Game Changer! Book Access for All Kids Giveaway

Lately I've been reflecting on all the wonderful people who are in my life. Thanks to Twitter, I have friends all over the country and even in different parts of the world. I know social media has Hit's downsides but it has allowed me to connect and learn from so many wonderful people who have made me a better person in some way, shape, or form. 

And when I think of Twitter and everyone I've ever connected through Twitter, I think of Donalyn Miller. To be honest, I got on Twitter after I saw Ashton Kutcher talk about wanting to be the first person to reach one million followers. At the time he was married to Demi Moore and the idea of celebrities sharing a glimpse into their own lives was interesting to me. So I signed up. 

But then I read The Book Whisperer and I found Donalyn on Twitter. It seems like every time I see her I tell her again how she changed my life but it's sincerely true. 

Twitter is also where I first "met" Colby too and we bonded over I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen. Since then, I've learned so much from both Donalyn and Colby. I've learned to be unabashedly passionate about my love of books and reading and in sharing that with others. Our wild love of reading shouldn't be contained and in Game Changer! Book Access for All Kids they remind us how we cannot allow it to be contained because kids need us. We are the change agents, we are the readers kids need, we can make an impact. 

Here is my favorite quote from the book:

"Without access to books, the persistent gap between 

children who have access and those who don't will remain. 

Our students will not reach their full potential without books, 

regardless of the education reforms schools implement." (p. 8)

The book is filled with idea after idea and story after story, from Donalyn and Colby and from other amazing educators who are doing great work. While I most appreciate the specific examples and stories from the field, there is research to support everything (we all know certain people who want to see the research!). I'm so excited to share Game Changer! and offer a giveaway thanks to Scholastic because it's an important book that I know will help change the game for kids out there who need us and need book. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to Scholastic

for sending me a copy of this book to review 

and for partnering with me for this giveaway.

I Blame Writer's Workshop (And Reader's Workshop Too)

It's all Writer's Workshops' fault.

And Reader's Workshop too. 

I blame Writer's Workshop (and Reader's Workshop too) for making me into the writer I am today. 

I had time to read, time to talk about what I was reading, time to visit the library and explore books that were interesting to me, time to know myself as a reader alongside all the reading I did for school. I know I'm not the norm, I loved reading classics in high school. I felt really cool reading books that felt important, except for James Joyce's A Portrait of The Artist as a Young Man. I loathed reading that book actually. It was okay though because I knew that even if that book wasn't for me (and it really wasn't for 17-year-old me), there were others that were for me. Without Reader's Workshop and the fact that I knew there were other books out there, I might have judged reading solely on my experience with that book. I might have *gasp* stopped reading. I could have decided it was me and my trouble to connect with this particular book and applied that to every book out there. But no, thanks to awesome teachers I had in middle school and especially in high school, I knew there were other books. My identity as a reader didn't hinge solely on the books I was assigned to read in school. 

It's definitely Reader's Workshop's fault for helping me grow as an independent reader who loved reading outside of school as much as in school. 

Because if I hadn't loved reading books so much, I wouldn't have all the experience with stories and words that gave me a great foundation for being a writer.

Reading and writing goes together. They directly influence, impact, and interact with each other. Writing is taking reading to the next level. Readers soak up all these wonderful words...but the real trick is to now take all this knowledge of stories and words and to create your own. 

While I can point a finger at Reader's Workshop for making me a writer, Writer's Workshop has to take some of the blame too.

I had time to write, time to discover topics I wanted to write about, time to share with peers and give and get feedback, time to confer with my teachers and get their feedback, time to share my writing, time to understand that writing is a process and I could navigate it. Most of all, I had time to get over that little voice in my head that told me I couldn't write or it wasn't worth it or I wasn't good. Lots of people have that little voice. I do sometimes, but most times I can just sit down and write. The thing is, last year I had coffee with one of my high school English teachers and we were talking about free writing. I told her my rules for free writing and she pointed out that I shouldn't forget about not listening to the little voice in your head. Guess what?! I had totally overlooked it! Why? Because I don't have to fight that little voice! I don't have to fight it because my awesome teachers helped me get over it in Writer's Workshop. She had it in her mind because she remembers how important it is but I forgot it because she did such a good job of banishing it from my brain. 

