by Pat Kelly
Rascal Flatts playing over the p.a. at the Spar grocery store.
Howling dogs- feral? wild?
Men’s voices calling out- Happy Hour attendees?
High pitched import vehicle horns tooting at all hours.
Mosquito buzzing in my ear- daily malaria meds taken? Check.
Uncommon birdsong.
Hammers on wood.
Exuberant, grateful voices raised in praise.
By Anastasia Gruper
Did you know Rhode Island is spelled incorrectly in The Constitution? Neither did I until Cody pointed it out at The National Archive. Did you know there is a typo engraved in the wall at the Lincoln Memorial? Future reads Euture. “Kilroy was here,” is etched in the World War II Memorial. And the haunches of the statues in the Korean Memorial depicts the eerie wartime feeling the artist clearly wanted to convey. Wandering through Washington DC with colleagues and eighth grade students is a reminder that learning is collaborative and best done together.
Day two with the group brought more in depth conversations as we spent long periods of time at the National Cathedral and the Holocaust Museum. Analysis of photographs prior to and during World War II had us delve into our Nation’s past. Models, literature, and artifacts brought discussions about how the treatment of our people. At the cathedral, stories told of stained glass windows brought history to life. Roman architecture was the main topic of discussion as we stood in awe of the high arches, high ceilings, and gargoyles.
As we prepare for day three, Flag Day, we head to Arlington National Cemetery for the changing of the guard and for our students to participate in the wreath changing ceremony. We’re looking forward to our continued education, not only about our nation’s history, but about the concerns our children have for the future of our nation based on our history.
By Koriann Lance
This week, I presented one of my favorite class projects: the six-word memoir! This task is exactly as it sounds. Students must share their life story in 6 words, no more, no less.
For a preteen to create a memoir of only six words in length that can encapsulate their life is quite a feat! I realized how difficult when creating my own, but here it is:
I love this assignment for so many reasons. First, they have to surmise what is most important to them at this point in their life. They must then choose the most powerful words to get this message across. And then comes their favorite part – finding the picture and creating the visual display that will make their message pop! But my favorite part? Learning more about what my students hold dear.
The finished product of my students’ memoirs becomes a slideshow compilation to music selected by my students. This is on display for parents to see at our school’s Open House. The reactions are always priceless!
Trivia Night is just around the corner. We really hope you will join us this Saturday, February 8th at 7:00 for a fantastic evening of fun. This is a BIG night for us as we try to raise enough money to cover the costs of our yearly goals. The book sending season begins in March, so depending on how much we raise in February, directly impacts how many books we are able to ship to vulnerable children and needy schools.
As always, we have some excellent raffle prizes and baskets to win during the evening including: The Bacon basket, Knitting Knerds basket, Fresh Market basket, and a Smoking Hot Sauce basket. Along with great raffle prizes, we will have a silent auction running for two sets of Cubs tickets, Bulls tickets, and Blackhawks tickets.
Without you, A to Z would not be able to accomplish our mission– to improve the literacy lives of impoverished children everywhere. Thank you for believing in us and for helping us to move forward.
So… A to Z has worked hard these past years to make our fund raisers FUN. But. We think we can do better. So this year, we are hosting a trivia night! We will have trivia at your tables, with appetizers and snacks, a cash bar, raffles (with AWESOME prizes) all over the room, wine pong and other games… Seriously. Can you imagine a night as fun as this? We have been working CRAZY hard to bring you a night to remember. So, come on!!! Join us!!!
Go to atozliteracy.org to purchase tickets. We can’t wait to see you there!
By Mal Keenan
As we work to create light for others,
we naturally light our own way.
Mary Anne Radmacher
I love this quote. Creating light for others really does brighten up our own lives, and during the holiday season, people are more willing to shed light on adults and children in need. This is true in my own family. We have been deliberate in asking our sons to volunteer and help those less fortunate during the Christmas season. As a family, we brainstormed possible ways to get involved and we will work together to donate our time, energy, and resources. The spirit of giving is easy to instill into children and has long lasting effects while lighting our way.
By Kristina Weber
I can’t tell you how many times I have heard from parents and teachers that graphic novels aren’t “real books.” It hurts me inside every time I hear that.
The visual literacy gained from graphic novels is real. Not only do you need to comprehend the words on the page, but you need to interpret the images, and how they relate to the words. Some graphic novels do depict superheroes and action like the comic books we are all familiar with, but there are so many richer themes going on in graphic novels as well. Even the superhero comics can be good, though- the themes of good triumphing over evil and social justice above all are really great things for kids to learn.
As a librarian, I find that even my most reluctant readers can lose themselves in a good graphic novel- and then I see them coming back for more and more. They don’t realize how good these books are for them.
Now, I know that some may need more convincing than that. So, I put together a quick list of five graphic novels that may change your mind for good.
1. Epileptic by David B. – David’s brother is diagnosed with epilepsy at age 11. What follows is a desperate search for a “cure,” where his parents try everything (even things that are crazy or harmful) to cure David’s brother during a time when not much is known about the condition (the 60s and 70s). David uses vivid imagery and metaphoric characters to represent some of the people and situations he encounters along the way (a macrobiotic healer is a tiger, for instance).
2. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi – Students tell me all the time that this was an eye-opening read for them. Persepolis is Ms. Satrapi’s memoir of her experiences from the ages of 10 to 14 living in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. She weaves together a story of the horrors of the conflict, coming of age as an independent, smart girl, and the history and culture of Iran.
3. Maus by Art Spiegelman – Speigelman depicts Jews as mice and Nazis as cats in this Holocaust story. The story is true- Speigelman’s father was a Holocaust survivor, and the entire story is based on his memories of what happened to him during that time.
4. American Born Chinese by Gene Yang – Yang weaves three stories together: one about a mythical monkey who wants to be a god, one about a popular white kid embarrassed by his stereotypical Chinese cousin, and one about a Chinese-American kid who wants acceptance from his white peers. The book teaches acceptance: from others, and from oneself.
5. Anything by Gareth Hinds – Hinds turns classics in to another kind of art by turning them into graphic novels. He keeps the original language of the piece, and he is extremely thorough. These have absolutely no resemblance to the “Illustrated Classics” we grew up with- these are graphically gorgeous adaptations that adults can appreciate just as much, if not more than, teen readers.
There are a ton of others- some even better than these (Watchmen, Dark Knight Returns, etc.), but I wanted to show you a cultural mix that might surprise you. I didn’t even delve into the genius coming from Asia.
Pretty please with a cherry on top: next time you see someone with a graphic novel, DO NOT think that it isn’t a real book. It is real- and it just may be even more real than some of the Kindle candy being published these days.
Read one! You might love it- never know unless you try!
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