The Ten Commandments -- of Reading Aloud

If you've spent much time in your library's picture book section, you've probably spent some time with the work of Mem Fox.  She has created a huge (and growing), well-varied body of work adults & kids love, including The Magic Hat (a favorite of mine), Koala Lou, Whoever You Are, Where is the Green Sheep, Ten Little Fingers & Ten Little Toes, and Tough Boris. 

"Updated and Revised?"  Looks like I may have
 to replace my 10-year-old copy of the book! ;)

In addition to being a prolific author of children's books, Fox is also a well-known literacy expert & advocate.  If you've not seen her book, Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever, check it out!  The subtitle may sound challenging to you, but Reading Magic is so clear & concise, it's actually a fun breeze to read!  If you consider yourself the "multitasking" type, you could probably digest the book while simultaneously sitting through a TV show, updating your Facebook status--and maybe even ironing (who knows)!  See if your library has a copy, & let me know what you think.  

In the meantime, have a look at Fox's "Ten Read-Aloud Commandments."  There are some quick tips in here that can get you & your family on the road to reading magic right away!

MemFox’s Ten Read-Aloud Commandments

1. Spend at least ten wildly happy minutes every single day 

    reading aloud.

2. Read at least three stories a day: it may be the same story

    three times. Children need to hear a thousand stories 

    before they can begin to learn to read.

3. Read aloud with animation. Listen to your own voice and

    don’t be dull, or flat, or boring. 

    Hang loose and be loud, have fun and laugh a lot.

4. Read with joy and enjoyment: real enjoyment for yourself

    and great joy for the listeners.

5. Read the stories that the kids love, over and over and over

    again, and always read in the same ‘tune’ for each book:

    i.e. with the same intonations on each page, each time.

6. Let children hear lots of language by talking to them

    constantly about the pictures, or anything  else connected

    to the book; or sing any old song that you can remember;

    or say nursery rhymes in a bouncy way; or be noisy 

    together doing clapping games.

7. Look for rhyme, rhythm or repetition in books for young

    children, and make sure the books are really short.

8. Play games with the things that you and the child can see

    on the page, such as letting kids finish rhymes, and 

    finding the letters that start the child’s name and yours,

    remembering that it’s never work, it’s always a fabulous

    game.

9. Never ever teach reading, or get tense around books.

10. Please read aloud every day, mums and dads, because

      you just love being with your child, not because it’s the

      right thing to do.

READ UP!  I have many more great books to share with you!

Read Up! Fall Back into the Dark

Does "Fall Back" hit you like it hits me?  The sudden, (and to me, extreme) darkness leaves me feeling in a state of seasonal jet-lag!  In honor of the event, and to ease the adjustment, I offer some book selections that offer a fun bit of bump in the night.  

I Feel a Foot!
Maranke Rinck & Martijn van der Linden
The story of the blind men and the elephant gets a new lease on life, as a turtle, a bat, an octopus, a bird & a goat fall from their hammock on a moonless night.  Each of the friends thinks they are finding someone just like themselves--and the children in the room all seem to know what it is from the very beginning!  van der Linden's unique, eye-catching art almost begs to be honored with an art project after you finish reading this.

Creak!  Said the Bed
Phyllis Root & Regan Dunnick
I think any parent will be able to relate to this tale of a dark & stormy night, and a bed that keeps getting more crowded.  Things here go to an extreme, which just makes the whole thing that much funnier.

Who's There?
Carole Lexa Schaefer & Pierr Morgan
Little BunBun, all tucked in with his teddy bear Boo, hears an awful lot of noises in the dark of the night, and his imagination takes over.  Of course, there's a perfectly good explanation at the end, and many opportunities for you & the little ones with you to talk about whether the things BunBun is imagining are real.

Dark Night
Dorothée de Monfreid
Why Felix was walking through the forest in his pajamas on a dark night, I do not know--but he certainly got an eyeful!  He does a lot of running & shaking along the way, but ends the evening with a new friend and a big mug of hot chocolate.  It's a story that gives several opportunities to make animal sounds, and is thus a very fun story!  I love the art.

Dinosaurs After Dark
Jonathan Emett & Curtis Jobling
Of course, with dinosaurs on the cover, kids are sold--it doesn't even matter what's inside--but the good news is, there is a lot of fun inside!  Despite a threat or two, these dinos just want to play, and even carry their young friend home.  Needless to say, though, the entire town is a huge mess after a night of dinosaur hide-and-seek.




