When the Public Library is Outside Your Bedroom Window

One could ask why doesn't Z take the initiative to choose a book for himself.

Why didn't he discover

12 Things to do Before you Crash and Burn by himself?

He could go to the school library. Doesn't Z live so close to a public library he can see it out his bedroom window? 

Yes, you would be correct., but for some reason the adolescents I know never seem to want to just walk right down the street (or hall for that matter) and look through a bunch of books.

They want recommendations from friends, teachers, parents, probably in that order.

Take a look at Chicago Public Library: Books for Teens to give you ideas about books you should read and then recommend.

Z Discovered Twelve Things to do Before You Crash and Burn

K: It's time for DEAR. What are you reading? 

Z: A magazine.

K: You read a magazine last time. Try a book this time.

Z: (Silence.)

K: I'm reading several excellent books right now. 

Z: (Exasperated.) Well, you didn't let me see any of them.

K gives the books to Z and goes back to working on NOW.

An hour later...

Z: Mom, I read past 30 minutes. This book is good. I see you only got to page 40. I'm past that.

K: Yes, you passed me.

Two hours later...

Z is in the recliner when K walks into the den.

Z: Mom, this is so funny. Here's this one part when he gets kicked off a farm. You don't know about that do you? I don't want to ruin it for you, but....

Z goes on to tell K the rest of the plot.

Yes, Z isn't reading when K doesn't make good books available to him.

Guysread is a great place to go to find books that might interest our youth.

Is Your Child Reading?

When Z isn't reading, I blame the TV, videogames, and even too much homework.

But the truth is, he isn't reading because he doesn't know what to read.

Every time he's had a reading lull, he snaps out of it when we find good reading material.

I don't know why I spend days fussing, threatening him with statements like, “Your brain is going to turn to mush!” when really all I need to do is get a stack of good books and say, “Take a look.”

I finally got a clue and did this the other day.

He got excited about 12 Things to do before you Crash and Burn.
As a teacher, I wouldn't teach it, but I'd mention it to students who like authors with a good sense of humor and quirky characters.

Disney Literature Classics

All things Disney!

I haven't seen the inside of the Disney Literature Classics series yet, but this short article makes it sound like there might be a comic book format inside.

I love the way the boys describe the book! They are future book critics for sure.

Swim the Fly

I think I see why The Virginian-Pilot reported that fourteen-year-olds like Swim the Fly. I had the opportunity to listen to it last week and I, too, was laughing from the very beginning. It has a few classic elements that some find humorous:


1. The narrator is not too good or too bad; he’s just your average Joe who gets himself caught up in a pile of stuff.

2. He has two sidekicks: one is dingy, a little spacey, but an all around good guy, while the other is borderline jerk. He can be just as kind as he can be petty and annoying.

3. There is a love triangle. (Think, I Love You, Beth Cooper) .

4. The author, Don Calame, throws in a few truisms about life and perseverance but nothing too heavy-handed.

I ordered Z a hardcopy of Swim the Fly.

Let’s see if he reads it.

*DEAR Success

I did not forget to remind Z to read for thirty minutes each day last week. The first day he exhaled loudly when he walked to the computer, plopped down, and then heard me yelling, “Give me thirty.”


He marched to his room and set his iphone alarm. He did not mean to read a minute over thirty.

That was fine with me. A deal is a deal.

By Thursday, he yelled, (OK, we do a lot of yelling in our house when we are in different rooms. No, it never occurs to us to just walk into the room where the person we want to talk to is.) “Mom, I’m on page 105 of Ball Don’t Lie.”

“That’s great,” I said. “When you make time to read, you remember how much you enjoy it.”




* DEAR=Drop Everything and READ

*DEAR Announcement

All were not happy when I announced to Z that I had been aroused from my slumber at the wheel .

He looked at me as if to say, “Ah, go back to sleep, lady.” But instead just waited for me to proceed with whatever knew parental strategy I’d come up with to make him read. I don’t think he had much hope for any of my strategies once bribery fell, but I’d rather die than admit defeat so I continue to trudge on.

K: I have noticed a drop in reading. (I announce this as if it’s some royal decree being read from a scroll. I don’t mean to, it just comes out that way.)

Z: SILENCE. (The proverbial royal subject caught off guard looks up from the computer where he is on Facebook , downloading I-tunes, and preparing for a session on oovoo.)

K: We will now reinstate the thirty minutes of reading time each day whether you have homework or not.

Z: ROLLS EYES AND EXHALES (The expression on his face says, “Uh-oh, the jig is up”.)

I continue.

K: I don’t care what you read: magazine, newspaper, books, cereal box, but you will read for thirty minutes. (My confidence and determination is soaring high as if I’ve suddenly realized my purpose in life.)

Z: But mom?

K: If the Woodson book isn’t doing it for you, choose something else. I remind him about the stack of books I drug home from the library.

