> The Things You Can Read: November 2012

The Things You Can Read welcomes you and thanks you for your readership. We, here at The Things You Can Read, ask your help, if you visit our site regularly, please follow us either via email or Google Friend Connect.  Launched on June 7, 2012, our site has already attracted a great deal of attention.  One of the goals of the site is to feature reviews of Children's Picture Books, Young Adult novels and Adult Literary Fiction/Nonfiction.  A second goal for the blog is to be a resource for teachers of English and writing--with examples of student created writing, writing tips, resource links, and the opportunity to pick the brain of a seasoned English teacher.  To spice things up...every now and then, we'll also include random quotes and thoughts on education and life in general, but our ultimate goal is to reach out into the blogosphere and be a "Book Whisperer" and "Writing Whisperer" to children and adults of all ages.   Thank you for your readership.  Here is to a lifetime filled with reading and writing.

Friday, November 30, 2012

Holiday Season in Full Swing: Book Lover Gift Giving Tip # Four

[1aaaalchristmgirl007.jpg]

Happy Holidays!  Well, today's tip for from our series on Book Lovers Gift Giving is for the true blue Hobbit fan!  Drum roll please...your very own Hobbit Hole.  Yes, if you really want to make a Tolkian Fan's Christmas, purchase them their very own Hobbit Hole!  Think of all the reading you could get done inside a replica of Bilbo Baggin's home. 
Unique Hobbit Hole Chicken Coop: 20 square feet, removable linoleum floor insert for easy cleaning

 Check it out on Etsy!  Don't forget to tell us the name of your favorite Tolkian novel!  We are partial to The Hobbit.

Happy Reading and Gift Buying!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Take Your Child to a Bookstore: December 1, 2012




For a third consecutive year, December 1 is Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day!  According to takeyourchildtoabookstore.org roughly 400 stores took part in this event last year, and this year they expect the number to be even higher!  Many participating bookstores are offering treats, giveaways, and gift certificates, so get in on the experience, and take your child to your favorite bookstore.

For further information on this event, which includes an interactive map of participating stores, head on over to takeyourchildtoabookstore.org.  Let us know, here at The Things You Can Read, the name and location of your favorite bookstore, just in case we are in the neighborhood.  Happy Visiting!

Happy Reading!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Holiday Season in Full Swing: Book Lover Gift Giving Tip # Three


As we all look for unique ways to share our love of books this holiday season we, here at The Things You Can Read, have been scouring the Internet to locate unusual gifts for book lovers to give children and adults of all ages.and then we remembered about our great find back in October during Banned Book Week.  Take a peek at theses great looking pieces:

Banned Book Jewelry: Bracelet, Necklace, and Pin
Features covers of books that have been banned in libraries. Titles include: Huckleberry Finn, To Kill A Mockingbird, Color Purple, Howl, Alice in Wonderland, Go Ask Alice, Annie on My Mind.






Checkout Amazon for each of these items!  Hey, dont forget to let us know the title of your favorite banned book!


Happy Reading and Gift Buying!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Dickens in December

*The Graphics Fairy LLC*: Vintage Christmas Clip Art - Victorian Santa with Tree

Dickens in December

During the month of December join the folks celebrating Dickens in December.  Beauty is a Slepping Cat and Postcards from Asia are hosting the event.  The event includes book and movie reviews, a read-along, and two give-aways.  You can pick your Dickens novel or you can join the read-along.  You decide.  Checkout the hosting blogs and consider reading Dickens in December.  Let us know, here at The Things You Can Read, the title of your favorite Dickens Novel.  Ours is Great Expectations


Happy Reading!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Monday, November 26, 2012

Holiday Season in Full Swing: Book Lover Gift Giving Tip # Two

Vintage Christmas Image - Angel


As we all look for unique ways to share our love of books this holiday season we, here at The Things You Can Read, have been scouring the Internet to locate unusual gifts for book lovers to give children and adults of all ages. Our decision to do this is rather fortuitous, since we want our gifts to our children to be both educational and fun!   

