Today in Reading 301 I had to tak

The other day I bought the kids I babysit for a new book. The youngest one Lane is obsessed with Finding Nemo and every time he sees a fish he screams "Nemo"! I decided to go to Barnes and Noble and buy them a Finding Nemo look book. It has different activities in it for the kids to find various characters hidden in the pictures. Lane picked it up and kept saying "it's mine". They had a lot of fun with it which surprised me. Even the eldest Kyle who is five really enjoyed finding Dory and Nemo. It always astonishes me how much they know at a really young age. I also read to them Brown Bear, Brown Bear and played a game with them where they would guess what animal would be on the next page. I did this with the 2 and 3 year old. They eventually took the book from me and "read" it for themselves simply from memorization. I really love how much they enjoy reading and learning.

Today we talked about George Macdonald and his really fascinating family. I was shocked that he had eleven kids most of them being girls. That must have been a really busy household. I think that because of his kids it made him a really great writer. The book the Princess and the Goblin really is a tale that I could see many kids enjoying especially during the Victorian times. I believe that to be a good children's writer you have to have a knack for kids. Because of Lewis Carroll's love for children, he was able to write the famous Alice in Wonderland.

Alice in Wonderland

So far, we have read six chapters of the book Alice in Wonderland. I have actually have enjoyed reading the novel even though Alice can be annoying at certain parts. I think I like the book because of how much I loved the movie made by Disney. The movie's animations and vivid colors really brought this book to life. Whenever I was reading the fifth chapter, I kept on hearing the voice of the caterpillar in the movie. I remember that in the movie whenever he would see "who are you" the smoke he blew would form the words. The movie always seemed very random to me just as the book is. There really is no plot or purpose so when I was a kid I tended to get confused. I could see though how a child really would enjoy this book. This is because the book is meant to be fun and silly. It is not meant to be dark and serious like the books many adults are used to reading. Reading this book takes me back to my younger years of reading books meant to be carefree and nonsensical.

Outside Reading #3

I just finished reading a book entitled He's Just Not That Into You. The author's name is Greg Behrendt and he was also a writer for Sex and the City. My best friends had been reading this book over Christmas, and they kept on going on and on about how much they loved it. I decided I had to read it to see what all of the fuss was about, and I must admit I thought it was great! Basically, this book is directed towards single women. The book has letters and emails in it written by different women. They ask Greg questions about men and he supplies the answers in a very dry humorous way. Chapter One is entitled "He's just not that into you, if he's not asking you out." This seems like common knowledge. Of course a guy is not into you if he does not ask you out. However, us women find it so easy to turn guy's signals around into what we want them to be. For example, we might just say to ourselves, "oh, he's just shy". Greg points out to his readers that plain and simply guys will always ask you on a date if they like you. This book can definitely open your eyes to a lot of things. Greg basically says that a guy is really not that complicated. We are the ones who try to make them out to be something they aren't. This book is really great, and I would definitely recommend it to all of my friends.

Title: He's Just Not That Into You
Author: Greg Behrendt
Pages: 208

Fantasy

Today in class, we discussed what we believed the word fantasy meant. Our group decided that fantasy is an escape mechanism and allows one to broaden his or her imagination. We also thought fantasy was really great because it does not have to have rules unlike historical novels that should relate in some way to real events. Fantasy has become an especially well-known genre of literature most recently. This is mostly in part due to the Harry Potter novels. I absolutely love these novels and always have. I think it is because Harry's character is so much like young people today. He does not feel like he belongs to his family and is desperately searching for his identity. He soon realizes he actually belongs in a fantasy world in which is a hero. I think this is every child's fantasy. We all have been through times where we feel like we are different and left out. These are times where we wish we belonged to a made-up world where we are celebrities. I think fantasy might have become extremely popular recently especially because of all of the tragic events such as 9/11. It allows us to forget about the real world for a couple of hours and submerge in a land full of fun and adventure.

Today I was thinking about how much children's literature affect children's lives. I just recently started babysitting a group of four young boys. They range from ages 2-5 and it has been so much fun to play and learn with them. One thing I always notice is how much they love to read and connect with literature. The other day the youngest one Lane who is two got a new book. He is obsessed with this book. Every time I would try to grab the book from him to read it, he would say "No, it's mine!" It is a song book that plays music while you read along with the lyrics. I was singing the words to him, and while I was reading it I would skim the words with my finger. He then started copying me and was using his finger to read to. I thought it was so funny to watch how he mimiced me but it showed me how easily kids pick up on things. By skimming his finger, he knows you read from the left to the right. The other boy who is five still loves the Pirate Island book I got for him. He loves to pretend like he is a pirate so this book which is about a young boy who is a pirate really clicked with him. Children's literature is something that influences kids on a daily basis. Even though Lane can not read, he still understands the concept of a book. It is weird to think of a time when children and adults had to share the same literature. It is something most people take for granted, but seeing how much the kids love their books really brightens my day!

