Recommending a Good Book for Children

Everyone has different definition of what makes a children’s book worth reading, for some, it is the number of copies that were sold during its initial publication, for others it is the number of years the book has been around, and for still others, it is simply remembering the book from childhood. When it comes to children’s books, my thoughts are simple: you are never too old to read children’s books, and there is nothing like recommending a good book.

Children’s books have come a long way over the past 200 years. There are classics, series, fiction, non-fiction, bestsellers, and long forgotten favorites. Children’s books come in a variety of themes as well, from mystery and detective fiction, to fantasy and historical fiction. There are countless options when it comes to choosing a book for children, and I think it is impossible to ever run out of choices, so the best place to start is with the child. Choosing the right book means knowing the audience. Asking questions can help narrow down the options and make choosing the right book easier. Some questions to start with are:

·         Is this book for a specific child or a group?

·         What age?

·         Male or Female? (Some books work well for both boys and girls, while others are more gender oriented, like “Little Women” is better suited for girls and the “Tom Swift” series is better suited for boys.)

·         Is this book for school or fun? (Books for school should be easy to write about, and interesting, with identifiable characters and themes, like “Masterpiece”.)

·         Will the book be read out loud or silently, by you or the child? (Some books are better for reading out loud than others, for example, “Watership Down” has many hard to pronounce words which may make reading out loud a little more complicated.)

·         How much time does the reader have? (If the book is for school, determine how much time the reader has, since longer books will only make school assignments more challenging.)

·         Does the reader prefer a specific type of book? (Some readers like lots of action, while others like simple plots with lots of dialogue.)

When it comes to picking a children’s book, there are almost no wrong answers, just some answers that are better than others; so the next time you are thinking about helping a child chose a book to read, consider some of these questions, hopefully you will have helped the child or children chose a book that will both stimulate the imagination and make reading fun!

If at this point you are still having trouble thinking of some books to recommend, I have listed below some books that I consider appropriate for almost any age, for both boys and girls.

Books about animals:

·         Black Beauty: Anna Sewell

·         Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH: Robert C.O'Brian

·         Masterpiece: Elise Broach

·         Trumpet of the Swan: E.B. White

·         Watership Down: Richard Adams

Books in a series:

·         The Borrowers: Mary Norton

·         Ramona Quimby: Beverly Cleary

·         The Chronicles of Narnia: C.S.Lewis

·         Little House on the Prairie: Laura Wilder

·         Henry Reed: Keith Robertson

·         The Great Brain: J.D.Fitzgerald

 Books about boys and girls growing up:

•   Chasing Redbird: Sharon Creech
•    The View from Saturday: E.L. Konigsburg
• From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankwiler: E.L. Konigsburg
• Ella Enchanted: Gail Levine
• The Secret life of Ms. Finkleman: Ben Winters

For me, there are few things more exciting than helping someone chose a book to read. Reading is about more than just spending time, or getting a school assignment done, it is a means of expanding the mind, and growing as a person.

“The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”  - Dr. Seuss, "I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!"

Recipe for a Comfortable Afternoon

 This Blog is dedicated to my wonderful amazing mother, who has taught me everything I know, not the least of which being the importance of a good cup of tea and a love for all things Austen! Without her I would not be the person I am today, I love you mom, the following recipe is dedicated to you!

1.       Ambiance

Nothing says comfort like a good space. To find that perfect space, choose a room that is clean and tidy; some work may have to be done first so don’t be afraid to break out the vacuum and dust cloth! Once the space is clean and you have a comfortable place to sit and relax, think about what kind of lighting you want. Bright and clean or dim and soothing, candles can help create this effect in addition to adding a nice scent to the room. Depending on the time of year, you may also want to add a few soft pillows and a blanket to the mix. And given the choice and time of day you could also decide to light a small fire if you have a fireplace in the room.

2.       Physical Comfort

When it comes to comfort, choosing the right clothes is a must. So when choosing what to wear for this special you time, make sure you pick clothes that you can lounge in without any discomfort. A soft cotton T-shirt and flannel Pajamas are my personal preference. Physical comform also means picking out the right place to sit or lie down, so take the time to make sure you are chosing a place that you can be comfortable in for a while and deciding if you will want a soft blanket (or two!) in easy reach.

