Book Festival

We went this past weekend to the KSL Book Festival at the University of Utah and here are some pictures of our spoils.  There were many give a ways for the kids and some "mascots" to shake hands with.  I liked to see all the literacy organizations in the area.  My daughter who has an unnatural terror for anything dressed up in a costume, spotted Curious George and he seemed to cure her for the day of this fear.  She wanted to take lots of pictures of him.  She said, "I can't believe he's here!  He is on my TV!"  I had to remind her that we also have almost the whole collection of Curious George books by H.A. Rey.  Other book characters showed up too!

Fairy Tale Fotos

In December 2009, Vogue did a spread involving the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel photographed by Annie Leibovitz.  Here are some shots. Let's see more of this!  Little Red Riding Hood, Three Pigs, Ugly Duckling...Very cool, I think!

How Many Have I Read?

There was a question posed on Teacherninja that asked, "Which of the Top 100 Have You Read?  I've been trying to find out the source of who chose this top 100, but haven't found it.  I thought it might be fun to check off how many I've read. 

****** 100. The Egypt Game – Snyder (1967)

******99. The Indian in the Cupboard – Banks (1980)
98. Children of Green Knowe – Boston (1954)

******97. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane – DiCamillo (2006)

******96. The Witches – Dahl (1983)

******95. Pippi Longstocking – Lindgren (1950)

94. Swallows and Amazons – Ransome (1930)*

******93. Caddie Woodlawn – Brink (1935)

******92. Ella Enchanted – Levine (1997)

******91. Sideways Stories from Wayside School – Sachar (1978)

******90. Sarah, Plain and Tall – MacLachlan (1985)

******89. Ramona and Her Father – Cleary (1977)

88. The High King – Alexander (1968)

******87. The View from Saturday – Konigsburg (1996)

******86. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – Rowling (1999)

******85. On the Banks of Plum Creek – Wilder (1937)

84. The Little White Horse – Goudge (1946)
83. The Thief – Turner (1997)

******82. The Book of Three – Alexander (1964)

81. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon – Lin (2009)
80. The Graveyard Book – Gaiman (2008)
79. All-of-a-Kind-Family – Taylor (1951) 
******78. Johnny Tremain – Forbes (1943)
77. The City of Ember – DuPrau (2003)

******76. Out of the Dust – Hesse (1997)

******75. Love That Dog – Creech (2001)

******74. The Borrowers – Norton (1953) 

******73. My Side of the Mountain – George (1959)

******72. My Father’s Dragon – Gannett (1948)

******71. The Bad Beginning – Snicket (1999)

70. Betsy-Tacy – Lovelae (1940) 
69. The Mysterious Benedict Society – Stewart ( 2007)

******68. Walk Two Moons – Creech (1994)

67. Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher – Coville (1991)

******66. Henry Huggins – Cleary (1950) 

******65. Ballet Shoes – Stratfeild (1936) 

******64. A Long Way from Chicago – Peck (1998)

63. Gone-Away Lake – Enright (1957) 

******62. The Secret of the Old Clock – Keene (1959) 

******61. Stargirl – Spinelli (2000)

******60. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle – Avi (1990)

59. Inkheart – Funke (2003)
58. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase – Aiken (1962) 

******57. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 – Cleary (1981)

******56. Number the Stars – Lowry (1989)

******55. The Great Gilly Hopkins – Paterson (1978)

 ******54. The BFG – Dahl (1982)

******53. Wind in the Willows – Grahame (1908) 

******52. The Invention of Hugo Cabret (2007)

51. The Saturdays – Enright (1941)

******50. Island of the Blue Dolphins – O’Dell (1960)

******49. Frindle – Clements (1996)

******48. The Penderwicks – Birdsall (2005)

******47. Bud, Not Buddy – Curtis (1999)

****** 46. Where the Red Fern Grows – Rawls (1961)
45. The Golden Compass – Pullman (1995)

******44. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing – Blume (1972)

******43. Ramona the Pest – Cleary (1968)

******42. Little House on the Prairie – Wilder (1935)*

******41. The Witch of Blackbird Pond – Speare (1958)

40. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – Baum (1900)
39. When You Reach Me – Stead (2009)