Now, today's tip is a dossy.  Take a peek at these wonderful pictures from Spineless Classics.  Now wait.  Did you notice something?  These pictures contain the entire text of the novel!  Really!  They do.  Here is how the Spineless Classics describes them:
Imagine a whole book on a single sheet. A bold art print on which, up close, you can read the full and complete text of your favourite classic work, right from "It was the best of times" to "a far, far greater thing". Take the words of a classic book and hang them on your wall!
 Pride___Prejudice_artwork

Yes, these lovely posters can decorate the bedroom of both young and old alike.   Checkout the Spineless Classics website.  Don't forget to let us know what you think of your favorite book on a single page!  Which one would you purchase first?  We love so many of them, but our very favorite classics are missing...so make sure you sign-up for their newsletter, if you don't see your favorite amongst the offerings.  Maybe our most favorite classics will be added in the very near future.

We would be remiss, if we did not thank Blogs of a Blogaholic for sharing this find!  Please checkout this wonderful blog, as well as  Spineless Classics.

Happy Reading and Gift Buying!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Holiday Season in Full Swing: Book Lover Gift Giving Tip # One


As we all look for unique ways to share our love of books this holiday season we, here at The Things You Can Read, plan on sharing unusual gifts for book lovers to give children and adults of all ages. What made us think of this?  Well, we took notice of a, new to us, book, which we ran across as we perused possible book choices to give our preschool aged children for Christmas.   Take a peek at these three wonderful picture "pop-up" books, perfect for holiday gift giving, for young and old alike.  Yes, there are adults out there that collect pop-up books and if you are one of them,  Louise Rowe's paper cut outs are amazing.  Checkout the illustrator's, website.  Don't forget to let us know what you think of Brother's Grimm going pop-up!

Hansel and Gretel: A Pop-Up Book (Fairytale Pop-ups)



Sleeping Beauty: A Pop-Up Book (Fairytale Pop-ups)



Red Riding Hood: A Pop-Up Book (Fairytale Pop-ups)




Happy Reading and Gift Buying!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!



Saturday, November 17, 2012

Macmillan's 12 Days of Christmas in November!


Hey, Macmillan is offering 12 Days of Christmas, but not in December.  This spectacular giveaway started on November 12 and ends on November 29, 2012.  What's that you say?  Well, for twelve days during the month of November Macmillan is offering wonderful giveaways of children's books.  Unfortunately, we are a little late in participating, so there are only seven days of giveaways left, but take advantage of the remaining offers.  Take a peek.  It's not too late to enter!    

12 Days of Holiday Giveaways!
Macmillan Children's has a book for everyone on your list!



Happy Reading!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Hygiene and Classics?

Moby Dick sign.jpeg
Herman Melville
Who would'a thought that reading the first paragraph of  Moby Dick by Herman Melville would increase handwashing!  Well, the collaboration between Herman Melville and Allegheny County Helalth Department in Pennsylvania has proven that if you start washing your hands and reading the excerpt from Moby Dick at the same time, you should be nice and clean by the time you finish reading!  Why was this implimented?  Well, according to the Literary Classics Handwashing Awareness Campaign, here is the rationale behind the campaign:
A campaign to promote handwashing dubbed the Literary Classics: A New Kind of Reading Material for Public Restroomswon the Health Department the prestigious J. Howard Beard Award from the National Association of County and City Health Officials way back in 1999.

A major outbreak of shigellosis — an intestinal illness often associated with poor handwashing practices — prompted ACHD and a local ad agency to develop a series of restroom posters that were based on the works of famous authors like Charles Dickens and Herman Melville and promoted handwashing in an amusing way.  Shigellosis cases dropped dramatically and surveys found handwashing rates to be much higher in restrooms where the posters were displayed.
If you want to impliment this idea at home, here are a few more posters that have worked in the past...
Charles Dickens
Jane Austen
L. Frank Baum

For more posters check out the Literary Classics Handwashing Awareness Campaign!

Happy Reading and Washing!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Books as ART?

