Thankful for the Picture Book

You may have been wondering if I abandoned my mission to save the picture book. My last post on this mission was back in mid October. The mission is still on, but with every mission there is a process. As this month is dedicated to being thankful for all the various things in our lives, I have decided to give thanks to the picture book. My thanks is for all the times I sat by our bookshelves as a kid and entered the wonderful world of story by flipping a book's pages and seeing illustrations spring from the page. Each image sparked new ideas, or made me laugh, or just simply delighted my eyes.

Today I highlight the wonderful and talented Chris Van Allsburg. I remember sitting up late in the night, starring out my December frosted window, in that house I called the log cabin, waiting to hear the train whistle blow and hope that I would be asked to ride The Polar Express. I remember the black and white sketches from Jumanji that colored the animal kingdom and my imagination at the same time.

But my favorite of his work came later in life when I found The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, while working at Barnes & Noble. What caught my eye is the multiple and complex stories the book tells without a linear written story. One simple sentence, placed next to an illustration, is all it took for my mind to enter the wonderful world many dub Wonderland.

It was a book that sparked my interests and creativity. It was a book that made me look at the images and tell my own story, full with beginning, middle and end. It was a book that made me look at it again, and again, and again.

Every time I view this book, I find new stories within familiar illustrations. My favorite of the illustrations being the fifth entitled: Another Place, Another Time. The one sentence provided reads, "If there was an answer, he'd find it there." With the wind blowing in the sail, Chris Van Allsburg's sentence depicts my belief in story. For truly we find our answers in our tales. Thank you Chris Van Allsburg for your art and the spark it passes down. And thank you to the picture book and all the tales drawn.

I ask you to share your favorite picture books here as well. No matter what country you are from, I know there were picture books that shaped your childhood, and in turn made you see the world as you do now. Whether you share them with me or a friend, it's time for us to give thanks to our beloved illustrators and authors.

Wickedness with the master Ray Bradbury

I usually have one of four reading experiences:

1. I pick up a book and quickly plow through to pass the time.
2. I pick up a book, read a few chapters, put it down then pick it up again just because I am obsessive about knowing what happens in a story--whether I like it or not.
3. I pick up a book, become so absorbed that I read until I'm done not even stopping to eat.
4. I pick up a book and become so mesmerized by the story and magnificent writing that I begin to read it aloud. I put down the book not because I am borrowed or tired, but because I want to savor every last word written and I don't want the book to end.

Its a treasure when experience 4 appears in my life. And with Ray Bradbury, I found myself hypnotized by his words yet again as I tasted fall dance on the air.

This October I needed a little scare. When I was young I  had my first ever slumber party, complete with scary movies, include the film "Something Wicked This Way Comes." I figured why not give the book a try and see if the words could spark like lightning this Halloween season. And let me just say, Bradbury's words didn't disappoint. They danced and glowed around me as I watched the leaves change and fall in front of me. Early into the book, sitting outside at my frequented coffee shop, I began to read the book aloud (not caring who listened near me) for this book is one that cries to be heard.

The sound quality alone would have been enough for me to enjoy this read, but of course Bradbury doesn't stop there. For truly this book is a coming of age story, but not merely of the child, but the adult. It is a story of father and son, son and father. It is a story about change, that change that can't be stopped or pushed to arrive early. It is a story about life and our yearning to not merely ride the merry-go-round in circles, but gallop, jump, and dance across all of life's adventures. And it is a story written in cunning prose that will make your heart quicken. Its fitting that Bradbury dedicated this work to none other than Gene Kelly.

Bradbury's descriptions are profound. My favorite illusion in this book is when he describes the library, "This was a factory of spices from far countries." (p.13) And that is truly what each of Bradbury's books are, a unique spice/flavor that transports you to forgotten times or awakens you to the taste at hand.

A Mission and A New Look

I am on a mission!

"What is this mission?" you ask--

SAVE THE PICTURE BOOK

After reading the New York Times's article this October discussing the drastic decline in picture book publishing, and parents strongly urging their children to only read chapter books, I found myself flashing back to my past.

Reflecting back to all those times I scanned the shelves at my home, sat on the floor and flipped the pages to view illustration after illustration, I wondered who I would have been without "The Gorilla Did It," "Where the Wild Things Are," "The Polar Express," or "Goodnight Moon."

With the pictures on the pages I created my own stories; I saw my room become a forest, I waited late in the evening to hear the trains whistle outside my own frosted window, and in the evenings now--with the light gone--I whisper "Good night mittens and good night kittens..."