*boom*

Pretty awesome, right? 

See?

It's all Writer's Workshops' fault.

And Reader's Workshop too. 

 I wouldn't be the writer I am today without Reader's Workshop and Writer's Workshop. 

Obviously, I'm a fan of Reader's Workshop and Writer's Workshop because I know the power of Workshop firsthand as a student who experienced it. But there is so much out there about the benefits of using a Workshop model in teaching literacy. 

Thanks to Stacey Reidmiller, I discovered Megan Smith's new blog One Book, One Pen where she shares ideas for how to get started with Workshop and I'm in love already and can't wait to read more. I'm so excited to share it with teachers in my district. I'd love to hear which are your favorite workshop resources so please share in the comments! 

My Thoughts on How Education Can Change the World

Sometimes being an educator keeps me up at night.

And that leads to me creating a middle-of-the-night video that shares my thoughts on education because I'm so fired up I can't sleep. 

Teachers have the power 

to change the world
because we are charged 

with changing the lives of children.

I believe every teacher has to show kids they see them and they have to inspire them. And the easiest way to do that is to get them fired up to be consumers and creators. That's why I blog at Teach Mentor Texts and Story Exploratory to share ideas for how we can all be consumer and creators. With everything I share, I hope someone is inspired in some way.

I'm over doing things how they have always been done when we know better. 

I'd love to generate more discussion about how education can change the world. 

Here are some things you can do to join in:

• Watch this amazingly powerful speech from Chris Emdin. It helped me solidify some of my own thoughts. (Thanks to Kathy Burnette for sharing it with me.)
• Create your response to the question: How can education change the world? Link or share it in the comments below.
• Share this post and my video. We need more people in this conversation! Please invite others to think about this and join in. 

Thanks for listening! I see you. You inspire me. 

Let's Celebrate Family Reading Night 2017!

It's time to CELEBRATE This Week with Ruth Ayres from Discover. Play. Build.  Every week Ruth invites us to share our celebrations from the week and link up at her blog. What a fun way to reflect on everything there is to be thankful for. 

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This week I'm celebrating family reading night!

*throws confetti*

Last week, our K-2 grade level center hosted the annual family reading night. I still have to pinch myself because I looooooove that I get to be part of it now that I work in the district.

Last year, we acted out the book How To Read a Story by Kate Messner and then students went off to read with guest readers in classrooms. This year, we started with book talks in the gym. Each child had a handout with the book covers of all the books and a crayon. As I book talked the books in English and Spanish, they circled or checked off the books they were excited about reading. The hope was to celebrate lots of books and that kids would then have a list of books to take to the library and check out. After the book talks, families went to read in classrooms with guest readers. 

I'm still pinching myself. It was such a great night. I know my kids had fun and it seemed like everyone else was having fun too. Readers were animated, students were captivated, families were spending time together and the school was buzzing with bookish energy. What more could you ask for? 

What are you celebrating this week?

Summer Reading with Kate DiCamilllo!

I can't believe it's almost summer! Our school year ends next week and the pool opens just after that. Now I live for the pool in the summer but when I was a kid I usually spent lots of time reading or swimming at the beach. My local library had a great summer reading program and I was always so proud to earn a free book by the end of the summer. 

Today I'm happy to share the Collaborative Summer Library Program with you! Kate DiCamllo is the CSLP Summer Reading Champion for 2016 and she's sharing her love of reading and libraries and summer which you can share with young readers in your life. 

