Had a Zoom meeting today with students and had to leave the room for a while. It transpires that when I left my 6 year old snuck in and decided to present the online attendees with a spontaneous dance.
Do you have fond memories of the work of John Burningham & Helen Oxenbury? Married for 54 years, they created such magic! (John's sadly missed) Do feel free to share your memories of their books here.
Here's a short thread based on 'Artists of the Page' (1992):
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Ten-year-old want to stay in the bath tonight. He was off in his own world, wearing goggles and a snorkel, singing and playing with cars unwater.
Sometimes, even at the age of ten, they just want to play and it's often hard to remember that ten years old is still very young.
I just want to say a MASSIVE thank you to all school staff who, despite the onslaught of stress and abuse, STILL give their all in supporting families and children in and out of their schools. To keep your heads above such a visible tide of mistreatment is remarkable.
Not that I want to give myself extra work at all but are there readers out there who would like to join me in an online, quarterly bookgroup (evening) in which we explore children's literature from around the world. It'd involve reading a novel and a picturebook & booktalk
Sat down with my 3 year old after dinner and scribed his stories. He got so much pleasure from telling them and drawing parts. You could see him wanting to play more with the narrative as the writing progressed. We re-read them at bedtime.
Here is a link to the blog and the video from last night's Session of Exploring Pictures in Picturebooks. A Handout is available at the end of the blog as well as an extension reference list.
Blog:
Video:
Thank you so much!
More on the Ahlbergs coming. I often reflect on
#TheJollyPostman
& ask:
1. How many children would recognise these characters today?
2. How many understand the joy that comes with writing & posting a letter?
3. How many understand the joy of receiving & reading a letter?
Hey everyone! I'm going to be delivering a free, open webinar on exploring pictures in picturebooks. I hope it will prove interesting & helps you appreciate picturebooks in a whole new light. Huge thanks to
@one_to_read
for allowing this to be part of his lovely
#booksnearbedtime
'I have no reservations about it. If I were asked to name a single masterpiece of English children's literature since the last war...it would be this outstandingly beautiful and absorbing book.' - John Rowe Townsend.
It's never a bad time to share the 'Rights of the Reader' poster here on Twitter. That final statement is a powerful one:
'10 rights - 1 warning: Don't make fun of people who don't read - or they never will.'
Freely available here:
For this final (for now) thread on the Ahlbergs I wanted to focus on their daughter, Jessica's and how she inspired some of their most beloved books.
"The Baby's Catalogue" came from her love of pictures in catalogues, even the garden tool section.
#ChildrensLiterature
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Well
@MrJClements
it has arrived! It has been a pleasure working with you on this & great to see the years of hard work collected into one book. Special shout to out
@nickswarb
for his endless support and guidance.
Elwyn Brooks White's 'Charlotte's Web' was published in 1952. Of his younger readers, White said:
'Children are a wonderful audience - they are so eager, so receptive, so quick. I have great respect for their powers of observation & meaning'
Any lovers of
#CharlottesWeb
here?
This from Aidan Chambers was published 47 years ago. A lot is being said here: ‘Unless a school is staffed by people who enjoy books and enjoyed talking to children about what they read then it is unlikely that they will be very successful in helping children to become readers’
🚨 GIVEAWAY ALERT 🚨
Thrilled to partner with
@HarperCollinsCh
to give away THREE gorgeous hardback copies of
@HGold_author
’s Turtle Moon, beautifully illustrated by Levi Pinfold
- Follow, Like & RT to enter -
📍 UK only
🏆 One book per winner
#BookGiveaway
#WinItWednesday
I've decided to randomly share my class photo from when I was in Year 2. I'm front row and far right...in a strop. This is because I loved Mrs Griffiths and wanted to stand next to her 😊
Research drew me to this wonderful piece on writing for children from Jill Paton Walsh. 'Not everything can be said for children: not everything can be explained to them. But once it is not clogged up by hesitation and pretension almost anything can be told to them as a story.'
