If: A Mind-Bending New Way of Looking at Big Ideas and Numbers
David J. Smith
Sep 19, 2014
More from Max Tell
SonicBids: http://www.sonicbids.com/MaxTell
Sound Cloud: http://SoundCloud.com/max-tellThursday, September 25, 2014
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Diversity North: Canadian Publishing 2014
Sep 19, 2014
|
Calls for more diversity in books this year have echoed north into Canada. While publishers in the country acknowledge that there is still work to be done to produce books that reflect current racial and cultural realities, they also draw attention to their long history of working toward diversity and offer a few examples from their latest books.
Diversity is a real and important issue, says Rick Wilks, director of Annick Press. “When kids are looking at books, [the books] are not that reflective of what you see in the classroom and the societies they live in.” More . . .
Max Tell is an award-winning poet and songwriter.
Checkout:
Koetry for Pids Blog
www.maxtell.ca
SoundCloud
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at 50
llustration by Quentin Blake
In many ways, the most astonishing thing about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – a bestseller since it was first published 50 years ago, beloved of generations of children, multiply adapted for stage and screen and a furnisher of images and phrases that have entered the cultural lexicon forevermore – is that it ever got written at all.
At the end of the 1950s, Roald Dahl was riding high. He had had a "good" war, as first a flying ace and then an intelligence agent in Washington funnelling information back to MI6, and was leading a glamorous life in the US as a successful writer of dark short stories for adults and the husband of the film star Patricia Neal. By 1957, he had started making up bedtime stories for the first two of the couple's five children, Olivia and Tessa. One of the tales was about a small boy who lived near an enormous chocolate factory – inspired, perhaps, by the one flattened by the eponymous fruit in James and the Giant Peach, his first book for children, which he had just finished and which would be published in 1961. More . . .
More Happy Readers is published by award winning poet and songwriter, Max Tell.
- Web: maxtell.ca
- FB: www.maxtellstorysong.ca
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/maxtellstory
- YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/robertstelmach
- Koetry for Pids: http://koetry-pids.blogspot.ca
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
10 Benefits of Reading
Benefits of Reading
Originally posted on http://www.best-books-for-kids.com/benefits-of-reading.html.
The benefits of reading start with the first book a baby hears and continue into childhood and throughout the child's life.
Here are the 10 Benefits of Reading - the Top 10 reasons why reading is important and why children – and adults! - should read often and widely.
10 Benefits of Reading
1. Kids who read often and widely get better at it.
This is pretty much just common sense.
After all, practice makes perfect in almost everything we humans do and reading is no different from anything else.
2. Reading exercises our brains.
Reading is a much more complex task for the human brain than, say, watching TV is.
Reading strengthens brain connections and actually builds new connections.
3. Reading improves concentration.
Again, this is a bit of a no-brainer.
Children have to sit still and quietly so they can focus on the story when they’re reading. If they read regularly, they develop the ability to do this for longer periods.
4. Reading teaches children about the world around them.
Through reading, children learn about people, places and events outside their own experience. They are exposed to ways of life, ideas and beliefs about the world which may be different from those which surround them.
This learning is important for its own sake however it also builds a store of background knowledge which helps younger children learn to read confidently and well.
5. Reading improves a child’s vocabulary and leads to more highly-developed language skills.
This is because children learn new words as they read but also because they unconsciously absorb information as they read about things like how to structure sentences and how to use words and language effectively.
6. Reading develops a child’s imagination.
This is because when we read our brains translate the descriptions we read of people, places and things into pictures. When we’re engaged in a story, we’re also imagining how the characters are feeling. We use our own experiences to imagine how we would feel in the same situation.
7. Reading helps kids develop empathy.
This is something I’ve only recently realised but it makes sense. As my fifteen-year-old son said to me when we were discussing it, ‘Of course it does because you’re identifying with the character in the story so you’re feeling what he’s feeling.’
8. Children who read do better at school.
And they don’t just do better at subjects like reading, English and history. They do better at all subjects and they do better all the way through school.
9. Reading is a great form of entertainment!
|
A paperback book or an e-reader like the Amazon Kindle doesn’t take up much space so you can take it anywhere and you’ll never be lonely or bored if you have a book in your bag.
You can read while waiting in a queue, while waiting for a friend who’s running late or during a flight delay at an airport.
10. Reading relaxes the body and calms the mind.
This is an important point because these days we seem to have forgotten how to relax and especially how to be silent.
The constant movement, flashing lights and noise which bombard our senses when we’re watching TV, looking at a computer or playing an electronic game are actually quite stressful for our brains.
When we read, we read in silence and the black print on a white page is much less stressful for our eyes and brains.
So there you have it – the Top 10 benefits of reading!
So there you have it – the Top 10 benefits of reading!
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Why Mr. Rogers Is Having A Big Moment In Education
Digital media? Creativity? Early Childhood education?
Mr. Rogers was an early champion for trends that are hot in education today.
by ANYA KAMENETZ
"Would you be mine? Could you be mine? Won't you be my neighbor?"
