Janet Ann Collins/OnWords Opening Eyes, Opening Hearts

Chasing the Spirit of Service

2012-01-28T11:00:00.000-08:00

Kristen Zajac has written an inspiring and educational book for kids entitled Chasing the Spirit of Service. It's about a girl who misses her airman father when he's away and the story her great-grandfather shares with her and her friend, Adam.

Emma's great-grandfather was one of the first African American airmen in World War II. He flew a red tail plane from Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama and had to put up with a lot of racial prejudice.

Because they learn about the dedication of people in the military, Emma and Adam decide to do their part by showing gratitude to them. Kids who read the book will be inspired to show their own appreciation, and to understand some of the sacrifices military people have made.

Julie Tucker's bright and colorful illustrations capture the feel of the story beautifully.

This is a great book to help today's kids understand an important part of American history.

Liebster Award

2012-01-25T12:55:00.000-08:00

My friend, Kim, who is a writer with a kid who has special needs, nominated me for the Liebster award on her blog, http://thesimplelifekdl.blogspot.com That award is for good blogs that have less than 200 followers and anyone who gets it is supposed to pass it on to five others. Although I follow lots of blogs, some of which are wonderful, it isn’t always possible to tell how many followers they have but here are the ones I’ve chosen for the award: http://strengthfortheweary.wordpress.com/ This blog by one of my Christian writer friends, is full of helpful encouragement for people dealing with difficulties and sometimes includes good poetry. http://www.leeroddybooks.com/blog2/ Lee Roddy is a well-known author, but new to the blogosphere so I’ve chosen his blog because I think more people might like to know about his books and what he is up to. http://futuristguy.wordpress.com/ This blog is by another friend, Brad Sargent, who has worked for years to prepare material that can help churches grow. http://fromcarolsquill.blogspot.com/ Carol Peterson writes encouraging and interesting material on this blog. http://beyondmentalillness.us/ This is a writer I’ve met in a local group and his blog is inspired by his son, who has autism. I don’t know enough about the treatments he suggests to tell if they work or not, but I’m including it because I care about Special Needs. Please visit these blogs and, if you like them, become a follower.

Dragons

2012-01-21T09:26:00.000-08:00

Monday will be Chinese New Year, and, according to their calendar, this will be the year of the dragon. I used to live in the San Francisco Bay Area where I enjoyed watching parades with lines of people dancing in a dragon costume.

In that culture dragons are considered symbols of good luck, but in European ones dragons were considered evil and dangerous.

It's interesting that in both Asian and European cultures people believed in dragons. Perhaps in both areas they had found skeletons of dinosaurs and guessed what sort of creatures those bones must have belonged to.

In both cases, the concept of dragons inspired many myths and legends. As a kid I loved reading about dragons and, to tell the truth, I still do. Those stories have enriched the imaginations of children for many generations. Maybe someday I'll write one myself.

What's your favorite dragon story?

Commercials

2012-01-18T08:28:00.000-08:00

I've read that little kids tend to believe everything commercials say is true. Hopefully, they'll learn that isn't so.

But commercials are trying to make us all believe their claims. Could they be a form of attempted hypnotism? Are people actually more likely to choose brands they've seen advertised?

When I was young and TV was new there were about five minutes of commercials every hour. Now the amount of time spent on advertising often seems equal to the actual program time. And the ads are louder than the programs so leaving the room doesn't protect us from hearing them. I understand there's a new law that's supposed to forbid that, but it obviously hasn't taken effect yet.

And many commercials are just, plain rude.

Of course businesses must have a way to let people know about their products and services just as I want people to know about the books I've written, but it must be possible to advertise without hitting people over the head. Have you seen any polite commercials?

Cause of Climate Change?

2012-01-14T10:31:00.000-08:00

Last year my area had one of the wettest winters on record and this year seems to be one of the driest, but other areas have had opposite extremes of weather. Everyone is talking about climate change.

There are lots of explanations for climate change. It could be caused by chemical pollution of the air and the air quality has certainly changed for the worse. Perhaps it's simply a natural change that happens every few thousand years. I've read there was a mild ice age during the middle ages.

But I have the true explanation. It's the skateboarders. They jump up and down so much that they've tipped the planet. ;-)

Okay, I'm being silly.

Whatever the real cause, I guess we'll have to figure out how to adapt and cope with it.

Courage?

2012-01-11T10:44:00.000-08:00

Here's a confession: I have an irrational fear. I'm scared to use the automatic oven cleaning feature on my gas stove.

Yes, I know it's irrational. An unclean oven full of grease buildup is much more likely to catch on fire than an oven using that feature. Even though it heats to hundreds of degrees the stove is insulated and has been scientifically tested. And, yes, I've used it many times before with no problems.

But it still scares me.

Sometimes ovens simply must be cleaned and the instructions that came with my stove say not to use cleaning products that could do the job so sometimes I have to do it. If courage means doing the right thing in spite of your fears maybe that means I'm brave. At least I keep telling myself so. But the self cleaning feature still scares me and I hate doing it.

Am I the only one who feels that way.

Thanks Again

2012-01-07T08:36:00.000-08:00

After Christmas some people my age and older sent me handwritten thank you notes. But I thanked people for gifts and hospitality with e-mail messages and got e-mail messages expressing appreciation from others. The days when people had to sit down and compose polite, handwritten letters to all the distant relatives who sent gifts they often didn't like are clearly over.

But thanking people is still important.

Some folks work hard at jobs where they may get complaints if someone doesn't like what they do, but rarely get praise. There have been times when I've thanked people like those repairing streets, collecting trash, stocking shelves in a grocery store, or cleaning public buildings and they have seemed both pleased and amazed. Unless they have something to gripe about, most people take those workers for granted, yet the world would be a lot worse if nobody did those jobs.

And a few times when someone did an especially excellent job I've contacted their employers to say so. Whenever that happened the person who took my call seemed shocked and surprised that someone would bother to contact them with a positive comment, although they often get negative ones.

It only takes a few seconds or, at most, a few minutes to express appreciation for people who do a good job, but doing so can mean a lot to someone. In 2012 I hope to thank a lot more people.

Resolutions

2012-01-04T10:23:00.000-08:00

I've heard most people don't keep their New Year's resolutions. Perhaps that's because they forget or because the resolutions are too difficult to be realistic.

But there's no reason why our resolutions have to be about major changes or things we intend to keep doing for an entire year. Why not make resolutions to do just one simple thing in the next few days?

For example, instead if resolving to loose fifty pounds in a year why not just resolve to avoid eating sweets tomorrow? Or, instead of resolving to keep a home or office clean and organized why not promise to tackle that one pile of papers and file or toss them all by the weekend?

If we keep that one resolution perhaps we'll be motivated to make another small one. Success is a motivator, so perhaps we can mark the calendar with a reminder to do one small resolution at the beginning of every month. Maybe if we get into the habit of making and keeping them, we'll even want to try making a resolution every week.

But if we don't keep a resolution that's no reason to give up. The first of January may be the start of the year, but every morning is a new beginning.

The Times They Are A-Changin'

2011-12-31T11:07:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve is a good time to look back and see what we've accomplished in the past year. But I'm looking back farther than that.

With the economics, technical advances, etc. there have probably been more changes in the last ten years than happened in the previous 50 years. In 2001 some people had cell-phones and computers but they were bigger, bulkier, and couldn't do nearly all our modern devices can do.

And think of all the changes that have happened in the two hundred years since 1812. We now take trains, electric lights, telephones, radios, cars, airplanes, movies, TV, washing machines, and hundreds of other things for granted that were developed during that time.

It took much longer for technology to advance beyond the invention of the wheel, bows and arrows, wind or water mills, guns, and the printing press to those inventions.

I wonder what the future will be like? Guess we'll have to wait and see.

Hurry, Hurry!

2011-12-28T13:10:00.000-08:00

The new year is about to start and there's so much to do! Oh, my goodness, how can we ever get it all done in time?

I'm already almost three hours later than usual posting this to my blog and haven't made my resolutions yet the deadline to submit an article is looming, and I still need to get ready for 2012 ... and..... and...

Okay, let's just take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Even though I saw Valentine's products when I stopped in the almost-empty store to replace my lost gloves this morning, it really isn't necessary to get everything done right away. Let's just focus on the things that really matter.

May 2012 be a year full of peace.

Wishes

2011-12-24T09:47:00.000-08:00

I'm wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas tomorrow.

Yes, that's right. I did say everyone.

Even if you don't celebrate that holiday you have my official permission to be happy on Christmas Day, so do it.

:-))))

Christmas Love

2011-12-21T09:22:00.000-08:00

Christmas is a time to celebrate love, both God's love for us and our love for each other. But what does that mean?

One of my college psychology professors taught us this definition: "When the happiness and well-being of another is essential to one's own happiness and well-being a state of love exists."

Author Gary Chapman says there are five basic ways people communicate love to one another. Those ways, which he calls Love Languages, are: speaking words of affirmation, spending quality time together, giving gifts, performing acts of service, and physical touch such as hugs, handshakes and pats on the back.

( http://www.5lovelanguages.com/ )

As we gather with friends and family during the holiday season we tend to use all five love languages.

If the incarnation shows God's love for us how can we show our love for God?

Hi, Ho! Come to the Fair

2011-12-17T11:28:00.000-08:00

Last night I had fun passing out bookmarks to kids at our local holiday street fair. The weather was clear so hundreds of people came to the event.

Like nearly everyone working or helping there, I wore pseudo-old fashioned clothes, including a cape my mother made for me long ago. (Don't tell, but I still love to play dress up.)

Holiday decorations and lights abounded on buildings and stalls and people called cheerful greetings to one another. Of course seeing friends and hearing Christmas carols and music added to the pleasure of the evening.

No matter what the season, street markets and fairs always seem special to me because they have been part of human's lives for so long. Even thousands of years ago non-migratory people all over the world had events like this where crowds of people gathered, vendors offered wares for sale, and musicians and performers demonstrated their talents.

Last night as I wandered through the busy crowd, saw the lovely, often handmade items and delicious foods for sale, and heard the choirs and musicians it seemed like I was transported back in time.

Christmas Books

2011-12-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

Every Christmas Eve when I was a child my mother read the same two books to us before we went to bed.

One was a Christmas Carols illustrated by Fern Peat. The songs, which we would sing together, were interspersed with passages from the Bible telling about the Nativity. The other book was The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore. I can still repeat many passages from both of them by heart.

And every Christmas morning one of the gifts waiting for me under the tree would be a book. I still have most of those from the picture books I got when I was little and later read to my own kids, through classics like Heidi and Little Women.