So to hear parents are saying, "My kid doesn't need books with pictures anymore." I have to ask what pictures they are creating for their own lives?

Which brings me to my mission to save the picture book. If you would like to help me on this mission, the first step is to share.

Take a fresh look at the picture book. Go to a bookstore, library, or shelf and pick a picture book up. Go ahead read it aloud and let the images impress your eyes. Next take the time to share the title of the picture book you read in the comment box below.

More to come later.

Web Spinning

If you have ever heard the storyteller Carmen Deedy tell the story--live--of her first encounter with a librarian, than you'll understand why I picked up "Charlotte's Web."

It's interesting I never read this book in my youth, considering it holds a key line that my family and friends find vital in knowing me: "The quickest way to spoil a friendship is to wake somebody up in the morning before he [or she, in my case] is ready."(p. 35) And as such I found myself drawn to Charlotte's character.

I don't know what I was thinking I would find in the old hard cover book, which had my sisters name scrawled delicately in crayon as only a child can do. But I set off on an adventure with the intent to save Wilbur, and instead found myself entranced by the life (or web) I've been spinning for myself.

For the past while now, I have felt as though I have just been hanging on. Hanging by a thread, as they say. I have been aching for those days of youth when the choices were merely who you would play with that day and not which bill can wait to be paid. And so I found my response surprising when I read the line, "The world is a wonderful place when your young."(p. 18) I thought to myself, 'yes it was, but it most certainly still is.' And as I read along, Charlotte began to trim back her web to make room for the words that would show the world how an ordinary pig named Wilbur is some-terrific-humble pig. With each new word Charlotte created, I began feeling as though I could see through the web I've been casting around myself.

Sometimes we just need a new narrative for ourselves (as my mom would say). It's as easy as changing three little words: bored, tired, and frustrated become excited, poised and adventurous. So my new narrative is not Wilbur's, but Charlotte's children began building my web to read: Denver is excited, poised, and drawn to the adventurous day.

What does your narrative say?

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Last month I had a friend staying with me. I noticed her reading the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riodan. I had been told by various people (kids and adults alike) that I should read these very popular books, and so I quickly picked them up when my friend was finished. A week later I found myself finished with the five book series and a bit perplexed.

First, lets say that I highly enjoyed all the Greek mythology used through the series. I made the effort to write down all that I need to go back and look up. I love it when a book makes you search for more. Riodan's interpretation of the attitude of the Gods and the representation of monsters was creative and also thought provoking. The reading itself was fast paced and I found myself wanting to get home to finish the story instead of going out with friends or cooking myself dinner. But the use of first person narrative did throw me a bit. I found I was just waiting for action more than fully processing the story. As such, I don't remember much detail in the story, just plot. That is until I got to book five and this is where I became perplexed.

Riodan wrote a line that I realized I had been hoping for. The line created the books title, "Home, Hearth, the last Olympian." (p.103) This poignant phrase (all five words) made my heart skip. He got it, I thought to myself. Story is what keeps us going, what makes us live, what makes us jump, laugh, cry, and think. Story connects us together even when we don't know one another.

Riodan continued my suspense and I was so excited when I read, Gods need mortals to keep them alive. He was so close and I was ready; ready for Story to be given justice. And then Riodan missed his opportunity. The opportunity to express that story lives and we all must keep it going. Instead he brushed by what could have been a highly significant moment and paraphrased, "Hope survives best at the hearth." (p.308)

I was confused. I enjoyed the books, but I felt misguided. I feel as though Riodan didn't truly know the story he was writing. In the end, he missed the point. He focused on the "heroes journey," when the true importance was the heroes that reside in each human, waiting to come out even with out the powers of Zeus, Posiden, or Hades racing through our veins.

And who knows, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Riodan knew along what he was writing. Maybe he was just waiting silently like Hearth, waiting for someone to notice. And maybe all will be written in his second series coming this October. The first book entitled "The Lost Hero." Because lets not forget, "Hope does not leave without being given permission." (p228). Hearth will always be the last Olympian. And if we surround ourselves around her, warm ourselves by her fire and tell our stories, then hope will never die. Story will live forever.

Harry Potter Fandomtastic!

Recently, I have been consumed with my "Hogwartian" studies. Many may catch onto this term, but to those who do not understand, it means that for the past six months I have immersed myself (yet again) in the Harry Potter canon. For years this story has played an influential role in my life, and this mid July I found myself preparing to speak on the subject, while also surrounding myself and intermingling with over 2,400 other Harry Potter fans.