I have his attention. But then I make one mistake. I think out loud.

K: Now, if I can only remember to remind you to read each day we’ll be set.

That does it. He goes back to multitasking confident that this is the last he’ll hear about the thirty minute reading time until next school year when academics will be fresh on my mind and I will be drunk with efforts to turn him into a miniature Michael Eric Dyson.

* DEAR=Drop Everything and READ

Is There an App for DEAR?

Help, Z’s Reading Pace is Slowing Down! If you have suggestions, please give them to me.


Over the last few weeks, I’ve noticed that Z is not reading as much as he used to.
He seems distracted by a number of things, including girls, technology (When will that iphone break?), and more girls. I wonder if it also has something to do with going to bed later than he did last year. I’m convinced it does. When he went to bed early, he had time to lie down and read. Now that he goes to bed later, he tends to just go to sleep. He’s been reading After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson, but he’s not putting as much time into reading the way he used too.

Even the time he reads at school has diminished. Last year he had to take out a book during class if there was a free moment. This year it seems he socializes during free moments.

I came home with an arm load of books that I hope he’ll pick up:

Yummy, a graphic novel by G. Neri

Something Like Hope by Shawn Goodman

The new one by Walter Dean Myers and Ross Workman, Kick,

and I even went Bluford on him with To Be a Man by Anne E.Schraff (Bluford is known for high interest urban themes.)

Hopefully something will get him out of this “final weeks of eighth grade reading slump”.

I think it’s time for me to reinstate DEAR (Drop Everything and READ); in the past, this has helped him carve time out for reading.

Z, Terry, Gary Shteyngart, and I

Z and I are listening to Fresh Air on the way home from school. OK, Z is half listening. He’s still fuming a little because I talked him out of spending his money at a convenience store. I don’t like spending money and I’m not happy unless I encourage Z to wait at least 24 hours to purchase small things (The bigger the purchase the longer the stall.) after he tells me he wants something.


Anyway, I think Terry and Gary grab our attention when the conversation goes like this (Note, when Z gets into the car a preview of Fresh Air is playing and he hears Terry saying the first quote below and laughs.):

*GROSS: And she doesn't even know how to read books. She knows how to skim texts for information. Do you feel like Lenny, like somebody who is an artifact of the past because you read books and, even more artifact-ful, you write books?

Mr. SHTEYNGART: Yeah, no, it's so depressing. I feel like I'm insane to write novels. I'm like one of those, you know, those last Japanese soldiers on one of those islands who's like hiding in a cave and still shooting at the Americans, are advancing, he still hasn't heard that the emperor has surrendered. That's what I feel like all the time. I'm one of those guys.

GROSS: So what about, like, your texting life and your smartphone life? Like, how distracting or informative and useful has that been for you? And do you find that your concentration span as a writer or a reader is being changed?

Mr. SHTEYNGART: It's over. My concentration, my reading life, it's been shot. I mean, this is one of those cases where - I'm not against technology. I love my iPhone passionately. I think it's a beautiful piece of technology.

But sometimes technology outpaces sort of the humanity's ability to process it. You know, I think that's where we are right now. I know that's where I am right now, because my mind has been sliced and diced in so many ways.

There's so many packets of information coming at me, especially in a city like New York, which is so dense with information no matter where you go. I mean, even our cabs have television screens and info centers built into the backseat.

You know, and it's just shocking. How is literature supposed to survive when our brain has been pummeled with information, sliced and diced with it all day long at work, if we're white-collar workers? We go home. Are we really going to open up a thick text with 350 pages and try to waddle through it? Or are we just going to turn on "Mad Men"? Which is a wonderful show...

******************************************************************************
Gary (I feel we’re old friends after hearing him speak for five minutes) goes on to talk about how he thinks good scripts borrow from good novelist techniques. The conversation was interesting. And Z and I both know Gary’s probably on to something.





*I’m using the transcript from the Fresh Air site verbatim.

Boys and Reading

K: Look at this. There’s a new book (I learned later that it wasn’t brand new.). This article (in The Virginian-Pilot) says fourteen-year-old boys aren’t reading much these days, but this one line made them want to read the book. Something about a naked girl.

Z: (Z is busy. He’s rushing to complete a chore so he can get back to X-box.) That’s strange. It isn’t an actual naked girl. Why would that draw them in?

K: They (the folks interviewed by The Virginian-Pilot) say the book is funny and a little crude.

Z: What’s the name of it?

K: Swim the Fly.

Z finally makes it to his room, to his X-box.

K keeps reading the article.

K: Come listen to the first paragraph of the book.

Z reluctantly comes into the dining room.

K: "Movies don’t count," Cooper says. "The Internet -doesn’t count. Magazines don’t count. A real, live naked girl. That’s the deal. That’s our goal for this summer."

