National Parks Week: Using Quotes and Images

Yosemite National Park by Perry Foutch (www.sharetheexperience.org).

“Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.”

Thought maybe LA teachers be interested in sharing these quotes from the "Father of National Parks" in your classroom for National Parks Week.

For more images and quotes check out:  10 John Muir Quotes

Don't Forget To Be Awesome!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I am an educator with over 25 years of teaching experience; I currently teach English in the public school system of Virginia. In my spare time, I am an avid reader. writer, reviewer, blogger, writing/art journaler, beekeeper, grad student, and MOTHER. - See more: Here

As We Head Back To School....Remember!

Source

Reading Can Be Fun!

Happy Reading & Writing☮

The Things You Can Read!

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books & Writing!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I am an educator with over 25 years of teaching experience; I currently teach English in the public school system of Virginia. In my spare time I am an avid reader. writer, reviewer, blogger, writing/art journaler, beekeeper, grad student, and MOTHER. - See more: Here

Thought for Sunday, July 27, 2014

As I work through all the items on my list of things to accomplish in my lifetime I often have to stop and center myself with this thought.  What I find myself doing is taking the word creativity and art out and replacing them with my words.  My most recent statement looks like this: Becoming is allowing yourself to make mistakes.  Achieving is knowing which ones to keep. What would your statement look like?   

Happy Reading☮

The Things You Can Read!

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Quotable Quote for Saturday July 26, 2014

Here is another great bookish quote for Saturday, July 26, 2014.  The great Bonni Goldberg had this to say on writing, do you agree or disagree?  Let us know your thoughts here at The Things You Can Read!

Happy Reading☮

The Things You Can Read!

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Quote to Think About

As a collector of bookish quotes I can't help, but share them.  Here is yet another one that I found thanks to a post on Nerdy Book Club's blog:

“That’s what fiction is for. It’s for getting at the truth when the truth isn’t sufficient for the truth.”-Tim O’Brien

What do you think? Agree? Disagree? Share your opinion with us! Thanks Nerdy Book Club for yet another great post.

Happy Reading☮

The Things You Can Read!

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Random Thoughts: Quote to End the School Year

“We are taught you must blame your father, your sisters, your brothers, the school, the teachers - but never blame yourself. It's never your fault. But it's always your fault, because if you wanted to change you're the one who has got to change.” Katherine Hepburn

The BLAME GAME has become more and more prevealent in our society.  We hope people will recognize the truth in Ms. Hepburn's words.

What are your thoughts on Ms. Hepburn's quote?  Let us know here at The Things You Can Read!

Happy Reading and Happy Blogoversary to
The Things You Can Read

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

25 RARE PHOTOS OF FAMOUS AUTHORS

QWIKLIT.COM

Check out QWIKLIT.COM's recent post:  25 RARE PHOTOS OF FAMOUS AUTHORS  Here are two of our favorite pictures and why we liked them.

This photo captured our attention having just finished reading Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler.  I think this photo captures the Fitzgerald family as they were presented in Therese Anne Fowler's novel.

 

At any rate, let us love for a while, for a year or so, you and me. That’s a form of divine drunkenness that we can all try. There are only diamonds in the whole world, diamonds and perhaps the shabby gift of disillusion. – F. Scott Fitzgerald, from “A Diamond as Big as the Ritz”. Pictured here with Zelda and their daughter, Frances.

This photo also caught our attention becasue To Kill a Mockingbird is our favorite book.  Amongst the collection of names we'd use for our next baby is Harper Lee or Leigh in honor of the author of our favorite book.

“Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.” - Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird

Of the 25 photos which ones were your favoirtes?  Let us know here at The Things You Can Read.

Happy Reading!
The Things You Can Read

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Writing Prompts: The Writing Whisperer

We wanted to let our readership know about our other blog, which is more writing oriented.  We use The Writing Whisperer with our students.  The mission of The Writing Whisperer is as follows:

The Writing Whisperer is intended to inspire higher level thinking and discussions, which will culminate in a thoughtful written response.  The Writing Whisperer is intended primarily as source of writing prompts, which often encompass a visual piece to aid in a more contemplative response.  The Writing Whisperer is geared to be used in the classroom, however, it can also be used for writers seeking a prompt to get their "writing juices flowing". In addition, The Writing Whisperer, from time to time, will also feature writing related information and resources.  Now, start writing!

Please feel free to send suggestions for prompts via The Writing Whisperer or The Things You Can Read...of course we will properly credit you, and of course, we will provide a link back to your blog for your contribution!  For the writers and the readers in The Things You Can Read's audience please consider following The Writing Whisperer...Now, start scribbling!

Happy Scribbling!

The Writing Whisperer

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the power of the Written Word!

Things You Can Read

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Day 6 of Banned Books Week: September 30-October 6, 2012

In celebration of Banned Books Week, The Things You Can Read will be sharing quotes from authors of banned works...

