Archive for December, 2011
Posted by Realist on December 24, 2011
The 12 Days of [Children's Literature before] Christmas is a semester break special borrowing from the traditional 12 Days of Christmas (that occur after December 25th). The point is to get you into the spirit of the season by recommending one book per day leading up to Christmas. The books can be read by children of all ages (when do we really stop being children?) and to children of all ages (who says a newborn doesn’t understand what you read to her/him?).
Comments are always welcomed. May your days and wintry evenings be merry and bright as you cuddle-up with a blanket and book, and maybe in the company of other children. Enjoy!
1 Day before Christmas: The Christmas Gift
If you’ve not had time to read all of the books from this year’s countdown, or if you want to narrow your selection down to the best of the best, then I highly recommend you make time to read this beautiful and deeply moving story. Without revealing too much, this children’s book deals with the experience of one child, Panchito, and his migrant family traveling from one job opportunity to the next. As Christmas approaches, he longs for one special gift. What he receives is nothing short of an epiphany and what he learns is that it is very rewarding to give, even when it seems that there is nothing to give. I’ll leave it at that in terms of the story, you’ve just got to read it. Make sure you read the author’s statement too!
The other beauty of the book is the bilingual text. So if you are familiar with the Spanish language, no deje pasar esta oportunidad de leer un gran libro. (I’ll let the WLL peeps correct my errors.) If I could, I’d put this on every Spanish 101 required reading list.
High-five to the book worms at Camp Realist who assisted me with this year’s list.
OK, that does it for this year’s countdown. I’d like to thank all of you wonderful readers of these past twelve postings for your time. As I’ve stated all along, if you have other selections, feel free to throw them into the list. I wouldn’t mind seeing this list grow and we’d be able to learn from each other; that is the purpose of The Lounge, right?
I’ll be taking the next 12 days off to enjoy the Holy Day and holiday. Until then, may you, your family, and friends have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Virtual hugs for all. (I almost forgot to give a big thanks to PhiloDave – thanks for the time and space on The Lounge Blog Master!)
May you give with love. May you receive with love.
Posted in Events, Fascinating, Musing, Social | Tagged: Life lessons, Merry Christmas, The Christmas Gift | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Realist on December 23, 2011
The 12 Days of [Children's Literature before] Christmas is a semester break special borrowing from the traditional 12 Days of Christmas (that occur after December 25th). The point is to get you into the spirit of the season by recommending one book per day leading up to Christmas. The books can be read by children of all ages (when do we really stop being children?) and to children of all ages (who says a newborn doesn’t understand what you read to her/him?).
Comments are always welcomed. May your days and wintry evenings be merry and bright as you cuddle-up with a blanket and book, and maybe in the company of other children. Enjoy!
2 Days before Christmas: The Crippled Lamb
Have you ever felt out of place ’cause you got some physical or mental impairment? Three cheers for these animals that remind readers how people can, and should, turn a negative into a positive. According to this story, we all have a purpose in life and we should always remain hopeful that our weaknesses are nothing more than hidden strengths; or as one member of Camp Realist stated, “Even though [the lamb] is crippled, he’s still important.”
High-five to the book worms at Camp Realist who are assisting me with the list.
Posted in Events, Fascinating, Musing, Social | Tagged: Aren't we all crippled in some way or another?, The Crippled Lamb | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Realist on December 22, 2011
The 12 Days of [Children's Literature before] Christmas is a semester break special borrowing from the traditional 12 Days of Christmas (that occur after December 25th). The point is to get you into the spirit of the season by recommending one book per day leading up to Christmas. The books can be read by children of all ages (when do we really stop being children?) and to children of all ages (who says a newborn doesn’t understand what you read to her/him?).
Comments are always welcomed. May your days and wintry evenings be merry and bright as you cuddle-up with a blanket and book, and maybe in the company of other children. Enjoy!
3 Days before Christmas: Great Joy
The spirit of Christmas is alive, and well-told, in this story of a young inquisitive girl who asks a simple question and receives her answer in the form of love and friendship. Like all other works of children’s literature, this one is told with succinct words and beautiful illustrations. The artist captures the cold weather of the streets and compliments it with the warmth of home and social gatherings. (Not to lessen the value of a novel for grown-ups, but there are times when a story doesn’t need chapters or so much detail; just a few sentences to make a direct point. Perhaps the illustrations in a children’s book are the equivalent to the details in a novel.)
BTW, if the author’s name, Kate DiCamillo, sounds familiar, you’ve probably heard of her ‘major’ works that have become movies – The Tale of Despereaux and Because of Winn-Dixie.