Z : Mom, I want that book. (He laughs because now he identifies with the fourteen-year-old boys in the article.)

Z Edits the Newspaper

Z reads each of the four stories aloud and edits them. He plugs them into a PowerPoint Newspaper template and puts in pictures he thinks captures what life was like in Lord of the Flies.


Z: What do I put for the 3 boys dead story?

K: I don’t know. In the newspaper they put photos of the dead not their dead bodies.

Z: I’ve got it.

K looks over at the computer screen and sees a black eerie looking RIP.

K: Problem solved. I guess.

Z: What should I put for the story about the police officers questioning the boys?

K: British officers wore nice uniforms with pretty gold buttons.

Z: I found a picture of naval officers; I’m going with that.

K: What will you name your paper?

Z: British Newspaper.

K: Uh.

Z: That’s funny. It’s so lame. (He eventually named it The British Pilot.)

K looks up at the screen again.

K: Um, usually the reporter’s name is not larger than the title.

Z: Not in this paper.

At some point during Z’s process of finalizing his newspaper, K fell asleep. When she awakened, the paper was printed. It turned out OK; he earned a 99 and he says he was "stripped of his 100 because of an incorrect time period concerning the British Naval Picture."

Z Writes a Newspaper

Day 1


Z: Mom, the teacher gave us several choices for our Lord of the Flies projects.

K: What are they?

Z: A diagram, a newspaper, and something else. I forgot.

K: Which one will you do?

Z: Newspaper.

K: Good choice. You’re good at writing.

Day 2

Z: I don’t know what to write about.

K: What were the key points in the book?

Z: Silence.

Z: I have one story, but I don’t know how many I need.

K: Where is the rubric?

Z: I don’t have one.

K: Where is the assignment description?

Z: I don’t have one.

K: Ask the teacher tomorrow.

Day 3

Z: I have 3 stories, but I think I need another one.

K: Um, let me see what you have so far.

Z scrolls down the 3 short articles.

Z: I have one about the boys being stranded, one about 3 boys who were killed, and one about the rescue.

K: What about one on the fraction between the two groups?

Z: That’s in one of the other stories.

K: What about the power of the conch?

Z: That’s in one of the other stories.

K: What about the hunting?

Z: That’s in one of the other stories.

K: Sorry. I can’t help you then.

2 Boys and Fiction

The other day Z went to a friend’s house. When I arrived to pick him up, I joined Z at the table with *Bill and his family. It wasn’t long before the conversation turned to books. It went something like this:


Bill’s mom: Bill hated Lord of the Flies.

Z: It was good in the beginning; then it got boring.

Bill: Yeah.

K: I liked it.

Z: It was repetitive.

Bill: Yeah.

Bill’s mom: If you give Bill the Guinness World Records, he’s happy. He doesn’t like fiction.

Bill: Yeah, just give me the facts. Tell me what I need to know and let me go.

Bill’s mom: Z, do you like fiction? Do you read?

Z: Yes, I like fiction.

Bill’s mom: Bill almost died during Where the Red Fern Grows.

Z: I liked the one we did with Atticus and Scout.

All: To Kill a Mockingbird.

Z: Yeah.

K: What about mythology?

Bill’s mom: Bill liked that.

Bill: Yeah, that was cool.

K: Z didn’t and I was shocked.

Bill’s little sister: I love mythology. I’m reading a series now and I’m learning about it.

K: Which series?

Little Sister: Percy Jackson.

I still don’t know about the Bills in the classroom. We continued throwing out titles studied in their seventh grade literature classroom, but Bill said he only got excited about one other title, Tangerine. Like a lot of literature classrooms, including my own, Bill’s did not include much nonfiction.

I’ve got to do better to reach the Bills.











*pseudonym

Conversations with my nephew: Feedback

Last month M called. He called to tell me that he had a good day at school. I congratulated him but could sense there was something more. It turns out that he wanted to ask me to buy Rodrick Rules. There is no way I’m not getting him this book, so I tell him. Then I read him some blogs I wrote about our conversations.


M: Very good. I can see me in it. You put in good details.

He sounds so much like a teacher, I crack up on the spot.

Conversations with my nephew: Wimpy Kids

I go to bed early, so I try to get phone calls completed before it gets dark. This is a problem for my conversations with my nephew because he stays outside playing until the streetlights come on. Sometimes I get lucky and it’s raining. That’s what happened a few weeks ago.


K: Well, Malik, how did it go this week?

M: OK. I don’t like school. Those teachers are mean. Those teachers are boring.

K: Well, you know what we talked about. You have to do your best and be respectful to the teachers.

M: I know, I know. My dad wants me to do well.

K: Yes, we all do.

M: Where is Za’id? OK, don’t tell me, with his dad?

K: (laughing) He’s in his room this time.

M & K talk some more.


K: Well, is there anything else you want to talk about before I get off the phone?