Infinitus 2010 was a celebration of the Harry Potter story and a time to play in the newly built (and might I add, stunningly beautiful and detailed) Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I spent my time at the conference between lectures, Live Wizards Chess, a few Wrock shows, A Very Potter Sequel--the musical, and just watching in fascination at all the costumed Death Eaters who were the life of the party.

I could write pages and pages on the Harry Potter books, but I won't do that here. What I want to discuss is the most important element that sprung from the books pages--THE READERS RESPONSE.

No matter your view of the story, there is no denying that Harry Potter took on a life unlike anything we have seen in literary history. There are multiple factors that provided this story to be grasped by so many people in so many different countries--technology, word of mouth, the need for play, and the desire to hear our misplaced folklore anew--all played a role. But it was the reader that acted when the book was closed.

Harry Potter fans have created the most prolific artistic, activist, and human response than any other fan base to my knowledge (Harry Potter Alliance, HPEF, etc). As I watched and listened to fans at the conference it became apparent to me that Harry Potter studies goes further than the words on the pages. I had known this before going to the conference (for that matter I was speaking on just that topic), but to see it in action, meet the people who have played their role, and to recognize my own involvement, was inspiring. My only question now is can the fandom survive?

And so I am attaching my conference paper to my Academic page (top right corner) for those who would like to read it. I recommend taking the time to prepare a small bowl of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans (Grass being my favorite) and a small glass of Butterbeer, before endeavoring on my crazy antics.

Meeting Orson Scott Card

There is a trepidation that comes when you are about to meet a person who has been so influential in your life and that person doesn’t know it. A mixture of pure excitement, nervousness, and an over whelming fear of making a fool of yourself takes over. And then an oddity occurs. You walk into the room and sit down, and the person who, I can only say has been like the Wizard of OZ to me, steps out from behind the curtain. The person I admire and thought all knowing and perfect was unmistakably HUMAN, mixed with oddities and quirks (and a few opinions I don't agree with) and yet none of my trepidation left, for my respect for the author Orson Scott Card endures.

Late June I took what is called “Uncle Orson’s Writing Workshop,” at UVSU. As I wrote in January 2010, Orson Scott Card was the author who began my journey and my love for reading. I clung to his novels all through my teen years, not reading any other author. When I did finally branch into different genres and authors, Card was the one I pitted them against. Did they have his style, his ability to use words in such a way as though images and characters sprung from the pages? Could another author keep my interest?

Obviously they could keep my interest, and I found that every author has a unique voice. My passion for literature grew, but it was Card that began the whole process. And now I was sitting in a conference room listening to him speak to well over 60 writers who were all looking for him to guide them down his path.

I could write about all the tidbits of information on writing he gave us, but I feel as though that would be stealing his information. Instead I would like to write here about the things he said that gave me hope.

1- Forget everything you were taught in school on how to write. It took me two years after my Master’s degree to write anything good. You each have a unique voice, use it.

This, for me, was such a delight to hear. My style of writing has never been very academic or elite and I have paid for this in my educational undertakings. But to hear him say this made my heart leap. It wasn’t a matter of a rigged rule on how to write, but the idea that your voice is important and it is in the refining of that voice that each story will take shape.

2- Ideas are cheap.

So many of my friends have ideas for stories. I have heard the telling of idea upon idea, and yet I have never seen a written word on a page from these ideas (minus the rare exception). So if “Ideas are cheap,” action must be priceless. I have written a few of my stories down and it is now high time that I kick my butt in gear and begin sending them off to publishers.

3- You are a fellow skeptic, and I mean that as a compliment.

On the last day of the workshop, Card agreed to sign books and take a few photos with people. Standing in line, seeing all the others with there crisp hard cover additions, I stared at the two books in my hand. As I placed the books in front of Card I told him I was sorry they were a bit bruised. I handed him the mass-market additions of Ender’s Game and Xenocide I have held onto since I was 13. As he signed them, he said to me that I was a skeptic and that this was a good thing.

For eighteen years I have held onto Cards novels. And I am sure that they will continue to be in my possession well into the future. And as he said, I am a skeptic, always questioning the words placed before me, even his. But may I say, I cherish each and every question those words make me answer.