This year my cousin compiled and self-published a book of recipes contributed by members of the extended family, many of which bring back warm memories of holidays we spent together. She gave us a similar compilation quite a few years ago and my copy is worn by frequent use.

Are there any books associated with Christmas in your family? What memories do they bring back to you?

Winter Holidays

2011-12-10T11:30:00.000-08:00

I hadn't lived where it snows since I was a little kid, but six years ago I moved to the Sierra foothills where we do get some snow in the winter. We've had none yet this year, but it is cold. Christmas is approaching and I've already participated in activities where friends and family sit around fireplaces and share warm food and happy memories.

Many historians think Jesus was not actually born in the winter since the emperor, Herod, would have realized people who lived in northern parts of the Roman Empire couldn't possibly travel at that time of year because of the severe weather. But many cultures have celebrations when the season of winter begins and days begin to lengthen. The Romans, who persecuted and killed Christians, were no exception. Legend says in order to avoid standing out by not partying, the Christians chose to celebrate the coming of Christ at that time.

Whatever people choose to celebrate, it's easy to see why they do it now.

Another Book for Christmas

2011-12-07T10:31:00.000-08:00

I've reviewed quite a few books that would make good Christmas gifts for kids, and here's another one.

I don't want to seem like I'm just wanting to sell my own books, but I think Secret Service Saint is a good one to help children realize the importance of giving and helping others. In a time of financial problems kids need more than ever to understand that Christmas isn't primarily about getting presents.

The book is about Nicholas who discovers the adventure of secret giving. At the end of the story kids will discover he eventually became known as Santa Claus and I hope some of them will join Nicholas in giving to help others without hoping for praise or rewards.

Secret giving really is fun, and it's a good way to experience the spirit of Christmas.

Sea Turtle Summer

2011-12-03T10:48:00.000-08:00

Two girls on a beach are amazed to watch an endangered Loggerhead sea turtle lay her eggs, although they usually only do that at night.

But a big machine is coming to clear the beach and no ranger is available. Can the children manage to protect the eggs?

Sea Turtle Summer by Nancy Stewart is part of the series about Bella and Britt, the two girls who were also the main characters in Stewart's best-selling book, One Pelican at a Time, about the Gulf Oil Spill. Like that prior book, this one not only helps readers learn to appreciate our natural world, it shows them that even kids can make a positive difference in the world by standing up for what is right.

The illustrations by Samantha Bell carry us away to the sunny beach and show us what the endangered turtles really look like.

This is another book that would make a great gift for kids.

More Books for Kids

2011-11-30T10:26:00.000-08:00

I've been reviewing a lot of books here lately because I think books make wonderful gifts for kids. Here are reviews of two more by author Janet Halfmann.

Fur and Feathers is about a little girl who imagines creative ways to replace the coats normally worn by animals after their usual fur, feathers, scales, etc. are blown away by wind in her dream. Besides being a cute story, the book helps young kids understand the purpose of the real coverings animals have. The book contains an educational section of scientific information, which would be of interest to older kids at the end. The illustrations by Laurie Allen Klein are cute and well suited to the child's fantasy.

Little Skink's Tale also presents information about the natural world in creative ways. In this book a skink who looses his tail imagines what it would be like to have the tails of various other creatures until his own grows back. And this book, too, contains educational material at the end that could be used by teachers or parents to help kids learn more about nature. It has the same illustrator, but the style is quite different and shows the beauty of nature.

In my opinion both books would be great gifts for young children because kids would enjoy the stories while learning about nature.

My Sister is My Best Friend

2011-11-26T10:27:00.000-08:00

Because this blog is about words, books, and kids there couldn't be a better book for me to review here than My Sister is My Best Friend by Nicole Weaver.

There are lots of books about sibling rivalry but this one, by contrast, is about two sisters who get along well together and enjoy sharing experiences. Since the girls in the book are twins, it would be an especially appropriate gift for real-life twins.

The words aspect of the book is that it is written in three languages, English, French and Spanish. I enjoyed trying to figure out the meaning of the individual words and phrases in the languages I don't know and some kids will probably like doing that, too. Although I took French in school decades ago and never studied Spanish I found that I could understand more of the Spanish words than the French ones.

My Sister is My Best Friend would be a great help to kids who know one of the three languages and are trying to learn another and already bi- or multi-lingual kids will like it.

Of course children who can only read or hear the story read in one language will enjoy it for the cheerful experiences the sisters share. The cute illustrations by Clara Batton Smith add to the pleasure of the book.

Trouble on Earth Day

2011-11-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

Why, you may ask, am I reviewing a book about Earth Day the day before Thanksgiving?

Trouble on Earth Day by Kathy Stemke is a cute picture book about a little squirrel who learns to appreciate and use what she has and to help someone else. What better time of year could there be to remind us all to do that?

Besides the appealing story and charming illustrations by Kurt Wilcken, the book includes many pages of activities to help kids appreciate the natural world and reuse things instead of discarding them. Some of those activities are projects kids could make that would be great Christmas presents.

So this is a perfect time of the year to get that book for kids.

Bullies #4

2011-11-19T10:05:00.000-08:00

After my last three posts you're probably tired of hearing about bullies, but I have one more important thing to share.

A while back I discovered this website, http://www.bullies2buddies.com and realized the principles suggested there are the things I had experienced. The idea is that bullying is like a game and if the bully gets someone upset he or she wins. There had been many times in my life, especially when I was a kid, when bullies got me upset and won the game, but the few times I'd reacted as this website suggests, the bullies left me alone. I guess those times I'd won.

I strongly suggest anyone dealing with bullies, and that includes verbal ones, check out the information at www.bullies2buddies.com.

Bullies #3

2011-11-16T10:18:00.000-08:00

My husband used to work at a retirement and nursing home in the inner city where they had constant problems with graffiti. The maintenance people had to spend huge amounts of time painting over it, but the graffiti would always be back in a day or two.

One day my husband was walking down the street on his lunch break when he saw a some members of a street gang standing on a corner. He walked over to the gangstas, introduced himself, and said, "You know, we try to help the community as much as possible." He mentioned several ways their families might have benefited from what the people where he worked did and continued, "You're making our job a lot harder by painting graffiti on the walls. Would you please stop?"

For the rest of the years he worked at that facility there was never any more graffiti from that gang - or any other.

Bullies #2

2011-11-12T22:41:00.000-08:00

In the 1960s I lived in a rough inner city neighborhood. I worked the swing shift so I usually didn't get home until nearly 11:00 p.m. and often had to park a block from my apartment.

One night as I was crossing the street a gang approached.

"Hey, lady, " one of them called out. "Ya wanna f*#* with me?"

I calmly replied, "No thank you," and kept walking.

They seemed stunned and not to know how to react, so they let me alone and I got home safely.

If I had acted scared, angry or upset things probably would have gotten a lot worse. Yes, I could have been in serious trouble anyway, but by not reacting as they expected I didn't encourage their bullying.

Bullying is like a game, and if bullies get someone to react with fear or anger, they've won. That night the bullies lost.

Bullies #1

2011-11-09T08:55:00.000-08:00

As a kid I was bullied a lot and the bullies usually succeeded in getting me scared and upset. But here's one incident when I handled the situation well.

One summer day a girl pushed me down on the sidewalk and sat on my chest. Nobody else was around so I had no help.

She raised her fist to punch me in the face, which scared me, but for some reason I reacted differently than usual. Even while terrified, I felt sorry for her. Instead of crying or begging her not to hit me I calmly explained that nobody in school liked her because she was a bully and suggested if she treated people nicely she would have some friends.

"I don't care if they like me as long as I can beat them up," she replied. But she stood up, walked away, and never bothered me again.

Sometimes turning the other cheek really does work.

That girl moved away soon afterwards so I don't know if she ever took my advice or not, but I hope she did.

Natural Disasters

2011-11-02T10:21:00.000-07:00

Earthquakes. Floods. Droughts. Storms. Hurricanes. It seems like every week or so there's another natural disaster somewhere in the world. I don't know if more are actually happening or we're just more aware of them because of quick information through technology, but a lot of people have certainly been affected.

Many years ago I was involved in a Yahoo group that got into a discussion about disasters. We wanted to know which kind was worst.

Strangely, everyone who participated was sure the kind that happened where they lived was preferable to others.

People who lived where hurricanes happen said those were better because the weather service always gave advance warning so they could prepare.

People who lived where tornadoes happen said those were preferable because they only damaged a thin strip of the area.

People who lived in earthquake areas said they'd rather deal with those because serious ones were decades apart.

Personally, I think forest fires are the most dangerous because they happen often, cover huge areas, and can't be predicted.

What kind of natural disaster do you think is worst? Which kind would you rather deal with?

Halloween

2011-10-29T10:25:00.000-07:00

Halloween was a lot different when I was a kid in the 1940s and 50s.

Back then it was a holiday all kids could enjoy. Since Wicca and New Age religions weren’t around yet it had no religious connotations and only little kids really believed in witches and ghosts.

Most children either wore costumes made by their mothers, or cut holes in old bedsheets and pretended to be ghosts. All sheets were white back then, and it was usually easy to find an old one that could be spared. Store bought costumes were thin plastic and so cheaply made they would usually get torn before the evening was over, so nobody wore them if they could help it.

Trick or treating was perfectly safe. Only the tiniest kids without older siblings needed adults to go with them, and we ate the homemade treats people gave us without hesitation, often before we got home. We usually had enough candy left in our bags to last for weeks.

At the end of the evening we'd snuggle into bed with full tummies and happy memories of our adventures.

Earthquakes Again

2011-10-27T13:20:00.000-07:00

Since there have been several earthquakes in California recently this seems like a good time for kids to learn more about them. There's a page for that purpose on the USGS site at http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/ and I mentioned an excellent book on the topic in an earlier post at http://onwordsblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/earthquakes-etc.html.

More About Computers

2011-10-26T10:19:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know me are aware that I'm a techno-idiot. Any new technological task is scary for me. Right now I'm frustrated because I recently upgraded my laptop and must adapt to lots of changes.

But when I consider how much more I know now than I did ten or even five years ago, I'm amazed! There are lots of people who haven't learned to do many things I now take for granted, such as participating in Facebook, blogging, setting up a webpage or even using e-mail.

Back in the 1980s when we got our first computer I was sure I'd never have enough material in it to fill an entire floppy disc. Boy, was I ever wrong!

But computers can have all sorts of problems that aren't easy to deal with. Sometimes we must spend hours on the phone with tech support or spend a lot of money for something needed to make them work. (The computers, not the tech support people.)

