Do You Want to Ignite Your Children's Love of Reading?

Jacob G. wrote this paper about his reading legacy for a school paper.  Jacob G. makes some recommendations of which books ignited his love of reading toward the end of his paper.  Shauna C. shared recently her belief that all children will love reading when you find the right book for them.  Check out some of Jacob’s favorites for yourself or your children.

My Reading Legacy

            Beautiful vibrations radiated from the sweet lips of my mother they reached my ears but I had no knowledge of the written word. My mom read to me before I could understand her. She would take me to the rocking chair and I would sit on her lap while she read to me. I was intrigued by the pictures and relished them with her warm reassuring attention. At that point I had no idea of the wondrous world of literature that lay before me. My literature legacy starts with ignorance of a child.

            My reading odyssey has been anything but simple. I grew up in Germany and loved all my friends but I didn’t learn English. I went to kindergarten twice.  First I learned the German Alphabet, then the English one. I took a while put it all together. In Georgia I discovered what reading really was. I found the lines made sense. B plus E plus D equaled bed! What started as pointless marks were now meaningful words.  

            I read every single word I could find on boxes, bracelets, pencils, containers, and books… Oh the books I read: Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein were my favorite authors. With Where The Side Walk Ends under my arm, I set off to school with my new knowledge. My high pride was ripped down the moment I walk into school. All the other kids had already known how to read, they even read thick books!  

            For a long time I did not read, but finally in 3^rd grade my teacher read a book called Where the Red Fern Grows. That was the first book that made me sad. I decided to try other books that were harder than what I used to read. I loved them. I found The Magic Tree House series, The Secrets of Droon series, and the Redwall series.

            Now I read almost every day. I have read all kinds of books. My favorite author is Brian Jacques. I am in the process of reading two books Eulilia and Atherton: The House of Power. I really enjoy reading. Every once in a while you stumble upon some bad books, but that has nothing to do with all the other good books out there, so go out in search for the perfect book—there and back again, a reading legacy.

The last of the events scheduled for How God Became English--The Making of the King James Bible are coming up over the next week.  I thought that the genealogists may be interested in the presentation on preserving their family bibles.  In addition, I am excited to hear from someone who has first hand experience in translating the Bible.  For those of you who enjoy thrillers, the last lecture is spotlighting an author of the historical thriller The King James Conspiracy.  

 For more information about how to get to the university, the website address is:

https://web.kennesaw.edu/archives/exhibits_kjb

October 25, 2011
Lecture: Bible Translation: Theory, Practice, and First-Hand Experience
Athenaeum Gallery, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Dr. Brent Strawn, Associate Professor of Old Testament at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University will address the history of the theory and practice of Bible translation, citing several examples including his own recent work on the translation of the Common English Bible. Dr. Strawn holds both a master's of Divinity and doctorate from Princeton Theological Seminary.

October 29, 2011
Workshop: The Family Bible: A Historical and Genealogical Resource
Athenaeum Gallery, 1:00-3:00 p.m.
Librarians from the Georgia room at the Central Library of the Cobb County Public Library System will join Museums, Archives & Rare Books staff to offer owners of family Bibles information on how to use their treasured family heirlooms as a tool when doing genealogical and historical research. Presentations will provide background on the history of the family Bible, review resources available at the Georgia Room, and offer advice on how to preserve books. The presentations will be followed by small break-out sessions in which guests can discuss particular issues with our experts. Families are welcome!

November 7, 2011
Book Discussion: The King James Conspiracy
Athenaeum Gallery, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Phillip Depoy, author of the historical thriller The King James Conspiracy, will share his thoughts on the novel's creation, the research involved, and subsequent reactions. Mr. Depoy is the director of theatre at Clayton State University, an EDGAR award winning playwright, and celebrated author. Copies of The King James Conspiracy will be available for sale.

Fires of Faith: William Tyndale and the King James Bible

Enrich your experience of visiting How God Became English: The Making of the King James Bible, the exhibit at Kennesaw State University mentioned in an earlier post. 


Watch the three-part docudrama produced by filmmaker Lee Groberg called Fires of Faith: William Tyndale and the King James Bible.


To be able to watch shows live on BYUtv, you need to go to the website and register for an account.  To register for an account, go to the webpage for BYUtv.  In the upper-right-hand corner of the page, click on the Register button.  You must be registered and logged on to watch live BYUtv.  (Another way to find the registration link is to click on Watch, then Live TV.)


The program airs on BYUtv at the following times:


Part 1
Sunday, Oct. 16, at 8pm ET / 6pm MT & 11pm ET / 9pm MT
Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 9pm ET / 7pm MT & 12am ET / 10pm MT


Part 2
Sunday, Oct. 23, at 8pm ET / 6pm MT & 11pm ET / 9pm MT
Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 9pm ET / 7pm MT & 12am ET / 10pm MT


Part 3 
Sunday, Oct. 30, at 8pm ET / 6pm MT & 11pm ET / 9pm MT
Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 9pm ET / 7pm MT & 12am ET / 10pm MT


Have fun learning!

