Spectacular Southwest

This summer I've ended up having a couple of big trips for work that took me towards the west coast. I had to get to New Mexico by the middle of August, so I took a detour to Colorado first to visit the Rocky Mountain Mama and her family! I brought the boys some gifts. Super Sweet S is going into first grade and is apparently literally reading everything! "Titi," he says, "Do you want me to read the catalog about Halloween Costumes?"

His younger brother, Younger Brother E, is also obsessed with reading books as well. I brought a whole load of books with me as my, "Thank you for having me in your house this weekend gift." Among other books, I brought the boys a new series of comic chapter books, The Dodge Ball Chronicles! Apparently they loved them!

After visiting the southwest, Colorado and New Mexico, I decided I needed to search for my souvenirs for my nephew and Little Moon (who I would be visiting for the second part of my west coast tour after New Mexico). I found some great wildlife books. I found a board book about animals in the southwest, and a beautiful photography book of baby animals from this area. I also discovered a new series of non fiction books from Farcountry- So I had to get, The Rocky Mountain Babies.

I would be remiss if I didn't also pick up a story about the Day of the Dead after being in the Southwest. Luckily I found one by Tony Johnston and Jeanette Winters.

As I made my way from Colorado to New Mexico and then on to Seattle, I both dropped books off and picked new ones up to bring with me as souvenirs of my travels!

Hope your summer has been filled with travels and books! What books have you picked up as souvenirs to help you and the ones you love remember your adventures!









The nephew- Sending Back to Canada

Make Your Own Interactive Memory Book

This year, after visiting my nephew for three weeks, I left with him a 'memory book'. This book I have left blank spaces under each of our amazing things that we have done, for him to fill in the pictures. His drawing has improved so much over the year. He now makes representational shapes that really match the object he is drawing. He made an incredible Beluga Whale this summer that will now hang in my office. Hopefully over the days, until I see him next, he will make pictures that match the things that we did. Fortunately, I also snapped a few photos that I can bring and paste into the memory book as well. But why not make it interactive!

Hope you are enjoying your summer with the kids in your lives!

Singing in the Car

Needless to say, on our journey north, we had many hours to 'kill' in the car! No worries, because Auntie brought lots of music to pass the time away. Of course we brought our favorite, They Might Be Giants (1,2,3 and Here Comes Science).

We also brought a new favorite- Pete Seeger's CD- Stories and Songs For Little Children. My nephew "studied" PS in his school. He is one of their 'heroes'. He made a little Banjo and loves to 'strum i' and sing Skip to My Lou. So we definitely took that with us.

We also took a new cd in french, Un Tresor Dans Mon Jardin. A series of beautiful songs and poems all in French. Big Girl Jas and my nephew enjoyed this cd immensely. Even though BGJ doesn't speak French, she appreciates the sounds and languages from everywhere. She too is bilingual, English and Spanish. Since the two kids are both bilingual they had a lot of discussion about languages and translating. BGJ picked out her favorite song on the album- Comptine pour endormir un enfants.

We can't leave home with Father Goose and Dan Zane. So we brought - Catch the Train and It's a Bam Bam Diddly. There is Haitian Creole, Zulu and Spanish! BGJ enjoyed singing and translating that one - Mariposa Ole!- for everyone.

Don't forget your music in the car!

Traveling with a PreTeen: Facebook, Don't Leave Home Without It

Facebook is literacy too. So the other night, Auntie CC, her three nieces, AB and I snuggled up on the sofa. We got ready to watch a movie and eat popcorn all night! Cozy and comfy in our jamas, we all started to get settled into our evening's plan. Pre-Teenager A grabbed Auntie CC’s computer, as the rest of us were gathering up pillows to watch our film. Needless to say, in trying to orchestrate all of our needs, it took a bit of time. PTA didn’t want to waste her time- she was ready. She clicked on to Facebook in a heartbeat and narrated the rest of the evening online with 20 of her closest friends. Creating and reading status updates, IM-ing and sending emails are all part of a teenager's literacy life. Not only did PTA type the entire movie and then some, I think she was literally on FB for a four hours straight last night!