  3.       Drink

Nothing says comfort like a nice drink, whether hot or cold. Hot drinks depend on the season, although there is nothing to say that Hot Chocolate cannot be just as nice in the middle of summer as it is in winter. For hot drinks choose something that you enjoy that adds to the feeling of relaxation, such as Tea or Coffee. For Spring I like Coffee, Summer I like Tea (Fruit or White are good), Fall I like Hot Cider with a little Cinnamon, and for winter I like Hot Chocolate with little marshmallows. For cold drinks there are plenty of options, and even cold variations on the hot drinks mentioned above. Again, this is about your preference, so pick something you like.

4.       Food

Everyone has their own favorite comfort food, whether it is a rich chocolate cake, or pasta with meat sauce. When deciding what treat to have for your relaxing time, it helps to think about what kinds of food would best accompany the chosen drink, or vice versa. For example, if I chose Hot Apple Cider as my drink, I would either choose a Molasses cookie or a cinnamon spice donut as my treat, or if Tea is your choice, try Biscotti or a Lemon cake. Food and drink must complement each other for maximum enjoyment.

5.       Means of Entertainment

When it comes to relaxing and having a comfortable afternoon, choosing the right activity is probably the most important part, since the activity is going to determine what room you will want to use, and which refreshments are going to accompany you. If your relaxing afternoon is a solitary event, reading a good book or watching a favorite movie can be fun. There are so many kinds of books and movies out there that it can be hard to choose, so  think about how much time you have and whether or not a nap is part of the plan before deciding on which book or movie is going to be your means of entertainment.

 For the girl who enjoys all things Jane Austen, I suggest Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility (either book or movie form) as both are classic Chic Lit, easy to read and watch. For something a little more serious and Dramatic but with romance I recommend L.M. Montgomery of Anne of Green Gables fame. Her books and the movies based on her books are good for girls of all ages. If the afternoon is long, and a movie is the way to go, I recommend the Canadian show “The Road to Avonlea” this is a seven season series based on L.M. Montgomery’s books “The Story Girl” and “On the Golden Road.” If comedy is more your line, there is no shortage of movies from classics like “It Happened One Night.” For Books try one of the many books written by fames humor columnist Erma Bombeck.

In the event that you prefer to spend your entertainment time with one or more friends, them the movie option still works, but another means of entertainment could be a game. Games always depend on the individual, and can be as classic as Go Fish or Canasta, to as modern as Tellustrations. Again, the point is spending an afternoon in a relaxing manner, so go ahead and plan your relaxing time, whether that time be a day, afternoon, or hour.

Squid and Music?

I was reading on the internet this week that Squid like the sound of music… or at least scientists think they do. I believe that what has actually been discovered is that music effects squid in much the same way it effects people. This should come as no surprise to us and I for one an amused that it has taken scientists so long to confirm what I have known for decades. Unfortunately, in this case, I learned that the researchers decided to play hip hop music to the squid, with the results that the squid broke out into an explosion of color, probably the same reaction I would have had if I had taken the squid's place!

The picture below is a close up of a squid's skin reaction.

According to the Backyard Brains website, the Longfin Inshore  (a kind of squid) has "three different chromatophore colors: brown, red, and yellow. Each chromatophore has tiny muscles along the circumference of the cell that can contract to reveal the pigment underneath."

And the best way to demonstrate the changing colors: hip-hop. The researchers attached the cephalopod to an electrode hooked up to an iPod nano, and let rip the Cypress Hill tune "Insane in the Brain."

I fail to see how this discovery is in any way impressive, and I am annoyed at scientists for causing pain to those tiny little squid eardrums by forcing them to react to an obnoxious pulsing beat! I see this as just one more example of the wisdom found in nature, squid, like many other creatures, know enough to react to bad music. Scientists should know by now that the change in color in a squid means something is wrong and they are trying to adapt, or get away. Similar studies have been done on mice, with separate groups being forced to listen to different types of music. The end result was that the mice listening to Mozart were smarter, faster, and growing more so over time, while the mice being forced to listen to heavy metal soon began fighting and eating each other.  I think that these scientists have been letting poor music effect their brain cells for too long, maybe they should spend some time in a sound proof room listening to Beethoven and Mozart.