Sometimes we can't live with 'em, but in this day and age it would sure be hard to live without 'em. And that sentence could refer to either or both of the above. ;-)

Book Fair

2011-10-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

I don't usually blog on Tuesdays, but today I'm participating in an internet book fair along with lots of other people and sharing about my book, Signs of Trouble. It's about kids who get separated from their class on a field trip and use what theuve learned about safety rules and recognizing signs to get reunited with them. Besides teaching kids to be safe the book also helps them understand people with special needs.

Signs of Trouble is available at Amazon (here's a short version of the URL http://tinyurl.com/3k5hp27 ) and other online bookstores, at http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/signs-of-trouble.htm and can be ordered by local bookstores.

Here are links to a few reviews other people have done of the book:

http://tinyurl.com/3cqhajo

http://tinyurl.com/45xsuft

http://tinyurl.com/3lnsx5v

Computers

2011-10-22T09:30:00.000-07:00

Way back in the early 1970s while I was working at the California School for the Deaf in Berkeley somebody at the nearby Lawrence Hall of Science got a brilliant idea. Maybe deaf people could communicate with each other at a distance by sending computer signals as if they were telegrams.

They ran some phone lines over the hill to our campus and connected them to several teletypewriters or TTYs. Those devices were about five feet square and two feet deep and had keyboards.

It worked! They could actually access material on the computer at their lab.

Computers were scary, but we were required to attend training and learn to use that technology before it became available for the students.

I sat in front of the contraption and tried a program called "Dorothea" after a famous psychologist named Dorothea Dix. The program was supposed to help students cope with emotional problems by encouraging them to share their feelings.

I'd had college classes in psychology and knew the non-directive phrases like "How do you feel about that?" so I typed some of them in as responses to prompts and within a few minutes the computer had become confused and was sending me gibberish.

Whew! A computer wasn't smart enough to do those scary sci-fi things we'd heard about after all.

Of course today computers can do things we could only have imagined back then and they're part of our every day lives. I'm proud to have been involved in one of the very first internet communications.

Keep On Blogging

2011-10-19T09:32:00.000-07:00

More than ten years ago the word, blog, didn't exist. It originated as a combination of the world wide web (www) and a log where people posted things they wrote online as if they were writing in a journal. Blog is short for web log and blog has also become a verb.

Five years ago I had no idea I would ever be one of those blogging people, but I've been doing it here for three years.

When blogs first became popular they were considered an easy way for authors to publicize their books because there weren't very many blogs and most of them had lots of readers. Now, of course, there are thousands -- perhaps even millions -- of blogs and people have become selective about which ones they read, so blogging can't be used for publicity as easily as it once was.

When my first book was under contract I was told it was important to have a blog so, being a good girl, I started this one. But I didn't want it only to be a form of advertising for my books and wondered how I could possibly think of something new to post twice a week. Probably I'd run out of ideas and have to give up in a few months.

Well, obviously that hasn't happened. It seems there's always more to say about words, books and kids. I've reviewed dozens of books, including classics I loved as a child, library books I enjoy, and new books written by authors I know. Hints and information about kids, parenting, and language have often appeared here, too. And I can always post links to other sites.

Since my posts appear on Facebook most of the comments people make are on that site but that's okay.

While it's great if people who read my blog posts also buy my books, I'd probably keep blogging even if the books were all out of print because it's a fun way to communicate.

Those of us who blog may never run out of things to say.

Free Play

2011-10-15T09:58:00.000-07:00

"Mom, can I go out to play now?"

If you're old (like me) you probably remember asking that question.

After reminding you to say "May I" in stead of "Can I," and checking to be sure you'd finished all your chores the answer was usually, "Okay" with a reminder about how to behave and when to be back home.

Then you'd rush out the front door to find your friends.

Wait a minute! Do I mean kids actually went out without adult supervision?

We sure did.

As long as the commies didn't drop an atomic bomb that day parents assumed we'd be okay.

Illegal drugs were something the papers reported were becoming a problem back in poorer sections of New York City and molestation was never mentioned in public. Only the children of rich people might get kidnapped and held for ransom and we knew to be careful not to be run over by cars.

Of course we'd often get skinned knees, someone might get a black eye in a fight and once in a while a kid might even fall out of a tree and break a bone, but nobody would get sued because of things like that. They were considered a normal part of growing up.

And we had the advantage of spending hours using our imaginations.

We might pretend to be cowboys and Indians, princesses and knights in shining armor, space explorers, detectives, horses, jungle animals, doctors, parents, or anything else we could think of. Sometimes we'd play games, but those weren't organized by adults and we could change the rules any time we agreed on new ones.

Since today's kids always have adults watching them and are usually in groups with others near the same age it's unusual for them to do pretending play after they enter grade school. For many children, electronic games are the only opportunity they have for using their imaginations.

It's a shame today's kids don't have the kind of freedom we enjoyed.

Holidays 2011

2011-10-12T10:45:00.000-07:00

I don't like to sound like a grinch, but it bothers me that some stores had Christmas stuff for sale in mid September and even more are displaying some of it along with the Halloween stuff now.

Yes, I know stores get most of their income from holiday purchases and, in this economy, they want to make all they can. (Actually they've probably always wanted to do that.) But it's only October.

Christmas has become so commercialized it's a problem to keep children from becoming greedy at this time of year. While I must admit that I wouldn't mind making a bit more money myself, I really hope some kids who read or hear my Christmas book about Saint Nicholas, Secret Service Saint, will be inspired to focus on giving and helping others rather than how much stuff they can get.

The Peril of the Sinister Scientist

2011-10-08T12:22:00.000-07:00

When my first book, The Peril of the Sinister Scientist, was published in the summer of 'o9 I took a copy to the local paper but they had no interest in my press release. This week, to my surprise, Ryan Rindels, a new writer for the paper, called me. He said he'd been given the copy of my book by an editor, and interviewed me about writing.

On Thursday he sent a photographer to my house. As you can tell by the photo, my dog found the camera fascinating.

Yesterday the story ran and it took up most of the front page in the Religion section. I was amazed to have such a big spread.

I wish the nice young man who wrote the article had mentioned my newer books, but I'm pleased to have gotten this unexpected publicity.

Here's the link to the story and picture: http://www.theunion.com/article/20111007/FEATURES/111009763/1066&ParentProfile=1053

Oxygen

2011-10-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

Years ago when I first joined a writers' critique group I'd had a few things published in periodicals but was bringing book manuscripts for critique. Some of the other members were sharing excellent work and I was afraid if they got books published before I did I'd be jealous.

But when John Olson and Randy Ingermanson (Randy lived far away but had visited our group) got their book, Oxygen, published and it went on to win a Christy award I wasn't jealous at all. Instead I felt like a proud grandmother because our group had become almost like a family and we'd all helped John and Randy nurture that wonderful book.

The plot was exciting, the characters believable, etc. and even those of us who knew both the authors couldn't tell which parts had been written by either of them because the teamwork was flawless. No wonder it won that award!

John and Randy have just re-published Oxygen as an e-book, and have added a lot of information helpful to writers at the end. That material will also be of interest to anyone who wants to know how a book gets published.

Although the book is for adults, there's nothing in it that would be inappropriate for kids and I think lots of teens would love it. It's on sale on Amazon for only 99 cents for a few days and I hope it sells well. After all, it's sort of like my great grandbaby. ;-)

Successful Parents

2011-10-01T11:02:00.000-07:00

What makes a successful parent? We tend to think that depends on what our children do when they grow up.

Some people use their kids as status symbols and want them to be rich and/or famous. Most parents want their kids to become self sufficient and have happy marriages and children of their own. And nearly all parents want their kids to avoid becoming criminals or destroying their lives by addictions or reckless behavior.

But the choices adults make are outside their parents' control.

We can try to teach our kids to be responsible, get adequate educations, and make wise decisions. Above all they'll need to have compassion, integrity, and common sense in order to have successful adult lives.

There's no guarantee the things we try to teach will sink in and last but it's important to keep trying. And probably the most important thing parents can do is demonstrate the values they want their children to have.

Compassion for Kids

2011-09-28T09:45:00.000-07:00

My internet friend, Nicole Weaver, recently sent me a pdf of her book, My Birthday is September Eleven and other short stories. It is about children who must deal with serious problems like natural disasters and prejudice and some of their stories are heart wrenching. While the book is fiction, I know a lot of it is based on things the author and people close to her have actually experienced.

But every story has a positive ending and the book will inspire readers to reach out and help others, as characters in the stories did.

While some children may find the stories disturbing, that's not necessarily a bad thing because it will help them develop compassion for others. There is a "bad word" in one story but it's included because it shows what the main character must deal with.

People anywhere from grade school through adulthood who read this book are likely to be inspired to make a difference in the world.

Sibling Rivalry Help

2011-09-24T10:03:00.000-07:00

When my daughter was young I had a family daycare home, which I operated like a small preschool. But once I had a neighbor who was in the Navy and only got two weeks of maternity leave, but the base childcare wouldn't accept babies younger than three months. Because she was desperate I agreed to care for the baby.

To my surprise, the other kids were all jealous of the baby, although they had never seemed jealous of each other. When I asked them about it they said I loved the baby more than I loved them. I assured them I didn't and asked what made them think so.

They couldn't answer.

Finally one articulate little boy said I loved the baby more than I loved them because I hugged it all the time. All the others agreed.

I explained that when I held the baby in my arms I wasn't hugging it. Since the baby couldn't walk or crawl it couldn't get from one place to another without being carried and because it couldn't eat or drink by itself I had to hold it to give it a bottle.

All the kids relaxed immediately and there was never another sign that they were jealous of the baby.

Whenever there's a new baby in a family maybe parents should explain the same thing to their other little ones. Although some sibling rivalry is inevitable, that might help keep it to a minimum.

Prejudice

2011-09-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

My grandfather, born in San Francisco in the 1870s, really thought minstrel shows gave accurate depictions of African Americans since those were the only "black" people he'd ever seen.

Now that so many people are watching or reading The Help the topic of prejudice often comes up in conversations. Back in the 1960s many of us fought to eliminate prejudice against racial minorities and it became unacceptable to make fun of people who had long been the subject of humor.

For some reason a lot of what is considered funny in our culture involves ridiculing people, so when the entertainment industry couldn't joke about Jewish people being stingy, black people being stupid, or any of the other ethnic stereotypes they'd used for years what could they do?

They began making fun of the majority and have continued doing so for nearly 40 years. For example, Protestants are often portrayed by the media as ignorant rednecks and Catholics as members of the Mafia.

Just as many people in the past had their ideas about people different from themselves shaped by comedy, I'm afraid that is happening again in our time.

What Goes Around Comes Around

2011-09-17T10:07:00.000-07:00

In the olden days when my grandmothers were young, women wore long dresses with full skirts, long sleeves, and corsets to make their waists as small as possible. (And how did they stand cooking over fires on hot days dressed like that?) Men usually wore suits and ties unless they were doing physical work, and most had beards and mustaches.