400 YEARS OF THE KING JAMES BIBLE

Kennesaw State University is one of 40 sites chosen to host the traveling exhibition: Manifold Greatness: The Creation and Afterlife of the King James Bible.  The Department of Museums, Archives & Rare Books welcomes you to join others in the community in celebrating the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible.  KSU's title for the exhibit is: "How God Became English: The Making of the King James Bible."  The exhibit opens October 4, 2011 in the Athenaeum Gallery on the 2nd floor of the Horace Sturgis Library.  Examine rare artifacts, engage with multimedia interactives, and explore the creation of one of the most influential books in history. Both self-guided and docent-led tours (upon reservation) are available.

Bring your families to see original manuscripts from the 1500's and 1600's.  The exhibition is open during library hours:
Monday - Thursday    7:00 A.M. - 12:00 Midnight
Friday    7:00 A.M. - 8:00 P.M.
Saturday    8:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M.
Sunday    1:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M.

AN INTERESTING ARTICLE TO SUPPLEMENT YOUR FAMILY'S VISIT TO THE EXHIBIT AND THE STUDY OF THE HISTORY OF THE KING JAMES BIBLE IS FOUND IN THE AUGUST 2011 ENSIGN.  The article is titled "400 years of the King James Bible."
The online link to the article is: http://lds.org/ensign/2011/08/400-years-of-the-king-james-bible?lang=eng&query=king+james+bible

The traveling exhibit was organized by the Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C., and the American Library Association Public Programs Office. It is based on an exhibition of the same name developed by the Folger Shakespeare Library and the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford, with assistance from the Harry Ransom Center of the University of Texas. The traveling exhibition was made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The NEH traveling exhibit will also be housed in the Athenaeum Gallery and run through October 28, 2011.

The link for the KSU site describing the exhibit is:
https://web.kennesaw.edu/archives/exhibits_kjb

ENJOY LITERACY!

Why Read? from Susannah M.

Hi everyone! Susan graciously asked me to contribute a post along the same lines as Sharon’s and Carolyn’s. You all listened to me for months and you know how important I think it is to read and learn, but I never really shared why it is important to me personally. So you ask, why do I read?

Growing up, I was surrounded by books. Literally. Shelves, stacks, piles, you name it. I grew up watching people I loved and respected as they sought to learn and understand everything from history to health to… well, everything in between. I think in part I became a reader because I didn’t know any other way! But even more, my mother always said that you can learn anything if you can read. Wow!! I wondered if that were really true. For the most part, yes. There are some things you must master through experience, but there’s a great deal you can gain from study. The sky is the limit! I love that idea because it makes me feel like no matter what situation I am in, no matter where I am – or WHO I am -- I can better myself just by reading a book. And that’s true for you, too!

As I look back, I realize I’ve gone through different phases in my reading life. Growing up, my parents tried hard to expose me to books I would really enjoy just to instill a love of reading. As I got older, I started to turn to books for information. Truth be told, I loved my textbooks and never got rid of them, and I also found lots of other books like how-to’s, etc., that I loved as references. (I don’t think I read a single fiction book for the first year of my life as a mother – there was too much I was trying to learn!) For a while, it almost felt frivolous to settle down with a good story. More recently though, I’ve rediscovered the joy of a well-told story, and I have been enjoying many of the same books Sharon wrote about in her recent post. Stories capture not only belief systems and values, they teach us about the human experience and the people around us. That’s worthwhile learning, too!

Bottom line, the reason I read is to take me beyond myself. Whether it’s through learning something that expands my mind or experiencing something that teaches me about my heart, books take me there. You don’t have to be a book-lover for a book to touch your life. Pick one up today! J

Now that you know why I read, here are my top five pieces of advice:

1.     Not all sources are created equal. Just because it’s a scriptural commentary doesn’t mean the author has any right to an opinion. Just because it’s on the NY Times Bestsellers list doesn’t mean it’s a good read. Be careful to find second sources if there’s a fact you want to establish.

2.     Read both to enjoy yourself and to improve yourself – find balance between the two. I find switching back and forth between fiction and nonfiction keeps me the most motivated.

3.     Read works from different periods of time. Not only will you learn about different peoples and times, you will have a better feel for quality writing.

4.     Let the Spirit guide. If you don’t have a good feeling about whatever it is you’re reading, put it down and try something else. I tend to feel and channel the books I read pretty deeply, so this is an important one for me.

5.     Never stop! If you think you’re not a big reader, find something you enjoy and start from there. Once you build the habit, the rest will follow. Reading can be fun – I truly believe that!

Susan also asked me to list a few of my favorite books. Like I said, many of my favorites are titles Sharon already listed a few weeks ago. To her list, I’ll add a few more from a range of genres. They’ve all been important to me somewhere along the way!

 A Circle of Quiet by Madeline L’Engle

The Best Loved Poems of the American People selected by Hazel Felleman

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (or any of her other works…)

Tess of the D’Urbevilles by Thomas Hardy

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Great Divorce and The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (this is a middle grades book)

Anne of Green Gables (and any other work) by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Dr. Marc Weissbluth

I’m a Day Late and a Dollar Short… and It’s Okay by JoAnn Larsen

The Quiet Heart by Patricia Holland

14,000 Things to Be Happy About by Barbara Ann Kipfer

Happy reading!