Summary – Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandmother take the bus to Market Street. CJ is not too thrilled and he asks his grandmother why they have to wait for the bus in the rain, why they don’t have a car, why they always have to go to Market Street after church, among other complains. His grandmother manages to explain things to CJ in a new way and have him see the beauty in everything. It is a very heartwarming story and a great insight on how to raise children that empathize and appreciate the everything they have.
Author: Cynthia De La Torre
Books of the Week – Dahlia and Ava the Monster Slayer
I chose Dahlia by Barbara McClintock as this week’s selection for originality in writing. This book was not at all what I originally expected. I am ashamed to say that at first glance I was expecting the book to be about a stereotypical little girl; however, I was pleasantly surprised. I almost did not check it out because I tend not to like books that show one-dimensional characters, but when I started flipping through the pages, I realized I was completely wrong.
Book Review – The Day the Crayons Quit
Summary – One day in class, Duncan receives a stack of letters from each of his 12 crayons. They each explain why they are on the verge of quitting and what types of pictures they wish they would be used to draw and color, instead of the typical choices they are often used for. It is told in a very comical way and in the end there is a compromise and happy ending.
Books of the Week – We Are in a Book! and Butterfly Park
This week I selected Mo Willems book titled, “We Are in a Book! (An Elephant and Piggie Book)“. I selected this book for originality in writing. If you have not read this yet, I highly recommend that you do. The book is told from the perspective of Elephant and Piggie. Right from the start, the reader is immersed into the story when Elephant and Piggie make the discovery that they are being watched, not by a monster, but by readers. They then giggle for a few pages at the realization that they can control what the readers say (read out loud). The characters then begin to panic when they come to the conclusion that there is an end to every book.
Book Review – The Wonderful Things You Will Be
- Summary – The book is told from the perspective of a parent as he/she imagines all the wonderful things their child will grow up to be. The narrator wonders if their child will be musical, artistic, loving, clever, or nurturing, among other things. The ultimate message is that regardless of what or who they become, they will always be loved by their parents.
Podcasts I Am Listening To (As of 8/15/16)
Here is a list of podcasts I have been listening to these past few weeks:
The Guardian’s Children’s Books Podcast – I have only listened to a few of these podcasts, but so far I have found them very inspirational and informative.
Books I Am Reading – Week 1
Making Shapely Fiction by Jerome Stern – It has a lot of useful information on different writing strategies as well as what pitfalls to avoid. It is a very easy and enjoyable read. Highly recommended for aspiring writers as well as experienced writers.
author, illustrator, Cut-Paper-artist 