In the 1920s the 'modern' generation wore dresses with shorter skirts and no waistlines. Men became clean shaven and women cut their hair short and got permanent waves. That was my mother's generation.

When I was a kid we went back to full skirts with petticoats and wide belts. While our fashionable clothes weren't as long and restrictive as those in our grandparents' day, we valued the old fashioned look. Things worn in the previous century like cowboy gear and coonskin hats also became popular. For a while, some boys even wore Mohawk hairdos, though most had crew cuts and lots of girls still got perms.

Then came the hippie generation with men growing long hair and facial hair again. For the first time (probably because of mini skirts) women and girls could wear pants to work and school. Some styles imitated things from other cultures.

Today the grunge look is in, and my grandparents would be horrified to see the body parts freely displayed in public by both sexes.

But all things change and I'm guessing that the new generation will swing the other way.

While spiked hair is not uncommon and I've seen a few young teens wearing wide belts and full skirts, that doesn't mean they'll go back to clothes like we had in the 1950s. I doubt that women will ever return to wearing skirts and dresses all the time, but perhaps the kind worn in the middle ages will become popular when they want to dress nicely. Maybe clothing will imitate a sci-fi or fantasy world. Or perhaps togas, sarongs or kimonos will become the norm.

It will be interesting to see what's in style ten or 15 years from now, but it's certain to be different from what young people wear today..

Changing Clothes

2011-09-14T10:02:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, way back in ancient history, people didn't have automatic washing machines. The electric ones available then took a long time to use and every item had to be put through the ringer by hand and hung on a line to dry. Some people took dirty clothes to a laundry, but it would take a week before they were clean and ready to be picked up. And, since fabrics like polyester hadn't been invented yet, everything had to be ironed before it was fit to be worn in public.

For that reason, kids usually wore their school clothes for at least two days.

Girls had to wear dresses or skirts to school, of course. After school we'd change to our play clothes, and those usually included jeans, slacks, or pedal pushers and a tee-shirt. Boys, too, would change out of their nice school clothes every afternoon and put on jeans for play. We'd wear the same set of play clothes all week.

We also had some nice clothes for dressy occasions like church, birthday parties, and holidays. Usually girls would have organdy dresses for warm weather and velveteen or taffeta ones for the colder months and boys would wear suits and white shirts. They also wore neckties, though the ones for kids were already tied and held on with elastic that went under the shirt collar.

Girls always wore slips with skirts or dresses and it was humiliating to have anyone see part of them. There were several code phrases like "It's snowing down south" to subtly let a friend know her slip was showing so she could rush to the bathroom and pull it up.

And if anybody saw our underwear we'd almost die of embarrassment because someone would be sure to call out, "I see London, I see France, I see somebody's underpants."

Now young people walk around with their underwear showing all the time on purpose.

I wonder what would happen if all us older folks were to shout that chant and point to them every time we saw those no longer private garments in public.

Teaching Reading

2011-09-03T11:59:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in the last post, children are ready to read at different ages and trying to teach them too early does more harm than good. But here's a method I used that allowed many young children to start reading while not pressuring the others.

Each day when the preschoolers I taught lay down for naps I'd play a story tape followed by a phonics record that repeated the letter sounds. (Since I used tapes and records you can tell that was long ago.) Then I'd play quiet music as they drifted off to sleep.

Every morning at Circle Time I'd spend a few minutes showing them the letter of the day and telling them the the short vowel or hard consonant sound it made. Then I'd tell each child how their name would be pronounced if it started with that letter or had it in the first syllable. For example, if the letter of the day was F I might tell a kid named Dan, "If your name started with F it would be Fan." If the letter of the day was E I'd tell that child his name would be "Den."

I'd congratulate those who did have names starting with the letter of the day. That's all the actual reading instruction I'd give.

And, of course, I read to the kids a lot, sometimes using big books and tracing my finger beneath the words as I read. I'd also let the children choose books they wanted me to read to them.

Quite a few of my students started reading spontaneously when they were about four years old and a few did so earlier. I hope the method also helped the ones who weren't yet ready to learn reading in Preschool to do it when they got to 'big kid school.'

Reading Readiness

2011-08-31T07:07:00.000-07:00

It used to be the norm for kids to start learning to read in First Grade. Now reading instruction often starts in Kindergarten or Preschool.

While some children are ready to learn to read at early ages, others are not, and trying to teach them before they're ready can do more harm than good.

In order for human brains to read the myelin coating of their nerves must be complete and, just as babies get their teeth and older kids reach puberty at various times, myelinization can develop at different ages. Usually kids' brains become ready to read when they're between four and six years old, but it can happen earlier or later. And the age of reading readiness is not necessarily an indicator of intelligence.

If people try to teach children to read who aren't yet ready, those children come to believe reading is something too difficult for them ever to learn. They may think of themselves as stupid and give up trying. Pressuring them does more harm than good.

On the other hand, kids who are ready and eager to learn shouldn't be denied the opportunity.

There is a method that works for almost everyone. I'll share information about it in my next post.

What Kids Need to Learn

2011-08-27T10:11:00.000-07:00

What is the most important thing kids need to learn in school?

The public school system was established in America so kids would grow up to be adults who could make wise choices as voters in a democracy.

When they begin attending school, children must learn to function as part of a group, to share, obey rules, and listen to those in authority. But they can learn those things in other situations.

By learning to read and write kids gain access to vast amounts of information that will be useful to them for the rest of their lives.

Arithmetic is essential for handling money and other tasks needed by all adults since calculators and other devices might not always be available.

As the saying goes, those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it, so Social Studies are certainly important.

Since many modern kids no longer just "go out and play" Physical Education is essential for their health.

Science helps them understand how the world works and provides practical information they'll certainly need as adults.

Art and music open their minds to appreciate the world around them and help kids discover and develop their talents and creativity.

Of course as they get older they'll learn more about all these subjects and get to explore others.

So, if kids schools could teach only one subject, which of these should it be? In my opinion, it would be reading because all the others, even how to participate in physical activities, can be learned through that skill.

What do you think is the most important thing kids need to learn in school?

Earthquakes, etc.

2011-08-24T10:25:00.000-07:00

Any kids who have been scared or just became interested in earthquakes because of the recent one in the state of Virginia might enjoy reading Earthquake by Susan J. Berger.

Maybe it's just because with all the modern technology we're much more aware of things happening in parts of the world far from our homes, but it seems to me there have been more earthquakes and volcanoes than usual in recent years.

Somebody told me that might be because of all the petroleum and minerals humans have removed from underground, but I find that difficult to believe because our planet is so big. I'm reminded of another book I used to read to my classes, Is A Blue Whale The Biggest Thing There Is? by Robert E. Wells. (It was published in 1993, but copies might still be available.) That book shows how small we humans really are.

But if there actually are more earthquakes and volcanoes happening lately, what could be the cause? Or are we just hearing more about them?

Simply Salsa

2011-08-20T09:57:00.000-07:00

I don't usually review this sort of books here, but couldn't resist sharing about Simply Salsa, Dancing without Fear at God's Fiesta. It was written by my friend, Janet Perez Eckles who has dealt with multiple problems and tragedies in her life, but has a joyful attitude. Her book is a Christian one that will help other people going through difficult times. I found it encouraging myself and it's not surprising that the book became Amazon's #1 best seller.

One thing about Simply Salsa that does make it appropriate for this blog is the frequent use of Spanish words and phrases, with translations. I never took Spanish in school, but as a California resident I've picked up a little by 'osmosis.' After reading the book and looking through the glossary at the end I've learned quite a bit more.

Muscles Make Us Move

2011-08-17T10:36:00.000-07:00

Bill Kirk sent me a PDF of his newest book in The Sum of Our Parts series, Muscles Make Us Move. I have a feeling lots of kids who read this book will become doctors or scientists when they grow up because, like the other books in the series, it makes scientific information about how human bodies work fascinating.

It's a picture book and the rhymes are amusing and simple enough for young children to understand, but the factoids tell things older kids and even adults will find fascinating. (Confession: I'm a grown up and I discovered a lot of information in this book I hadn't known before.)

I can see parents and teachers reading the rhymes out loud to children, middle graders reading it themselves, and older kids - maybe even some in High School - using the book for research to use in term papers.

Eugene Ruble's illustrations are educational, too.

Complicated Families

2011-08-06T08:57:00.000-07:00

There are lots of complicated relationships in my family such as second cousins, first cousins twice removed, etc. But many young kids today have far more complex ones and there are no generally accepted terms to describe them.

Step-brothers and step-sisters are a clear relationship, but what if the parents get divorced but the kids still keep in touch? Do the kids remain step-siblings?

What if the parents live together but never marry? And what about their other relatives? What should kids call the parents of their mother or father's domestic partner? Grandpartners?

Changes in families are difficult enough for children without the need to figure out terminology for relationships. It's too bad they must deal with things like that at all, but it might make their lives a tiny bit easier if we could come up with appropriate vocabulary.

Any suggestions?

Maurice Sendak

2011-08-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

During all the years I taught preschool and read picture books to the kids one book stood out from all the rest as the most popular. Except for one little girl who was afraid of the monsters, every child loved Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.

I guess every little kid has misbehaved and had nightmares so they could all identify with the story, which is just scary enough to be exciting but has a comforting ending.

I recently learned that a new book by Maurice Sendak will be published soon. It will be called Bumble-Ardy and is based on something Sendak, who is now 83 years old, once wrote for Sesame Street. Will it be as good ads Where the Wild Things Are? We'll have to wait and see.

I learned about Bumble-Ardy on Nancy Stewart's blog and you can find out more about it by following this link:

http://tinyurl.com/3ockjnw

Substitute Teaching

2011-07-30T08:57:00.001-07:00

Years ago I was having some health problems and couldn't work full time, so I became a substitute teacher. That was a job I enjoyed a lot, but I missed having the same group of kids every day and eventually went back to teaching my own classes.

A few years ago ago I was visiting my kids and took my grandson to his school in the district where I had worked fifteen years earlier. To my surprise, some of the other teachers asked me if I was subbing that day. They remembered me after all that time!

Subbing isn't for everyone, but I enjoyed it a lot. People doing that job get to meet lots of great kids and develop relationships with other teachers and staff. (Believe me, nobody can be a better judge of teachers than somebody who has subbed in their classes.)

One of the high points of substitute teaching was that once in a while I'd explain something a little differently than the regular teacher did and a student, usually a boy, would suddenly understand something he'd struggled with. Those ah-ha moments happened rarely, but made me feel great when they did.

