family reading

Who Else Misses Libraries and Bookstores?

Posted on by wkennar
Ryan (age 3) and I reading at the library.

I was thinking about the things I miss because of this coronavirus pandemic and the shutdown of the world as we knew it. 

I miss being able to hug and kiss my parents.

I miss stepping into a grocery store without fear. (And I miss finding eggs and toilet paper on the shelves.)

I miss public libraries. 

I miss bookstores.

Because shopping for books online just isn’t the same.

My son received several gift cards for his recent birthday. (On a side note, Ryan is such a trooper. He celebrated his 12th birthday at home, with the largest chocolate cake we’ve ever had for the 3 of us, and promises of a major “do-over” when all this is done.)

He’s shopped for books on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. 

But it’s not the same.

I miss browsing. Wandering the aisles, discovering a book I didn’t know I’d want to read. 

And you just can’t do that online. 

During the shutdown, our reading habits haven’t changed. I’m reading library books that I had checked out before they were closed down. I’m re-reading books from my personal library, some of which I don’t remember having read the first time. It is during this re-read, that I make a decision to either keep the book or donate it (when the libraries re-open).

And Ryan?

He’s reading everything. Maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it certainly feels that way. (Often we read together, during the day, and always at bedtime.) In the last month, we have read a fictional book about a zombie apocalypse (and he ordered a few more in the series). We have read inspiring biographies on people who make me proud to be a member of the human race – people like former President Barack Obama, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., former First Lady Michelle Obama, and Rosa Parks.

What about you readers?

What are you missing?

And, what are you reading? Feel free to share in the comments section.

 

Mister Rogers Taught Me

Posted on by wkennar

One of the first books my son and I read this year was Who Was Mister Rogers? We read it over the course of several nights at bedtime. Ryan didn’t know much about Mister Rogers. And, I think Mister Rogers only made his way onto Ryan’s radar because of the recent Tom Hanks movie. (We haven’t seen the movie, just the posters and billboards advertising it.)

Because Ryan is a big Tom Hanks fan, due to movies like Toy Story 1-4, Apollo 13, and the documentary film Magnificent Desolation, Ryan became curious to learn more about Mister Rogers.

I grew up watching Mister Rogers. But I didn’t realize what an impact Mister Rogers had on me until Ryan and I read this introductory biography. 

Now, I can acknowledge just how much of my teaching style was influenced by Mister Rogers. 

I always told my kids I loved them. (I referred to my students as “my kids”.)

I told my kids they were special. 

And each year, I acknowledged every student in my class with a customized achievement certificate. Because let’s be honest, not all kids are going to be strong mathematicians or excellent spellers. But every child has a special skill, quality, talent that deserves to be recognized. 

I recognized my kids for their neat penmanship, for reading aloud in a clear voice, for being a responsible line leader. 

As Ryan and I read, “Mister Rogers taught kids an important lesson, that everyone is special in their own way.” 

 

5 Wacky Christmas “Facts”

Posted on by wkennar

 

I don’t know which my son enjoys more – reading National Geographic’s Weird But True books or listening to my reaction to what we read.

Let me begin by saying, I believe all reading is good. Whether my son is reading a biography about Barack Obama, the latest edition of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, or a joke book, he’s an enthusiastic, eager reader. Reading is not a chore in our home. Ryan recognizes books for the true wonders they are.

So our bedtime reading varies. (Currently, we are re-reading a family favorite – Roald Dahl’s Matilda.)

But last week, each night before bed, we read some “weird but true” Christmas-related facts. Maybe it’s due to all my critical-thinking classes. Maybe it’s because I’ve been taught to not always accept things at face value, but to try and dig deeper and ask questions. 

In any event, I have a really hard time readily accepting some of these statements as “fact.”

Although, this time around with this particular book, I found Ryan asking some follow-up questions as well. So maybe it’s not just me.

So on this Christmas day, I’d like to share a few of these questionable “weird but true” statements with you. Enjoy!

Wishing my readers a happy, cozy, festive holiday!

“The world’s biggest Christmas bauble ornament is wider than a garage door and as heavy as a buffalo.”  (And I’d like to know who built such an ornament? Where is it?)

“The world’s largest Christmas pudding weighed more than a hippo.”  (I’d like to know what one does with the world’s largest Christmas pudding. How and where was it made?)

“The world’s largest Christmas stocking measures as long as four school buses lined up end to end.”  (Where is this stocking? Is it hung up each year?)

“The world’s largest wreath was wider than a soccer field and heavier than two elephants.”  (What do you do with such a heavy wreath? How was it made? Where is it now?)

“The largest cup of hot chocolate ever made could have filled 20 bathtubs.”  (We love hot chocolate, but there’s a limit. Who would think to make enough hot chocolate to fill multiple bathtubs? What was done with all that hot chocolate?)

 

No Picky Readers in This House

Posted on by wkennar
Ryan (age 3) and I, reading at our public library

Within the first week of school, my son’s sixth grade English teacher noticed his strong reading skills, and he asked Ryan what types of books he likes to read.