Facebook is literacy. There is a ton of literary potential inside of the social networking. Literacy is all about networking in social circles. You read and write with friends. At one point PTA asked, “What should I write about now on FB? What should we talk about?” What an opportunity not to be missed. Don't worry, I suggested a few topics for her and her friends!

Don’t be afraid of Facebook- engage with it, embrace it! Get to know it yourself so that when you talk to your pre-teens and teens you are “in” on the conversation!

Enjoy the text, enjoy the read.

Traveling With a Pre-Teen:Reading and Writing in Cafes

For AB's thirteenth birthday this year, the two of us decided to fly across the country, to Seattle, to travel, site see, and read and write together! We started working on our itinerary in the airport so that we would know what we could expect to do each day- almost like a little list of hopeful accomplishments!

Each day we included looking for a new cafe so that we could read, her from her Kindle, me from my paperbacks. We also included each day sometime for AB to work on her writing and I could work on my blog.

AB loved the idea -both of sitting in cafes and reading and writing everyday. Luckily, here in Seattle, we have spectacular views, awesome natural world, fun activities, and a zillion cafes filled with other readers and writers.

We also planned a quick trip to Elliot Bay's Bookstore in Pioneer Square in Seattle. We are already running low on materials!

Happy reading and writing to you!

Traveling with a Pre-Teen: AB and I Hit the Museum in Philly

For AB's thirteenth birthday, I decided to take her to the week's vacation to Seattle and the San Juan Islands!

On our way to the west coast AB and I had a stop over in Philadelphia. We had one day to visit the city and had to make some decisions what to do! We went to the old city in Philly, down by Constitution Center, the African American Museum of

Philadelphia and the Liberty Bell. We toured around in the morning and after lunch we decided we wanted to go to the art museum as well.

Looking at art. What a great experience. We headed first to the impressionists. I had to call up all that remembered about looking at art. Ironically enough I depended mostly on my knowledge of art that I learned in the 7th grade, rather than my few art history courses I took in college. AB and looked the the technique of the artists, we looked at the art from different angles and distances, we thought about the dates and what was happening in history at the time the pieces were made, we compared pieces that were close by together and we even tried to tell the story of what was happening in some of the art. Discussing and debating the significances of the pieces and even hypothesizing about how and why the pieces were made helped the two of us engage in enjoying the art. Working on thinking about the art together helped us both spend more time observing, but also understanding that there are messages and beauty to revere in art. We walked through the exhibit, not as passive observers but as active readers.

We headed to the contemporary art to read those paintings and sculptures next. This part of art museums always present a challenge for me! We tried to engage in the same way with more abstract pieces of art and tried to think about what was this teaching us about the world. We saw a couple of Calder’s 3D sculptures and mobiles. We took pictures of some of our favorite pieces that we wanted to remember and think more about!

Then we headed to the Picasso exhibit! We got the audio tour- always a great idea- and found the commentary both interesting and enlightening. Not just about Picasso’s art but about the historical time in Paris around the period of cubism and bout other artists creating pieces of art in the same time. It gave us a ton to talk about on our way back to the airport.

Just before we left on our birthday week extravaganza- AB and my god son and I spent the a Saturday in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. We went with a particular focus- to find sculptures and artifacts about Greek mythology! You remember how my god son is obsessed with The Lightening Thief? Currently he is onto book 3. Well, he wanted to see for himself how these gods were depicted back in history. Of course there was immense curiosity planted in the book that references the museum as well. So we toured the MET with just that focus.

Whether you are experiencing a new city, visiting a particular exhibit, or following a literary text to the museum, viewing art and interacting with kids helps all of us to see more and read more in the text. Mary

Ehrenworth, a scholar and literacy expert at Teachers College Columbia University wrote a book, Looking to Write, that describes how teachers (and frankly families) can help kids see the literary potential in art.

Enjoy the arts! Enjoy the read!

Car Literacy: What is it? How do I get it?