Antiquarian Book Collage by Alexander Korzer-Robinson

We admit that we, here at The Things You Can Read, are visual folks, which is probably why we are so impressed with the work of Alexander Korzer-Robinson.  Over at Flavorwire you can view ten of Alexander Korzer-Robinson's scultptural antiquaian book collages.  The artist is attracted to the medium because of the randomness of the elements.  However, it doesn't look so random to us.  We, don't know about you, but cutting up an old book seems like a scary prospect, but after viewing what Korzer-Robinson is able to create you might think differently.  Enjoy these gorgoues one-of-a-kind creations over at Flavorwireor take a peek at the artist's website.  Let us, Here at The Things You Can Read, know what you think of the collages!

Antiquarian Book Collage by Alexander Korzer-Robinson

Happy Reading!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Saturday, November 10, 2012

How to Make a Child a Reader

Brain Pickings | Literature - Part 4

Agree or disagree, but here is what James Patterson, the author of the YA Maximum Ride Series, has to say about How to Make Your Child a Fanatic Reader,
"Sorry, moms and dads, but it's your job -- not the schools' -- to find books to get your kids reading and to make sure they read them." 
This is a subject that is near and dear to our hearts, here at The Things You Can Read.  As a teacher and parent, we want all "our children" to be readers.  Over at Nerdy Book Club there is an excellent post by Julie Falatko, who is a mother, blogger, and reviewer of children's books, on this very subject.  Take a peek.    What are your thoughts on this subject?  Let us know!  We will close with another quote from James Patterson, the prolific author, who has this additional comment on the subject:

"Here's a simple but powerful truth that many parents and schools don't act on: The more kids read, the better readers they become."

Make time to read to or with your child this weekend!


Where to find books your kids will gobble up?

ReadKiddoRead.com
DropEverythingandRead.com-has a "Favorite D.E.A.R. Books" tab on its home page.
Also, don't forget your local libraries and bookstores

Final Tip:  According to Patterson, "Kids and parents should visit Scholastic and other book fairs. Free or low-cost books for schools are available (while supplies last) at ReadKiddoRead.com, FirstBook.org, and ReadertoReader.org."

Happy Reading!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!



Thursday, November 8, 2012

November is Picture Book Month! Come Celebrate

Butterfly
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a children's picture book designed, illustrated and written Eric Carle, first published by the World Publishing Company in 1969, later published by Penguin Putnam.
Did you know that November is Picture Book Month?  Well, it is, and boy, has Candlewick Press embraced this idea.  Over at Candlewick Press they have initiated a yearlong campaign entitled We Believe in Picture Books.  Their website for this is Reading Starts Here.  For 365 days the site will celebrate a picture book a day.  On Saturday, November 10 at 1:00 PM they will also be featuring, "...a book symposium featuring three illustrators who have worked successfully both on screen and in books."  Check it out.  

As if this wasn't enough, in Candlewick's recent newsletter they mention another site entitled Picture Book Month Celebration, which has a wonderful series of posts on Why Picture Books are Important.  Check this out, as well.  

Hey, what is your favorite picture book?  Let us know, here at The Things You Can Read.

Happy Picture Book Month!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!



Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Good Book/Bad Book

Over on our sister blog: The Writing Whisperer, we used this excerpt from the National Novel Writing Month's Young Novelist Workbook, and we wanted to share this exercise.  We thought, as readers, it might make you think about your reading in a slightly different way.  Complete the exercise and see what you discover about yourself as a reader.  Let us know how it works out for you!

Middle School Workbook

Complete the following Exercise:

Excerpt from National Novel Writing Month's Young Novelist Workbook

Out of all the books you’ve read so far in your life, there were those that were ridiculously fun to read and some that were just about as fun as visiting the dentist on your birthday. Before you start thinking about the novel you’ll be writing this November, it’s helpful to write down what, to you, makes a book “good” (interesting, exciting, and fun to read) and what makes a book “bad” (boring, totally unbelievable, painful to read, etc.).