If you would like to check out this article for yourself and draw your own conclusions, please check out:

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/squid-ipod-nano-180859091.html

Great Books make Great Movies

For those who enjoy watching British drama there are almost limitless options! BBC and Masterpiece Classic have been working very hard over the past decade to update great classics, and there are now movies for almost every classic book. The following is a list of several classic authors and the movies that have been made of them, for some of the books there are more than one good option so I will specify the date of publication after each title. No one list is exhaustive; this is just a list of the movies that I think are exceptionally good.

Charles Dickens: Charles Dickens is pretty serious; I would recommend these movies to people age 18 and up. The language is not too bad, but some of the content and situations is a little violent. I would say that the best movie to start with is “Our Mutual Friend” since the story is relatively easy to follow, and the characters are both engaging and interesting.

·         Little Dorrit (2009)

·         Bleak House (2006)

·         Our Mutual Friend (1998)

·         Nicholas Nickleby (2001 & 2003)

Elizabeth Gaskell: Not as well known as other authors, Elizabeth writes mostly about small communities populated by women with strong opinions. For those not familiar with her work but who know and enjoy Pride and Prejudice I would recommend “North and South” as a start. Cranford and Return to Cranford are based on a combination of three books by Elizabeth Gaskell “Cranford” “Dr. Harrison’s confession” and “My Lady Ludlow”. All of these movies are good for people of all ages, but I would still recommend parents watching them with their children.

·         Cranford (2009)

·         Return to Cranford (2010)

·         North and South (2005)

·         Wives and Daughters (2001)

R.L. Stevenson: Although only one movie is mentioned here, there are two different versions are mentioned here. Both versions are excellent, but the earlier version, which was made by Disney is definitely better suited for children, since the later version has violence and gun fighting.

·         Kidnapped (1991 & 2005)

Emmunska Orczy: Not as well known as other authors, this hero is the predecessor to Zorro and Superman. I would not recommend the 1998 versions for anyone under 17 due to violence and language.

·         The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982 & 1998)

·         Mademoiselle Guillotine (1998)

·         The Kidnapped King (1998)

Jane Austen: one of the best well known British writers of all time, there is no shortage of films about Jane Austen’s life and books. I have mentioned two versions of most of her books so that readers can choose for themselves which version they like best. This list is selective, so feel free to check out other versions of these films such as “Clueless”, “Bride and Prejudice, or “Lost in Austen” which are modern retellings of some of her best novels. For those who have not before seen a Jane Austen film adaptation, I would recommend starting with the 1995 version of Sense and Sensibility, it is a classic and beautifully done.

·         Pride and Prejudice (1996 & 2006 )

·         Mansfield Park (2008)

·         Emma (1996,1999 & 2010)

·         Persuasion (1997 & 2008)

·         Northanger Abbey (2008)

·         Sense and Sensibility (1995 & 2008)

Charlotte Bronte: Although she wrote three other books, none of them have been made into movies that I know of. So I am putting down several different versions of her best known work. The 1983 version is perhaps the closest to the book, but it can seem rather slow at times, and in my opinion, Timothy Dalton was not the best choice for Mr. Rochester. The 1997 version is much quicker than the other versions, but in keeping with the major story plots and with excellent casting choices in terms of primary and secondary characters. The last three versions are very stylistic, with a modern feel and excellent cinematography. I will only mention that the ending in the latest version leaves a little something to be desired, so I would recommend starting with the 1997 version, with Ciaran Hinds in it.

·         Jane Eyre (1983, 1997,2003, 2007 & 2011)

These and other movies make up just a small amount of the movies being made based on famous books. The above is just a small example of some of the amazing movies that are being made based on great English literature. There are so many amazing books and movies out there, I just wish I had the space to name them all!

Books for Children of all ages

In this age of technology there are so many ways we can spend our leisure time, playing video games, texting our friends, surfing the web or watching a video, the possibilities for entertainment are almost endless! Unfortunately, it seems that one of mankind’s greatest leisure time activities is becoming less popular, namely reading. Reading for me has almost always been a joy, the means to escape from the ordinary and invest in my imagination. For most people though, it is hard to find a good book, whether due to previous experience with books, or simply because the person does not know where to begin looking.