“It was hard for me to answer at first,” Ryan told me that afternoon after I picked him up from school and he filled me in on his day. 

I smiled.

Of course it was hard to answer.

My son may be a bit of a picky eater (he refuses to try macaroni and cheese, yet he loves a daily serving or two of cucumbers and carrots). 

But he certainly isn’t a picky reader.

Currently, we are reading Martin Luther King: The Peaceful Warrior – a biography about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Most of our reading happens at bedtime as part of our nightly routine. It’s a serious book filled with facts that are not easy to read and discuss. But they are important and necessary not just because they are a part of our nation’s history, but our family’s history as well. (We are a mixed race family, and Ryan was understandably astounded to learn that not-too-long-ago my husband and I would not have legally been permitted to marry.)

Before this nonfiction book, Ryan had read the latest installment of a popular graphic novel series – Dog Man #7: For Whom the Ball Rolls. That book isn’t serious. It’s silly and off-the-wall and entertaining (for him). I enjoy the clever titles referencing literature classics (Lord of the Fleas, A Tale of Two Kitties, Brawl of the Wild).

Later that afternoon, I got the rest of the story.

“I told Mr. V. I like to read books about space,” Ryan told me. (Reaching For the Moon). 

“Yes you do,” I said. 

And basketball (Dream Big: Michael Jordan and the Pursuit of Excellence). 

And famous people (Who Was Rachel Carson?).

And dogs (Because of Winn-Dixie).

And girls with magical powers (Matilda). 

And kids in middle school (Diary of a Wimpy Kid). I silently added all these to the list.

So I will happily take this trade-off. 

I’ll deal with a somewhat limited rotation of dinner menus in exchange for my son’s plentiful book appetite. 

Our Family’s Version of Summer Brain Drain

Posted on by wkennar

Have you heard of “summer brain drain?”  

It’s a catch-all phrase representing the lack of learning that happens during summer vacation.  The time when children aren’t actively engaged, aren’t learning, aren’t practicing what they’ve already learned, and aren’t reading.

I’m proud to say it’s not an issue in our house.  

And don’t think that means I’m bragging. 

And please don’t think that means I have my eleven-year-old son sitting down, completing worksheets and practice books. 

Because I don’t.

It’s just that in our house, there is always some sort of learning or practicing going on.  My son is, thankfully, an enthusiastic reader.

I like to think it’s because my husband and I read Goodnight Moon to him each night as soon as I found out I was pregnant.  I like to think it’s because my son is growing up knowing books are valuable and special and important.  Ryan receives a book on each birthday, at the start of each school year, and scattered throughout the year for different occasions and holidays.

The hard part for us is tracking his summer reading time.  Ryan is participating in the Barnes and Noble Summer Reading Program which requires him to document eight books he’s read.  No problem.

The summer reading program through the public library is a different matter.  That one requires Ryan to track the number of hours he reads.  And that’s the tricky part for us.  I can easily count the minutes we read at bedtime each night.  (This week, it’s a family-favorite:  Because of Winn-Dixie.) 

But it’s because reading is such an integrated part of our family that it’s all the other moments that are harder to keep track of.  

I came downstairs the other day to find Ryan quietly sitting on the couch, reading CD liner notes.  A few days ago, we browsed in our local book store, picking up random books, reading the back covers and the first few pages of books that caught our interest.  Sunday mornings, Ryan scans the sports page looking for news about his favorite basketball team.  

It all counts as reading.  It’s just hard to count.

In an effort not to drain my brain this summer, we’ll just make an estimate.

 

 

 

Summer Reading

Posted on by wkennar
A photo taken a few months ago showing Ryan and I browsing at the library.

We’re coming to the end of summer break.  In our family that means school resumes next week, as does afternoon homework and a note packed into my son’s lunchbox each day.

Our summers usually consist of:  one family trip (we were in Santa Barbara and Cambria this year); numerous museum visits (including LACMA, the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum, the Natural History Museum, the California Science Center, the Norton Simon Museum, the Getty Center, and the Skirball Cultural Center); and lots of reading.

My ten-year-old son just completed the reading log required for the public library’s summer reading program.  We never tell Ryan what to read, or insist he sit down and read each day.  He just reads.  Sometimes alone, sometimes together — on our patio, on our couch, at our local Coffee Bean.

And looking over his list of books makes me smile.  Ryan read about LeBron James and King Tut.  He read joke books and books based on Pixar films.  He read about Katherine Johnson and Buzz Aldrin.  He read about Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder.  He read about Nintendo’s Mario and Curious George.

It’s been a good summer.

All Reading Is Good Reading

Posted on by wkennar
Fourth grade classroom, 2010. The carpet hadn’t yet arrived.

 

When I taught, I always made sure to have a “cozy” library corner — pillows, stuffed animals, and hundreds of books.  Because I’m a firm believer that all reading, however it’s done, is beneficial.

I have always loved to read (you can find me on Goodreads, by the way), and I’m proud to say that my son, Ryan, also loves to read.

You can click here to read one of my latest personal essays “All Reading Is Good Reading – Even Comic Books” on MomsLA.com.