READING FEST
How to raise a reader
May 21, 2008
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Kris Rushowy
EDUCATION REPORTER
Authors honoured at the 15th annual Forest of Reading Festival of
Trees offer these tips for fostering a love of reading in your kids.
Hint? Read, read, read!
Author: Holly Bennett
Book: The Warrior’s Daughter Grades 9-12 (White Pine nomination)
Inspiration: “The Warrior’s Daughter came about because of our new pet rats. I was on a rat care website, trying to learn how to look after them, when I noticed one of the forum participants had listed her pets’ names as 'Aiofe' and 'Emer.' I asked about the names, and she said they were the names of ancient Irish queens. Intrigued, I Googled the names, and found myself immersed in these wonderful ancient Irish stories and characters I had never heard of before. It didn’t take me long to realize I had to find a book in there somewhere!”
Advice for raising a reader: “I think the best thing parents can do is to create a culture of reading for pleasure in the family. Read to your kids! Read to them even after they can read themselves, books a little harder than they can manage alone. Make it one of the nicest parts of your day. Let them see you reading too, for pleasure not business. Go to the library or bookstore together before your vacation so everyone can pick a couple of books to pack along. Help your kids discover what they like, whether that’s Archie comics or books about horses. The mechanics of reading are important, but to be a really fluent reader you need to read a lot. It’s discovering the pleasure that a good book can bring that motivates kids to read on their own.”
Author: Becky Citra
Title: Never To Be Told Gr.3-6 (Silver Birch nomination)
Inspiration: “I began writing when I was about 10 years old. I loved to read and every time I read a book that grabbed me (Hardy Boys were a definite favourite!), I tried to write a book just like it! As a teacher, I read great books to my classes and one day I thought, I should try writing one! I found out it is a lot harder than it looks but it is so rewarding.
"My inspiration for Never To Be Told: In the novel, there is an old abandoned house where the ghost Miranda mourns the death of her daughter. That house really exists! It is on the ranch where I live and is a fascinating and spooky place to explore. Just like Asia in the novel, our daughter Meghan is not allowed to go up the stairs which are rotten and could easily collapse, however I suspect that Megan has been up there many times and just not told us. It is just too tempting!”
Advice for raising a reader: “Bring books, magazines and newspapers into your house constantly and talk about them. Show your children that reading is a pleasurable important part of your life. Visit the local library and bookstores frequently and watch for special events, like author visits. Listen to book tapes on long car rides.”
Author: Charis Cotter
Book: Kids Who Rule: The Remarkable Lives of Five Child Rulers Gr.3-6 (Silver Birch, non-fiction nomination)
Inspiration: “I wanted to be a writer because I love the world of books and I want to live in that world. Writing puts me there. Kids Who Rule and my latest book, Wonder Kids: The Remarkable Lives of Nine Child Prodigies, are both part of a series I'm writing about the childhoods of famous people. The books illustrate how unusual children handle the extraordinary circumstances of their lives.
"Kids Who Rule came directly from my own fascination with royalty. When I was a child I had many fantasies about being a king or a queen. I think a lot of kids do. There is something very seductive about the idea of that kind of power. Kids imagine that a king or queen can do whatever they want to—eat what they like, boss grownups around and live in a castle—just like in a fairy tale. Of course the reality is very different. The child rulers in my book had very difficult lives and they had to struggle to live up to what was expected of them. They had much less control of their lives than the average modern child. Yet each story in the book has some element of the danger and wonder of a fairytale: a girl sleeps beside a box with her father's heart in it, a boy lives in a Forbidden City where time stands still, a girl is chased by a king who wants to kidnap her and a king is found through a series of strange omens.”
Advice for raising a reader: “My only advice to parents who want to raise kids that love reading is to read to your child as much as you can and read books you both enjoy. Some of my best childhood memories are of my dad lying beside me reading the Narnia books, one chapter a night. And some of my best times with my own daughter were settling down in her bed with a stack of picture books and reading half a dozen at a time. Reading together is warm and cuddly and fun.”
Author: Vicki Grant
Title: Pigboy
Gr.3-6 (Silver Birch, fiction nomination)
Inspiration: “My son. When he was in junior high, he didn't like to read. I spent a
lot of time searching the library for a book that would grab his interest and keep it. I knew what I was looking for: something funny, exciting and, of course, not too long. I always write with a kid like him in mind.
Advice for raising a reader: “I always used to read the first couple of chapters aloud to my kids. It's amazing the really 'hard' books they'll read if you hook them on the story and get them into the rhythm of the language first. I got my daughter started on Vanity Fair and some Dickens that way when she was 11 or 12. Now at 16, she's a huge reader—and a good influence on her younger sister. (There's another tip: Have a bunch of kids and hope that one inspires the others!)