If you have a car, or an ipod device you too can have, "Car Literacy". Listening to the radio, stories, poems and music are all ways to build up your listening, literary life. When I was younger, we used to take long car trips from Michigan to the Atlantic Ocean each summer. Needless to say that is a long time for any family to spend together in a car. My parents though loaded up the tape cassette box, full of mostly music. This is how I became an aficionado of John Denver. It was also my way into loving and appreciating musicals like, Oklahoma, My Fair Lady, Cats, and a Chorus Line. When I went to visit my parents a couple of winters ago in Florida, I knew we would be spending loads of time in the car- traveling between here and there. Mom and checked out of the library a few books on tapes of David Sedaris. It was a a fun way to enjoy stories, each other, and bare the endless time in cars.

Why not for your daily drive or even a long road trip, stock up not only on songs and musicals, but why not a novel or two. Take James and Giant Peach, Alice in Wonderland, or Caps for Sale along with you to soccer practice, the farmers market or on your way to grandma' s house. Take them in a car, on a plane or the subway. You can get the CDs or download onto your ipods devices. Enrich your listening life and driving experience.

Enjoy the reads!

Telling and Recording Stories

When Little Boy J was just a toddler, I remember Mentor Mommy S telling him stories about when he was a little baby. She told him stories over and over again. LBJ had his favorites that he would request to hear retold again. There was the story about the time he was at Cousin M's house, or the time Grandma L came over and rubbed his back till he fell asleep. They were told with elaborate detail. LBJ could even "chime" in as his mom told the story. He could add in what was going to happen next. It was as if she was reading him a beautiful picture book- except this story had no written text. Family stories, what a wonderful way to celebrate your lives together. Tell and retell your favorite family moments! Make them into a big beautiful tale.

Well, I wanted to do the same for my nephew. I dreamed of doing the same with him. I didn't know quite when to start. So I started at birth! Telling him and singing to him, our family stories together.

I remember when my nephew told his first story. I couldn't believe it! We were at his home, reading 100 animals. He was, maybe, 16 months. We were naming all the animals he knew. When we came upon the worm, my nephew stopped and looked at me and pointed to the worm again. He said to me, "Worm! Worm!" I looked back at him and said, "Yes, that is a worm." He repeated with a serious look (like I had not understood him), "Worm! Worm!" he exclaimed to me. I wasn't sure about the fascination, so I looked at him and said again, "Yes, that is a worm."

He quickly held out his hand as if he was giving something to me, "Titi. Titi. Worm. Worm. Me. Ehhhhhh! Ehhhhh! Worm. Worm. Titi. Me. Ehhhhh! No!"

A family story was born! It was the story about the time I took my nephew to the park and we found a worm.

It was wet, because it just had rained. We were digging in the sand together and all of a sudden, I found a worm! I picked it up and called my nephew over to see it! I held it in my hand and said, "Do you want to hold the worm?" My nephew crinkled up his eyes and nose and turned his head away and said, "Ewwwwwwwwwwww". He was nervous. He didn't want to hold it. I tried to show him how gentle it was and maybe he would like to touch it. I held my hand out close to him and he turned away in shyness. I slipped the worm back into the earth and the two of us said good bye to the worm.

This became one of our favorite family stories. We retold it many times. On family vacations, I picked out moments, like being startled by the loud cruise ship just below Nana's and Papa's apartment, seeing the pelican on our walk with Nana along the river, taking the train at Bush Gardens and Titi being scared of the Rhino, or taking the trolley and getting to ring the bell. We told and retold these stories. My nephew has his own family favorites. I decided to make him a book with 10 of our favorite stories from our vacation in Florida that we retold a million times. I drew pictures, took photographs from the trip and put them into a Moleskin sketch notebook. I did this for 3 family vacations we all took together. This way he can at anytime, read our stories!

When I go up and visit him now, sometimes he wants me to tell the "Train Story" or "The First Time He Ate a Popsicle Story"and sometimes we read his "Memory Books"! Now he can join in and tell them.

' "Don't be nervous, " Nana said!'

It is truly adorable. What is even more impressive now is his storytelling capability of ones that we have never told. He can spin a story and captivate you, using dialog and feelings throughout his story! I like to think that Titi had some influence!

Tell your family and friends stories! Tell and retell them over and over again like a beautiful piece of literature! You may even decide to capture your favorite ones in writing!