Fred Rogers — the beloved TV host, Presbyterian minister, puppeteer, composer, organist, best-selling author and cardigan aficionado — died in 2003, but his ideas on education are as relevant as ever.
Here's why Mr. Rogers still matters:
More . . .
More Happy Readers is published by award winning poet and songwriter, Max Tell.
- Web: maxtell.ca
- FB: www.maxtellstorysong.ca
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/maxtellstory
- YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/robertstelmach
- Koetry for Pids: http://koetry-pids.blogspot.ca
- CDBaby: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/max%20tell
Monday, May 19, 2014
37 Children's Books That Changed Your Life
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
via blogger.com
BuzzFeed Community
To celebrate the 95th Children’s Book Week (May 12 to 18), we asked our fans and followers to tell us what children’s book changed their lives. We received HUNDREDS of responses on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and Tumblr. What follows is a compilation of some of our favourites. More . . .
Please comment and tell us what children's book changed your life.
Max Tell is an award winning poet and songwriter.
- Web: maxtell.ca
- FB: www.maxtellstorysong.ca
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/maxtellstory
- YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/robertstelmach
- Koetry for Pids: http://koetry-pids.blogspot.ca
Friday, May 16, 2014
PW KidsCast: Listen Now
Peter Sís, Nick Bruel, Holly Black, Peter Brown, Daniel Handler, Shannon Hale, Melissa de la Cruz, Jennifer Donnelly, Marie Rutkoski, Jerry Pinkney, Charlie Higson – listen to these and other top writers and artists discuss their new books for children and teens in PW KidsCast, a regular podcast from Publishers Weekly. Click here to listen.
Max Tell is an award winning poet and songwriter.
- Web: maxtell.ca
- FB: www.maxtellstorysong.ca
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/maxtellstory
- YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/robertstelmach
- Koetry for Pids: http://koetry-pids.blogspot.ca
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Childrens Choice Awards
Rush Limbaugh and Robin Adelson.
By Diane Roback and John A. Sellers | May 15, 2014
The winners of the seventh annual Children’s Choice Book Awards were announced May 14 at a ceremony in New York City co-hosted by the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader. National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Kate DiCamillo served as emcee and host for the awards.
The Awards dinner, held at Capitale in lower Manhattan, got off to a blazing start––literally—with a fire alarm and an evacuation of all attendees onto the Bowery. There was an electrical fire in the air conditioning unit; after about 20 minutes, the Fire Department gave the all-clear sign for the party to resume, and the awards ceremony got underway shortly after. More . . .
Max Tell is an award winning poet and songwriter.
- Web: maxtell.ca
- FB: www.maxtellstorysong.ca
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/maxtellstory
- YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/robertstelmach
- Koetry for Pids: http://koetry-pids.blogspot.ca
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Children's Publishers Choose Their 2013 Favorites
Dec 17, 2013
 | |
We asked children’s publishing staffers to tell us their favorite book they read this year – one published outside of their company – and where they heard about it. We received a wide variety of responses; read on for the new and vintage titles your industry colleagues devoured this year. More . . .
Max Tell links you may wish to visit:
Web: www.maxtell.ca
Monday, November 25, 2013
How to Create a “Culture of Reading"
School Library Journal
By on November 25, 2013
What makes a culture of reading? How do you get tweens and teens to be interested (and stay interested) in reading? These were two of the questions that Toni Vahlsing, director of libraries at Abington Friends School outside Philadelphia, posed to the audience during “Here’s a Challenge: Get Teens and Tweens to Read for Pleasure!” a session held during the 2013 American Association of School Librarians (AASL) 16th National Conference in Hartford, CT.
After a presentation where the sprightly Vahlsing covered how students choose books—peer recommendation is the number one way—and why allowing kids to select their reading is crucial, she invited members of the audience to share their tips for getting children to read.
Below are some of the suggestions that Vahlsing and session attendees shared. We encourage you to post your ideas in the comments. List of Recommendations . . .
Max Tell links you may wish to visit:
Web: www.maxtell.ca
Email: robert@maxtell.ca
Blog: Koetry for Pids: http://koetry-pids.blogspot.ca
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
'A Rose Is A Rose Is A' 75-Year-Old Kid's Book By Gertrude Stein
The World Is Round
Gertrude Stein and Clement Hurd
Hard cover, 110 pages
You might know Gertrude Stein from that college class where you studied her experimental fiction, or maybe you remember her as the host of salons for famous 20th-century artists like Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso and Ernest Hemingway.
But here's a side of her you might not know: Stein the children's book author. Her book for kids was a collaboration with illustrator Clement Hurd, the artist behind Goodnight Moon and the mystical rabbits in TheRunaway Bunny. The book, The World Is Round, follows the adventures of a young girl named Rose, and it's just as beautiful and fascinating as anything Stein — the mother of modernism — put her hand to.
The World Is Round turns 75 this year . . . More . . .