High-five to the book worms at Camp Realist who are assisting me with the list.
Posted in Events, Fascinating, Musing, Social | Tagged: Great Joy, great meaning, great read | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Realist on December 21, 2011
The 12 Days of [Children's Literature before] Christmas is a semester break special borrowing from the traditional 12 Days of Christmas (that occur after December 25th). The point is to get you into the spirit of the season by recommending one book per day leading up to Christmas. The books can be read by children of all ages (when do we really stop being children?) and to children of all ages (who says a newborn doesn’t understand what you read to her/him?).
Comments are always welcomed. May your days and wintry evenings be merry and bright as you cuddle-up with a blanket and book, and maybe in the company of other children. Enjoy!
4 Days before Christmas: Christmas Tapestry
In honor of Chanukah, which began last night with the lighting of the first candle, I give you this gem of a story. According to one member of Camp Realist, the story is “poignant, powerful and a tale for all faiths” to enjoy. Have a tissue handy for yourself because the little ones may be a few years away from appreciating the religious threads that are woven through the fabric of this tapestry. This is another story from this year’s countdown that is written and illustrated by the same artist/author. Here’s her website. I recommend any book from her collection.
High-five to the book worms at Camp Realist who are assisting me with the list.
Posted in Events, Fascinating, Musing, Social | Tagged: Chanukah, Christmas Tapestry, It's more than a patch job | 2 Comments »
Posted by Realist on December 20, 2011
Not sure at what exact time it went live; you’ll forgive me if I had busier things to do, like sleep, than to stay up and keep a vigil, but, true to their word, the pages have been launched and we have a new look to our college website.
Share your thoughts on the new look. (IMHO, I’d like to see that 10,000 small business stuff removed from the Features section since we are first and foremost AN ACADEMIC INSTITUTION, NOT A BUSINESS! At the very least, make it the fourth feature story. The second feature should be first since that really speaks to the majority of our students.)
So who won, Bob? I just saw it at 8:20am today. Could have gone live at midnight, but again, I was doing better things.
Posted in Events, News, Opinion | Tagged: The reinvention of Reinvention makes it to the web | 26 Comments »
Posted by Realist on December 20, 2011
The 12 Days of [Children's Literature before] Christmas is a semester break special borrowing from the traditional 12 Days of Christmas (that occur after December 25th). The point is to get you into the spirit of the season by recommending one book per day leading up to Christmas. The books can be read by children of all ages (when do we really stop being children?) and to children of all ages (who says a newborn doesn’t understand what you read to her/him?).
Comments are always welcomed. May your days and wintry evenings be merry and bright as you cuddle-up with a blanket and book, and maybe in the company of other children. Enjoy!
5 Days before Christmas: Mortimer’s Christmas Manger
There’s a mouse in the house! If you’d like to share the story of Christmas with a young audience make sure you have this book on hand. Makes me think twice about putting out a mousetrap when the weather gets cold ’cause ya know those varmints are lookin’ for a warm spot in our walls. Oh, what am I sayin’… perhaps I need to read the book again and leave some crumbs outside my door.
High-five to the book worms at Camp Realist who are assisting me with the list.
Posted in Events, Fascinating, Musing, Social | Tagged: Mortimer's Christmas Manger, Mouse in the house, Stranger in the manger | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Realist on December 19, 2011
The 12 Days of [Children's Literature before] Christmas is a semester break special borrowing from the traditional 12 Days of Christmas (that occur after December 25th). The point is to get you into the spirit of the season by recommending one book per day leading up to Christmas. The books can be read by children of all ages (when do we really stop being children?) and to children of all ages (who says a newborn doesn’t understand what you read to her/him?).
Comments are always welcomed. May your days and wintry evenings be merry and bright as you cuddle-up with a blanket and book, and maybe in the company of other children. Enjoy!
6 Days before Christmas: The Legend of the Poinsettia
If you’ve walked into a church building around this time of year and have seen it decorated with red flowers, read this book and you’ll understand why. The legend of this flower is retold and illustrated beautifully by this author. As with all the selections that have been part of this 12 day countdown, this one can be enjoyed by children of all ages AND is available at your Chicago Public Library.
To learn more about this beautiful flower, read these facts. To learn more about the talented author/illustrator, go to this link.
High-five to the book worms at Camp Realist who are assisting me with the list.
Posted in Events, Fascinating, Musing, Social | Tagged: Legend of the Poinsettia | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Realist on December 18, 2011
The 12 Days of [Children's Literature before] Christmas is a semester break special borrowing from the traditional 12 Days of Christmas (that occur after December 25th). The point is to get you into the spirit of the season by recommending one book per day leading up to Christmas. The books can be read by children of all ages (when do we really stop being children?) and to children of all ages (who says a newborn doesn’t understand what you read to her/him?).