Of course once in a while I had a bad day, but those can happen in any job and were few and far between.

Soon I'll start substitute teaching again. Since I've worked a lot with kids in Special Education and taught Preschool and Kindergarten chances are good that I'll often be working with classes like those.

I can hardly wait!

What For?

2011-07-27T09:44:00.000-07:00

About a year ago I was trying to figure out a tag line that would apply to all the writing I do. The one factor that has been consistent in both my writing and my life is caring about people who are different, often because of special needs, and helping others to understand and accept them. Maybe that's because I had severe chronic asthma as a child and was often teased and bullied.

The tag line I decided to use is "Opening Eyes, Opening Hearts" and I hope my books do that for kids. The Peril of the Sinister Scientist has a protagonist who doesn't know who his father is and features another character who uses a wheelchair. Secret Service Saint shows the young man who later became Saint Nicholas helping people dealing with illness and poverty. And Signs of Trouble, my newest book, is about kids with learning disabilities who get separated from their class on a field trip. Besides helping children understand learning disabilities that book also shows them ways to stay safe themselves.

Soon I'll be going back to substitute teaching and will probably work in a lot of Special Education classes because of my experience in that area.

I hope both my writing and my teaching will help to open people's eyes and hearts.

And the Winner Is ...

2011-07-23T08:10:00.000-07:00

The person who wins a copy of the e-book, 11 Secrets of Getting Published, is ET. I'll send her the author's contact information by e-mail so she can let Mary DeMuth know she won.

I'm sure ET will become a published writer soon as a result of reading the book.

Drawing

2011-07-22T09:09:00.000-07:00

The drawing for a free copy of Mary DeMuth's book will be tonight at 8:00 Pacific Time so if you want to enter you'll need to do it before then. I'll announce the winner on my blog tomorrow. For more information please see the previous blog post.

11 Secrets of Getting Published

2011-07-20T16:14:00.000-07:00

I've met Mary DeMuth at writers conferences and was pleased to get a free copy of her e-book, 11 Secrets of Getting Published. I've always admired Mary for her courageous vulnerability and willingness to help others and those qualities show as she reveals her own mistakes along the way.

The book is great, but I think the title is inaccurate. It should be called All the Secrets to Getting Published because just about everything important I've learned from books, magazines, websites, and writers conferences is summarized in it.

While the book will be immensely helpful to new writers, any of us will benefit from being reminded of what we've heard and seen and may learn a few new things along the way.

Mary DeMuth has offered to send a free copy to the winner of a drawing. and anyone who makes a comment on my blog (not on Facebook) answering the question below will be entered in the contest.

What's the most important thing you think a writer should know?

If you tweet about this post and let me know you can have another chance to win the e-book. You can also enter the drawing by liking her Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/authormarydemuth

Shifty

2011-07-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

I don't often blog about YA books, but I couldn't resist sharing about Shifty by Lynn E. Hazen. There's no sex in this book, but the main character is a teen and his rough lifestyle makes the book inappropriate for a lot of younger readers.

This book is about a kid who has been shuffled around in the foster care system for years and does a lot of dumb things even though his motives are often good. He wants to help the foster mother and younger foster kids he has learned to care about in his current home. But his efforts seem only to get him deeper into trouble. Will he have to loose these people too?

As a former foster parent I can attest to the accuracy of Hazen's descriptions of the system, including the good and bad social workers.

The book has a satisfying ending, but there are a few things that could be used as lead-ins for a sequel. I hope the author writes one, because I care about these characters and would like to read more about them.

Rooms

2011-07-13T10:20:00.000-07:00

Long ago (and still in many places) most families lived in one room and gathered around a fireplace or stove to socialize, often while doing handwork like sewing, carving or repairing small things.

In Victorian times those who could afford better houses usually had a parlor, or front room, where guests were entertained, but families usually spent their 'together time' in the kitchens.

Then living rooms came along. Families would gather there every evening and listen to programs on the radio and, later, watch television together.

But then even newer, modern houses with both a living room and a family room were built. In some homes today the living room is seldom used except when company is present, so perhaps we should call living rooms parlors.

Interestingly, the word 'parlor' is derived from one meaning 'to speak.' I guess you could say parlors were chat rooms but they weren't anything like what we call chat rooms today.

Unfortunately in some modern households family members are more likely to be using computers, smart phones, i-pods, or whatever technical devices they have than to be gathered together in one room communicating with each other.

Does your family have one room where they tend to gather and socialize?

Stinking

2011-07-09T10:10:00.000-07:00

Long ago I knew a nice, middle-aged gentleman who was sad never to have married, but women never seemed to be interested in him. Like everyone else who knew him, I was too embarrassed to tell him his breath always smelled terrible. If only I had, he would probably have been grateful, but telling people they stink isn't considered polite in our society.

A more common problem is the horrible smell on people who smoke. Since I have asthma I avoid anyone I see smoking, but can't always predict who will have the tobacco odor in their clothes and hair until I get close enough to be effected.

People who smoke have no idea they always smell like dirty ashtrays because their noses are used to the odor. Usually their homes stink, too since the odor is absorbed into the curtains, upholstery, and even walls. Some of that happens even if they smoke outdoors because it's carried in on their clothes. And it's not polite to admit that I must refuse an invitation to visit someone because their home stinks, so instead I make up excuses.

Interestingly, some of those people have Asthma, Emphysema, lung cancer or COPD themselves, but they keep lighting up. That concerns me because one of my family members died of emphysema after years of smoking and it wasn't a pleasant experience.

According to the CDC, over 20% of adults in the USA are smokers and people I know who are in recovery from other addictions say tobacco is by far the hardest addiction to recover from. Maybe if the rest of us told everyone who smokes that they stink at least fewer people would be tempted to start the habit.

Discipline

2011-07-06T08:49:00.000-07:00

According to my dictionary, discipline is self control or a method that teaches self control. Here are some things I learned in my Early Childhood Education classes about discipline.

First, it's essential to be sure the child is capable of the desired behavior. Then the rules, reasons, and consequences of disobeying them must be explained clearly in advance. And parents should set a good example. For instance, if children hear parents swearing they can hardly be blamed for doing the same thing.

Positive reinforcement got a bad reputation when kids were given rewards for everything they did correctly, and some children became spoiled as a result, but it's important to acknowledge approval when they do what is right even if only with a few words.

Of course parents should not give in to children's demands or they loose their authority in the children's eyes. However it's important to consider the cause of misbehavior because sometimes the child may not be able to help doing something wrong, or their actions might be a reaction to stress.

There are varying opinions about spanking kids. Some people call spanking child abuse while others think it's essential. When I was a child I was spanked, but only for doing something extremely dangerous. One of my ECE teachers said in cultures where children who disobey may be eaten by a wild animal, step on a land mine, or get shot, spanking is the norm, but in peaceful societies with little danger corporal punishment is less likely to be used.

When young children do something seriously wrong, punishment should be immediate and consistent. Consistency is important for all ages, but delayed punishment, like not being allowed to do something fun later, works for older kids. In some cases with all kids simply explaining why they shouldn't have done something is all that's needed.

Bad Words, Etc.

2011-07-02T10:12:00.000-07:00

Since my last post, which is about swearing, I've been thinking about what makes certain words unacceptable while others that are literally synonyms, are considered okay. Nobody is likely to be offended by the mention of excrement, and eternal punishment is often mentioned in religious discussions but using other words for those things would be rude.

Once when I heard one man yell at another using words that literally meant "Your mother is a female dog and I want to to mate with you," I couldn't help laughing out loud.

Sometimes perhaps the "bad" words are of Anglo-Saxon origin and the "good" ones are Latin or French based because of the class differences in England during the Middle Ages, but that isn't usually the case. There isn't really much reason for the distinction between good and bad words, it's just a matter of what people agree about.

Come to think of it, that's true of other things, too.

Why should gold be highly valued in so many cultures? Yes, it's rare and pretty, but we can't use it for food, shelter or other things necessary for survival. It made better sense for the Romans to use salt to pay soldiers their salaries.

And money is only valuable because it represents gold but people all over the world now accept it as having worth.

Since humans disagree about so many things I guess its just as well that we do agree about some things, even if only which words are bad.

Swearing

2011-06-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

I wonder if the frequency of swearing is one reason why we have so much violence in our culture. When people get angry they tend to express it by stepping outside the bounds of their usual behavior. When polite people only used certain words when they were angry, saying them helped release some of the anger.

But now many people use those words frequently in their everyday conversations, so when they need to express anger by stepping outside the bounds of what's normally acceptable, swearing doesn't provide release. Instead, they release their anger with physical violence.

Of course some people have always done that, just as some people have always used impolite language, but as swearing has become more prevalent in our society, so has physical violence.

Too bad we can't do much to change that.

But we can teach children not to swear. If parents today were to wash their children's mouths out with soap for using dirty words they'd probably be accused of child abuse, but there are certainly other ways of teaching kids to avoid using that kind of language.

Commercials

2011-06-26T09:10:00.000-07:00

I recently found some notes from an Early Childhood Education college class I took years ago. They're about a study that showed the results of allowing preschoolers to watch commercials. I didn't find a reference to the study so I can't quote it exactly, but the things I did write down are important.

Preschoolers who often watch commercials usually believe them. They also tend to believe social stereotypes and try to persuade adults to give them the things advertised. The study also said those kids may get desensitized to violence, become less verbal and have less social communication, but I think those things may be a result of watching TV, movies, etc. in general and not just from the commercials.

Either way, it's probably a good idea not to let young children get a lot of media exposure.

Mickles and Muckles

2011-06-22T09:48:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid my grandfather often told me about his Scottish grandmother who had taught him the importance of being thrifty. One of her favorite sayings was, "Waste not, want not." (In the past to want meant to need.)

Another of her sayings was, "Many muckles make a mickle," which Gramp told me meant "Many littles make a big."

I thought those words ought to have been switched because muckle sounded to me like it should be bigger than mickle.

Recently I found the words in the dictionary and discovered they both mean the same thing, much or a lot.

But that doesn't make sense to me. How could my great, great grandmother have been mistaken about a saying from her own homeland? Could the meaning of one of the words have changed since the early 1800s? But dictionaries (and I checked several, both online and in hard copy) agree that the words are archaic so that change is unlikely.

I wish I knew the answer to those questions, but I do know her advice still holds true. In this economy we should all be thrifty, avoid wasting money, and remember that many small things amount to a lot.

Cheaters

2011-06-18T13:39:00.000-07:00

I've heard about a group that claims to be a charity but really isn't. They put out blue bins labeled "Books for Charity" and do give a small percentage of the books to charities, but most of the ones they collect are either resold online or recycled. The bins are showing up all over the West Coast and may spread to other parts of the country soon. Donations of books to local libraries and real charities are down wherever they appear. In my opinion what they are doing is wrong.