"The Devil drinks Shirley Temples"

Apparently, I am in the mode to read books that contain mind altering beverages. After finishing the lovely story of Dandelion Wine, I moved my taste buds to another author--I must admit--I usually don't read. Tom Robbins, though a great writer, is not my favorite. I have read a couple of his novels and it's a personal preference of mine not to read more. But when one is handed a book to read by a fellow colleague, then one holds onto that book for a month and doesn't read a word, I found myself in an unusual predicament: To read or not read Tom Robbins.

In the end the cover struck me: "A Grown-up book for children" or "A Children's Book for Grown-ups." How could I--a person that is adamant the children's literature genre is not just for kids--pass by this opportunity. And so I focused, walked down to my office--local coffee shop--and opened the book "B is for Beer."

Looking back on it, I should have opened a cold brew from my fridge and sipped while reading this funny story that was such an educational delight. Working in the industry of beer slinging (yes people, I am a server at a brew pub), I found this text more educational then my one day early morning brew training.

Plus, Robbins did an excellent job of showing the unusual similarities and differences of youth and adult, society and reality, and the nuances and stereotypes of alcohol. In two hours I had completed the story and laughed more than I have with a book in a long time. Plus, who can resist the excellent line, "The Devil drinks Shirley Temples." (p.63)--one of my favorite drinks by the way.

No this is not a book for children--though I do think they would see the humor--but it shows not all children's books are for kids, some are for grown-ups.

And I must say I will recommend this Tom Robbins book to others. Plus, I will be using its insightful information on beer to help achieve a higher tip percentage.

A Taste of "Dandelion Wine"

I am a firm believer that books call to a person. They sit on the shelf waiting the time to beckon their information to a reader, give a guiding hand, or clear the fog around a few of life's mysteries. Our only job as readers is to listen and keep an open mind. It doesn't matter if the book is new or one already read; for the stages in every persons life allot for discovery and re-discovery.

Reading Ray Bradbury's "Dandelion Wine" came at a time that synced with all that was going on in my life and all the changes I didn't know how to handle. As my mother says, "this is a book that should be read every ten years." Different from Bradbury's science fiction style, the novel is a coming of age story, not just for youth, but for every age of life: youth, teen, adult, elderly. It encompasses life's change at every age in every dimension, desire, and trepidation. It depicts those defining moments.

This year I began volunteering with a hospice and family care company. I found myself conducting and piecing together the oral history of a fabulous woman who just turned 99. A five month adventure of listening to a strangers life opened my eyes and gave me insights into my own life and the inability to stop age.

As spring jumped to life so did "Dandelion Wine" spring into my outstretched hand. When not reading, I took the book with me everywhere I went in my purse: Go to pay for a coffee and there it was, reach for my phone to talk to a friend, and my fingers fumbled across the curve and spine of "Dandelion Wine." I read it slowly and absorbed every chapter with each word pouring from my silently spoken lips.

Reading this novel, I kept a pen in hand and found myself underlying passages left and right. Each passage opened new thoughts to the oral history I was working on, as well as my new found age phobia. I recognized my luck and the importance of what I was doing. The more the chapters passed by the more I felt this was Bradbury's "Peter Pan." Only the ticking crocodile of time wasn't just chasing Hook, but all the lost boys in turn, ready to eat each whole without thought or concern.

As Doug says in the book, "The magic was always in the new pair..."(p.20). Doug was referring to summer sneakers, but the realty is that life is magical with each new step a person takes. It's not just our first steps that should be recorded, it's our fifth, our sixteenth, our twenty-first, our thirtieth, and our ninety-ninth that need to be preserved so when the time comes it's possible to uncork them and take just a small sip to remember and then move forward. It is our self discovery at every age that is important, because as Grandpa states, "It was over before it began..." (p.237). In short, enjoy it or life will pass you by.

And so I take the words of "Dandelion Wine" to my memory box, bottled away to ponder, and maybe in another few years I will uncork this master piece again and taste a sip of "Dandelion Wine" with my next stage of life.

Bradbury, Ray. "Dandelion Wine," The Grand Master Editons, Bantam Books. New York: 1976

Celebrate St. Patrick by Reading

As today is St. Patty's day, I hope you are celebrating by enjoying a nice mug of green be(v)er(age), a plate of corn beef and cabbage, and an excellent BOOK.

As the 5th century Saint vowed to hear "the voice of the Irish," he helped bring the written word to a country steeped in Oral tradition. In turn he preserved those tales so our present society may enjoy them. Thus, to commemorate the Saint, and the Holiday, you will find we wearing green and parading the town with a book in one hand and a tale for the future building in the other.