As you may know, Kate's book RAYMIE NIGHTINGALE was recently published! It makes a perfect summer read. Watch the live webcast where Kate talked about Raymie and her story with John Schu here. Also check out Kate's top ten reasons to join your library summer reading program and her recommended reading list for summer 2016. And here are some videos straight from Kate about summer reading.

Scholastic also put together a list of 50 Sensational Books of Summer and I was invited to recommend a book for their list. You'll have to hop on over to see what I think will make a great summer read! I would love to hear what summer books you recommend! Share in the comments!

The One With Books in the Wild #slice2013

     Every Tuesday, Ruth and Stacey, host Slice of Life at their blog, Two Writing Teachers. If you want to participate, you can link up at their Slice of Life Story Post on Tuesdays or you can just head on over there to check out other people's stories. For more information on what a Slice of Life post is about, you can go here. 

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I recently participated in the book tour for Donalyn Miller's outstanding new book, Reading in the Wild. It's such an amazing book full of great ideas and lots of things that just needed to be said about kids and reading. I adore Donalyn and am so glad that she rocked this book as much as The Book Whisperer. 

     In honor of Reading in the Wild, I decided to register some books through Book Crossing and release them into the wild. It hasn't been as easy as I anticipated! I want to leave them where young adults might find them because I chose middle grade and young adult titles. The weather has been crazy so I didn't want to leave them outside. And as I've been visiting schools, it seems like I keep forgetting to grab books to release in to the wild. I have more book ready to be dispersed but did manage to get a few out there!

      When I was out this weekend, my sister and my friend helped me devise a plan to release a few books into a Starbucks. It just so happened the the Starbucks we happened upon was the busiest Starbucks I have ever encountered! As we neared the door, it looked busy inside but when we finally stepped in and I was able to look around, it was clear the this place was packed. There was someone sitting in every seat, there wasn't a single open spot in the whole place. Old people, young people, and people in-between were all over. One table clearly had three babbling girls and then a grumpy-looking older man who didn't seem to know the girls but who, upon seeing as there was no where else to sit, had sat with them. 

     I thought there wasn't going to be anyway I might leave my books here without being noticed or without experiencing some kind of awkward situation...but then I spotted a tall end table nestled between two armchairs. Under the tabletop was a little shelf just the right size for a small pile of books. Eureka! The only problem was that two kids sat in either armchair and across from them sat a woman who had nothing better to do than keep tabs on exactly what each person on that Starbucks was up to. 

     Operation Release Books went into effect. We went through the line to order our drinks. I conspired with my sister and my friend, discreetly - or maybe ridiculously obviously - we watched the kids and the woman sitting near our ideal drop spot. Then one of the kiddos moved over to sit closer to his family. And it was time.

     I readied myself, books in hand, I headed towards the bathroom. As I passed the table, I snuck my books into their spot and continued walking towards the bathroom. Behind me, my sister and my friend wandered towards the bathroom with their phones out, snapping pictures without being noticed. 

     Success! If anyone noticed us, I didn't notice them noticing us. Seeing as the Starbucks was so busy, I'm guessing someone will notice my books. I hope if a barista notices them, he or she leaves the books there for a  young patron to find. Maybe they'll sit there and no one will read them, maybe someone will take them home, maybe someone will donate them. It's exciting to imagine all the possibilities.

     I feel that same excitement thinking of all the possibilities for students if teachers let them become wild readers, help them become wild readers, support them as they become wild readers. Just think of the potential if we would unleash readers. Stop confining students to reading logs or whole class novel after whole class novel, AR quizzes or limited access to books. Help students find out who they are as readers. Let them explore a variety of texts, especially graphic novels and comics and digital content. Give them ways to share experiences with books with others and to celebrate those experiences. And just imagine all the possibilities - the exponential possibilities just waiting to be released. 

Reading in the Wild Book Tour!

Reading in the Wild Book Tour!