‘Anyone who writes down to children is simply wasting his time. You have to write up, not down. Children are demanding. They are the most attentive, curious, eager, observant, sensitive, quick, and generally congenial readers on earth.’
E.B. White on writing for children
In keeping with sharing a history of
#ChildrensLiterature
I thought I'd start with Janet & Allan Ahlberg pictured here with their daughter, Jessica*
Hope you enjoy the little thread. Feel free to share your own tales related to their stories.
*Image from 'Artists of the Page'
I’m writing a little about Teachers as Readers at the moment & am drawn to reflecting on our reading behaviours. How do you go about choosing the next book you will read? What, where or who informs your personal choice? (You absolutely don't need to be a teacher to answer this!)
Very grateful for one of our
@OBUPRimaryITE
students who passed me this. This page, in which Asiya looks directly at the reader is my favourite. She both invites you to celebrate her hijab with her whilst also standing strong against any who would mock or challenge her. Fabulous.
This is fascinating from Joan Aiken (1970) on language in children's books:
'Mystery is another essential element in the operation of making a book rereadable. Mystery of language first. I wage a constant battle with my American publishers who are under the impression... (1/3)
'One of the things I would regret is if one sold a child a book & they read it just once.The greatest compliment I can receive is to be told that some of my books are held together with more Scotch tape than there is paper in the original'
Any more Richard Scarry fans out there?
“Anyone who writes down to children is simply wasting his time. You have to write up, not down.”
E.B. White
I love children's books that respect the child reader as astute, witty, insightful, & brimming with questions are my favourites. Which children's books do this for you?
Both my boys just had a pre-settling-down-sleep-scuffle & are in their own bedrooms. I approach 5 yr old in bed...
Me: Are you okay? Are you sad that your brother didn't want to play with you?
5yr old: *without missing a beat* Why would I want to play with my arch-nemesis?
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#MysteriesAtSea
with
@AMHowellwrites
latest adventure, "The Hollywood Kidnap Case"! 🕵️♂️🛳️
Win a full set of these excellent tales!
Just:
- Follow & RT 🎉
Closing Date: July 29th
#BookGiveaway
Both my boys just donned their backpacks, asked for their water-bottles to be filled and some snacks and picked up their bookbags. They then proceeded to tell us both that they were off on an adventure and went into their bedroom closing the door. Wonderful stuff
@nickswarb
As well as writing & drawing wonderful books, remember that
@EliseGravel
has loads of free posters that would look super around a school. Here's a taste and a link too
@PrimaryRocks1
-
I love this poster from
@burstofbeaden
-
Remember, the best children's literature out there is for EVERYONE & written so that children are included rather than it being exclusively for them.
Last week I asked Twitter how they went about choosing their next book to read. I collated all 117 responses and placed them into an infographic. I hope it proves interesting to you. Thank you to all who joined in!
@tygertale
@AlwaysLearnWeb
@Xris32
@JennaLucas81
@KSunray3
🎉A CHANCE TO WIN THE
@KlausFluggePr
SHORTLIST!🎉
If you're in the UK & would like to own a set of the 5 books below then:
1. Follow me (
@Mat_at_Brookes
)
2. RT this post & reply with the
#KlausFluggePrize
tag
3. Winner chosen Weds 26th May
#booksnearbedtime
Just to jump with a huge THANK YOU for tonight. I am absolutely off to bed but it was so lovely to have you all there. Niks has sent me the video and I'll upload it when I get some time. I so appreciated you all being there; and I will reply to comments asap
With new covers by the incredibly talented Chris Wormell & Introductions from
@PhilipPullman
&
@JonathanAStroud
these are treasures to be enjoyed by new and established fans alike. Thank you so much
@HarperCollinsCh
they're beautiful
I try my best to take the boys with me on a brief morning walk before they head off to school.
On today's walk, they said that if they had enough money, they'd pay for me to stop working all the time.
This hit me hard.
'Students would read more if they were provided with more interesting texts, the possibility to choose, and if more class time were allocated to reading.'