Get Ready For Your Trip

Auntie ME, Uncle B, and Baby C, just got back from Paris! Once a year they travel as family to France. Auntie ME has work, and Uncle B and Baby C just play all day!


Before their trip, though, Baby C had been reading up for his third trip across the Atlantic. He had a couple of non-fiction books like, Amazing Buildings that he read with his mom and dad. He also had a couple of fiction books like, Adele and Simon. Guess where they visit? Paris! Reading each of these books, made a nice little text set for Baby C! Learning and remembering all about different places and things that he would see once again on their trip. Both types of books, fiction and non fiction, provide a rich experience. He can as well, retell and read both types of books to you!

What a nice way to get ready for travel- wherever you go- whether it be another country or city- the zoo or a museum.

Study up! Read up! Get yourselves already to explore. When you come home, you'll be able to talk and remember some beautiful family memories.

Have You Picked Up a Magazine Recently?

When I travel, I like to load up my 'carry on' with a few magazines! I also subscribe (online now) to magazines and blogs. I enjoy reading short essays, stories, and even doing a puzzle now and then. My sister and Nana are big puzzle people as well. I remember growing up with many magazines coming to the house that I loved to browse and skim and read.

My nephew is growing up to be quite the traveler. He is almost three and has been to 3 continents and 7 countries including: Poland, Oman, and England. As he travels, he brings his "penguin roll-ley backpack" that my sister has filled with his slippers, a snack, a couple books etc. I suggested getting him a couple of magazines at the airport to read and let him look through- it's lighter!

Well this year, in honor of the new year, Nana and Papa got my nephew a year's subscription to National Geographic. What a great idea! It really is a gift that keeps giving! National Geographic, like National Wildlife Federation, has a couple of different magazine subscriptions- depending on the age of the child. Imagine, you could get a subscription for the toddler, the 4th grader, and for yourselves! That sounds like a family reading together! You could do the same with Sports Illustrated For Kids. I remember that my high school English teacher always said that the best writing is in SI!

Ask and Muse are both examples of companies with multi- leveled texts. Both content rich (science and social studies) oriented! These would be a nice companion to your Smithsonian subscription. Even online websites, like Time For Kids, have content and texts that are designed for different ages of kids!

These are heavy on the genre of non-fiction informational texts. In many of them though there are poems and cartoons, and some stories that highlight the theme of the magazine. Of course there are literary magazines as well that do the same thing!

Magazines online, delivered to your home, picked up at a newsstand or an airport, make a wonderful addition to the library at home!

Bring Back a Book as a Souvenir

When I was a little girl, my grandfather's brother, Uncle Teddy, traveled the globe! Every time he came from a new country, Korea or Thailand, he always brought me back a doll from that place. Not only did I end up with this beautiful collection of dolls, but I also ended up with a beautiful memory of my Uncle. Why not do the same with books!

In the spring I went to visit my sister and nephew in Dubai and Beirut. I was trying to think of something I could bring back to my friends that captured the essence of my travels. Suddenly I found myself in a bookshop- and I realized, books about the country would be a perfect souvenir to bring back for my friends. You're Too Little is a sweet little book about a boy who wants to help his family build a dhow- a boat. After his family tells him he is too little, he decides to build his own boat. I bought it for my nephew (2 years old) as a souvenir to remember his trip on the Dhow he took in Oman. I brought it back for Baby C to share with him the place I had visited. He immediately adopted it as favorite read!

I work a lot in California. This summer I flew back to Montreal to see my nephew after I spent a week in San Diego. I can't come and visit him without a book. One of his favorite books at home is 1,2,3 New York. He loves saying, "Titi lives in New York!" He is also obsessed with counting the hot dogs and water towers. As I browsed a local bookshop in San Diego I found- 1,2,3 California. It made a perfect souvenir! Surf boards became his favorite thing to count!

When I came back from the Philippines, I wanted to bring back some books that I would give to my nephew. I wanted to show him about the new and latest place I had just visited. I brought back some fairy tales and My First Words in Tagalog!

What a nice way to remember a trip you have taken or to share with someone about a place that you traveled too. Build your collections documenting the trips and travels you take with books. It is a gift that keeps giving!