Today I am like a balloon floating freely up into the sky, feeling hopeful, knowing the future holds so much possibility and it's all because of Donalyn Miller's book, Reading in the Wild. It's finally here! I am elated because this book holds so many necessary ideas. I say necessary because we need to read Reading in the Wild. Whether you are a teacher who, like me, loved Donalyn's The Book Whisperer and it changed your life personally and/or professionally, or someone who is new to Donalyn's work, you need this book. Reading in the Wild affirms or gives light to how we can support students to develop authentic habits of lifelong readers. Every teacher should be thinking about how to foster the love of reading in a way that honors our students as individuals and encourages them to be readers independent of us. 

I imagine that everyone who reads this book might underline and circle (or maybe highlight if you are so inclined...) and write "YES!!!!!!" in the margins as I did. Donalyn articulates so many things that I needed to hear about reading and best practice and it's all supported by research. She boldly says what needs to be said about teaching readers and it's awesome. Along the way, I thought of countless people that I wanted to share this book with and I hope you read it and share it with others as well.

This was my favorite quote from Reading in the Wild because if we want to encourage students to be readers, we have to be readers ourselves. It all starts with a teacher who lives the life of a reader and models that for students. Donalyn also talks about honoring readers who might do more digital reading than reading of novels, they are readers, too. I find that I continue to encounter people who don't think of themselves as readers because they don't fancy fiction or don't carry novels around with them.

In honor of the release of Reading in the Wild, I thought it would be fun to release some books into the wild using Book Crossing. If you've never heard of Book Crossing, I think it's such a fun idea. I discovered Book Crossing a few years ago when I checked The Sideways Stories from Wayside School out from my public library. I noticed that it had a little sticker inside and it led me to the Book Crossing website. Basically, at Book Crossing you can get a little Book ID number that you stick into your book and then people can log in and share where the book is at is travels around and finds other readers.

Here's what Book Crossing says about releasing a book into the wild! "Referred to as the "wild release" (and loved by so many BookCrossers), this type of sharing is a bit like nudging a baby bird out of the nest or sending your kid off to college. Your book doesn’t want to spend its life on your shelf gathering dust; it wants to get out there and touch lives! So leave your labeled book on a park bench on a summer day, in a train station, on the table in your favorite coffee shop -- anywhere it’s likely to be caught by another delighted reader. Then come back and read about your book’s new adventures!"

I asked Donalyn to share some of the wild places she has found herself talking about books. It's obvious that she's wild about reading and that she is a reader true and true. She is more than a teacher who reads, she is a person who adores reading and can't help but talk to others about it no matter where she finds herself. Here are a few of her fun wild reading anecdotes:

"I habitually scope out what other airline passengers are reading. Recently, on a trip to Chicago, I noticed a woman reading The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I read the book last year and listened to the audio, which was amazing. The woman was sitting two rows up on the opposite side of the plane and I was frustrated that I couldn't catch her eye and start a conversation about it.

Last winter, I got off the plane in Dallas and ran into one of my former students, Lyndsey, who was waiting for the same plane because her grandmother was on it. Lyndsey ran up to me and we began talking about books. She sighed and told me she hadn't read anything good lately. I opened my carry-on and gave her my copies of See You at Harry's by Jo Knowles and The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen. Lyndsey's dad just shook his head and smiled, "I don't know when we can get those back to you, Mrs. Miller." I told him that it didn't matter.

I talk about books with my hairstylist, Misty, with my fifteen year old daughter's friends (who walk out of our house laden with books), with strangers at Barnes and Noble, with my students and their parents. 

On another trip, I was eating alone in a restaurant and began talking with my server about books. She began writing down titles on her order pad and giving me book suggestions. A few minutes into my salad, she brought another server over to my table to get a book recommendation. Throughout the meal, I met many members of the restaurant wait staff who wanted to share and talk about books." 

I'm so excited to be able to celebrate Reading in the Wild and love knowing that so many others will be reading it and reflecting on how we support readers in and out of school. Already this year, I have shared how important it is to be true to yourself - even if that means being a little wild - as we celebrated Mr. Tiger Goes Wild and then Katy Perry's song, Roar inspired me to think about standing up for what you believe in which makes Donalyn's book, Reading in the Wild, is so timely! It's time that we make positively sure that we are true to ourselves as lifelong readers as we support students in being lifelong readers. 