Some people can browse through the shelves of their local bookstore, others like getting recommendations from friends, and others like suggestions from people who know about books. As a tour guide leads a group of people through a museum, so a Librarian can be your guide when it comes to deciding what to read. For most people, the first place to start is with their interests, by finding out what a person likes or dislikes, the search for the perfect book can begin!

Choosing a book is as simple as knowing your interests. Knowing what you do and don’t like is one of the easiest steps when it comes to determining what book to read. There are more books than any one person can read in a lifetime, and more are being written every day!

My love for fiction began at an early age, and it continues to this day, and with all the wonderful books out there, it would be a challenge to write them all down! For the purpose of this blog then I will just write down the names of a few books that I consider to be well written and entertaining for children of all ages.

Books about Animals

·         Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH: Robert, C. O’Brien

·         Masterpiece: Elise Broach

·         Watership Down: Richard Adams

Science Fiction/ Fantasy

·         A Wrinkle in Time: Madeline L’Engle

·         The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe: C.S. Lewis

·         20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Jules Verne

Action Adventure Fiction for Boys

·         The Golden Goblet: Eloise Jarvis McGraw

·         Kidnapped: R.L. Stevenson

·         Around the World in 80 days: Jules Verne

Fiction for Girls

·         Daddy Long Legs: Jean Webster

·         The Little White Horse: Elizabeth Goudge

·         Ella Enchanted: Gail Carson Levine

·         Carney’s House Party: Maud Hart Lovelace

Jane Austen at the Movies

For most people in the United States, Jane Austen is as well known as most movie stars and music artists. Author of six popular novels, she is possibly the most famous English writer after Shakespeare. 

What makes this woman so amazing is that over time, her popularity has only seemed to grow, and now a sort of Jane Austen mania is sweeping the nation. From games and book sequels, to websites and Blogs dedicated to all things Austen, there is almost no type of media that does not have some small portion of space dedicated to something Austen-themed, and one of the places her infulence is the most strong in the Movies.

Some of her more popular books that you may have recognized as movies are:

Pride and Prejudice Starring Keira Knightley & Matthew Macfadyen

Sense and Sensibility Starring Emma Thompson & Kate Winslet.

Many have fallen in love with the writing of Jane Austen, and many a fan page has been devoted to her most famous hero Mr Darcy ,  but I that much of the credit for keeping her books popular for such a long time has to go to the media. With Blogs, websites, games, Facebook pages, and movies, there is no shortage of the different ways people can enjoy all things Jane. Since the beginning of TV, screenplay writers, directors and actors have tried to capture the spirit and essence of each Jane Austen work.

It can easily be argued that some of these visions were more successful than others, but the point is that we keep coming back for more. With only six books to chose from, we would assume that only a few movies would have been made, but thanks to the cleverness of movie people everywhere, from screenwriters to directors, there is no shortage of material for that avid fan to pick from. From 1938 to present day, film makers all over the world have given us their interpretation of Jane Austen’s books, both modern and classic, each film gives us a taste of Austen, like a sequel to a beloved book. What is so amazing about Jane is that although just over 200 years have gone by since the printing of her first book, her popularity still grows, and I think that TV and movies have a great deal to do with that.

Until the 1990’s only one movie every few years, and never more than three, was made in an attempt to bring the spirit of Jane’s books to life. Suddenly, in 1995, four movies were made:

Sense and Sensibility

Clueless (based on the novel "Emma")

Pride and Prejudice

     

Persuasion

And with these movies, many in America realized that Jane Austen was not as old-fashioned as they had once believed, but a contemporary, whose plots and characters could fit into any time or place. Since then, Jane Austen has maintained her fame, with at least one movie being made every year. The media has not stopped loving Jane, she is just as amazing now as ever before, her movies are both classic and new, since everyone can put a new twist on one of her plots, or even steal her characters to make an entirely new movie like “Lost in Austen” or “Bridget Jones Diary”. Long live Jane, thanks in great part to modern technology.

Some of the more popular film adaptations of Jane Austen’s work have been made in the past 10 years, among them, the ones I most highly recommend checking out are:

2010

Aisha

Film adaptation of "Emma"

2008

Lost in Austen

TV mini-series based on the novel Pride and Prejudice

Sense & Sensibility

TV mini-series based on the novel

2007

Persuasion

TV movie based on the novel

Mansfield Park

TV movie based on the novel

2005

Pride & Prejudice

Film based on the novel