Max Tell links:
Web: www.maxtell.ca
Email: robert@maxtell.ca
Twitter: https://twitter.com/maxtellstory
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
How Old Is Little Red Riding Hood
Grandma, what a long history you have!
The origins of “Little Red Riding Hood”
New research suggests the famous children's story
can be traced back to . . .
This piece originally appeared on Pacific Standard.
We all know one fact about Little Red Riding Hood’s family tree: She has—or had—a grandmother. But newly published research suggests her ancestral linage in fact goes way, way back.
Writing in the online journal PLOS One, Durham University anthropologist Jamie Tehrani presents evidence that the popular folk tale appears to share ancient roots with another story still popular in Europe and the Middle East, The Wolf and the Kids.
“This is rather like a biologist showing that humans and other apes share a common ancestor but have evolved into distinct species,” Tehrani told the university’s public affairs office. “The fact that Little Red Riding Hood ’evolved twice’ from the same starting point suggests it holds a powerful appeal that attracts our imaginations.”
“This is rather like a biologist showing that humans and other apes share a common ancestor but have evolved into distinct species,” Tehrani told the university’s public affairs office. “The fact that Little Red Riding Hood ’evolved twice’ from the same starting point suggests it holds a powerful appeal that attracts our imaginations.”
In an attempt to show that one really can trace stories from various cultures to common roots, Tehrani analyzed a series of seemingly related stories to phylogenetic analysis. Developed to trace the relationship between various species, it is used to create a “tree” that traces how, in the course of evolution, certain plants or animals arose from a common progenitor.
The Man with the Violin
The Story About This Book Is Amazing
Every Writer Should View This Trailer
Published on May 31, 2013
THE MAN WITH THE VIOLIN is a picture book based on a true story: in January 2007, famous violinist Joshua Bell went undercover as a street musician and played a free concert in a Washington, D.C., metro station. Over a thousand people passed by as he played, but only seven stopped to listen for more than a minute. Joshua Bell noticed that children often wanted to stop, but their parents hurried them along. This picture book, written by Kathy Stinson and illustrated by Dusan Petricic, imagines what the subway concert might have been like from the perspective of one of those children.
In this video, author Kathy Stinson and illustrator Dusan Petricic discuss the making of the book. For more information on the book, please visit http://www.annickpress.com/Man-with-t...
Courtesy of Publishers Weekly.
Max Tell links you may wish to visit:
Web: www.maxtell.ca
Email: robert@maxtell.ca
Facebook: www.maxtellstorysong.ca
Twitter: https://twitter.com/maxtellstory
Blog: Koetry for Pids: http://koetry-pids.blogspot.ca
Blog: More Happy Readers: www.more-happy-readers.ca
SonicBids: http://www.sonicbids.com/MaxTell
LinkedIn: ca.linkedin.com/pub/max-tell
Sound Cloud: http://SoundCloud.com/max-tell
Friday, November 15, 2013
Inside Stories About Memorable Books
Publishers Weekly asked 20 prominent editors
to recall a personally meaningful children's book project.
Maria Modugno, editorial director, picture books, Random House Children’s Publishing
They say you always remember your first…
I had just arrived as a newly minted editor at the San Diego offices of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, and was faced with the daunting task of publishing the first list of children’s books from the West Coast. During my last week in New York, I had met an artist who told me he lived in Santa Barbara and was interested in illustrating picture books. “Look me up if you’re ever in town,” I said casually, trying on my new laid-back California style. Much to my surprise, he showed up in my office with several book dummies that he had collaborated on with his wife. “I like to think of picture books as my own portable art gallery,” he said as he showed me his work. More . . .
Links by this blogger:
Thursday, November 14, 2013
PW's Best Children's Books of 2013
Selecting just 50 titles from the thousands of books published for children and teens in a given year is always a painful undertaking, and this year was no different. With that said, it’s also one of our favorite end-of-year challenges as we try to determine which stories rose to the top of a field crowded with singular ideas, hilarious writing, and unforgettable characters. For the list and more . . .
Friday, November 1, 2013
Goodnight Moon: The Musical
Theatre & Dance
Gobs of fun before 'hush'
Celia Wren, Published October 2013
If you love "Goodnight Moon" like I do, check out the recent article subtitled 'Gobs of fun before 'hush'. ""Goodnight Moon," the slightly impish children's musical based on the classic picture book by Margaret Wise Brown" says reporter Celia Wren, "does eventually get a certain young bunny to doze off -- even if he gets to romp through several bed-interupting adventures first." Personally, I can't wait till a bit of 'hush' hits the boards locally. More . . .
Thursday, October 31, 2013
New York Times / Best Children's Illustrated Books 2013
New York Times
Best Illustrated Children’s Books Awards for 2013
Since 1952, the Book Review has convened an independent panel of judges to select picture books on the basis of artistic merit. Each year, judges choose from among thousands of picture books for what is the only annual award of its kind.
Visit New York Times for the whole scoop on the Best Illustrated Children's Books Awards for 2013.
Visit New York Times for the whole scoop on the Best Illustrated Children's Books Awards for 2013.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)