Check these books out!  Have fun with them, & let me know what you think   Do you have any favorite stories of gentle nighttime fun & adventure?  Let me know!

READ UP!  I have many more great books to share with you!

Real-life explorations on a shoestring

I heard an amazing story tonight-- a TRUE one.

I was approached by a library patron who told me he took his family of four to The Exploratorium--a wonderful hands-on family experience in San Francisco--and thanks to printing out FREE tickets through the library website, they saved about $90 in admission costs!  

Did you know your library card can save you a ton of money?

Not only can you save a lot of cash from all the books you don't have to buy, and movie rental fees you can skip; your library may even be able to get your family into some local attractions at no charge!

The Discover & Go program, recently instituted at libraries around the Greater Bay Area, allows you to use your library card to print up free or discounted tickets from home to attractions including aquariums, museums, and botanical gardens.  There's a little something for everyone, and  the savings are substantial! Those of us living in the Bay Area have more opportunities for family education & entertainment than we could ever tally, but taking advantage of everything within reach to us physically can sometimes be out of reach financially.  Now, if you can get to the attraction, you can get in--thanks to your local library!  

Here is the current list of Discover & Go attractions on the Livermore Public Library website; this serves just as an example, as opportunities can change, and I did notice variations in what was available at other Bay Area libraries:

Aquarium of the Bay

Bay Area Discovery Museum

Bedford Gallery

California Historical Society

Cartoon Art Museum

Charles M. Schulz Museum

The Contemporary Jewish Museum

CuriOdyssey

Exploratorium

GLBT History Museum

The Lawrence Hall of Science

Lindsay Wildlife Museum

The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life

The Marine Mammal Center

Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment

Museum of Craft and Folk Art

Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD)

Napa Valley Museum

Oakland Aviation Museum

Oakland Museum of California

Pacific Pinball Museum

Peralta Hacienda Historical Park

Saint Mary's College Museum of Art

Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History

Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum

The Tech Museum of Innovation

UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive

UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley

USS Hornet Museum

Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

Now, if you do not live in the San Francisco Bay Area, or if your library does NOT yet offer this program, they might still have something similar for you; many libraries have long offered museum passes patrons can "check out" to get into various attractions at no charge.  Visit or call up your library's reference desk & just ask!  If they don't have anything yet, tell them you'd like to have it--and tell your friends to tell them, too!

Speaking of telling your friends: spread the word.  I know you have some friends who not only don't know about these opportunities; they don't event have a library card!  And some of these folks don't even know where the local library is.  Be a good friend, and let them know.  Set a date, and go together, even!  Clearly, membership has its privileges.

Upcoming Events

Storytimes at the Livermore Public Library are in brown; storytelling events are in red.  Keep checking in for updates!

On stage--and on-screen-- prior to performance at San Luis Obispo Children's Museum, October 2012

Monday, November 5

Livermore Public Library, Civic Center

7pm Pajamatime Family Storytime

Tuesday, November 6

Livermore Public Library, Civic Center

Filling in for storytimes:

10:30am Baby/Toddler
11am Preschool

Friday, November 9

Livermore Public Library, Rincon
Bilingual Storytimes:
10:30am Baby/Toddler
11am Preschool

Friday, November 16

Livermore Public Library, Rincon
Bilingual Storytimes:
10:30am Baby/Toddler
11am Preschool

Saturday, November 17
Sunday, November 18
CHILDREN'S FAIRYLAND
Lake Merritt, Oakland
Storytelling at 1:30 and 2:30 each day
(weather dependent)

 Monday, November 19

Livermore Public Library, Civic Center

7pm Pajamatime Family Storytime


Friday, November 23

Livermore Public Library, Rincon
Bilingual Storytimes:
10:30am Baby/Toddler
11am Preschool

Monday, November 26

Livermore Public Library, Civic Center

7pm Pajamatime Family Storytime

Friday, November 30

Livermore Public Library, Rincon

Bilingual Storytimes:

10:30am Baby/Toddler

11am Preschool

Saturday, December 1

Sunday, December 2

CHILDREN'S FAIRYLAND

Lake Merritt, Oakland

Storytelling at 1:30 and 2:30 each day

(weather dependent)

Monday, December 3

Livermore Public Library, Civic Center

7pm Pajamatime Family Storytime


Friday, December 7
Livermore Public Library, Rincon
Bilingual Storytimes:
10:30am Baby/Toddler
11am Preschool

Menlo Park Library event December 7

Friday, December 7

MENLO PARK LIBRARY

800 Alma Street, Menlo Park

6:30pm Reading Ezra Jack Keats's The Snowy Day for special story/art family event.

