organ grinder (lured in by a fake banana split), Chico Bon Bon does not just get out of the box. The kids can plainly see him in there. Why doesn't he just walk out? they ask. I try to explain our omniscient perspective as readers, that we can see in the box as if the side were cut away, but it is not. And each week, they ask again, not able to grasp the idea from the last reading.

What they do remember each week is the hysterical scenario in Monkey With a Tool Belt and the Noisy Problem in which Chico Bon Bon is trying to discover the cause of a loud noise. We all make the onomatopoeic noises and laugh uproariously when an elephant named Clark is found to be stuck in the laundry chute. Since then, we have used flashlights and stuffed animals in our own laundry chute (minus the banana peels Chico Bon Bon used to slide Clark from his laundry chute), trekking up and down the steps and giggling as the animals drop into waiting arms.

Shared Book History

"I like that library books have secret lives. All those hands that have held them. All those eyes that have read them." - Meena Joshi in Same Sun Here by Silas House & Neela Vaswani

Written in an epistolary structure, this new novel intrigued me on the shelf, and I was fortunate to get it from the library this week. Two authors. Two voices. Two genders. Two cities. Two ethnic backgrounds. I loved how Meena (living in NYC after growing up in India) and River (her chosen penpal who lives in Kentucky) feel free to share details of their lives and secret thoughts in their handwritten letters that they would certainly keep safe had they interacted in person. The ways they come to understand each other through honest comments and thoughtful questions occur naturally through their correspondence. They discover similar tastes and interests, suggest ways for handling tough situations, and demonstrate empathy through their comments to each other. They also share book ideas!

I've added it to my epistolary book list and already can think of readers to whom I will suggest it in the fall.

Rereading Letters

In last week's mail, a tiger-striped envelope arrived, and I knew exactly who sent it. A fellow letter-writer and faithful USPS supporter who devises all sorts of interesting ways to send greetings. With a newly released book called It's a Tiger!, David LaRochelle sent the perfect card, decorated the envelope splendidly, and used the best possible stamp! I love getting real mail (not bills and unsolicited items), and I especially love rereading letters. My sweet mom writes weekly. My aunts frequently send notes. Some like-minded friends only correspond using hand-written mail. Passing on that tradition to younger writers is one of my goals for the coming school year.