Comments are always welcomed. May your days and wintry evenings be merry and bright as you cuddle-up with a blanket and book, and maybe in the company of other children. Enjoy!
7 Days before Christmas: It’s a Wonderful Life for Kids
In honor of last year’s movie selections for Christmas, I offer y’all this title. What makes this book special is the author, Jimmy Hawkins. Who is he you ask? Well, he was that young boy who played the part of Tommy Bailey in the movie? What movie you say? Go to last year’s post. The plot then is going to be predictable, but what a nice way to introduce those youngsters to the plot of a wonderful story.
Enjoy!
High-five to the book worms at Camp Realist who are assisting me with the list.
Posted in Events, Fascinating, Musing, Social | Tagged: It's a Wonderful Life for Kids, It's wonderful to blog about wonderful things | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Realist on December 17, 2011
The 12 Days of [Children's Literature before] Christmas is a semester break special borrowing from the traditional 12 Days of Christmas (that occur after December 25th). The point is to get you into the spirit of the season by recommending one book per day leading up to Christmas. The books can be read by children of all ages (when do we really stop being children?) and to children of all ages (who says a newborn doesn’t understand what you read to her/him?).
Comments are always welcomed. May your days and wintry evenings be merry and bright as you cuddle-up with a blanket and book, and maybe in the company of other children. Enjoy!
8 Days before Christmas: A Christmas Carol / Charles Dickens
It’s the weekend. If your tree is up then it’s time to sit down and read THE AUTHENTIC version of A Christmas Carol. There are too many wanna-be versions that try to capture the essence of this novel. However, if you want the real deal, then this is THE ONLY version you should be reading. Per the afterword in the book, “On December 27, 1853, [Dickens] gave a public reading of A Christmas Carol for charity…. for his first public reading , he judiciously edited the text for maximum dramatic effect.” He continued to read in public and continued to make changes until he had the right choice of words and the best dramatic effect.
So that’s why, this is really the only version you should read aloud to your listeners. BTW, the illustrations are good, but I’ve yet to see a good representation of Dickens’ ghosts, in either books or movies. This is the one exception where you should let the words create the images, only because the author was a literal master. (Today’s children’s lit is an integration of words and images, so I ain’t diluting the worth or merit of contemporary books for the young.)
I believe this selection qualifies for Great Books emphasis, but I’ll let you classical readers weigh in on that.
Enjoy!
High-five to the book worms at Camp Realist who are assisting me with the list.
Posted in Events, Fascinating, Musing, Social | Tagged: Dickens Christmas Carol, Ghosts of past present and future | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Realist on December 16, 2011
The 12 Days of [Children's Literature before] Christmas is a semester break special borrowing from the traditional 12 Days of Christmas (that occur after December 25th). The point is to get you into the spirit of the season by recommending one book per day leading up to Christmas. The books can be read by children of all ages (when do we really stop being children?) and to children of all ages (who says a newborn doesn’t understand what you read to her/him?).
Comments are always welcomed. May your days and wintry evenings be merry and bright as you cuddle-up with a blanket and book, and maybe in the company of other children. Enjoy!
9 Days before Christmas: Night Tree
In honor of the annual trip some peeps make to purchase that special Christmas tree, I give you this story. I don’t want to reveal much, but if you like nature, and you like those creatures that live in forests, give this book a read. Then, if you have time, head on over to Brookfield Zoo to see examples similar to the one in this book. BTW nothin’ wrong with puttin’ up the artificial Tannenbaum. Enjoy your tree trimmin’!
High-five to the book worms at Camp Realist who are assisting me with the list.
Posted in Events, Fascinating, Musing, Social | Tagged: Night Tree, What ever happened to those original ornaments? | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Realist on December 15, 2011
The 12 Days of [Children's Literature before] Christmas is a semester break special borrowing from the traditional 12 Days of Christmas (that occur after December 25th). The point is to get you into the spirit of the season by recommending one book per day leading up to Christmas. The books can be read by children of all ages (when do we really stop being children?) and to children of all ages (who says a newborn doesn’t understand what you read to her/him?).
Comments are always welcomed. May your days and wintry evenings be merry and bright as you cuddle-up with a blanket and book, and maybe in the company of other children. Enjoy!
10 Days before Christmas: The Polar Express
I told you I’d have a title for older children. Thanks for your patience.