An interesting article on 'What motivates students to read at school?' (Tegmark et al, 2022)
'People often think that you write for children you have, or children that you know. You don't. You write with a part of you that comes from not having really grown up.'
- Jill Murphy
#ALegacyofChildrensLiterature
A little while ago, I asked everyone their top 3 best children's books. I wanted to share what I ended up finding with all who participated. Thank you! I higher resolution image and pdf can be found here:
Name three of your best children's books. No explanation needed. Ignore canons, don't tag authors/illustrators and don't feel the need to impress - just three children's books that remain your 'best' reads. Am being purposefully ambiguous. Mine are:
'The way to celebrate children's literature is not to print stamps showing Noddy and Big Ears but to spend a little money to keep books by great writers in print.' - from Philip Pullman's
#DaemonVoices
Here are three of my out-of-print choices. I'd love to know yours.
From my first encounter with Meg & Mog at Nursery, to the scary meeting with a Haunted House in the public library at 7 (alone!). Jan's art has always been with me & I'll continue to pass his work on and on and on and on.
It's that time of year again. My final-year students have completed their fantastic cross-curricular plans. Here's a sneak peek of 'some' of the choices that will be shared on the Padlet. Hope you enjoy what's to come:
@Teacherglitter
@KarlDuke8
@GalwayMr
Thank you for the responses! Let's continue with the Ahlbergs' journey.
They transitioned from text-heavy picture books like Cops and Robbers & Burglar Bill to Each Peach Pear Plum with fewer words. Why? Each Peach's success revealed the power of simple language & strong visuals
I'd like to start a
#JoanAikenApprectiation
thread. Are there particular books that have stuck with you? What's the story behind your choice? It'd be lovely to hear and see recommendations.
'We believe that guiding readers is not about the teacher telling the readers what they 'should' understand from the text. In that scenario, everything comes from inside the teacher's head and the reader is little more than an 'empty bucket' to be filled with information. (1/2)
Excited to announce that I'll be leading two special sessions for
@Literacy_Trust
on my passion - picturebooks! Discover how knowing how picturebooks work can enrich children's reading experience. Here's a sneak peek, with a special thanks to
@burstofbeaden
for their trolling.
I promised myself this year that I would read a single author's work all the way through. It's going to take me more than a year but I'm spending it with
#JoanAiken
. The idea is to read the stories, to the best of my ability, from the beginning. I'm excited about this.
What was the first children's book to bring you to tears?
Mine was
#ABridgetoTerabithia
by Katherine Paterson. I read it in my 1st year at University as a set text. I had no idea that children's books could hold such power and could be so masterfully crafted.
Thank you so much
@BrookesUnion
& to the fantastic students who nominated me. Question: Am I allowed to drill a hole through the top, thread a chain through it and wear it like some top-notch bling?
Continuing my sharing of a history of
#ChildrensLiterature
I want to celebrate
@ShirleyHughes_
in this little thread. I'll open with this fantastic self-portrait. Do share your favourite Shirley Hughes stories with me
*From 'Artists of the Page'
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Due out 3rd Feb,
@PushkinPress
have reprinted one of my absolute favourite children's books. I read this each year to my Y2 & Y3 class. It's a glorious celebration of storytelling and the power of stories to heal. Translated from the Dutch by Gillian Hume.
I begin teaching my MA on Reading for Pleasure through Picturebooks tonight. As an introductory task, we explore one of the chapters from
@EvelynArizpe
& Morag Styles excellent text.
I particularly like discussing this concluding statement
@GalwayMr
@shinpad1
@DamsonEd
In my first year of teacher training back in 1995, I remember my lecturer sharing
@ShirleyHughes_
Up&Up and Alfie Gets in First - I had never noticed someone break frames and use the gutter so ingeniously before. What a talent.
Been invited to talk to a school about the different range of texts we can use with children & making the curriculum work for us rather than the other way around.