******38. HP and the Order of the Phoenix – Rowling (2003)

******37. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry – Taylor (1976)

******36. Are You there, God? It’s Me, Margaret – Blume (1970)

******35. HP and the Goblet of Fire – Rowling (2000)

******34. The Watsons Go to Birmingham – Curtis (1995)

******33. James and the Giant Peach – Dahl (1961)

******32. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH – O’Brian (1971)

31. Half Magic – Eager (1954)

******30. Winnie-the-Pooh – Milne (1926)

29. The Dark Is Rising – Cooper (1973)

******28. A Little Princess – Burnett (1905) 

27. Alice I and II – Carroll (1865/72)

******26. Hatchet – Paulsen (1989)

******25. Little Women – Alcott (1868/9)

******24. HP and the Deathly Hallows – Rowling (2007)

******23. Little House in the Big Woods – Wilder (1932)

******22. The Tale of Despereaux – DiCamillo (2003)

21. The Lightening Thief – Riordan (2005)

******20. Tuck Everlasting – Babbitt (1975)

******19. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Dahl (1964)

******18. Matilda – Dahl (1988)

******17. Maniac Magee – Spinelli (1990)

******16. Harriet the Spy – Fitzhugh (1964)

******15. Because of Winn-Dixie – DiCamillo (2000)

******14. HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban – Rowling (1999)

******13. Bridge to Terabithia – Paterson (1977)

******12. The Hobbit – Tolkien (1938)

******11. The Westing Game – Raskin (1978)

******10. The Phantom Tollbooth – Juster (1961)

******9. Anne of Green Gables – Montgomery (1908)

******8. The Secret Garden – Burnett (1911)

******7. The Giver -Lowry (1993)

******6. Holes – Sachar (1998)

******5. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler – Konigsburg (1967)

******4. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe – Lewis (1950)

******3. Harry Potter #1 – Rowling (1997)

******2. A Wrinkle in Time – L’Engle (1962)

******1. Charlotte’s Web – White (1952)

Well I thought I would do pretty good but I got a 78%.   At least I've read all in their top 20.  I'll attach the list at the end without my stars in case you want to cut and paste and see how you did.  