Thank you to Donalyn for inviting me to be part of this special blog tour!

To hear what others have to say, visit these other stops on the tour:

November 4 The Goddess of YA Literature

November 5 Mr. Schu Reads

November 6 Librarian's Quest

November 7 Nerdy Book Club (Katherine Sokolowski)

November 8 A Year of Reading

November 9 Here!

November 10 Sharpread

And I Would Read 10,000 Hours

This week, I have been listening to Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and I was listening to stories about Bill Gates and the Beatles. Gladwell shares their stories as examples as to why he believes 10,000 hours of practice is the magic number when it comes to achieving mastery. Not long ago, I talked about The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle. Coyle's book explains how brain research supports the idea that practice makes perfect because we can see how myelin builds up in the brain with more practice. It is physiologically true that practice does make perfect. The Talent Code also explains that there is a specific kind of practice, it's not just about doing something, it's about doing something in a very focused way with feedback and support that truly makes practice meaningful. Here is an infographic from Zintro that brings the idea of 10,000 hours of practice to life. 

There are so many implications for this and I definitely recommend reading The Talent Code because it's a fascinating look at what kind of practice makes perfect. As I was listening to Outliers on the way home, I started thinking about how long it would take a student to get to 10,000 hours of reading. 

It made me think about my kindergartner. His teacher asks us to read with him 20 minutes every night. I was curious, if he only reads 20 minutes a day, how long will it take to get to 10,000 hours. And then I started doing all sorts of math calculations...and math is not my strong area, but I was completely enchanted with figuring this out. (Please tell me if I miscalculated!) Here is what I found:

10,000 hours x 60 minutes in an hour = 600,000 minutes

600,000 minutes / 20 minutes = 30,000 days

30,000 days / 365 days in a year = ~82.2 years 

I had to do this three times because I really didn't expect it to be 80 years and I just couldn't believe it. At that rate, is 20 minutes a night even worth it? Doesn't this kind of put into perspective what 20 minutes a day really means? And how are we supporting students to get the kind of reading practice that truly does make an impact. 

I reminded myself that Peanut's phenomenal teacher does Daily Five with his class so he does get more time to read at school. Our 20 minutes of reading at home is definitely the minimum he gets every day but when I think of schools or teachers who don't provide time for sustained silent reading, time to confer with their teacher, or time for students to share with each other and develop and be part of a reading community, it makes me feel like I'm going to hyperventilate. If we don't make time for students to practice reading and working with text, how can we truly expect them to develop into master readers. And taking this to another step, if we don't allow them the time to become strong readers, what implications does that have on their writing abilities? I truly believe that by reading more and well, we can be better writers (no matter how old you are!). 

Let's do a little more math. In Outliers, Gladwell, explained that to get to 10,000 hours or focused intense practice that leads to mastery, it will take about 10 years. 

10,000 hours / 10 years = 1,000 hours per year

1,000 hours / 365 days in a year = 2.74 hours per day

2.74 hours / 60 minutes = 164.4 minutes per day

If we want to support children in mastering reading in ten years, it would mean 164.4 minutes per day of reading or 2.74 hours a day. And then I started thinking about how much we have read with Peanut since he was born and how I think he had a great foundation going into kindergarten. But not every child has that kind of foundation. This directly links to The Talent Code because without all the reading done before going to school, Peanut's brain has already started to build myelin so that his brain physiologically ready for reading. 

I wanted to share my math work here because I think the numbers speak loudly. As a teacher, it's a clear reminder of how imperative it is that we give students time to read and then support them in the seven ways mentioned above in the infographic. As a parent, it gives me some perspective that I can apply to the 20 minutes the school is asking us to do at home.