Not only does this book have a wonderful story, it was also the Caldecott Medal Winner in 1986. Reading the words and processing the images made me feel like I was on that train ride with the other children. I’m sorry to say that when the movie came out, I was rather disappointed that it failed to capture the essence of the book. Suffice it to say, read the book or just marvel at the illustrations. A cup of hot chocolate and a bell will compliment the experience. Just like the previous recommendations, this one can be read again and again.
Enjoy!
High-five to the book worms at Camp Realist who are assisting me with the list.
Posted in Events, Fascinating, Musing, Social | Tagged: Believe, The Polar Express | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Realist on December 14, 2011
The 12 Days of [Children's Literature before] Christmas is a semester break special borrowing from the traditional 12 Days of Christmas (that occur after December 25th). The point is to get you into the spirit of the season by recommending one book per day leading up to Christmas. The books can be read by children of all ages (when do we really stop being children?) and to children of all ages (who says a newborn doesn’t understand what you read to her/him?).
Comments are always welcomed. May your days and wintry evenings be merry and bright as you cuddle-up with a blanket and book, and maybe in the company of other children. Enjoy!
11 Days before Christmas: Carl’s Christmas
This is another book for the adults who enjoy reading with young children. Be patient with me if you have older children, I gots 10 more days of books and I’ll do my best to cover all ages.
I like this one in particular because it has no words. That’s right, it’s a picture book and while the illustrations may be the same every time you turn the pages, the story can always be different. It’s great to make-up a new story line every time you read it out loud to those little ones at home. Heck, take turns and let them make up a story!
Have fun. Three cheers for book illustrators. Enjoy!
High-five to the book worms at Camp Realist who are assisting me with the list.
Posted in Events, Fascinating, Musing, Social | Tagged: Carl has his paws full with this child! | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Realist on December 13, 2011
Welcome to the semester break. Looky what we’ve got goin’ on with our pool. 14 weeks in the books:
| Player |
Week 11 |
Week 12 |
Week 13 |
Week 14 |
Total |
| marta lacor |
11* |
13* |
11* |
14* |
132 |
| PhiloDave |
7 |
13* |
11* |
10 |
132 |
| Chicago Realist |
11* |
9 |
11* |
13 |
131 |
| Mathissexy |
8 |
5 |
7 |
12 |
111 |
| MrDrProf |
0 |
12 |
9 |
0 |
6 |
I’ve trimmed the chart to show the activity from the last 4 weeks. The asterisk indicates the weekly points leader.
Wow, wow, wow! Marta has come out of nowhere to make this one heck of a finish! What a tight race. No, I ain’t rulin’ Mathissexy out yet. These last two weeks are gonna be interesting. If it’s one thing I’ve learned, is that there is no such thing as a sure win for any team (that’s right, I’m talkin’ ’bout them Packers too!). I’ve also learned that ain’t no such thing as loyalty to a team that’s lost their quarterback when you’re trying to win this pool.
Still want to join just for the heck of it?
Here’s the link: http://hl2011.football.cbssports.com/e
Here’s the password: hl2011
More updates to follow as needed. Anypeep care to put Monopoly money on the Packers going undefeated? I got a blue 50 that says those Dolphins will pop that bottle of champagne. Again.
Posted in Social | Tagged: Harold Lounge Football Pool 2011 | 13 Comments »
Posted by Realist on December 13, 2011
The 12 Days of [Children's Literature before] Christmas is a semester break special borrowing from the traditional 12 Days of Christmas (that occur after December 25th). The point is to get you into the spirit of the season by recommending one book per day leading up to Christmas. The books can be read by children of all ages (when do we really stop being children?) and to children of all ages (who says a newborn doesn’t understand what you read to her/him?).
Comments are always welcomed. May your days and wintry evenings be merry and bright as you cuddle-up with a blanket and book, and maybe in the company of other children. Enjoy!
12 Days before Christmas: Max’s Christmas
Get out to your favorite or nearest local library to get this countdown started. Yes, this is a book for the youngest of the youngest. I was thinking of all those faculty members who recently became mothers and fathers. You can’t go wrong with a furry little rabbit that wants to stay up and see Santa. A short story, with nice illustrations, that you can read twice before bedtime. This might be available in the board book version for those little ones who need to taste-test their literature. Enjoy!
High-five to the book worms at Camp Realist who are assisting me with the list.
Posted in Events, Fascinating, Musing, Social | Tagged: Max should listen to Ruby, Max's Christmas | Leave a Comment »
Posted by speechfromtheblock on December 12, 2011
Posted in Uncategorized | 14 Comments »
PhiloDave
cnepstad
mathissexy
itejeda
writingisthinking
Kamran Swanson
Realist
Matt U.
domenicorocco
speechfromtheblock
casthwc