Good Book


Let’s start by making a list of books you love. Think about all the novels you’ve read that you couldn’t put down no matter how tired you were or how much unfinished homework was piling up all around you. In the spaces below, write down the title and author of three books you love:



1. Title

    Author

2. Title

    Author

3. Title

    Author

Now, make a list of everything you can think of that made those books so amazing. What made the characters so fascinating? What made the story events somehow believable, even if they could never happen in real life? You can be as general or as detailed as you like; include anything from “adventurous characters” to “high school drama” to “witty and natural dialogue.”

Once you have finished this list, keep it with you at all times during November. Why is this list so important? Because, as you might imagine, the things you like as a reader are going to be things you are best at writing. As you write your story, refer to this list of ingredients, and consider adding them to your novel when you're stuck for ideas or directions.

Bad Book

Now, think about all those books you’ve read or started to read that put you to sleep by theend of page one. You know, the ones that you’d rather eat a mayonnaise, peanut butter, and onion sandwich than have to read again. In the spaces below, list the title and author of three books you really did not like reading.

1. Title


    Author


2. Title

    

    Author

3. Title

    Author

Now, write a list of things that, to you, made these books so awful. Were the characters or events just too far-fetched? Did you think to yourself "I could totally have done a better job than these authors"? Again, you can be as general or as detailed as you like; include anything from “cheesy endings” to “unbelievable plot twists.” 

Just like the list of things you love in a book, keep this list with you at all times during November. It might seem strange that you would have to remind yourself of the things you dislike in novels, but these items are experts in the art of ending up in your story without you even realizing it.


Happy Reading!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Friday, November 2, 2012

Resource: My Vocabulary

Vintage Image Gypsy with Violin

My Vocabulary is a new resource that we, here at The Things You Can Read, just discovered.  We plan on making use of it this school year, and we wanted to let other know all about it.  My Vocabulary describes themselves as follows:


A free site that allows students at high-elem., junior high and high school levels, teachers and life-long learners to acquire and retain vocabulary. Each free session has three levels. Each level has 3 puzzles with 12 words each (36 total words in a session) and contains seven (7) additional activities/exercises that help develop vocabulary. It is continuously updated.


Take a peek, My Vocabulary!  Let us know what you think!


Happy Reading!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!



Thursday, November 1, 2012

Resource: Best Practices in Teaching English


Institute of Education Sciences

The Institute of Education Sciences states its mission as follows:
"Our mission is to provide rigorous and relevant evidence on which to ground education practice and policy and share this information broadly. By identifying what works, what doesn't, and why, we aim to improve educational outcomes for all students, particularly those at risk of failure. We are the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education, and by law our activities must be free of partisan political influence."
We, here at The Things You Can Read, are always trying to do things better in the classroom, so we found this resource to be invaluable in our quest this school year to work on Main Idea.  Let us know if you found this resource useful!


Happy Reading!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!




NaNoWriMo: November 1-30, 2012

Come join NaNoWriMo.  Not sure what that is well read the excerpt below:

Excerpt from NaNoWriMo Site:

What is NaNoWriMo? 
National Novel Writing Month happens every November! It's a fun, seat-of-your-pants writing event where the challenge is to complete an entire novel in just 30 days. For one month, you get to lock away your inner editor, let your imagination take over, and just create!That means participants begin writing November 1 and must finish by midnight, November 30. The word-count goal for our adult program is 50,000 words, but the Young Writers Program (YWP) allows 17-and-under participants to set reasonable, yet challenging, individual word-count goals.
In 2011, 250,000 adults participated through our main site, and 50,000 young writers participated through the YWP.
Pep Talk for NaNoWriMo:  

Five Easy Steps for NaNoWriMo


If you would like to start scribbling with NaNoWriMo sign-up today, it's not too late!  The National Novel Writing Month starts November 1 and ends November 30!  Good Luck!

Start Scribbling!


Happy NaNoWriMo Month!
The Things You Can Read
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!


and


Happy National Novel Writing Month!
The Writing Whisperer
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of the Written Word!




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