Talking about children's books and films. Useful information for parents.
13 Feb 2013 3 Comments
in Books, books 10+ Tags: desert, family history, friendship, jail, mystery
NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER – 1999
by Louis Sachar
Random House: 1998
233 pp.
Age: 10 +
Interests: mystery, fate, jail, desert, survival, friendship
Also by this author: Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Marvin Redpost series, and Small Steps – a sequel of sorts to Holes, following some of the other boys from Camp Green Lake
Next: the movie version Holes (2003) is very good, and quite faithful to the novel
12 Feb 2013 Leave a comment
in Books, books 10+ Tags: dystopia, family, morality, philosophy, sci fi
NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER – 1994
by Lois Lowry
Random House: 1993
179 pp.
Age: 10+
Interests: science fiction, dystopia, morality, questioning authority, freedom
Next: the rest of ‘The Giver Quartet’: Messenger, Gathering Blue, Son
More science fiction: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine l’Engle, The Iron Man by Ted Hughes, The Martian Chronicles or Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Also by this author: Number the Stars, Autumn Street, The Silent Boy
12 Feb 2013 6 Comments
in Authors, Illustrators
Here’s a great little video about Oliver Jeffers, creator of many picture books such as Lost and Found. It’s entertaining but also gives a glimpse into what goes into the making of a children’s picture book.
Charming video, and yet… I can’t wait until filmmakers stop doing all those distracting out/in focus pulls. (In the good old days camera operators checked the focus before starting to shoot!)
You can check out his website here.
06 Feb 2013 Leave a comment
in Books, books 6+, books 8+ Tags: adventure, American history, country life, family, farming, First Nations, history, pioneer life, racial tension, siblings, strong girls
NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER – 1936
by Carol Ryrie Brink
MacMillan: 1935
275 pages, 24 chapters
Age: 6+ (read to); 8+ (independent reading)
Interests: history, American history, farm life, pioneers, siblings, growing up
Also by this author: sequel Magical Melons (aka Caddie Woodlawn’s Family)
Next: picture books – They Were Strong and Good, Abraham Lincoln, Ox-Cart Man; chapter books – Sarah Plain and Tall, Little House on the Prairie series, Anne of Green Gables
05 Feb 2013 Leave a comment
in Books, books 6+, books 8+ Tags: dragons, fairy tale updated, knights, non-violence
by Kenneth Grahame
originally a chapter within the 1898 novel Dream Days; later published on its own
Holiday House: 1938
1966 edition: 55 pp.
Age: 6+ (read to); 8+ (independent reading)
Interests: dragons, knights, revisionist fairy tales, non-violence
Also by this author: The Wind in the Willows
04 Feb 2013 Leave a comment
in Education, Issues, Movies, Old Movies, Parenting, Silent Movies
Here’s a TED talk about visual literacy through watching old movies, similar to what Martin Scorsese talks about here.
What do you think? I’m a big fan of showing old movies to kids, and I think showing them movies that are radically different from current offerings (ie. historical settings, foreign stories, subtitles, art films, experimental narratives, silent movies, etc.) serves to broaden their experience and knowledge of film and of the world.
So many movies today, especially ones made for kids, are such formulaic, pandering pieces of junk that I can’t help but worry that we’re limiting the very scope of their imaginations. As well as shredding their attention spans and ability to concentrate for long periods of time. Too fast, too loud, too violent. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – watching old movies is a wonderful way of slowing down the frenetic pace of our lives and opening up a window to other times and places.
Related posts:
Click on “Old Movies” in Categories over there on the right, to see all the old movies I’ve reviewed.
30 Jan 2013 3 Comments
in Books, books 3+ Tags: animals, bad behavior, bears, crime, mystery, rabbits
by Jon Klassen
Candlewick Press, 2011
33 pp.
Age: 3+
Interests: animals, mystery, crime and punishment, bears and rabbits
Also by this author: This is Not My Hat
30 Jan 2013 Leave a comment
in Books, books 2+ Tags: animals, dealing with change, family, separation
text by Audrey Penn
illustrations by Ruth E. Harper and Nancy M. Leak
Tanglewood Press, 1993
30 pp.
Age: 2+
Interests: animals, family, raccoons, school, dealing with change, separation
29 Jan 2013 Leave a comment
in Movies, movies 3+ Tags: adventure, animals, Canada, cats, dogs, nature, pets, wilderness survival
Released: 1963
Rated: G
Length: 80 min
Age: 3+
Scary Factor: various dangerous situations for animals are rather tamely presented, not disturbing at all, and no notable injuries are sustained; cat is swept away in river but later rescued; a man shoots at dog rummaging in garbage can, but mainly to scare him away; cat is chased by a lynx but escapes
Interests: pets, cats, dogs, wilderness, nature, Canada, adventure
Next: read the book The Incredible Journey
24 Jan 2013 Leave a comment
in Books, books 6+, Classics Tags: bad behavior, fairies, Magic, nature, religion
by Charles Kingsley
originally published in 1863
144 pp.
Age: 6+ (read to)
Interests: fairies, magic, animals, nature, religion, bad behaviour
Next: other Victorian fairy stories – The Magic Fishbone (Dickens), The Princess and the Goblin, The Cuckoo Clock, Alice in Wonderland
Rarest Kind of Best 