Here are some links to stories about them:

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2011/05/book_bins_for_charity_open_up_a_story_of_blurry_relationships_between.html

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/may/30/donated-books-becoming-a-sought-after-commodity/

> http://www.wiredvc.com/thrift-recycling-435management-secures-8-5m-growth-equity-investment/

Meghan Rose Takes the Cake

2011-06-15T10:07:00.000-07:00

The early reader, Meghan Rose Takes the Cake, is one in a series by author Lori Z. Scott. It's about a girl whose school is having a contest to see which class can collect the most pennies to help feed the hungry.

I enjoyed the amusing plays on words used by the main character and the whole book is cute. It also teaches kids an important lesson about the importance of giving to others.

The one thing I disliked about the book is that Meghan Rose tattles on another student. I think it would have worked better for the misdeed to be discovered by the authorities in another way. But except for that factor, I liked this book, which has a strong, Christian message.

The reading level is comfortable for kids in early grades and young readers will certainly identify with the school setting and characters. Girls should especially enjoy it.

Heidi

2011-06-11T09:42:00.000-07:00

Heidi by Johanna Spyri was one of my favorite books when I was a kid. Since it was one of only a few that I owned I read it many times back then, but hadn't opened it for years. Yesterday I re-read it and was surprised to see that it violates some of the rules writers are told we must follow today.

It's a Middle Grade novel, but the protagonist is only five years old when the story starts and, while the time span isn't specific, she only ages a year or two by the end of the book.

One of the basic requirements for a plotline is supposed to be that the main character wants something badly, makes several failed attempts to get it, and finally achieves the goal - unless the book is a tragedy. But in the beginning of this book Heidi wants to be loved and have a happy home. She gets that right away, looses it again, and regains it long before the end of the book. She develops and achieves several other goals as the book progresses.

Several things in the book are unrealistic, like children going from learning the alphabet to fluently reading complex material in a matter of days. And, although food is frequently described, nobody ever ate any fruits or vegetables.

So, why did I enjoy reading this book so much when I was a child? And why did it become a classic?

It completely carried me away into an unfamiliar world, the characters were believable and likable, and it had a happy ending. Probably what I liked best was the cozy, safe feeling it gave me.

Prejudice

2011-06-08T09:14:00.000-07:00

Prejudice means assuming all members of a group are alike. Bigotry is a negative prejudice against a group of human beings.

Back in the 1960s and 70s a lot of people in America worked hard, trying to eliminate bigotry against minority races and, while it wasn't completely eliminated, the amount of bigotry was certainly reduced. Many in our society realized it was also wrong to be prejudiced against others because of their national origin, religion, or sex.

But today it seems leaders in the major American political parties are doing everything they can to create and encourage bigotry against each other. That makes it more and more difficult for our country to be governed fairly and justly.

How can we eliminate that problem?

Extended Family

2011-06-04T10:06:00.000-07:00

I'm thankful to have lots of relatives and to see many of them at least every year or so. But my husband didn't come from that kind of family and when we first married he was confused about what to call some of those people.

Of course there are words for parents, siblings, uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents, etc. It's slightly more awkward to refer to second cousins, great uncles, and in-laws, but that's not really a problem.

However there aren't any simple terms in the English language for relationships like my cousins' cousin's granddaughter, my second cousin's cousin, someone's significant other, or a son-in-law's sister and I consider all those people part of my family even though the way they are related to me may be complicated. If I see them at family gatherings they're family to me.

Eventually my husband came up with a term that applies to all of those and any other convoluted relationships. He called them "step-neighbors-in-law" and now I do, too.

Do you have any step-neighbors-in-law?

First to Read

2011-06-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid my mother was widowed so we were poor. I would only get two new books a year, one for my birthday and one for Christmas. But as I got older I shelved books in our local library after school while I waited for my mother to pick me up when she got off work. As a reward, the librarian always let me be the first one to check out new children's books when they arrived. What a thrill!

Maybe that's why I still feel honored to be one of the first people to read a book.

When I first joined a critique group I was afraid I'd be jealous if other members got their books published before I did. Instead, I was thrilled!

Just as a mother is proud of her children's achievements, I glowed with pride at the success of the other members and was pleased to know that some of my comments and suggestions may have helped to make those books a success.

And I'd gotten to read those books before they were even published!

Moving

2011-05-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

Lots of people are moving lately so I thought some things I've learned from experience might be helpful to others.

Moving is one of the hardest jobs in the world because you can't go home from it and rest. It's a good idea to pack a special box of things needed to set up an area where you can turn your back on the mess in the new home and relax. Comfortable chairs, a small table, snacks, music and something to read can provide breaks from the constant unpacking. That box needs to be one of the first things to unload.

Last time we moved we packed things ourselves and labeled each box with a code showing the priority of how soon it needed to be unpacked. For example, boxes containing basic necessities for survival like bedding, towels, and frequently used dishes and cooking equipment might have been labeled as top priority with a star. Seasonal things like Christmas decorations, and sentimental items like children's drawings were labeled as lowest priority, perhaps with a zero. And other symbols were used for medium levels of priority.

Each box was also labeled with the initials or name of the room where the contents would belong. The labels were written on all sides and the tops of the boxes so they were easy to see.

Last time we moved we were able to enter our new home before the movers arrived and put removable tape on the floors showing where major pieces of furniture should go and areas where the boxes of each priority should be placed. That made the movers' job so much easier they charged us quite a bit less than the estimate.

The worst move we ever made was to a new home only a few blocks from the previous one. We were able to drive everything from one location to the other ourselves, but failed to pack things as carefully as we'd done for longer distance moves and several items were lost or damaged. That certainly taught us a lesson.

Dog Spit

2011-05-25T14:33:00.000-07:00

Some parents worry about their kids getting licked or slobbered on by dogs. They might be surprised to know that canine saliva contains an enzyme that kills many germs.

That's because wolves, coyotes, and other wild dogs that are the ancestors of our domesticated pets often eat carrion. That means bodies of dead animals they find - sort of the natural variety of road kill.

Once my husband had a horrible infection in his hand and none of the antibiotics the doctor tried were doing any good. One day, after weeks of pain, he let our pet dog lick the wound and it improved in less than a half hour. He let her lick it again and again and the infection was completely gone by the next morning.

A doctor friend told us about that enzyme in the canine saliva, but said it would never be used for medical purposes because nobody wanted pet dogs to be used in experiments or to have their saliva extracted.

But if you ever get dog spit slobbered on you or your kids please remember that it's nothing to worry about.

Special Needs

2011-05-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

Several years ago I was advised to start a second blog about special needs and did so. Since I'm a techno-idiot (could that be considered a disability?) I couldn't figure out how to link that blog to other social networking sites without unlinking this one, so it got almost no hits and I've posted to it less and less often.

Special needs are one of the things I care about deeply and I really want to share some of the things I've put on that blog in the past. I could send them directly to Facebook or widen the focus of this blog and repost some of them here, but I can't decide which is the best thing to do.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Review

2011-05-19T12:19:00.000-07:00

I saw on someone else's blog that I would be reviewing The Weaver here today, but I already did that last month. Anyone who is interested can see that review here: http://onwordsblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/weaver.html

Mr. Topper, the Potbellied Pig

2011-05-18T12:18:00.000-07:00

Many people have potbellied pigs as pets, but Mr. Topper, the main character in Liam Maher's book, is homeless. He wants someone to take care of him, but can't find anyone willing to do that. Then he gets an idea; he'll pretend he can bring magical good luck to whoever takes him in.

After several failed attempts, a kind-hearted person finally welcomes Mr. Topper into his home. But when his benefactor falls on hard times the pig really wants to bring him good luck. Is there any way he can help the kind human?

No spoilers intended here, but a child who has recently lost a tooth will probably especially enjoy this book.

Perhaps it's because the author grew up in Ireland that the story reads like a classical folk tale, the sort that never goes out of style. Even the illustrations by Vanda Lavar remind me of pictures in books I enjoyed way back when I was a kid and I think children today will enjoy this book a lot.

Stella, The Fire Farting Dragon

2011-05-14T08:49:00.000-07:00

Kids will love this picture book! It's a funny story about a dragon who wants to win a contest, but is nervous and can't stop farting fire. She could be publicly humiliated!

What will happen if she follows the advice of her human friend Allen? "No matter what happens, keep flying," he tells her.

I love the illustrations by Jack Foster (who also illustrated one of my books) because they're just as amusing as the story.

The author, J Aday Kennedy, is "differently-abled" and has plenty of experience with persevering in spite of difficulties, but the book isn't at all preachy-teachy. Stella, The Fire Farting Dragon is just plain fun!

One Pelican at a Time

2011-05-11T07:56:00.000-07:00

Nancy Stewart's book, One Pelican at a Time, has already won some awards although it was only published a few months ago. It's about two girls, Britt and Bella, who discover a pelican covered by oil from the Gulf Oil spill and help to save it. The girls wisely got help from adults, but what they did themselves mattered a lot.

I asked the author, who lives in Florida near the Gulf of Mexico, what influence her own experience after the famous disaster had on writing this book. Here's what she told me:

"Our condo is on Clearwater Beach, a part of Tampa Bay. Fortunately, we did not have any oil spill residue. But just being a part of the gulf community was enough to be impacted emotionally. We love it and respect the marine life found there, so it wasn't any stretch of the imagination to empathize. Because of this and coupled with all the live shots of the oil spurting from the well and at the surface, the book was a natural. In fact, Lynda Burch, my publisher and I thought the book was crying out to be written. So I wrote it."

The book is well written and the lovely illustrations by Samantha Bell convey the story perfectly. Kids who read it will enjoy discovering what two children like themselves were able to do to make a difference in the world. I hope a lot of readers will be inspired to make a difference themselves. I asked Nancy Stewart for some suggestions and she said, "I believe the things to do with kids that will have the most impact are things they can really do. Every day. Things such as: turn off water while brushing teeth (three gallons used each time we don't), turn off lights when leaving a room, (I always tell little ones in school visits, each time they turn off a light they are helping save a polar bear), take short showers and unplug appliances after using them. And there are so many more. In fact, I have a power point I made as a presenter at the Illinois Reading Council Conference in March. It's on my website for anyone to use. It's called, Let's Help Kids Save Our Planet. If anyone wants it, s/he is free to use it.

The web address is: www.nancystewartbooks.com

My blog site is: http://www.nancystewartbooks.blogspot.com

I believe many young readers will be inspired by this book to make a difference in the world.

