The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.

Topic: Children’s Literature

Title: “Captivated at a Young Age.” Jeff Reich, Ed. The Writer (June 20008), p. 6.

Summary/Quote: “Among the many books I fondly recall [from my childhood] is The Little House, the simple tale by Virginia Lee Burton about a happy house in the country that becomes sad and neglected as it is slowly engulfed by urban sprawl. In the end, the great-great-granddaughter of the original owner discovers the house, moves it back to the country and brings it back to life.

“Written in the early 1940’s, Burton’s story and illustrations won her a richly deserved Caldecott Medal. I’m sure that my love of reading today can be traced back to The Little House and other books of my childhood. And that illustrates one reason well-written children’s books are so essential to a life well-lived—they make reading fun and enjoyable and thus create life-long readers.”

Comments: I remember reading The Four Story Mistake to my daughters when they were growing up. As I read, I became a child again, seeing the world as a child sees the world. Some adults can renew themselves as they read children’s books to their children. RayS.