100. The Egypt Game – Snyder (1967)
99. The Indian in the Cupboard – Banks (1980)
98. Children of Green Knowe – Boston (1954) *
97. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane – DiCamillo (2006)
96. The Witches – Dahl (1983)
95. Pippi Longstocking – Lindgren (1950)*
94. Swallows and Amazons – Ransome (1930)*
93. Caddie Woodlawn – Brink (1935)*
92. Ella Enchanted – Levine (1997)
91. Sideways Stories from Wayside School – Sachar (1978)
90. Sarah, Plain and Tall – MacLachlan (1985)
89. Ramona and Her Father – Cleary (1977)
88. The High King – Alexander (1968)
87. The View from Saturday – Konigsburg (1996)
86. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – Rowling (1999)
85. On the Banks of Plum Creek – Wilder (1937)*
84. The Little White Horse – Goudge (1946)*
83. The Thief – Turner (1997)
82. The Book of Three – Alexander (1964)
81. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon – Lin (2009)
80. The Graveyard Book – Gaiman (2008)
79. All-of-a-Kind-Family – Taylor (1951) *
78. Johnny Tremain – Forbes (1943)*
77. The City of Ember – DuPrau (2003)
76. Out of the Dust – Hesse (1997)
75. Love That Dog – Creech (2001)
74. The Borrowers – Norton (1953) *
73. My Side of the Mountain – George (1959)
72. My Father’s Dragon – Gannett (1948)*
71. The Bad Beginning – Snicket (1999)
70. Betsy-Tacy – Lovelae (1940) *
69. The Mysterious Benedict Society – Stewart ( 2007)
68. Walk Two Moons – Creech (1994)
67. Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher – Coville (1991)
66. Henry Huggins – Cleary (1950) *
65. Ballet Shoes – Stratfeild (1936) *
64. A Long Way from Chicago – Peck (1998)
63. Gone-Away Lake – Enright (1957) *
62. The Secret of the Old Clock – Keene (1959) *
61. Stargirl – Spinelli (2000)
60. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle – Avi (1990)
59. Inkheart – Funke (2003)
58. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase – Aiken (1962) *
57. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 – Cleary (1981)
56. Number the Stars – Lowry (1989)
55. The Great Gilly Hopkins – Paterson (1978)
54. The BFG – Dahl (1982)
53. Wind in the Willows – Grahame (1908) *
52. The Invention of Hugo Cabret (2007)
51. The Saturdays – Enright (1941)*
50. Island of the Blue Dolphins – O’Dell (1960)*
49. Frindle – Clements (1996)
48. The Penderwicks – Birdsall (2005)
47. Bud, Not Buddy – Curtis (1999) 46. Where the Red Fern Grows – Rawls (1961)
45. The Golden Compass – Pullman (1995)
44. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing – Blume (1972)
43. Ramona the Pest – Cleary (1968)
42. Little House on the Prairie – Wilder (1935)*
41. The Witch of Blackbird Pond – Speare (1958)*
40. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – Baum (1900)*
39. When You Reach Me – Stead (2009)
38. HP and the Order of the Phoenix – Rowling (2003)
37. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry – Taylor (1976)
36. Are You there, God? It’s Me, Margaret – Blume (1970)
35. HP and the Goblet of Fire – Rowling (2000)
34. The Watsons Go to Birmingham – Curtis (1995)
33. James and the Giant Peach – Dahl (1961)
32. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH – O’Brian (1971)
31. Half Magic – Eager (1954)*
30. Winnie-the-Pooh – Milne (1926)*
29. The Dark Is Rising – Cooper (1973)
28. A Little Princess – Burnett (1905) *
27. Alice I and II – Carroll (1865/72)*
26. Hatchet – Paulsen (1989)
25. Little Women – Alcott (1868/9)*
24. HP and the Deathly Hallows – Rowling (2007)
23. Little House in the Big Woods – Wilder (1932)*
22. The Tale of Despereaux – DiCamillo (2003)
21. The Lightening Thief – Riordan (2005)
20. Tuck Everlasting – Babbitt (1975)
19. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Dahl (1964)
18. Matilda – Dahl (1988)
17. Maniac Magee – Spinelli (1990)
16. Harriet the Spy – Fitzhugh (1964)
15. Because of Winn-Dixie – DiCamillo (2000)
14. HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban – Rowling (1999)
13. Bridge to Terabithia – Paterson (1977)
12. The Hobbit – Tolkien (1938)-
11. The Westing Game – Raskin (1978)
10. The Phantom Tollbooth – Juster (1961)*
9. Anne of Green Gables – Montgomery (1908)
8. The Secret Garden – Burnett (1911)*
7. The Giver -Lowry (1993)
6. Holes – Sachar (1998)
5. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler – Konigsburg (1967)
4. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe – Lewis (1950)*
3. Harry Potter #1 – Rowling (1997)
2. A Wrinkle in Time – L’Engle (1962)*
1. Charlotte’s Web – White (1952)*

Where are the parents?

While blog surfing, I came across an entry that referenced an article in the New York Times about a topic that I have brought up many times in my children's literature classes.  Why do so many books for children have absent parents?  In fact, in many, the parents are dismissed, killed (Harry Potter, Unfortunate Events) or leave (Fablehaven, Great Gilly Hopkins, Higher Power of Lucky) at the beginning of the book leaving the main character(s) on their own to solve problems.   Is it really representing to kids what happens in reality?  Where are the books about the "good parent?"  Does it represent the majority in childrens literature?  As I'm writing this, my son is watching Max and Ruby which is written by Rosemary Wells and the kids on this have a Grandma that lives nearby and no parents around their house at all.

Read and tell me what you think!

 “The Parent Problem in Young Adult Lit,” 

RIF is still alive!

My first teaching job was in a high poverty, urban school district.  One of the highlights for my students each year was when RIF came to the school. About three times, our reading specialist would give every child the chance to choose a free book.  To many, it was a special choice that took great consideration.  They would spend lots of time going up and down the aisles wanting the perfect book for them. 

Well, there has been a fight this year to keep the Reading is Fundamental program alive.  Many educators and supporters of the program have lobbied and this summer, a decision was made to continue it's funding.  

Here is the announcement according to the Reading Is Fundamental's Advocacy Center at http://www.rif.org/kids/leadingtoreading/en/leadingtoreading.htm 

Great news!! On July 27, the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee approved $24.8 million in funding for Reading Is Fundamental for FY2011! Recently, the House LHHS Appropriations Subcommittee also approved $24.8 million for RIF. The bills must still be approved by the full Appropriations Committees in the coming weeks. This is a great first step in the funding process! Thank you to everyone who sent emails, letters, or made phone calls and visits to their Members of Congress.

Hey...that's me.  You're welcome!  My pleasure.  Any time!