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Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Balancing Fiction With Non-Fiction

There's nothing like a good fiction story to stir a child's imagination.  When a child discovers the joy of reading, it's often by way of a story that is introduced by the words, "once upon a time..." or another clever hook.  I still remember with great fondness one of the first stories that I read as a child - The Little Engine That Could.  Today's list of famous fiction for kids (and us adults too) seems endless, from The 39 Clues, to Harry Potter, to the Diary of a Whimpy Kid.

However, in all of the excitement to expose our kids to the wonder of fairy tales and myths, we sometimes forget just how wonderful well written non-fiction can be for our children.  Since they get plenty of non-fiction in school, we might be inclined to neglect that part of our children's reading repertoire.  I believe that if we leave all of the discussions of science, biology, and the like, solely to those times when a child is in school, they may associate such learning only with the challenge of making a grade, instead of appreciating the beauty of such information in of itself.

Therefore, I suggest that we commit to exposing our kids to more animals, oceans, stars, planets, math, art, music, and creativity.  This will help them to contemplate the wonders of what they can see and accomplish in the real world.  Next month I'll review a few such recommended books for children.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Coming in 2011...A New Young Adult Novel by C. T. Martin

No One Said Anything is a story about seventeen year old Jonathan who is trying to make sense of all the advice he’s been getting from adults during his senior year in high school. He struggles with the conflicting messages of kindness, giving, and helping others, while at the same time observing hypocrisy and an epidemic of indifference plaguing the attitudes of his community.

While dealing with these issues, Jonathan and other students at Covina High School observes how deeply depressed their Math Instructor Bill Lopardo, has become since his divorce. The students express their concerns to parents and counselors at the school, but everyone keeps using the excuse that Mr. Lopardo’s family problems was none of their business. Although Mr. Lopardo has many friends, most of them do not put enough effort into preventing a tragedy that will shatter the lives of many others on that fateful Christmas day. The lessons that the community learns come at a high price, but are not fully realized until Jonathan comes to grips with his own journey into adulthood and responsibility.

A New Book for Young Readers!


Why The Mouse Chose The House by C. T. Martin

Mike's parents don't know about his new little friend - a mouse named Seb! Read their hilarious story of how mice came to choose people's homes as a place to live.

Children's fiction. Ages 7 and older. 36 pages. Full color glossy softcover, with black and white original illustrations inside.