Author: Katherine Holubitsky
Book: The Big Snapper Gr. 3-4 (Silver Birch Express)
Inspiration: “My inspiration for writing came from all the wonderful books I read while growing up. I loved reading about things I didn't know about, but also things and places I did know about, which is why I related to stories by Canadian authors. The inspiration for The Big Snapper struck me one summer when I was visiting Masset on the northern tip of the Queen Charlotte Islands. A beautiful big red snapper had just been brought off a fishing boat. It was lying on an outdoor cutting table, flopping and gasping, at the bed and breakfast where I was staying. One of the fishermen commented that it was probably more than 50 years old. It seemed such a shame to end up that way after living for so long in the ocean. “
Advice for raising a reader: “Always listen to what your children are saying, no matter how small or grown-up they are. Read or tell stories everyday. When you read to the very young, leave blank spaces and encourage your children to fill in the gaps. “
Author: Melanie Jackson
Book: Shadows on the Train, the Dinah Galloway Mystery Series Gr.3-6 (Silver Birch nomination)
Inspiration: Like Dinah, Melanie was pest-like as a kid, and got scolded for blitzing people with questions. Undeterred, Melanie found a career that encourages pests: newspaper reporting. Sleuth Dinah is Melanie's idea of a scrappy junior reporter. And, of an optimist. Look around life's corners, and you'll find adventure. As a student, Melanie was involved in theatre; enter Dinah, the red-hot (as well as red-haired) performer with the Judy Garland-like voice. Everyone has a well of life experience. Dinah is what Melanie draws from hers.
Advice for raising a reader:
* Do not shove children's lit at them. They'll grow into it. Let them read comics, cliffhangers, anything to get their minds thinking in book-ese. In learning another language, you start thinking in it; similarly, a person becoming literate starts thinking in a more a flowing, articulate way, with allusions.
* Show your kids that you read! They want to copy you (though they may not know it).
* Make libraries a regular outing, where you both come out staggering under the weight of many tomes.
Author: K.V. Johansen
Book: Torrie and the Snake-Prince Gr.3-6 (Silver Birch nomination)
Inspiration: “I've always enjoyed telling stories. For me, most story ideas arise out of a character. The Torrie books simply began with Torrie, telling stories of adventures he had with young humans long before. Because he is a character who is outside of humanity, he is able to be a wry, wise, and sympathetic observer to what's going on as the young heroes undertake their various quests, and bring some humour from this outsider's perspective. He gives me a great deal of freedom in telling the stories, because of the oral quality he brings to the narrative. He is telling the story, and so he is able to pause and explain the unfamiliar to his audience, set things in context. And he isn't limited to a narrow place and time in his world; he is immortal and a traveller, so his tales span centuries of his world's history.”
Advice for raising a reader: "Read to you child every night. Don't dumb things down for them. Remember that you can and should read books to a child that they aren't yet able to read for themselves; that's how their minds, their imaginations, their understanding of the world, and their grasp of language all grow.”
Author: Dianne Maycock
Book: Lucky's Mountain Gr. 3-4 (Silver Birch Express nomination)
Inspiration: “Since I had always wanted to write children's books, I took a writing course at Simon Fraser University. The course was taught by Ellen Schwartz, a gifted teacher and writer. Ellen offered me so much encouragement to continue writing that, when Lucky's Mountain was published, I thanked her especially in the acknowledgements section. When I discovered that we were both nominated for the same award, I was stunned but totally thrilled! I couldn't feel more honoured. My mother grew up in a small B.C. mining town called Blakeburn, B.C. Lucky's Mountain is partly based on the wonderful tales she told me of her childhood ‘up on the mountain.’”
Advice for raising a reader:
* Make books together—books about your child, books about the alphabet, books about her special interests. If your child isn't ready to write the words herself, have her dictate them to you. Then she can illustrate the pages and "read" her book to family and friends.
* Take advantage of the many free services offered by your local library—story-time sessions, summer reading clubs, questions answered by your friendly librarian.
*Help your child apply for a library card; they are generally available to children of all ages. There is nothing more exciting for a young child than to choose her own books and sign them out on her own card.
Author: Ellen Schwartz
Book: Yossi's Goal Gr.3-4 (Silver Birch Express nomination)
Inspiration: “When I was a kid, with my nose constantly in a book, I never dreamed of becoming a writer. I didn't know that you could be a writer—I thought all writers were dead or lived in ivy-covered towers where inspiration magically came to them in the form of complete books. So I became a special education teacher, started writing educational stories, then wrote regular stories, got my first book published... and kept going. With Yossi's Goal, I had two elements to start with: a poor Jewish immigrant family living in 1890s Montreal and hockey—I was dying to write about hockey. Yossi's Goal brings the two together.”
Advice for raising a reader: “When my kids were little, I read to them every night. When they got old enough to read on their own, I stopped reading aloud, thinking that they would rather read by themselves. But now I think that was a mistake. So if I have one word of advice, it's to keep reading aloud as a family. Take turns choosing books. Make family read-aloud time a pleasure and a joy.”
