The Magic of Reading
Dateline: 10/25/97
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Just suppose one fine day a genie appeared before your door. . . . He offers you a magic potion for your child, guaranteed
to make wondrous things occur: "Just give your daughter a bit of this potion
each day.
As my eyes begin to widen, he continues: "Don't forget to give some to your son, too. It will increase his attention span and you'll get such joy from his developing sense of humor." By now my eyes are practically bulging! "And that's not all," he confides. This potion will calm their fears and help guide their actions." "Where do I buy this wonderful potion?" I shout. "Will I have to force my children to take it? Will it be very expensive?" By now my white knuckled hands are clutching the genie's shoulders. "It need not cost you a penny," he says reassuringly. "And here is the best part: Your children will enjoy it so much that it will give you another means of bonding together." "Oh, how wonderful," I croon. "Where? Just tell me where." "The answer," he says, "is in the book."
Get your child a library card today!
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I can't end this series without discussing the importance of reading to your child's imagination.
Fables and legends have been passed down through time for good reason. The timeless themes and magical nature remind us that there is more to this world than reason and logic. Storytelling declined during the modern age as the television became our primary "storyteller". But now we see a rennaissance of storytelling in our communities and on the Web. College students have formed Storytelling Clubs and many "professional" storytellers are enchanting children and adults all over the world. If you don't have the storytelling gift just pick up a book and read aloud to your child. I have compiled a list of online and offline books that both you and your child will find magical and inspiring.
Here are some beautiful electronic adaptions of classic fairy tales and fables for you to visit with your child.
- Thumbelina
- Rumpelstiltskin
- The Frog King
- African Story Lines
- AFRO-Americ@: Myths and Fables
- Tales from Around the World from TheKids.com
- Stories from The Realist Wonder Society
Last week I asked for your ideas on magical books that you and your child enjoy, books that inspire the imagination and transport both children and adults to other worlds. Here are a few ideas for "modern classics" for children from my experience and from visitors.
Books for Early Elementary Children
- Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne - Though the modern versions are fine, they don't seem to have the magical qualities that the original A.A. Milne versions do.
- The Mitten and Comet's Nine Lives by Jan Brett
- The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
- Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
- Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
- Mrs. Piggle Wiggle by Beverly MacDonald - Mrs. Piggle Wiggle is a woman who has all
- sorts of "cures" for chilren's bad habits.
- Indian in the Cupboard by Lynn Reid Banks
For an excellent starting point for wonderful picture books to treasure look through the list of Caldecott Award winners.
Books for Older Elementary Children
- Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
- The Bears Upstairs by Dorothy Haas
- The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
- The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
- The Tinderbox by Hans Christian Andersen
- The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Eleanor Cameron
- Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
- Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, and Matilda by Roald Dahl
- The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (online)
- Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (online)
Young Readers American Classics Library sponsors online American Literary Classics with a chapter a day. Fantastic! Currently featured is Jack London's The Call of the Wild and L. Frank Baum's Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Additional online treasures may be found in their Library.
The Rivendell Educational Archive Children' Literature section reviews some of the most inspiring children's literature. The current feature, Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede sounds like a great book. Their Indispensable Children's Reading List also contains a unique selection of very special children's books.
One of the best ways to find excellent and inspiring literature for children is to choose books from the list of Newbery Award winners. I know from talking with teachers that the recent winners are wonderful books that captivate children's imaginations. I see that the current winner is The View From Saturday by E. L. Konigsburg. My favorite book as a child was a Konigsburg's Newbery-winning From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. The Lois Lowery books are always mentioned as favorites by children. Lowery has two books on the Newbery List, The Giver and Number the Stars. You and your child will love any of Lois Lowery's books. Some of the older Newbery books that I know are enchanting (I'm still enchanted by my memories of them) are The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene Du Bois, Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell, and one of the most magical books ever, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle. Dial-A-Book has a very cool Web site where you can read the first chapters of many Newbery Award books online.
Thanks so much to Lois Stern for "The Genie". You can visit Lois on the Web at Kidstories.com. She has many excellent articles on reading to your child.
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