From: Sally Miller <derbymiller>
Date: Wed, 24 May 2006 10:39:23 -0400

I was telling my husband at breakfast this morning about our discussion, and he asked plaintively, "Hasn't anyone mentioned The Just So Stories" or Jack London's White Fang? And how about Freddy the Detective? So thanks, Nancy, for mentioning those.
    Gina's post reminded me of my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Patterson, who read aloud to us The Odyssey and The Adventures of Marco Polo. She read for the last half hour of each day, and if ever the class got a little out-of-hand all she had to do was ask, "You don't want a story today?" and all was immediately decorous. What a blessing for a child to have a teacher or a parent (preferably both) who reads to them daily. The Odyssey led me to tales of the Greek and Roman gods and goddesses, which led me to six years of Latin, which led to six children who became Latin students -- and so it goes. Maybe all our reading changes our lives.
    As to Julie's memory of Munro Leaf -- I loved his work. Six years ago when my husband began to mentor a boy in seventh grade, it became apparent that he needed to improve his social graces as well as his grades. Munro Leaf's "Manners Can Be Fun" was just right for him -- aren't on-line resources for second hand books wonderful?

Thanks for a thought-provoking and inspiring discussion! Now, back to the writing. Sally Derby
Received on Wed 24 May 2006 09:39:23 AM CDT