Books allow me to transcend my own experience of the world. In reading, I can assume the skin of people, places, times, and events that I’ll never otherwise inhabit. They make me feel more part of the world and more human.
How has reading shaped you? Blogger/teacher/parent Pernille Ripp why she believes children should be exposed to all kinds of books…
I get asked for a lot of book recommendations, I think it comes with the territory when you share the love of books. And while I love pairing books with potential readers, I have also noticed a pattern that causes me to pause, that should cause all of us to pause.
I get asked for a lot of books featuring male lead characters for male readers.
When I ask why the need for a male lead, I am often told that “they” just don’t think a boy will read a “girl book.” That a boy will not like a book about feelings. That a boy only wants books that have action. That have other boys in it. That feature characters that look just like them or at the very least think like them.
This tragic story, retold by blogger Kally, is all the sadder because the young woman to whom it happened blames herself for what isn’t her fault. To heal, she bravely recounts it to us so that the same thing doesn’t happen to others…
I love your column Whisper and I hope by sharing my story, perhaps some young girl out there will learn from my mistakes and maybe save herself from evil.
Does the threat of a book being banned ensure that it's among the finest books written? Check out the fantastic examples cited by the smart folks in this 29-second video (and pat yourself on the back if you smile when "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee is discussed -- *see end of this post… Continue reading Let’s Make Every Week Banned Books Week! by da-AL→
Life with dogs... The twin puppies we adopted ate and ate and ate. And pooed and pooed and pooed. Six months later, they'd grown to 50 and 50 pounds! Plus, I'd learned nothing about training them. One day... As usual, for 10 deafening minutes, they barked at the mailman across the street. Later that day,… Continue reading Part 3: What Has Your Pet Taught You? by da-AL→