How do we do this as teachers or readers? 

I strongly believe that what we do as adults, we model for kids. This carries over into so many other elements of our lives but it is truly imperative for developing reading and writing skills. If you are a teacher or a parent, please think closely about what you are modeling for children. Are you helping them engage in authentic experiences with reading and writing and communities around reading and writing? Books like The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller and Book Love by Penny Kittle are excellent resources for teachers. I suggest looking at who you are as a reader or writer in the wild and then helping bring that to children. Spending time to read with a child and talk about reading is so important.  

Last week, I volunteered for the Scholastic Book Fair at Peanut's school. I had volunteered in the fall while Peanut stayed home with my husband. This time, I asked Peanut if he wanted to go with me. I explained that our job would be to help people find books and to check books out. He was so proud to be a helper and to be an expert on where books were around the fair. This was only one way of helping him see how important books are but at the same time how important it is to volunteer and help when we can. 

On Friday, we went to a baby shower for a friend and were asked to bring books. I already knew what book Peanut would want to give to the baby because we have given books to other babies. When I asked him, he answered Good Night, Gorilla which is what I anticipated he would say. Giving him the opportunity to choose what book to give as a present made him think about what book he loved the most and what book he would want to give. 

Again, think about what adult readers do and then work towards providing experiences for children that will lead them to these lifelong practices adults engage in. Don't settle for 20 minutes of reading at home...more has to be done in a thoughtful and yet authentic way. What do you do to support students or your children at home? I would love to hear any ideas you have!

Class Author Visit: Ginny Rorby

      In 2008, I fell in love with a book and that same year I was lucky enough to meet the author at a book signing event here in Orlando (and only the second author that I had met at that time). At the signing event, myself and a handful of students were in awe of the presentation and after, during the signing, I asked the author if she would be willing to do a phone interview with my students after we read the book later in the year and she graciously agreed. This was the beginning of my Hurt Go Happy unit that ends with my students being able to talk to the author, Ginny Rorby, on the phone and it was also the beginning of a friendship that I cherish.

      Earlier this school year, I was contacted by Ginny and she asked if she could stop by my school when she was in Florida. Um, YES! I didn't even hesitate (and I was so glad it worked out this time, because last time she offered it was during midterms and I had to say no). The date seemed so far away when we set it, but it finally came this Monday. Now, Ginny had a bit of a task before her because half of the students attending were students who I had last year that had read Hurt Go Happy and the other half will not read it until later this year. I was intrigued to see what she decided to focus on in her presentation and she did not let down.

      Myself and 60+ students joined together to watch Ginny's presentation in the media center.  First, Ginny told a bit about her life which was a great starting point for my students because Ginny had a school-life that my intensive reading students really connected to- she struggled and did not feel very successful in school. However, she found that with the right teacher and with the right inspiration, she was able to find a career that she loves and is good at.

      Much of her inspiration was from her own life and from animals and she shared with us many stories that inspired her as well as some of the things she really believes in such as protecting our children and our animals. Throughout all of this, she also talked about her books in a way that would intrigued students who had or had not read her books. Finally, she talked about the books she is working on now and gave my students advice- "Read. And write." Such simple but important advice.

     To end the day, Ginny met each of the students one-on-one and signed post cards and bookmarks for each of them and took pictures with anyone who wanted one. For many of my students this was the first author they had ever met and you could see the excitement as they talked to her. It made me tear up just seeing them be this excited about an author. When we returned to our classroom, Lost in the River of Grass, her newest book, flew off the shelves. 