I've been asked to provide examples of quality texts that cover their current themes & then recommend others too
This book is a Planetarium. It's also a speaker for your phone, a musical instrument, a decoder of secret messages, a spiralgraph and a perputal calendar. It is also quite unique and great fun
Our youngest did not know the name for oven gloves and when mum asked for them to be passed today, he asked 'What do you mean? The muffin hands?'
Now I think oven gloves need to be referred to as them from now on.
I have a copy of this beautiful, poetic information text by Dara McAnulty & Barry Falls to give away. A book for all ages. For a chance to win:
Follow, Like & RT with the tag
#RewildChild
& the name of your favourite bird. I'll randomly pick the winner on 22-11.
The next moment in
@Sydneydraws
@jscottwrites
#ITalkLikeARiver
is so breathtaking it can only be captured through video. The freedom & exhilaration the boy feels when he sees the 'bubbling, whirling, churning, crashing' connection he has with the river's rhythms. Wow!
I just want to emphasise how excellent the
@clpe1
Reading and Writing Scales are. Accessible & informed by copious research, they can support teachers & children in making progress. I think they'd make for richly rewarding Insets & Staff Meetings
In amending and improving my module on Literature in the Primary School I keep returning to the
@EducEndowFoundn
Recommendations. I do think this useful poster will go a long way to encourage richer, critical discourses between students' on the links between theory and practice.
What a read. I'm still coming to terms with that beautiful, touching close. This graphic novel is an incredibly powerful French-import. Grandmother shares a story about her childhood experiences in France of being a Jew during Hitler's reign. Masterfully told.
I'll be honest, Twitter. I often struggle with many things on here. 'How can I get more likes?' 'What can I do to generate more followers?' 'Why has a comment upset me so much?'
And it bugs the heck out of me. It's hard to keep reminding myself to just share/discuss what I enjoy
If, like me, you feel as if you have lost your reading mojo over this pandemic then the opening to
@Kiran_MH
#TheWayPastWinter
proves a most welcome balm. That opening paragraph is both inspired and inspiring and prepares for the nervous tension which follows...
A recent article from Reedy & Carvalho on Reading for Pleasure provides a great concept map on 'what different media could be considered to be 'read''. 'The definition...implies the importance of children’s agency & autonomy in their reading' p136
#raymondbriggs
An absolute master of comedy and comic strip, of illustration and the human spirit. I suspect he'll be happy that it's no longer blooming 'Work, work, work!' all the time 😊
If like me you are one of those people who immediately glance over at a person's bookshelf when you go to their house then here are
@neilhimself
's shelves. So pleased to see much of my current and teenager year reading there. MUST read more Gene Wolfe!
I am deeply flattered that the 'Exploring Pictures in Picturebooks' blog has over 7000 hits & the accompanying video over 4000 likes. Thank you to the kind, patient people who have supported me here over the years:
Blog:
Video:
It still needs tweaking, but Aidan Chambers' chapter on author/illustrator visits is crammed full of common sense. I managed to turn it into a poster/handout of sorts. Teachers/Librarians/Authors/Illustrators - would it be helpful at all? (still needs editing)
I have been spending a little time reading around wordless texts and, of course, Shaun Tan's The Arrival keeps cropping up in my head. I cannot quite get over how much Tan evokes and invites from us in this single spread.
'Without age or end'. For me, this description of Great-Uncle Merry captures something that lies hidden within and beyond the work of Cooper and Garner and the same can be said of myths, legends, fairy and folk tales.
#TheDarkisReading
I've begun reading an article around the importance of 'choice' and reading and it opens with this lovely quote from Kate DiCamillo: “Reading should not be presented to a child as a chore, a duty. It should be offered as a gift”(qtd. in Kittle, 2013, p. ix).
This is so very good from
@GalwayMr
on Reading and Writing fluency & I would love to see it get some traction here on Twitter. Anyone interested in or a teacher of these aspects would gain much from reading this and sharing with staff. Thank you, Martin!
This colourful and deeply uplifting little newspaper has turned out to be a real tonic for me. Collating only good news from around the world it constatly brings a smile to my face. Apologies for crinkliness; it may have encountered water.