Current Reading: "Dandelion Wine" by Ray Bradbury

The Power of Story

An author is a catalyst, the words on a page a driving force, and for avid readers, a book can ignite a spark that burns and propels one on a path never intended. Reading takes an individual on a journey, not merely through forests of the unknown but a journey that is literally stepped, one foot in front of the other, day in and day out.

The power story contains is one of unraveling knowledge previously not mastered. Upon the closure of the final cover, or hearing the last syllable spoken--if you are open to listen, to hear, and to comprehend--it is possible to have the path lit, all obstacles banished, if even for mere seconds.

My path has been lit on several occasions, be various stories, from a mere fraction of authors. I never intended for my path to be one set in the field of Humanities, but moments happened, events took place, and books were read.

The irony of literary studies is that each reader is alone on their journey as they trail a step behind their friends (the characters, settings, and plots of each story). I'd like to take a moment here to discuss a few books and authors that I can pin-point as shaping my life.

It wasn't until my 12th birthday that I was given the gift that allowed me to find the true passion of reading, to escape for hours in the power of word. My sister gave me this gift. I continue to wonder if she recognizes the significance her gift has played in my life and the shaping of ME. The book "Ender's Game" was passed from her hand to mine. The author Orson Scott Card, was the only author I would read for years to come. His story still resonates even 18 years later. The works knitted so finely together that while reading I saw everything, felt the lose of gravity as I was propelled into war games, and fantasy and machine came to life in my hand. A year after reading the novel, I was lucky enough to see the author speak at Utah State University, his physical presence was so unlike my vision of him. Yet, his novels engulf my downstairs bookshelf to this day.

Seven years after this initial jolt into reading, I found myself in college with the intention to receive a degree in Marketing. Allowing myself to be discouraged by a professors words about my writing, I hadn't placed ink to paper creatively for six months. When I entered a Young Adult Literature course and the professor assigned "Weetzie Bat" by Francesca Lia Block to read, a new fire emerged. I remember finishing the story in my small little studio and immediately having to write. Mrs. Block's creative and poignant style of taking fairy-tales and merging them to modern pop-culture was electrifying and artistic. I switched my degree path to English the following semester and began the first steps on the quest of folklore.

A year later, my Mom informed me I had to read another story (check out first blog for full story). In my wildest dreams I never imagined child wizards would direct me to travel thousands of miles across the globe, to reenact wizard chess in Switzerland, to present in London, or to achieve a second college degree, but they did. Oh how "Harry Potter" has shaped my life and J.K. Rowling, the author, knows none of this.

If I could have but one wish, it would be to see Rowling (or Card, or Block) in a cafe one day. I would turn to my server and request that they take the author a drink--on me of course--and have the server tell them thanks. All this would happen as a silently got up, had the author give me a small look, and I leave with a smile on my face and allow them to finish their next story. One can dream, right?

"Jump"--Don't ever stop, keep going!

Here in lies the questions: What is a children's book for? Is it only for children? Is it a device to teach morals and lessons? Is it a means to an end? A tool to learn the art of reading so we become competent adults. Is it pure entertainment, a way to enter fantastical worlds? Or is it a signifier of culture and a way to interpret times to come?

In truth, children's books are all of these things. But rarely in our present time do we examine children's books as anything but a tool for learning. Classes are taught on how to use the millions of books held within this large genre in the classroom. They teach teachers which lessons are contained in each work, which books contain history or morals, and which books could help a child in crisis, and the list goes on. But as of yet, I have never entered a class that taught how the words sound in a readers mind. How a reader takes that sound and melds it into their own life, or how a book becomes part of the readers philosophy and view of the world and the culture in which they are submersed.

I am searching for such a classroom. A room that recognizes the genre of children's literature as everything it is: a teacher, a friend, a guide, a movement, a sound, and a reaction. In personal experience, books within the genre of children's and young adult literature have led me on a path. It might be said that at an early age I took my first step onto the yellow brick road, but it is only in mid adulthood that I am ready and willing to take the risk of skipping down it.

This was written after I viewed the movie "Phoebe in Wonderland." A movie that one day I intend to own. For lovers of children's and young adult literature here is a small list of movies that are a must see.

Phoebe in Wonderland

Neverwas

Finding Neverland

Big Fish

Ever After

Tin Man (T.V. Series)

Where the Wild Things Are

The NeverEnding Story

The Forbidden Kingdom

Mirror Mask

Peter Pan (Disney and the 2004 Universal)

and many more!