     But the excitement of the day can only be shared the best through the words of my students: 

• " She told us that she was a horrible writer, but she kept trying. Ginny Rorby inspired me to read her books and that reading is amazing. I now want to write books." J.M.
• "Ginny is really nice and funny. She got bad grades like me and she is an inspiring person." M.L. 
• "The thing I won't forget is actually meeting her. I was really excited for today. I have never met an author in my whole life. She is really nice and she looks creative. It was sad when she left. Only if she could have stayed longer, but she couldn't." M.H. 
• "I got good advice about writing and I was really happy about it." D.E.
• "Best Time Ever :)" E.R.
• "Her story changed the way I think about writing. Mrs. Ginny really changed my focus in life." C.M. 
• "This was the 1st author I have ever met. It's nice to know authors are regular people that look at life the same way as you. I'm so glad I met Ginny." K.K.
• "Her books are an inspiration to me. Also I love how she likes animals and is against their abuse." P.S.
• "Amazing how she never gave up! Just listening to her tell about a teacher who was special to her was amazing. She's really amazing. She's such a great author and person. Today was great and I appreciate it. The first time meeting an author is something amazing." A.G.
• "It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet such a phenomenal author like Ginny." D.L. 
• "Having Ginny at the school was interesting. It was life changing. She is successful even though she never did very good in school. She never gave up. And to think it started with an article of a dog that has been abused and abandoned. It makes me not want to give up." B.R.
• "When I listen to you about life that kinda relates to my life as a bad kid, but still try my best and work hard for you. I love how you care about animals and try to care for them or protect them Also, you're such a funny, kind, beautiful, nice, sweet author." R.J. 
• "I know if I try my best, I can do better in school. It's hard, but the things you learn and live for make it fun." J.N.
• "I learn that if we pay attention in school, we can do well in the future." S.G.
• "You are a very impressive woman and I think you inspired lots of people. I think people now will start actually thinking about things." Y.G. 
• "I learned that even if I'm not good at something, just don't give up." M.O. 
• "I really liked how much you like animals and how you explained how you can be worse in life but maybe in the future you can become an amazing, intelligent person." J.M. 

     And all throughout- gushing about how cool she was, how much they want to read her books or loved her books, and lots of thanks for coming and being the first author they ever met. Reading these notes and letters after the visit made it all come together for me; I loved having Ginny visit, but I cherish how important and exciting it was for my students. 

Comic Book Finds #1

Over the summer, I shared my story about the time I dragged my adventurous little family to Ann Arbor, Michigan for Kids Read Comics. While we were in Ann Arbor, we visited an amazing comic book store called Vault of Midnight. It was completely at the awesome end of the spectrum of comic book stores and blew the comic book store that we visited for free comic book day out of the water. I wish we had more time to look around for Peanut but Little Bean was acting like the two-year-old that he is and it was better for all parties involved that we just leave before any damage was done.

Lucky for Peanut and I, Dave Roman agreed to help us venture into a comic book store when he was recently in town. I was disappointed with the lack of kids comics at the store near us but willing to try a new comic book store. Dave recommended some great stores in Chicago but we decided not to drive all the way into the city. Instead, we found Graham Cracker Comics in Naperville. 

Right when we walked in, we found a few displays of kids' comics. (I soooooo should have taken pictures! It was kind of an overwhelming moment.) There was a whole display for the DC Super Pets series, a spin rack with kids' appropriate comics, a four sided stand with kids comics, and then one shelving unit section with kids' comics. It was like hitting the kids' comic jackpot. I can't explain how exciting it was. It was awesome to actually have options. And lots of them for a change.

I felt so relieved to see that kids' comics in comic book stores really do exist. Dave said it was great that they had all the kids' comics set up right near the door. As we were looking around, a boy about 12 years old walked in and picked out a comic for himself and then another one for his sister. We asked him what he was coming in to buy and he explained that he had one for himself and one for his sister. He totally seemed like a pro; he knew what he wanted, knew where to get it and paid for it in no time.

We took a little more time deciding what exactly we wanted...because we actually had things to choose from!!! It was fun. I'm so glad that we went and that we had a great experience. I'm not afraid to step foot into another comic book store now. (Yes, I totally was before.) I've realized that it's just like reading kid literature: you may not know where to start, but it doesn't matter. What matters is that you start. Just dive in. You can't make a mistake. Your worst mistake would not be giving it a chance.