Monday, December 10

Livermore Public Library, Civic Center

7pm Pajamatime Family Storytime

**Final Pajamatime Family Storytime of 2012** 

Friday, December 14

Livermore Public Library, Rincon

Bilingual Storytimes:

10:30am Baby/Toddler

11am Preschool

**Final Livermore Storytimes of 2012**

Saturday, December 15

CHILDREN'S FAIRYLAND

Lake Merritt, Oakland

Storytelling at 5:30pm, part of the park's "Winter Wonderland" event.

(weather dependent)

2013

Saturday, January 12

Sunnyvale Library

Storytelling at 3pm

January 18-20

Attending Santa Clara County Reading Council's Asilomar Reading Conference

Saturday, April 27

Sunnyvale Library

2pm: Annual Sunnyvale Library Storytelling Festival

Other recent or upcoming events include storytelling & education for Tibco Software, Congregation Beth Israel, Ballard School in Solvang, Dorris-Eaton Preschool, & The Orinda Preschool.  Private events (for schools, etc.) do not show up in listings above.  For regular updates, connect with me on Facebook!

Storyteller John Weaver

.

Going Coastal

I just got back from a week of storytelling up & down California's Central Coast, & boy, are my tonsils tired!

I had a wonderful time spreading some fun & mild chills during several late October events in San Luis Obispo & Santa Barbara Counties; here's a little rundown:

Day 1: Morro Bay & San Luis Obispo Libraries

The Morro Bay Library, as seen from its parking-lot side entrance

A fun start to my trip, as I walked into the program room at the Morro Bay Library, or as I'd known the room from my previous trips during visits to SLO county, the BOOK SALE ROOM!  I've gotten some really good deals in this space before!  And I got a good deal on this day, with a friendly welcome and a small but very appreciative group of story lovers.  A brother & sister there with their mother informed me that the three of them come in every Tuesday afternoon--what a great family tradition!  In what become a regular part of my story tour, there were a few adults who had wandered in by themselves to take it all in.  Nice people, lots of smiles--a rewarding first stop!

Right after I was done in Morro Bay, I headed down Highway One to the San Luis Obispo Library.  You've got to see the furniture in this Children's Room!  To be honest, I didn't even notice it until after the event, when a patron pointed it out to me--but it's great!  The couches & benches look like over-sized books--and very comfortable ones, at that.  We had a nice-sized group of families and story-loving adults squeezed into a large, cozy corner of the Children's Room, and happy faces all around.

The SLO Library, and its bookishly-cool furniture.

I pleased to see on the SLO County Library's Facebook page that evening that apparently both events had been well-received:
"Wow! John Weaver shared some amazing stories at the SLO and Morro Bay Libraries last night...This Bay area storyteller is funny, spooky, and not to be missed. I think the adults liked this almost as much as the kids!"

Day 2: Solvang-Cayucos-Santa Maria
I put a lot of miles on my car AND my vocal chords this day, as I drove down and up and back down & back up between SLO & Santa Barbara Counties for a trio of events!  First stop was Ballard Elementary in Solvang--a former one-room schoolhouse that is still small enough to have one class for each grade level K-6.  It's a group of just over 100 kids who know each other very well, and work extremely well as a group!  We got them all into their multi-purpose room for a storytelling event to coincide with the school's "Character Counts" week--and this is a community of young people who share a lot of wonderful characteristics! 

Leaving Solvang behind, I drove back up north to the small beach town of Cayucos.  I've spent months down here over the course of my life; my grandparents lived here when I was young, and I love the place enough that I still pay frequent visits as a grown-up.  Over the years, I've seen the library move from a small room at the pier, to a former television shop on the city's main thoroughfare, to its new location on the site of the town's elementary school.  I was very happy to pay my first PROFESSIONAL visit to the Cayucos Library!

The Cayucos Library.

My last stop of the day was an evening event back down 101 a good ways, at the Santa Maria Library.  It was a party meant only for kids aged 7+ and their grown-ups--although several younger kids got stowed in!  The event was billed as "scary stories," but of course, EVERYONE knows that kids this age are scared of absolutely nothing!  Their parents, though, looked at times as if they had the goosebumps.  The young folks seemed to like the humor peppered throughout all of this supernatural creepiness, though--and several came up with their folks for photo-ops after the event--which made ME nervous!