We watch

Ever After

I was so excited about today. We got to watch one of my favorite movies which is Ever After. I have seen this movie over and over but it still never gets old. One of my favorite lines from it is when one of the servants said "the only throne I want her sitting on is the one I have to clean every day." I thought it was more interesting seeing it this time after studying all the different Cinderellas. I never realized that the very first scene had the Brothers Grim talking to the old woman. I guess I always knew they were writing about Cinderella, but I never knew exactly who they were. I love the way they portray Cinderella in this movie. In the Brothers Grim for example their Cinderella had everything handed to her. In this version, her cherished father dies when she is only eight, and she is forced to ten long years of labor. However, she still always remained headstrong and opinionated. It took a lot of courage to save Maurice from eternal servitude. We have not gotten to the end yet but that is my favorite part. The main reason is because she saves herself. In the end, she asks Henry what he is doing there and he says, "I, uh..came to... rescue you." Obviously, she could do that all by herself! Mostly however I like it because I find it to be a really romantic film in a subtle way. There should be more movies like that.

Ella Enchanted

Yesterday, I just finished reading Ella Enchanted. I had been wanting to read the book for so long because my sister always told me how much she loved it. It was her favorite book when she was younger, and she kept on calling me this week to ask me what I thought about it. At first, I had a hard time getting into the book because I had seen the movie before with Anne Hathaway. The book is nothing like the movie which I think is a good thing. Eventually, I honestly could not put the book down. I thought Ella was a really great character! I loved her spunk, and her ability to put others before herself. I could see how younger girls are really drawn to this book. When my sister was reading Ella, she was going through the awkward sixth grade stage. The character Ella is clumsy and bullied by her stepsisters. She is trying to find herself throughout the entire novel just like most young teenagers. I am sure my sister saw a lot of herself in Ella. However, even at my age I still see some of myself in Ella. I believe everyone, no matter your age, is figuring out the person they really are. I think this book is a novel many young girls will cherish for a long time.

A Walk to Remember

This weekend I read a book called A Walk to Remember. I had seen the film before and really liked the movie. The book though was even better! The main character Landon Carter is one of the more popular boys in his school. He then falls for a young girl Jamie who he never though he would end up with. In high school, she is the shy daughter of a Baptist minister. The book then takes an unexpected turn and Jamie is inflicted with cancer. In the end, Jamie does not survive her fight with luekemia. However, Landon grows so much throughout the book. His life became devoted to Jamie which before he only thought of himself. This book is really sweet and innocent. I really enjoyed reading it and want to read some more of Nicholas Sparks novels.

Today in class, we discussed the two different forms of Cinderella. In a couple of versions, she is portrayed as a strong dependent woman who can easily fend on her own. In another version, Cinderella is categorized as weak, unopinionated, and naive. The plot usually remains the same (loses her slipper, meets a prince, overcomes every obstacle, etc.) however, it is striking how different these two versions of her are. Sometimes I wonder which Cinderella I would be if I was placed in one of those situations. I would like to think I could be headstrong, determined, and brave. However, a part of me believes I might sometimes be that naive, speechless person. I think that the modern woman is a combination of these two Cinderellas. We all have our moments where we wish we would have spoken up. However, we also have experiences where we stood up for what we believed and were proud of it. These two Cinderellas are two extremes of a common woman in today's society. I know right now I am going through an experience where I do not know if I should stand up for something, or just give up. Hopefully, I will choose the right Cinderella.

Feminism

In class, we discussed how many feminists look down on children's literature because of the fact many of the main characters are seen as weak and need to be protected. I can see their point in some of the stories, however I believe these stories should not be taken that seriously. These stories are beautiful tales that have been passed on by oral tradition because they are full of fun, adventure, and romance. This is why they have been a part of our culture for so long because children love to escape in these fairy tales. I always loved the Disney Princesses, and still do to this day. Mostly I still love them because they allow me to go back to my childhood and reminisce on when I believed I could be a princess too. My favorite princess was Belle from Beauty and the Beast. My dad always tells me I was obsessed with the movie and had everything from the Beauty and the Beast beach towel to the suitcase. She remined me of myself, and I looked up to that character in many ways. I understand woman do not want their children to learn to be dependent on a man. However, these tales helped make my childhood fun and exciting. Because of that, these stories will always be cherished by me.

Snow White

In class, we have been reading the different versions of Snow White. I have to say that my favorite version of Snow White is the one collected by Brothers Grim. This is most likely because I grew up watching Snow White as a young girl, and even played the Bashful Dwarf in a ballet. I enjoyed it because of how frightening the stepmom can be in this version of the story. It's almost shocking however how naive Snow White can be. Her character is a stark contrast compared to that of the stepmother. It's interesting because in society today many woman who are strong and independent are viewed like the evil stepmother. Martha Stewart for example made an empire out of nothing but is seen as a scary rude person. However, if a man was as successful as Martha Stewart, society would see him as smart and cunning. It is amazing how society has changed in many ways since the 1800s but still remains very similar.

Pirate Island

While working at a day care on Thursday, I had bought the kids a book entitled Pirate Island. It is a children's book about a young boy who goes on a pirate adventure with his dad and dog Scout. The four boys I babysit for really loved this book when I read it to them. I knew they would because the oldest Kyle loves to pretend he is a pirate. It probably also had to do with the fact that it came wih a sword, pirate hat, and gold coin. It had really great pictures in it as well that the kids enjoyed. For this book, I decided to write an acrostic poem spelling the word pirate.

Plank is used to cross over to the deserted island.
Islands hidden with different treasures for his Dad, Scout and himself to uncover secret pleasures.
Retrieving the gold coin secretly placed for the child to pass the family's pirate test.
Adventures galore as a dad and his son explore
Teaching his son all about pirate fun
Escaping from reality with a very imaginative family.