Author: Jeff Szpirglas
Book: Fear This Book: Your Guide to Fright, Horror and Things That Go Bump in the Night
Gr.3-6 (Silver Birch, non-fiction nomination)
Inspiration: “Writing was always just something I did, often as a means of compensating for another art or discipline. When I was a kid, writing gave me a chance to research and process information about wildlife (I wanted to be a herpetologist and wrote my own line of National Geographic-style reptile books). As I got older, writing became a surrogate for filmmaking, and specifically horror movies, as well as whatever musical genre or performer I'd be obsessed with—AC/DC, orchestral film music, Jim Steinman, jazz—you name it! So although I greatly admire other writers and their craft, it's rarely that I draw inspiration directly from writing in and of itself.
“I'd like to say that the inspiration for a project like Fear This Book came from the depths of my soul, but in truth it was the publisher's suggestion. Even the first book in the series, Gross Universe, began strictly as an attempt to fit the publisher's mandate (although it didn't hurt that the subject matter was partly about vomit). I've really had to feel my way through the children's non-fiction genre, but it can be liberating not always knowing what you're doing. Goofy jokes arose to amuse myself or my editor, which have later become a signature of the series. For instance, I'd find a way to include a blank space on a page. In Fear This Book there's a black square that represents a sample of ‘pure dark.’ It takes up a quarter of a page, which means less work for me (yeah!), but also becomes a self-reflexive joke that plays off the other material on the spread (in this case, about fears of the dark).”
Advice for raising a reader:
"It's important to recognize the variety of material children are reading that aren't traditional texts—particularly with electronic texts such as blogs, e-mail, moodles, text messaging, you name it! All of these have conventions that need to be understood to be used effectively. Other media, such as graphic novels, use both image and text to engage readers. All of these are legitimate reading materials and should be encouraged—we're living in the 21st Century, except you time travelers from the 12th Dimension (and you know who you are)!”
Author: Rebecca Upjohn
Book: Lily and the Paper Man JK to Gr. 2 (Blue Spruce nomination)
Inspiration: “The day our TV blew up when I was three or four was a determining factor in my becoming a writer. Growing up without a TV and having parents that were passionate about books and reading opened the gates to the world of imagination. It was a short step from there to making myself a hero in countless stories and then putting them on paper. My inspiration for Lily and the Paper Man was when my son Harris was four, he saw a homeless man asleep on the sidewalk. For weeks he worried about the man and wondered how we could help the homeless. I started to think about what a young child could do to help someone on the street and that led to Lily's story.”
Advice for raising reader: “Read, read and read some more to your kids, even after they are reading on their own. They will love the time you spend with them. Offer different kinds of books (there are different kinds of readers). Let them choose what they want to read. Have a routine of going to the library or favourite bookstore with them to choose books or magazines. Unplug your TV, game players, etc.”
Author: Debby Waldman
Book: A Sack Full of Feathers JK to Gr. 2(Blue Spruce nomination)
Inspiration: “For as long as I can remember, I've loved to read. I was the kid who read while walking to and from school, in class when I was supposed to be paying attention (but only to the subjects that bored me, like math, and science... and in hindsight, I don't recommend that!), and when I was supposed to be practicing my violin (I put the book on the music stand). I loved writing so much I decided very young that when I grew up, I wanted to be a writer. I actually became a journalist—I figured it was a safer way to earn a living than just writing books. I still do a lot of journalism, but I still like writing stories that require imagination. A Sack Full of Feathers is based on a Jewish folk tale. It appealed to me because I love folk tales and I was attracted to the idea of a kid who loves to tell stories but doesn't fully understand the concept of getting his facts straight, and has to have that made clear to him. I'm a bit of a gossip myself, but my journalism experience has impressed on me the need to get my facts straight before I report on other people.
Advice for raising a reader: “READ! READ! READ! Read to your kids, read to yourself, read instead of watching TV. Read while you're riding public transportation. When you go on holiday, visit bookstores instead of (or in addition to) candy and souvenir stores. Subscribe to your local newspaper and read it at breakfast. My son, who is 10, gets to the front door before anyone else in the morning and collects the paper. Then I get to the dining room and we fight over who gets the sports section. But it's better than fighting over who's got the remote control.”
Author: Kari-Lynn Winters
Book: Jeffrey and Sloth JK to Gr. 2 (Blue Spruce nomination)
Inspiration: “Becoming a published author is possible—if you practice. I get up everyday at 5 am and write until 8 am. Like anything else, good writing requires practice.”
“I often feel like Jeffrey. I stare at the blank page. A teacher once gave me a piece of advice: If you can't think of something to write about...write about having nothing to write about. And that is what I did.”
Advice for raising a reader: “Talk to your children about what the child is seeing in his/her mind's eye, then sketch these pictures together.”