Missing Mothers

2011-05-07T08:51:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day makes me miss my mother, who died a few years ago.

It also makes me think of all the people, especially kids, who don't get to see their mothers. Some never even knew their birth mothers while others were separated from them by divorce, put into foster care, or sent to live with other relatives.

Even though they may see their mothers at times, lots of other children don't live with them. Others do live with their mothers, but those may be addicts, abusive, or have serious health problems so they can't parent effectively.

It's sad that thousands - perhaps millions - of kids have never experienced a healthy family life and that makes it less likely that they'll be able to provide one for their own kids.

But it can help a lot if kids have other mother figures who are good role models, even if they don't live with them. A stepmother, foster mother, grandmother, aunt, or even a teacher or neighbor can help to love and nurture a child and be an example of what a parent should be like. Even people from healthy families with wonderful mothers of their own can benefit from knowing other people like that.

Did you have any women in your life who were good role models for you? If so, Mother's Day is a good time to express your appreciation.

Memories

2011-05-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

Last week I blogged about heirlooms that remind us of things in the past. Since Sunday will be Mother's Day this is a good time to talk about memories of our mothers.

I remember my mother placing my new baby brother in my arms as I sat in my little rocking chair and allowing me to feed him from his bottle.

As we drove to California I remember her calling out, "Westward Ho! That's us, kids."

Of course I remember the morning she told us our father had died of polio the night before.

And I remember her beautiful singing as she cooked dinner.

Those are only a few of the many memories I have of my mother. What do you remember about yours?

The Giant-Slayer

2011-04-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

Iain Lawrence's book, The Giant-Slayer is excellent! It's part historical fiction, part fantasy, and ... oh, oh! If it's part historical fiction that means I'm really old because I actually remember things that happened at that time. My father died of polio when I was six years old. Polio truly was like a terrible giant threatening everyone.

The book takes place in the early 1950s during the polio epidemic and is about a girl, Laurie, who uses her amazing storytelling ability to inspire kids in a contraption called the iron lung. (That machine was used to help polio victims breathe by contracting their chests when muscles in that area had become paralyzed.)

As someone who lived during the era I can testify that the details are realistic.

But the important part of the book is the fantasy. Laurie's stories, involving mythological creatures from many cultures, carry the other kids and the reader away from the medical unit and into an exciting other world. As the children participate in the story, they become part of it.

But what will happen when Laurie, herself, gets polio? Can she survive?

Anyone who appreciates the value of Story or who simply wants to be carried away to other worlds will enjoy reading this book.

Heirlooms

2011-04-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

According to my old Webster's New World Dictionary, an heirloom is "a valuable or interesting possession handed down from generation to generation."

Heirlooms help people in families remember their history and the people who made it.

Some of the interesting things that were handed down to me are my mother's high school yearbook and my grandmother's hand painted salt and pepper shakers.

I've also saved toys and books from my own childhood, shared them with my kids, and now they're available for my grandchildren.

While some heirlooms may be too valuable or fragile to use, it seems wasteful to keep most of them tucked away for protection. If the platter my great aunt painted gets broken someday I'm sure she'd rather have that happen than for it to remain hidden and unused. And my mother would be pleased to see me actually wearing the costume jewelry that reminds me of her.

I believe some things exist for purely practical reasons, but many others are here to be appreciated for their beauty, and because they remind us of people we love.

Easter Rabbits

2011-04-23T07:47:00.000-07:00

Bunnies are a symbol of Easter because they have lots of babies, which symbolizes new life.

What if a rabbit had actually witnessed the resurrection?

Of course it probably wouldn't have thought about it at all and, after a moment of being startled and hiding, simply gone on nibbling on leaves.

But I'm a writer and my imagination can't help picturing the little bunny getting excited and running off to tell all his friends. That might even make a good picture book.

Okay, other writers, if you decide to use that idea please give me credit. :-))

I hope you have a wonderful Easter and even if you don't celebrate that holiday I wish you a happy day.

Worrying About Worrying

2011-04-20T14:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, I admit it. I'm a worrier.

I tell myself it's wrong to worry and that I should just have faith that things will work out as they're supposed to, but I worry anyway and then I worry more because I know I shouldn't worry.

But what if worrying isn't evil? What if it's part of having a creative mind that tends to think "what if..." in every situation? Most of my writer friends tell me they, too, tend to worry a lot.

And if people didn't ever worry they wouldn't take precautions. Imagine if everyone in Japan had simply decided not to worry about what the earthquake did to the nuclear power plant? What if the oil spill had been allowed to remain in the Gulf of Mexico and nobody had bothered to clean it up? What if nobody prepared their homes with smoke alarms, had disaster preparedness kits, or got medical check ups and immunizations?

In all those examples there's something practical to be done as a result of worrying and worrying about things we can't control is a total waste of time. But if our creative minds keep worrying we can find ways to use that negative imagination in positive ways. For example, how about using them as plot suggestions? And maybe some of us worriers will figure out practical ways to prevent possible future problems and make the world a better place.

The Weaver

2011-04-16T10:30:00.000-07:00

Kai Strand sent me a copy of her newly published book, The Weaver, and I enjoyed reading it.

It's a fantasy about Mary, who lives where storytelling is extremely important to the culture but can't tell stories well. She meets a magic creature who gives her a wish but, as in many fairy tales, the wish turns out to be more of a curse - or is it?

The plot is good and original, the characters are believable, and the language is often poetic without calling unnecessary attention to itself. The Weaver has a message kids need to hear but it doesn't hit them over the head with it.

The book is shorter than most for the nine to twelve age group, but many kids want books they can read quickly so they'll probably like this one.

Languages

2011-04-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

Bilingual babies have a great advantage; when they're older it will be much easier for them to learn additional languages.

Since infant and toddler brains are programmed to learn language, that's the ideal time to expose them to more than one. I've read that in a bilingual family it's easiest for the baby to learn if the mother always uses one language and the father always uses the other when speaking to the baby. It's easier for the baby's brain to separate the languages when they come from different people.

When my daughter was born we both used Total Communication (speaking and signing at the same time) because that was recommended by the school our deaf foster kids attended and she easily learned both. However speaking and signing are obviously different.

The older kids get the harder it is for them to learn a new language because their brains are changing.

Back when signing was forbidden in schools for deaf kids, or even more recently when those kids didn't start learning to sign until Kindergarten, the ones who were not from deaf families were at a great disadvantage because they were past the ideal learning age. I've heard of a few "feral" children, supposedly raised by animals without human contact for several years, who couldn't learn to talk, but don't know if those stories are accurate.

By the time humans reach puberty language learning has become quite difficult. It's too bad many school systems don't teach languages until high school.

Words Away

2011-04-09T08:35:00.000-07:00

Just before my fifth birthday my family moved from New Jersey to California and I was amazed at the difference in how people talked.

In a previous post I mentioned baby carriages and buggies, but that was only one of several differences I noticed. For example, back East we had a sofa in our living room, but out West people sat on couches. One friend, whose family was from the South, had a Chesterfield instead.

The little store in New Jersey where my mother shopped only had a small freezer and sold different kinds of popsicles depending on the season. The ones everyone in the neighborhood called Summer Popsicles were the fruit kind and Winter Popsicles were chocolate covered vanilla ice cream.

After we moved we were visiting another family on a hot, Summer day. I was shy and didn't know any of the kids. When one of them told me there was a whale waiting for me on the kitchen table I assumed she was teasing. An hour or so I learned that "Whale" was what she called a Winter Popsicle, but mine had completely melted by then. I later learned Whale was a brand name and most California kids referred to fruit popsicles and ice-cream popsicles.

Missing out on that treat was probably one reason I later became interested in linguistics.

Pink And Blue

2011-04-06T08:13:00.000-07:00

I was two-and-a-half years old when my brother was born and loved having a baby brother. He was cute and I loved being allowed to hold him and give him his bottle.

Whenever we went out walking to the store or to visit a neighbor our mother would push my little brother in his baby carriage. (We lived on the East coast so they were called carriages, but out West everyone called them baby buggies.) Unlike today's strollers, the carriages had no straps and needed high sides so the babies couldn't fall out.

I enjoyed the walks except for one thing; nearly ever adult person we encountered would ask my mother if the baby was a boy or a girl and she would have to stop and tell them. Often the person would then waste time oohing and aahing over my brother. I found that very irritating and wondered why people cared about the gender of babies they didn't even know.

I decided when I grew up I'd get someone to invent colored baby carriages. All boy babies would have blue ones and all girl babies would have pink carriages. That way nobody would need to stop people to ask about their babies and life would be much simpler - at least life from a two-year-old's point of view.

Cooking With Kids

2011-04-02T10:36:00.000-07:00

Lots of kids enjoy cooking and that can be good for them.

When they're too young to use knives, turn on stoves, or read recipes it's a way to have some together time with an adult.

Sometimes a fussy eater will try something he or she helped to prepare.

As kids become more independent they're proud of foods they cooked all by themselves.

Following recipes can help kids develop math and reading skills.

Experimenting with recipes can be creative and educational. There's lots of science involved.

Sharing yummy things they've made shows love to others and makes kids feel good about themselves.

And cleaning up after cooking teaches them responsibility.

What are some experiences you've had regarding kids cooking?

Tuxedos, Gold, and Words

2011-03-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

Recently my grandson asked me why tuxedos were supposed to be so important. He thought they looked peculiar but men wear them for fancy events. I responded that they're considered impressive simply because people in our culture agree that they are. If someone wearing a tux were to time-travel to the Roman Empire people would probably laugh at his clothing.

In other conversations my grandson and I shared the idea that many things have value simply because people agree that they do.

For example, why is gold considered so valuable? Yes it's shiny, pretty, and can be made into objects but so can plastic. Gold is rare, but so are many other elements. Gold is valuable simply because people agree that it is, but someone stranded in the wilderness and struggling to survive would find food, water, and shelter much more valuable.

The same thing applies to language. Words only have meanings because people who need to communicate with each other agree on them. Sometimes one word my be considered offensive while a literal synonym is perfectly acceptable and, again, that's only because people in the culture agree about that.

Humans have many differences, but at least there are a few things we do agree about.

Connecting

2011-03-26T10:07:00.000-07:00

For several days last week I had no telephone or internet connection. That was frustrating and I felt extremely relieved when both were finally fixed. That experience made me appreciate our modern communication systems and think of what life must have been like for our ancestors.

Generations ago if someone travelled from Europe or Asia to America or across the continent if their families ever heard from them at all it would have taken months for handwritten letters to arrive and more months for the replies to be returned.

Since many people couldn't read and write they would have had to get someone else to do that for them and might have had to pay for the service. The postage alone would have cost a lot if available, and often the letters would have been carried by someone who happened to be traveling in the right direction and might not ever arrive.

