Wednesday, April 25, 2012

A Vitamin For the Spirit.


Take poetry off the mantle and celebrate Poem in your pocket Day. All too often poetry is saved for occasions—happy or sad. I advocate taking poetry out of this exalted position and treat it like a vitamin for the sprit. Poetry is meant to be shared.

J.M. Barrie

Second star to the right
Was where he dwelt,
Straight on until the morn.

His childhood he kept well in sight,
It was what he truly felt
Under the breastbone. 

Boyhood, like a bit of starlight;
No matter how tight the belt,
How hard the heart stone,

How old, how deep the night.
This is how he dealt
With aging till his time was done.

Part Peter, part Pan,
Part fairy, part small man.

~Jane Yolen

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Reading for pleasure is a luxury we can all afford

April 12 is Drop Everything and Read Day.
Beverly Cleary’s birthday and D.E.A.R. are celebrated on the same day for good reason. Ramona Quimby enjoys D.E.A.R.in Cleary’s book, Ramona Quimby, Age 8. The day is meant to celebrate, remind and encourage families to make reading together a family priority on a daily basis. Reading for pleasure is a luxury we can all afford. You can D.E.A.R anywhere and anyplace. All you need is a book! Making D.E.A.R. a habit is a lifelong gift. As Charles C. Noble said. “First we make our habits, then our habits make us.” Here is a site which offers terrific book selections for children of all ages. http://dropeverythingandread.com/book.html