The Santa Maria Library.  Yes, that IS a tree in the Children's Room!

By the way, you've got to check out the Santa Maria Library (I mean, if you ever find yourself within, say, 5 hours or so of the building): there's a cafe that has a large menu, is open 12 hours a day (more than the library itself), and even has an outdoor pickup window, so that you can grab a quick (or not-so-quick) snack outside while you wait to pick up some new books!  There's also a LARGE library shop, offering not just used books, but new books, stationary, gifts, supplies for the student or researcher... and other stuff, too!

Day 3: Atascadero Libary

The Atascadero Library.

I was so glad to be early for my storytelling event at the Atascadero Libary, because this turned out to be, at least on this day, one of those rare (to me) places where many of the attendees actually show up early!  The parents & children alike were raring to go!  What's more, when I asked for a show of hands of who had seen a storyteller before, most arms in the room went up.  It was a story-loving audience, so we were ALL appreciative!

Day 4: SLO Children's Museum & the Arroyo Grande Library

Several views around the San Luis Obispo Children's Museum.

My son & I spent many fun hours playing together at the San Luis Obispo Children's Museum when he was young--until the building was torn down.  Actually, they built a beautiful, brand-new facility on the same site, and this visit marked not only my first time being at the SLO institution in my professional capacity, but also my first opportunity to be inside the new building.  It's a wonderful, open construction, with indoor & outdoor spaces, and such an admirable variety of real-life and fantasy play opportunities.  I enjoyed sharing some fun, interactive stories & songs with the families there that morning.  After my program, one family approached me to let me know they'd seen me perform at Children's Fairyland, a frequent home stage of mine back up here in the SF Bay Area!  I loved that!  

The Arroyo Grande Library, with more of that wonderful book-themed furniture!

In the afternoon, I popped just a few short minutes up north to the Arroyo Grande Library.  Rebecca, the Youth Librarian, wanted to make sure everyone knew I'd be there: there were Storyteller John Weaver signs & flyers absolutely everywhere!  I performed right in the very middle of the library, so I had a captive audience (poor, unfortunate library patrons)!  As always, it's wonderful to see adult story listeners really seeming to enjoy what I do.  One of them asked me if I am an actor, and several families lined up to ask the librarian for books I had recommended--a very rewarding outcome!

Day 5: Paso Robles Library & Study Center
For the final day of my Central Coast storytelling tour, I got to visit two library facilities in Paso Robles: the main library, and its study center.  I told my spooky stories that afternoon to the school kids at the Study Center; this facility is a wonderful opportunity made available near a local school campus, for the city's children to spend time after school & get help on their homework, or just hang out together & relax.  I scared this group a little, made them laugh a lot--and then I moved on to the main library!

The Paso Robles City Library on the top, the Study Center below.

For my evening library event--my very final stop of this tour--I shared funny stories (with startling elements) for all ages.  I was very pleased to see a family who had been at my afternoon session come in for more of my "punishment!"  Another parent in the room reacted when it was announced I was from Fremont; so was she!  Lots of mobile folks.

My first professional visit to this very familiar area for me--and a favorite area of mine--was so much fun, I look forward to the opportunity to do it again.  And it does look as though I WILL be doing it again!  So if you know of any places in the area you think should host an appearance--whether schools, libraries, museums, zoos or whatever--please let them know about me, let me know about them, and when it happens, let your friends know there is something slightly ridiculous happening on the Central Coast!

From the Bay News, an article promoting October's storytelling events.

A culture of distraction

Spending a lot of time in, with, and in front of family audiences, I have noticed the emergence over the years of a new family member--one who gets more attention not just than the event at hand, but gets more attention than the children.  I am talking about the cell phone.  Whereas I used to observe children and parents having experiences together, with the adults supporting various activities by watching along, pointing out things, and creating a shared experience with the child, now it seems more & more that adults are entertaining themselves on their electronic devices, leaving the kids "virtually unattended."

Observing these instances regularly, of course I was interested in the interview presented yesterday (Thursday, October 18, 2012) on NPR's "Fresh Air."  Terry Gross interviewed Sherry Turkle, described as "a clinical psychologist and the founder of MIT's Initiative on Technology and Self. Her research investigates how devices are changing the way parents relate to their children, how friends interact, and why many people — both young and old — keep their devices in-hand all the time — even as they sleep."  Turkle's latest book, just out in paperback, is entitled, Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other.