Pony Express and the transcontinental railroad made contact much easier, but it was still often a matter of weeks or months. The telegraph was fast, but only went from station to station and was also expensive.

Even in the 1940s it normally took two weeks for letters to be carried across the United Stated, though a stamp only cost three cents. Air mail was faster, but cost twice as much. Telephones had been invented, but not everyone had them and long distance rates were expensive.

Although computer and internet problems can drive us crazy, we're lucky to be able to communicate quickly with people in most parts of the world and I'm thankful my internet service is working again.

Grandkids

2011-03-23T10:52:00.000-07:00

It's great to be a mother, but maybe even better to be a grandmother. Unless your grandkids live with you the responsibility part isn't 24/7 but you still get the fun part. At least you do if you get to see your grandkids frequently.

I feel sorry for the people who live so far away they seldom or never get to see their grandkids or can't see them because of health or family problems.

Too bad I can't see mine more often, but we are close enough to see each other fairly often and that's when the fun happens. I'll be seeing mine again soon and I can hardly wait.

What Is That Thing?

2011-03-19T13:24:00.000-07:00

Kevin McNamee sent me a PDF of his new picture book, What Is That Thing, for review. The book is about a girl named Jenna who has a big imagination. Since I was (and still am on the inside) a kid like that I can certainly identify with her as she goes from outer space, through a fairy tale castle, and into a jungle while her mother expects her to help out.

But Jenna must face reality. That strange thing in her house is a new baby sister and the baby is real. Kids in similar situations will probably enjoy this book a lot. My one complaint about is that brand-new babies don't smile, but otherwise McNamee has done a great job of capturing what the experience of having a new sibling can be like.

Illustrator K.C. Snider provided colorful pictures that show both Jenna's imaginary adventures and the real world in a cute way.

Pretzels

2011-03-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

Pretzels are a good snack, and healthier than most because they don't contain fats or sugars. They're also easy to take along to eat away from home.

According to legend, pretzels were invented hundreds of years ago as a treat for choir boys during Lent. I guess treats were normally given as a sort of Behavior Modification technique to keep the boys' behavior under control, but during the season before Easter all Christians fasted and sweets were not allowed.

In one monastery someone had the idea of creating a sort of bread that resembled arms crossed over the breast, the usual position for praying in those days. The crisp and salty breads were tasty enough so the choir boys would consider them a reward worth behaving for, but still had the spiritual aspect of reminding them to pray.

The pretzels were so good they were soon made by Christians everywhere as a lenten food.

I don't know if the story of their origin is true or not, but in some churches and families pretzels are still given to children today as a reminder to pray during the 40 days preceding Easter.

Marta's Gargantuan Wings

2011-03-12T12:47:00.000-08:00

While most kids won't know that Gargantua was a gigantic monster, that won't keep them from enjoying Marta's Gargantuan Wings. A PDF of that picture book was recently sent to me by my friend, author Jessica Kennedy.

The story is about Marta, a winged horse who is teased by a bird because her wings are huge and seem awkward. But, with encouragement from friends, she uses her wings to rescue other creatures. How does the bird react to that? Read the book to find out.

Since most kids get teased at times,Marta's Gargantuan Wings should appeal to lots of kids. And when those kids get older and encounter ancient stories, Pegasus and Gargantua will already be familiar to them.

The colorful illustrations by artist Eugene Ruble (I've mentioned him before) capture the feeling of the story.

Bones Book

2011-03-09T10:58:00.000-08:00

After several posts about teaching it seems appropriate to mention a book that will be helpful to teachers and students. The book is called The Sum of Our Parts; No Bones About It and explains the human skeletal system in ways kids of many ages and grade levels will enjoy. I think I may have mentioned it before, but want to be sure everyone hears about it.

Preschoolers probably won't understand all the scientific terms, but they'll enjoy having someone read the amusing rhyming description of skeleton parts to them. Besides the rhymes, each page has both funny and scientifically accurate illustrations and sidebars called factoids that will be of interest to older kids. That information will be helpful in science classes and I even learned some things I didn't know myself. And any kid who breaks a bone would certainly find the book interesting

To be honest I must admit that I know the author, Bill Kirk, and the illustrator also did one of my books, but I wouldn't be mentioning this book if I didn't honestly think it would be a great educational resource and an enjoyable read for kids.

I haven't seen the other books in the Sum of Our Parts series, but if they're as good as this one they must be great.

Another Substitute Teaching Adventure

2011-03-05T10:12:00.000-08:00

When I was a sub I never took jobs teaching Physical Education because I have no interest in sports and had been restricted from PE because of my severe asthma as a kid. And Middle Schoolers were my least favorite age group to work with.

But one morning the person who called from the sub office (that was before the automated systems) begged and pleaded with me me to accept a Middle School PE job because nobody else was available and they were desperate. She even promised me first choice of Kindergarten jobs the next day. With great misgivings I agreed.

To make things even worse, the kids were doing soccer. When I was a kid soccer was something we read about in Social Studies because nobody in America played it so I didn't even know the basic rules. What could have been worse?

Every period I told the kids I knew nothing about sports, but the purpose of PE was to help them stay physically fit, so as long as they kept moving I'd be happy. I had them run around the track, as they always did, then brought out bags of basketballs and had them shoot baskets. I managed to get through the day without any serious problems, but still felt like a failure when I signed out.

A week or so later a friend of my daughter who had been in one of those PE teachers was at our house.

"Mrs. Collins," she told me, "You were the best substitute teacher we ever had in PE."

"That's impossible!" I replied. "I told you all I didn't have the faintest idea what I was doing.'

"That's why you were so good," she answered. "All the other subs tried to pretend they knew all about sports when they really didn't. You were the only one who was ever honest with us."

That was a compliment I'll never forget.

Substitute Teacher Adventures

2011-03-02T09:52:00.000-08:00

When I began substitute teaching I felt guilty about turning down Middle School jobs, but I didn't feel comfortable teaching that age group even when my daughter was in Middle School. But later I learned many other subs hated Kindergarten and Special Ed assignments and those were my favorites.

One year I was assigned to a sixth grade Special Ed class that really gave me a rough time. The teacher was to be out all week, but if it hadn't been the last week of the school year when no other substitute jobs were likely I wouldn't have returned. But I did go back, and the second day the kids were even more difficult. However on the third day and for the rest of the week they were absolutely angelic. They had been testing me the first two days and I hadn't rejected them. How sad that they needed to do that.

One Middle School Special Ed class was extremely difficult. The kids were all severely emotionally disturbed and had actually driven one classroom aide to a nervous breakdown. Most subs would never return to that class after one day, but I taught them many times. Although it wasn't easy, the kids behaved better for me than for the other subs, so they usually requested me when the regular teacher was out. I didn't tell anyone the secret of my success at the time, but the reason the kids didn't give me a bad time was because my daughter was one of the popular kids in the school and they didn't want to make her mad at them.

Substitute Teaching

2011-02-26T09:36:00.000-08:00

I used to be a substitute teacher and enjoyed that job a lot. It was fun to meet lots of nice kids and get to see how their usual teachers did things. I'll bet nobody but the students themselves can know as much about how and how well a particular teacher works as a sub who has worked in his or her classroom.

Once in a while I'd explain something in a slightly different way than the regular teacher did and a kid would suddenly have an AhHa moment and understand a concept they'd been struggling with. That was very rewarding to me.

It was also nice to be flexible with the freedom to take days off without hurting anyone else. And I didn't need to correct papers or make lesson plans, although I always had some general ones with me for the times a regular teacher hadn't left any or had been out so many days their plans all been used by previous subs.

But eventually I'd miss having my own class and watching the same kids progress from day to day so I'd go back to doing that. altogether I was a substitute teacher for a total of about four years.

I worked a lot with Special Ed classes since my experience qualified me for that. I'll share a couple of interesting stories about those classes in later posts.

Public Speaking

2011-02-23T11:20:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I spoke at a writer's conference and enjoyed it a lot.

I've heard that many people fear public speaking more than death, but I can't understand why they feel that way. To me, public speaking is fun. It's an opportunity to meet lots of nice people and possibly help them by sharing ideas and information they can use. What's scary about that?

Of course it probably helps that I've been a teacher and even a substitute teacher. You can't find a more difficult audience than some of the classes I subbed in.

Years ago I was appearing in a play (yes, I think that's fun, too) and learned about the Stanislovski Method of acting. Basically that concept is that the audience will see what the actor is thinking through facial expressions, vocal patterns, and body language so players need to think what their characters would think in each situation. While public speakers aren't pretending to be someone else (well, at least the honest ones aren't) it's still true that what we think is what the audience will see.

If someone stands in front of a group wondering if they'll mess up or if the listeners will hate them the audience will know it. But if someone stands before the same group thinking about how they can help and appreciating the audience, that will show in their demeanor. Thinking such things gives speakers confidence, and the audience can sense that. Even if those two speakers share the same information, the second one will be appreciated a lot more.

I'm eager to do more public speaking and hope some of the people who read this will take my advice and enjoy appearing in front of audiences too.

Honest Presidents

2011-02-19T10:14:00.000-08:00

President's Day is now supposed to honor all the past presidents of the United States of America, but it was originally a merger of Washington and Lincoln's birthdays.

When I was a kid everyone knew the story of George Washington confessing to his father that he chopped down a cherry tree and saying, "I cannot tell a lie." However now we know that story was a fictional morality tale originally written by a man named Mason Weems around 1800.

We also heard the story of Abraham Lincoln walking a long distance to return a few coins to someone. That's probably true and is only one reason Lincoln became known as "Honest Abe."

Honest writers and teachers must be sure the historical information they give is as accurate as possible, even if it is intended to teach a moral lesson. I certainly understand why stories like the one I mentioned about Washington are no longer taught in schools, but it's too bad honesty is no longer considered as important as it used to be in our society.

Far too many people in modern America think it's okay to fudge the truth "just a little" if it's in the interests of the speaker to do so. Parents may ask their kids to tell a caller they're not at home when they are, or give the kids answers for their homework. But a little falsehood opens the door for more and those same kids will later feel no guilt about lying to their parents about where they're going.

And the same thing applies to doing things that are illegal. Many people think nothing of breaking speed laws if they feel safe doing so, and I've heard respectable folks brag about managing to get money they weren't entitled to.

Integrity isn't just about speaking the truth, it's about being the truth. A person with integrity is honest even when he or she can't be caught and does what is right even when nobody else is watching.

Maybe we should use President's Day to teach kids about Honest Abe as well as teaching them honesty by our own examples every day.

Janet Ann Collins/OnWords Opening Eyes, Opening Hearts

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