“Have you ever seen bugs trapped in amber?" "Yes." Billy, in fact, had a paperweight in his office which was a blob of polished amber with three lady-bugs embedded in it. "Well, here we are, Mr. Pilgrim, trapped in the amber of this moment. There is no why.” ― Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five 

What do you think of this quote from , Kurt Vonnegut an author of banned works? Let us know your thoughts by sharing a comment!

Great lesson on Censorship at ReadWriteThink, as they too celebrate Banned Book Week.

Other Internet Resources:

• NCTE's Anti-Censorship Center
  
  NCTE offers advice, helpful documents, and other support at no cost to teachers faced with challenges to literary works, films and videos, drama productions, or teaching methods.
• Banned Books Week
  
  This site offers resources for celebrating Banned Books Week. Included are Banned Books Week news, events and materials.
• Banned Books Online
  
  The Online Books Page presents a brief look at book banning with links to online texts of books banned by legal authorities and schools.
• National Coalition Against Censorship
  
  The National Coalition Against Censorship, an alliance of fifty-two participating organizations, is dedicated to protecting free expression and access to information.

Post a comment sharing how your celebration of Banned Book Week is going.  We'd love to know.  

Happy Banned Books Week Reading!
Things You Can Read

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Day 3 of Banned Books Week: September 30-October 6, 2012

Image Credit:Banned Book Week

In celebration of Banned Books Week, The Things You Can Read will be sharing quotes 
from authors of banned works...

“Kill all my demons, and my angels might die too.” 
― Tennessee Williams author of A Streetcar Named Desire

What do you think of this quote from Tennessee Williams, an author of banned works?  Let us know your thoughts by sharing a comment!

Image Credit: A Streetcar Named Desire

Take a look at what Bill Moyer said about Banned Book Week:

Just in case you are unfamiliar with Banned Book Week here is some information from their site:

Banned Books Week is the national book community's annual celebration of the freedom to read. Hundreds of libraries and bookstores around the country draw attention to the problem of censorship by mounting displays of challenged books and hosting a variety of events. The 2012 celebration of Banned Books Week will be held from September 30 through October 6. Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. More than 11,300 books have been challenged since 1982. For more information on Banned Books Week, click here.

We shared how we plan to celebrate Banned Book Week, are you celebrating Banned Book Week?  If you are, let us know how by posting a comment!

Happy Banned Books Week Reading!
Things You Can Read

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Banned Books Week: September 30- October 6, 2012

Image Credit:Banned Book Week

In celebration of Banned Books Week, The Things You Can Read will be sharing quotes 
from authors of banned works...

“And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected. And this I must fight against: any idea, religion, or government which limits or destroys the individual. This is what I am and what I am about.” ― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

What do you think of the John Steinbeck quote?  Let us know your thoughts by sharing a comment!

Image Credit:Publishers Weekly

Just in case you are unfamiliar with Banned Book Week here is some information from their site:

Banned Books Week is the national book community's annual celebration of the freedom to read. Hundreds of libraries and bookstores around the country draw attention to the problem of censorship by mounting displays of challenged books and hosting a variety of events. The 2012 celebration of Banned Books Week will be held from September 30 through October 6. Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. More than 11,300 books have been challenged since 1982. For more information on Banned Books Week, click here.

Help celebrate this worthwhile event by reading a banned book. Below you will find a list of the most challenged books in 2011, according to the American Library Association. Their data shows that there were 326 challenges reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom in 2011, however many more go unreported. The 10 most challenged titles of 2011 were:

ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle 
Reasons: offensive language; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group

The Color of Earth (series), by Kim Dong Hwa
Reasons: nudity; sex education; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group

The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins
Reasons: anti-ethnic; anti-family; insensitivity; offensive language; occult/satanic; violence

My Mom's Having A Baby! A Kid's Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy, by Dori Hillestad Butler
Reasons: nudity; sex education; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: offensive language; racism; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit; unsuited to age group

Alice (series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Reasons: nudity; offensive language; religious viewpoint

Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
Reasons: insensitivity; nudity; racism; religious viewpoint; sexually explicit

What My Mother Doesn't Know, by Sonya Sones
Reasons: nudity; offensive language; sexually explicit

Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily Von Ziegesar
Reasons: drugs; offensive language; sexually explicit

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Reasons: offensive language; racism

We shared how we plan to celebrate Banned Book Week, are you celebrating Banned Book Week?  If you are, let us know how by posting a comment!

Happy Banned Books Week Reading!
Things You Can Read

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Turn a Quote into a Masterpiece: Create a Quote

We, here at The Things You Can Read, are gearing up for our return to the classroom, and have been scouring the Internet for resources, which we can use to add a bit of spice to our multimedia presentations and our classroom walls.  First, we have to say that we love quotes.  We collect them!  So, imagine our surprise to discover our most recent find.  Turn your most beloved quote into a stunning masterpiece using Create a Quote.  The Things You Can Read is really in love with this Internet tool, and to start the year off, we plan on having our students bring in their favorite quote, and make their own masterpieces.  Do you have a favorite quote?  Share it with us here at The Things You Can Read, and enjoy creating your own masterpieces using Create a Quote.

Happy Reading☮

The Things You Can Read!

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!