M: Wimpy Kids.

K: Which one?

M: The first one.

K: OK. I will get you a copy. You will get it in June.

M: Next week?

K: Next month.

M: That’s like next year.

K: Well, Malik, sometimes it takes a while. You might get it sooner, but I don’t want you to start going to the mailbox tomorrow looking for it.

M: OK.


Conversation with Z about Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

K asked Z if he wanted to give his copy of the first Wimpy kid book to M, but Z said no.


K: Why are you looking like that?

Z: I feel bad now. You asked me for the book, but I have to say no.

K: It’s not a problem. It’s your book; you can keep it. If you didn’t want it anymore, then you could give it away, but if you do, keep it. It’s simple. I’ll just get M his own copy.

Z likes to keep series that he loves and K knows it. This is an adolescent who still has his collection of Dr. Seuss books and held on to his Arthur (by Marc Brown) books for as long as he could before donating them to his grandmother’s daycare.

Tangerine: The Third Time Around for Z

Why did Z read Tangerine three times?

I could not believe that Z would read Tangerine by Edward Bloor 3 times.

Z: I finished Tangerine for the third time last night.

K: How was it?

Z: Good.

K: Now, that’s a good book. You read a book three times and still leave it satisfied, it’s good.

Z: I know.



Read more…

Z gets his final silver pen

Z’s composition teacher gives silver pens to outstanding authors all throughout the year. During the award ceremony on the last day of school, she gives out a really special (That’s what Z says, but they look the same to me.You can see for yourself; just click on Z's Corner on my Blog) silver pen to certain writers. I love this idea because it motivates Z to write well in a way I could never pull off no matter how much I try to encourage him.

A few days before the award ceremony…

Z: This time I actually get to go up there and get my silver pen. This one is going to be special. It’s not the one we get during the year.

K nods.

Z: Last year when I won (He got the Voice Award) I just got a regular silver pen because I was too sick to go to the ceremony.

K nods, amazed that Z does not consider for a moment that he might not get the award. She wonders if she should say something like, “Winning isn’t everything. You should just be the best writer you can be.”

Z: This year it’s the special pen!

Awards Ceremony 2010

Mrs. Teacher goes to the stage and starts calling names for wonderful writing. When K doesn’t hear Z’s name, she starts formulating her motivational speech. Then the teacher calls out the Future Newbery Winner awards. Z goes to the stage and gets his silver pen and is dubbed a future Newbery Winner.

K is impressed and happy she doesn’t have to go somewhere and find a bigger and better silver pen than the teacher gave the winners to give to Z. Nope, he earned it from his teacher.

Next year, Z is moving on up to be an upperclassmen (OK, the school stops at 8th grade and I wanted to be poetic/dramatic.) and he’s leaving Mrs. Teacher behind to inspire other writers. She will be missed.

You’re Fired!

Well, school is out and Z is out of a job. I fired him.


I offered him the position of junior blogger. He was to write 200/250 word pieces about anything he was interested in. He sat down in front of the computer many times, but rarely came up with anything. I’ve decided to relieve him of his duty. When he wants some extra cash, he will do what all writers who want to make a living do: he’ll write for food (which to him means Twizzlers and Starburst).


OK, fired sounds harsh. Let’s just say he’s taking a leave of absence. Have a great summer, Z!

Portfolio Madness

I was steaming mad at Z (and me) earlier this week. Why? I saw his portfolio. The teacher’s remarks indicated that he did very little to revise the pieces he put in it. He did not want help with his portfolio, but I should have still asked him questions about the changes he made, but I didn’t.


K: You did not make some major changes.

Z: I did change it.

K: You did not adhere to the essence of the assignment.

Z: She said it’s a good story.

K: Yeah, but you really didn’t write the type of paper she assigned.

Z: I got an “A” on the portfolio.

I’m going to use the privacy card here, so I will not print my response. Let’s just say an “A” means nothing to me when I don’t think he got the concept being taught.

Did he just choose not to read the teacher’s comments?

Did he read the comments and refused to rework the paper?

I’m not sure. I do know he knows he should have revised, but it seems to me that he chose to only focus on surface errors.

Conversations with my nephew: What about college?

K: Hi, M. How was your week?


M: (He laughs.) Fine.

K knows M is laughing because he only attended one day of school this week because it was closed for vacation.

K: You know education is really important. Your mom and I want you to do well so you can go to college.

M: I don’t want to go to college.

K: Yes you do.

M: I’m going to be a mechanic.

K: Mechanics need good educations, too.

M: They do?

K: Yes, they do.

M: They fix stuff.

K: Sometimes they have to write stuff. They have to know math, too.

M: I know math.

K: Yes, you do, but you need to learn more math to be a mechanic.

M thinks this over and then discusses how he just does not like the teachers at his school. Is M just plan bored in class or is something else going on?