Reading, especially reading for pleasure, assists children to not only make some sense of their own world but also to have other experiences and to even sometimes be able to view the world from someone else’s perspective. This is true of the whole range of children’s books from picture books through to young adult titles.Ĭhildren obviously need to be able to read at a basic level to function in this world but literacy should go so much further than that. This is not to say that the stories are simple but, instead of obscuring the story with lots of waffle, they cut right to the heart of what is important not only to children but to all of us – family, love, our sense of belonging and so on. When I had my first child and began reading to her I fell in love with children’s books all over again. And who wouldn’t want to live in a world with all those cakes (my vice)! However, as an adult I didn’t read much for pleasure – many adult books are too longwinded and overly descriptive for me. I, like many little girls, wanted to be Silky the fairy. Why are you so impassioned about literacy and children’s literature? As a child I enjoyed reading – my favourite book being The Magic Faraway Tree. I still love history, especially Australian and early 20th century history, but I absolutely loathe politics having become very cynical of the whole process. When I left school I trained as a registered nurse and while I enjoyed the work I felt it wasn’t really me so I enrolled in university to study history and politics. The horrors of starting at a new school is well known to me! My mum was country raised but Dad is a city boy so I also experienced both sides of the coin from my extended family. My family moved around quite a lot when I was younger – nothing flash like overseas – but around Melbourne and a stint in Tasmania. Tell us a little about you: what’s your background, your story? My background is quite varied which is a blessing because I have been able to experience many different aspects of life. Details of how you can subscribe to this must-read 'ezine' are at the website,. There are activities for Elementary as well as Virtual Author Activities for Middle School, High School, and Young Adults.We're thrilled to be joined by children's book-lover and Buzz Words magazine editor, Vicki Stanton, today. Rowling’s discussion guide to her first four books, just to name a few.
Listen to Oprah Winfrey read a picture book, let Mo Williams teach you how to draw, find Jeff Kinney’s teaching guide for Diary of a Wimpy Kid, or join in J.K. Here you will find a great list of authors, illustrators, and celebrities that are sharing read alouds, story guides, and drawing tutorials for kids of all ages. Thank you to We Are Teachers for sharing this list with us. I wanted to share this Big List of Children’s Authors Doing Online Read Alouds & Activities. A lot of children’s book authors have been reading from the books on Facebook and elsewhere, celebrities are reading books, authors are offering drawing lessons and … Read More… Book-Related Events and Deals for Kids at Home - Craft Gossip I love how many people are stepping up to help in these weird times.