Day: January 4, 2008

Scieszka National Ambassador

| Tasha

I know I’m a little late on this, but what wonderful news!  Jon Scieszka has been named the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature! 

He is the founder of the amazing Guys Read, and pledges to work to turn reluctant readers into avid readers.  His platform includes four suggestions (my comments are in italics) :

1.  Letting
kids choose what they like and want to read (Yes!  THE most important thing to get children reading.  Graphic novels, magazines, web pages, who cares, let them pick!)

2. 
Expanding our definition of “reading” to include non-fiction, humor, graphic
novels, magazines, action daventure, and web content (Exactly!  Especially important for boys who tend to not pick up novels as readily as girls do.  And let’s stop saying that some reading is “better” than others.  Better written yes, better for kids to read, let’s not put that as a reason to stop them from reading what they love!)

3.  Being
good “reading” role models for children (I read in front of my kids as often as possible!  🙂  But even better, so does my husband so our two sons see a man reading for pleasure.)

4.  Avoid demonizing TV, computer games, and new technologies. (Oh how very important this is, especially as librarians.  I have hope as the new generation of librarians is coming in that they will better embrace media and technology than my generation has. We need to understand and be a part of pop culture rather than dismissing it or being disdainful.)

Max and Pinky, Superheroes

| Tasha

NPR has a great piece on Max and Pinky author Maxwell Eaton III.  Make sure you listen to the radio piece to hear the reviewer laugh with glee at the books.  Charming to hear an adult respond so spontaneously to a children’s book.  Makes one feel so much less alone!

The second Adventures of Max and Pinky book, Superheroes, is very charming.  It continues the wonderful thick-lined and bright colored illustrations, the complex world of childhood friendship, and the obsession with marshmallows that were part of the first book.

One of my favorite spreads in the new book is where the friends are trying to decide on superhero outfits.  Pinky gets me laughing out loud with his plunger as a hat and his towering stack of marshmallows on his head.  The second book is just as wonderful as the first, so if you loved the first make sure you seek this one out!  If you haven’t read either, you really should check out this new friendship in children’s books.