雑草の花

Is there a difference between a flower that grows inside and one that grows outside? Perhaps, but only in aesthetics. This difference in mere appearance has us separating one from another--segregating the 'beauty' from the 'not-quite-so'. But a flower grown in the greenhouse has never felt the wind blow across its petals, the pure sun shine upon its face, or the sense of purpose in being a part of an ecosystem. No, the beautiful flowers grown inside share none of these experiences. So, what makes them beautiful?

This book raised many questions about human behavior and how we treat things as well as one another. Terrible atrocities have occurred on American soil, committed by American citizens, and I believe the author does an outstanding job of bringing one such event to light. I thought that the author's decision to include a brief history of the Japanese and Native American soldiers' who fought for our (and their) country was very appropriate and important. May we always remember what this looks like so that we never let it happen again.

'Weedflower' has a lot of classroom potential due to the myriad of subjects that it presents. 'The Bracelet' is a good match, as would be 'The Bicycle Man' by Allen Say.

雑草の花 is "weedflower" in Japanese. Not really important, but I speak the language so I thought I'd throw it in there :)

Potter and Censorship

Some great books have been banned or challenged in the past; books that have shaped the field of literature. Slaughter-house 5, 1984, A Farewell to Arms, and many more have all bothered enough people to push for a ban on these books. A ban that would prevent anyone from reading what these books have to say. As the author of the article suggests, these is blatant fascism. Censorship should be a person-to-person, or parent-to-parent, decision.

While one parent may be afraid that their child may try and cast magical spells or fly on a broomstick, I am confident that (unfortunately) that is simply not possible. Therefore, while they choose to hand their child a boring book that ultimately drives them away from literature, I will be purchasing the boxed set for mine. Any reading is usually good reading. I read comic books a lot when I was a child. Now I still do, but I also read big books with no pictures at all (gasp)!

Censorship has its place, but the ultimate decision should lie with licensed professionals and not religious-whackos or paranoid parents. A book should never be banned, but rather suggested for an older audience.

The Harry Potter series should be available in all classrooms. I'm not sure that I would use it in my classroom, but I wouldn't be against it. Some children may not be interested in realistic literature. A lot of kids aren't. Harry Potter is excellent fantasy and appeals (obviously) to a large group of people. Perhaps the child struggling or disinterested in reading would be a great match for this series. It is a poor decision to not include this or any other book that could potentially gain a lifetime reader.

grocery shopping

i looked so ruff,
like bark on a tree
mangled and hard.
i was lost and found.
but inside there is this heart
that runs when thunder claps,
and howls when it misses
anything.
a smile that shows all teeth;
that brings friendship
and a sneeze.
i saved a summer
or summer saved me.

hot supper

wolf suit makes mischief; eats nothing.
and the walls became the world around.

in and out of weeks he sailed
to the terrible terrible.

be still, yellow eyes.
i am the king of all wild things.

i will eat you up.

A Good Book

A good children's book, in my opinion, is one that does not talk down to its height-deficient audience. Sugar-coated realism is in reality pure fantasy, but worse for its lack of dragons, magic, and epic quests. Of course, children can't appreciate or understand Dostoyevsky or Camus because the themes are in fact too harsh, nevermind the vocabulary.

In my opinion, Roald Dahl always did a great job of balancing the fantastic with the real and his books are thus enjoyed by children and adults alike. One example is his well known book, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." The book is about as strange and fantastical as they come, but the themes and lessons being taught are very honest. Charlie is ridiculously poor, the other three children are disgustingly spoiled in their respective ways, and the things that happen to them as a consequence for their greed are frightening at times. Veruca Salt and her parents may end up in the incinerator should it be the day that waste is burned, for example.

I enjoyed the fun wallpaper flavors as a kid but I also gained a respect for eccentric candy geniuses and their chocolate rivers.

Think Back...

I have always enjoyed reading. I always had book with me when I was a kid. The free personal pizzas and good grades were just icing, really. I would have read those books anyway.

My earliest memories of reading were bedtime stories with my mom and dad. They both took turns reading with me at night, and each had their own style. Mom would read things like the Berenstain Bears--the entire series is still somewhere in the attic--and I would fall to sleep at a reasonable hour, probably out of boredom. Dad, on the other hand, read the stranger things like Dr. Seuss, Lewis Carroll, Roald Dahl, and others. We would stay up often past midnight, on school nights no less. I (secretly) enjoyed those stories much more and still do now.

My absolute favorite book as a kid was "Where the Wild Things Are". I had such a wild imagination as a kid that my mom would sometimes call me "Max". I think that book also resulted in my not being scared of boogie-men or closet-monsters growing up... I would rather build a Lego spaceship with them.

A book that made a huge difference in my life was "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Of course, the metaphors are beautiful in it and the story was perfect, but what grabbed me so much as a kid was the space travel aspect. I wanted so much to be an astronaut so that I could find a planet of my own some day. Eventually I decided I liked writing more than I liked science. However, if they ever need volunteers (guinea pigs) to colonize Mars, I am first on board!