The Fairy Tale Girl

 

What a cozy night! The wind has kicked up, sorely needed rain is predicted to begin any time, and it just feels like fall! October has arrived! To sweeten this homey evening, in my mailbox today was the book I'd been waiting for: Susan Branch's "The Fairy Tale Girl."  A perfect book to curl up on the couch with on an autumn's eve.

I don't know if you have ever read any of Susan Branch's books, but they are full of adorable illustrations, wise thoughts, and memories from by-gone days of the 60's and 70's. Year after year, her wall calendars adorn my breakfast nook wall. She is a talented artist and her writing style makes you feel like you're sitting in her living room, feet up, sharing best friend stories. She has written several cookbooks, and more recently I read and then re-read her book, "A Fine Romance." If you have ever traveled to the English countryside, or wanted to, you will thoroughly enjoy this handwritten travel journal, photos, and artist's renderings of her trip there just a few short years ago.

So far I've read about 10 pages of  "The Fairy Tale Girl,", and without thinking my hands reached for my own journal and pen to jot down some reflections on my life. Had to stop and think about where I've been in this crazy life, where I'm going, and how to keep my passions alive.

"Everyone's life is a fairy tale written by God's finger."

        ~ Hans Christian Andersen

Susan included that quote in her book, doesn't it give you pause?

Happy October!

Borders Going Out of Business

Ash and I went to Borders last Sunday.  They had their "Going Out of Business" banner plastered across the store front. 

We are very sad about this -- voracious readers that we are, it was one of our favorite hang outs.  They said they can't keep up with Kindles and Nooks and other electronic forms of books.  Personally I still like the feeling of a real book in my hand, being able to turn the pages, make notes in the side margins, highlight my favorite passages.  But I guess the electronic companies have answers to all of that and even offer clip-on lights and pimp-out covers in leather or needlepoint.  I was still holding out until I read an article about how after a certain number of 'reads' it is more ecologically sensible than books.  Hmmm, I sputter about that one for a minute.  Still not sure what the solution is to passing on a 'good read' to friends and family, which we do regularly around here. 

What is this world coming to?  Yes, I confess to kicking and screaming over that potential feeling of being "plugged in" all the time. Not to mention eye strain.  So I did a little research and found this spot-on analysis of traditional books vs. e-readers (at the least, scroll down and read the author's cheeky comparison list):  Kindle vs Real Books

One thing I absolutely agree with is the ridiculous cost of textbooks!  If you haven't been to college lately, textbook prices are criminal!  Editions are outdated every other year if not more often, prohibiting you from dumping them at the end of the semester buy-back season.  Textbooks surpass the cost of tuition at community colleges.  Some considerate, savvy teachers understand this and tell the students the "old editions" are permitted in class, despite the fact they were published a whopping three years ago.  My daughter's teacher credential program includes the cost of an iPad and all required reading material and texts will be accessed through it.

As it turned out, Borders' going out of biz sale was a bust.  We left empty handed.  Even with their 25-50% off deals, things were still overpriced.  Sorry, Borders. 

Anyone with e-reader experience out there that can share their win-over moments, would love to hear your take.  

Reading the Classics

I joined a book club. Not just any book club. A Classic Books book club. I've read my share of classics through the years -- some required in high school and college, some picked up for fun and knowledge. But discussing classics with a group of articulate people will be a welcomed (I hope!) challenge.

We are reading The Three Musketeers this month -- a book that actually was not on my list of previously read literature. I'm on chapter 4 and already hooked!

Members of the club actually explored why people are hesitant to read classics - some suggested it is simply because it is difficult for people to get into the 'language' used, to put themselves back in time to a different set of values and opinions. It does seem to take more effort to work through a classic than to jump into a modern light novel. As a lover of words, I'll give it a try.

Here is a great article about reading the classics (the best part of the discussion starts at Lunchtime at the Museum):

http://www.bibliobuffet.com/content/view/1127/194/

If You Give a Therapist a Book...

Have you heard of the children's book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie? Well, the mouse will then want a glass of milk to go with it.... and then he'll need a straw to drink the milk. And on the story goes, exhausting the boy who gave the mouse the cookie to begin with.

Quite by accident, I realized I'm creating my own dangerous version. I decided to revisit some classic children's books ("Good Night, Moon", "Mama, Do You Love Me?", "The Very Hungry Caterpillar", to name just a few) and use them in therapy. So I went to eBay to see if I could pick up some used editions. There I happened upon some "visual aids" to go along with the stories.

Wouldn't my students love it if I had the little Eskimo doll that went with the "Mama, Do You Love Me?" book? Or how about taking turns holding the fuzzy caterpillar stuffed animal while I read the "Hungry Caterpillar" story? Oh, and there was a nice flannel board set of colorful animals for "Brown Bear, Brown Bear".

But wait! Some clever teacher made some picture cards to accompany some stories. So after reading the story, the children can practice their recall and sequencing skills by putting the pictures in the correct order.

Oh, someone else took it a step further! This person made an entire literacy kit. So not only do you have the Caterpillar book, but finger puppets and coloring pages of butterflies to go with it.

Yes....

If you give a therapist a book, she'll want a visual aid to go along with it.... and then she'll want sequencing cards so the children can retell the story, and then she'll remember that they can practice their artistic skills with coloring pages....

Perhaps I should just stick with the books.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear...

...What do you see? I see a red bird looking at me!

So begins the fabulous children's book written by Bill Martin, and now I can teach it to children in sign language!

Last night one of the special ed. teachers and I attended a workshop on sign language for preschool teachers. It was great! The presentor was lively, she added music and games that even adults didn't mind trying, and we came away with over 300 signs. I had taken ASL years ago, but haven't used it regularly so it was not only a good refresher, but I learned new signs, too. We're going to teach some songs (as well as the Brown Bear story) to the early start preschool class when I go in to do speech-language therapy.

P.S. Ash is home! :)