CCBC-Net Archives
[CCBC-Net] Old is New Again
- Contemporary messages sorted: [ by date ] [ by subject ] [ by author ]
From: Steward, Celeste <csteward>
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:18:50 -0800
Oh, I hear ya! Although...this past weekend my 8th grade daughter informed me that she just didn't want to do anything all day because she was wiped out from the week (so was mom--her chauffer extraordinaire). She watched a DVD, listened to the Ipod and IM'd the day away. At bedtime, I saw her reading a book. I have held the line with no TV in bedrooms. Consequently, both of my kids read themselves to sleep.
I just did a quick catalog search in my library to see what the circ figures look like for books such as The Dangerous Book for Boys, The Daring Book for Girls and a title that I consider "retro" fiction--The Penderwicks. While these books are checking out, I wouldn't say they are flying off the shelves. Perhaps, the larger question for these retro books is how can we (parents, teachers, librarians) get them into kids hands?
Celeste Steward, Collection Development Librarian Alameda County Library 2450 Stevenson Blvd. Fremont, CA 94538
-----Original Message----- From: ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
[mailto:ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu] On Behalf Of James Elliott Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 11:30 AM To: Jean Hildreth Cc: ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] Old is New Again
My son asks me every weekend "What do we have planned for the weekend?"
My response is usually something along the lines of: Why do we need anything planned? I'm so busy during the week with work that I just welcome the down-time of NOT having anything planned or anything to do.
His next question: do you want to go to the movies?
My response: Why do I want to sit in a dark theater for three hours on a beautiful day like today? Let's wait for the DVD, and then we can watch it while at home and then we can stop it when we want and start it up again if we are interrupted. Want to go to the park?
He is at the age, I guess, where everything has to be planned out for every minute. Fortunately, he's also in Boy Scouts so he is used to taking long walks in the woods or just hanging out by the creek at the back of the neighborhood. He and a friend like to get out their
'scooters' and just take off in the neighborhood, and I encourage it
(anything to get him away from the XBox).
Jim Elliott North Florida
----- Original Message ----- From: Jean Hildreth <jhildreth at luxcasco.k12.wi.us> To: ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Sent: Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:51:52 -0500 (EST) Subject: [CCBC-Net] Old is New Again
A thought regarding these "old chestnuts" and the newer book versions of childhood activities from a more innocent time: Yes, they present a world of less structured, more child-created activities than many children are experiencing today. But equally important is the fact that they 1.) allow for unstructured time in the lives of our children, and 2.) nurture the natural imagination and creativity which allow a child to use that time to grow in an entirely different way, one seemingly incomprehensible to the average adult. (We used to call it having time
"to watch the grass grow.") And the difference between the super-structured, lesson-oriented, plugged-in, turned-on, always "busy" kids and those with the "old chestnut" books and do-it-yourself creative ideas is often the difference between the kid who is "bored" when faced with free time and the kid who is delighted and entranced with some time and space to create his/her own diversions and learning.
I say, "Bravo!" to books like "The Dangerous Book for Boys" and "The Daring Book for Girls." What might also be needed is some caring and wise adult who will take the time to read aloud even a chapter or so to a curious kid. Just to open the door...
~Jean Hildreth Luxemburg-Casco Middle School
_______________________________________________ CCBC-Net mailing list CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe... http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
_______________________________________________ CCBC-Net mailing list CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe... http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
Received on Tue 26 Feb 2008 02:18:50 PM CST
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:18:50 -0800
Oh, I hear ya! Although...this past weekend my 8th grade daughter informed me that she just didn't want to do anything all day because she was wiped out from the week (so was mom--her chauffer extraordinaire). She watched a DVD, listened to the Ipod and IM'd the day away. At bedtime, I saw her reading a book. I have held the line with no TV in bedrooms. Consequently, both of my kids read themselves to sleep.
I just did a quick catalog search in my library to see what the circ figures look like for books such as The Dangerous Book for Boys, The Daring Book for Girls and a title that I consider "retro" fiction--The Penderwicks. While these books are checking out, I wouldn't say they are flying off the shelves. Perhaps, the larger question for these retro books is how can we (parents, teachers, librarians) get them into kids hands?
Celeste Steward, Collection Development Librarian Alameda County Library 2450 Stevenson Blvd. Fremont, CA 94538
-----Original Message----- From: ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
[mailto:ccbc-net-bounces at ccbc.education.wisc.edu] On Behalf Of James Elliott Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 11:30 AM To: Jean Hildreth Cc: ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] Old is New Again
My son asks me every weekend "What do we have planned for the weekend?"
My response is usually something along the lines of: Why do we need anything planned? I'm so busy during the week with work that I just welcome the down-time of NOT having anything planned or anything to do.
His next question: do you want to go to the movies?
My response: Why do I want to sit in a dark theater for three hours on a beautiful day like today? Let's wait for the DVD, and then we can watch it while at home and then we can stop it when we want and start it up again if we are interrupted. Want to go to the park?
He is at the age, I guess, where everything has to be planned out for every minute. Fortunately, he's also in Boy Scouts so he is used to taking long walks in the woods or just hanging out by the creek at the back of the neighborhood. He and a friend like to get out their
'scooters' and just take off in the neighborhood, and I encourage it
(anything to get him away from the XBox).
Jim Elliott North Florida
----- Original Message ----- From: Jean Hildreth <jhildreth at luxcasco.k12.wi.us> To: ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Sent: Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:51:52 -0500 (EST) Subject: [CCBC-Net] Old is New Again
A thought regarding these "old chestnuts" and the newer book versions of childhood activities from a more innocent time: Yes, they present a world of less structured, more child-created activities than many children are experiencing today. But equally important is the fact that they 1.) allow for unstructured time in the lives of our children, and 2.) nurture the natural imagination and creativity which allow a child to use that time to grow in an entirely different way, one seemingly incomprehensible to the average adult. (We used to call it having time
"to watch the grass grow.") And the difference between the super-structured, lesson-oriented, plugged-in, turned-on, always "busy" kids and those with the "old chestnut" books and do-it-yourself creative ideas is often the difference between the kid who is "bored" when faced with free time and the kid who is delighted and entranced with some time and space to create his/her own diversions and learning.
I say, "Bravo!" to books like "The Dangerous Book for Boys" and "The Daring Book for Girls." What might also be needed is some caring and wise adult who will take the time to read aloud even a chapter or so to a curious kid. Just to open the door...
~Jean Hildreth Luxemburg-Casco Middle School
_______________________________________________ CCBC-Net mailing list CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe... http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
_______________________________________________ CCBC-Net mailing list CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe... http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
Received on Tue 26 Feb 2008 02:18:50 PM CST