There is a comic book store north of where my office is now and I'm excited to stop in. Like I said, I'm not afraid any more. I know there are kids' comics and now that I have actually found a few, I feel so confident that I can go in and ask them if they have them or if they can get them for me. It just took that one trip to a comic book store that did actually have a kids comic book section. It's silly now to stop and realize how nervous I was before, but it's really the truth. I think of myself as a risk-taker but comic book stores were very intimidating until now. 

Here are my steps to finding great kids' comics:

1. Google search comic book stores in your area.

2. Call ahead to ask them if they have a selection of kid-appropriate comics.

3. Stop in and check them out! Buy whatever grabs your attention. 

Here are some that we took home:

And here's a video of Peanut and I discussing these three comics we brought home!

I so appreciated everyone who chimed in when I wrote about my comics frustrations last time...I may be taking baby steps, but I feel like I'm at least taking steps in the right direction towards being able to support and supplement my sons' reading by incorporating comics into their lives. 

 

Waldo is Awesome!

 

Jen: I don’t know what to say about Waldo! I do remember just loving Waldo when I was a kid. My sister and I would pore over the pages of every Waldo book we owned. Both of my kids enjoy books like Waldo where you have to search for hidden objects. So far, we have only read books with simple things to find but, in honor of the 25th anniversary, I read the Where’s Waldo Now? with Peanut, my five-year-old son. He completely loved Waldo! Waldo still is cool all these years later. He was completely mesmerized and wanted to find Waldo. We also looked for Waldo’s friends and that was a lot of fun.  

Kellee: I cannot believe that Waldo has been around that long, but I do remember when the first book came out. I loved him from then on. I think Waldo was a fun escape, but still a way to keep your brain working. Waldo began as an afterthought, but became a star that is known by kids all over.  This means when I received Where’s Waldo?: The Search for the Lost Things I was so excited. What I liked about this newest Waldo book is that it is a mixture of classic Waldo activities, other activities and brain teasers including True/False, Crosswords, Word Ladders, Scrambles, Connect the Dots, Sodoku-esque, and Riddles. This activity book is definitely a Waldo book to the extreme.

Jen: You are so right! That’s a great way to describe it: “a Waldo book to the extreme.” It’s more interactive than ever. Did you know you can go and create your own Waldo avatar? I made them for my husband, my kids, and I a while ago and it was super fun. I just went and made another for myself. Here’s me Waldo-ified! And here’s the website if you want to try it! I know you do, Kellee!!!!

Kellee: So much fun! Here I am! 

It is very easy to get caught up in Waldo. He even has his very own wiki where you can find out all sorts of Waldo information.  You can learn about the different books, characters and the Waldo spin-offs. Did you know there was a TV show in the 90s?! I wish I had known so I could have watched it.

Jen: You know what would be super awesome? If a school did a Waldo day for one of their spirit week theme days! I think that would be sweet. Or if an entire school dressed as anything from a Waldo book for Halloween. Or if Waldo was the theme of prom. That would be fabulous.

Here are some people who did a Waldo-themed bike party! I’ve never even heard of a bike party...but why not do it dressed as Waldo! This would be a super fun literacy night theme.

Kellee: What a great idea. I think there are infinite possibilities about what you can do with Waldo. He is a great way to add some pizazz to anything while also promoting literacy.

Jen: You know, my sister just turned 27 over the weekend and I’m totally going to give her a copy of Where’s Waldo? The Search for the Lost Things when we get together to celebrate. I think she’ll love it. I’m super excited to see the look on her face. I know it’ll bring back great memories for her.

Kellee: My sister just turned 27 as well! It’d be so much fun to sit side by side searching for Waldo together again. This post is bringing back some wonderful memories. Isn’t it amazing how one book or one character can can forever trigger a memory or make you think of a certain person or place? Let’s hope Waldo keeps up this tradition for years to come.

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