From the beginning of the interview, where Sherry Turkle talks about how electronic devices are shoehorning their way into what used to be family time:

"...my field work has shown... that... from the minute children met this technology, it was the competition...on playgrounds... parents are texting and on cell phones as their kids play on the jungle gyms & the swings, and parents text during breakfast & dinner as their children beg them for attention, parents text at games when the kids are on the playing field, often missing the big score, parents are on the phone in cars, & the kids are left to text in the back seat...instead of having those precious moments...  to talk to your kids on the way to school..."

Have you had similar observations?  If you are concerned, what do you think can be done--and if you are not concerned--why not?

Read Up! Here: Kitty, Kitty, Kitty (etc.)

If you've got a cat lover in your home--but no cat, due to problems with allergies, odors, responsibility or what have you--have I got just the pair of books for you!

Despite the conflicting titles, Viviane Schwarz's There Are Cats in This Book and There Are No Cats in This Book are both loaded with friendly, playful kitties with which the reader can actually interact.  You can throw them their ball of yarn, play hide-and-seek, and even have a pillow fight or help them pack for vacation.  These are no ordinary cats.

Although the books might seem to be meant for interacting directly with a single reader or listener who is sitting right there, able to touch the pages & play one-on-one with the cats, both titles still do work very well in a storytime setting, with the adult reader getting "coached" by the children present to act as their surrogate.  

Once you've met the cats & played with them, you may want to extend the feline fun beyond the pages of the books.  For the crafty type, there are patterns for knit versions of the cats.  For the rest of us, though, you could just print out these scissors-ready kitties that are ready to stick anywhere & everywhere!

Don't hesitate to pick up the cats from There Are Cats in This Book and There Are No Cats in This Book.  You'll have a lot of fun, and I promise you: you will not have to use a lint brush after you put them back down.  Check them out!

 

 READ UP!  I have many more great books to share with you. 

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Read Up! Three to get you talking.

One of the joys of reading books with children is that many of the stories can fuel great discussion. You know, kind of like a Book Club--but one where everyone has actually read the book.  These three recent finds can really get the conversation flowing!

Happy by Mies Van Hout

Happy is a VERY simple book: each two-page spread has a single word relating to emotion on one page, and a drawing of a fish on the other. The colorful free-style sketches really pop against the black backgrounds.  The feelings we encounter include "Curious," "Nervous," "Astonished," and 17 more.  It’s a great vocabulary boost, a lot of fun to copy the faces, and a nice exercise to talk about one’s own feelings.  Happy is a book that works on several levels for different age groups, and I think is good for re-reading over time. 

Percy Listens Up and Percy Gets Upset by Stuart J. Murphy

Have you met Percy?  I just met him recently (he is new on the scene), and I am loving him—as are  preschoolers and caregivers alike in my storytime audiences.  As written & illustrated by Stuart J. Murphy, Percy is a child (well, a child who happens to look like a giraffe) who gets into real-life situations anyone can recognize; for instance, sometimes he gets mad, and sometimes he doesn’t listen.  In Percy Listens Up, the little guy discovers that he misses out on things when he does not pay attention.  In Percy Gets Upset (or as I discovered the book & shared it with my bilingual groups, Percy Se Enoja), our friend has several cranky outbursts throughout a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day (sorry, I couldn't resist).  It’s fun to read each outburst aloud in a cantankerous, childlike tone, and see the recognition in peoples’ eyes.  Both of these Percy books (and there are more I've yet to explore) allow for a lot of conversation, whether in a group setting or one-on-one: have you ever been mad like that?  Do you still get mad like that?  Do grown-ups act that way sometimes?  What I really like about both books is that while they do offer those lessons, they are still very fun to read & share—a rare feat.

 

 READ UP!  I have many more great books to share with you.  Check them out!

California's Central Coast: Get in on the story!

Looking forward to sharing some slightly spooky stuff for the older kids, and also some of my favorite all-ages family stuff!  Here are the details of my week of fun in San Luis Obispo & Santa Maria Counties.

Can't wait!

Coming soon to the Central Coast!

In late October, I'll be spending a week sharing stories in San Luis Obispo & Santa Maria Counties.  Scroll down to my latest "Upcoming Events" post for the full schedule of public events, but for now, here's the flyer for the storytelling I'll be doing for the San Luis Obispo County Libraries!