Freedom to Read Contest Winners Announced

We are thrilled to announce our 2012 Freedom to Read essay contest winners!  

 

Thank you to everyone who participated.  We received entries from public and private school students in Davidson and Williamson counties.  Each participant will receive a special bookmark and pen by snail mail.   We hope that everyone will continue to read and to write about books!

Thanks to our outstanding panel of judges for volunteering their time and expertise during this busy season of the year:  Carol Owen, Sean Martin, Amy Everhart, and Joell Smith-Borne. 

KINDERGARTEN AND FIRST GRADE CATEGORY
What is your favorite book and why do you like it?

1st Place: 
Kriti Laddha, Edmondson Elementary, 1st grade, age 6
$25 gift card to Parnassus Books

2nd Place: 
Amelia Rustici, Kenrose Elementary, 1st grade, age 7
$10 gift card to Parnassus Books

Honorable Mentions: 
Jade Parrella, Lipscomb Elementary, Kindergarten, age 5
Brock Kohler, Kenrose Elementary, 1st grade, age 7

SECOND AND THIRD GRADES CATEGORY
What is your favorite book and why do you like it?  In your opinion, what makes a book a good book?

1st Place:
Grace Kohler, Kenrose Elementary, 3rd grade, age 9
$50 gift card to Parnassus Books

2nd Place:
Gitanjali A. Rao, Edmondson Elementary, 2nd grade, age 6
$20 gift card to Parnassus Books

Honorable Mentions:
Mason Hibbett, Crockett Elementary, 3rd grade, age 8
Brianna Keating-Rendon, Christ the King School, 2nd grade, age 8

FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADES CATEGORY
Frederick Douglass said:  "Once you learn to read you will be forever free."  Who is Frederick Douglass?  What do you think he meant?  How can reading make a person free?  Cite your sources.

1st Place:
Cassidy Fesmire, Crockett Elementary, 5th grade, age 11
$50 gift card to Parnassus Books

2nd Place:
David Xu, Hunters Bend Elementary, 5th grade, age 10
$20 gift card to Parnassus Books

Honorable Mentions:
Olivia Williams, Crockett Elementary, 5th grade, age 11
Nadia Hobeika, Christ the King School, 5th grade, age 10

For more information about the contest, please click here.

We will be publishing our top entries soon.   We also will be featuring our winners so you can learn more about these talented children.   Like us on Facebook so you don't miss out!

Congratulations everyone on a job well done.

**Parnassus Books is not affiliated with this contest in any way.  We just wanted to support our local bookstore!**

Malaprop's Bookstore & Cafe, Asheville

Malaprop's Bookstore & Cafe in downtown Asheville, North Carolina is the region's largest locally-owned independent bookstore.  In 2000 it won the Publisher's Weekly Bookseller of the Year Award, the first southern bookstore to win that award.  Put this bookstore on your "Must Visit" list now. 

Owner Emoke B'Racz tells us on the bookstore's website:  "My love of books came naturally; it is an inheritance from my grandmother, who always told us that 'our only wealth was what we had in our heads, what we learned, because all else can be taken away."   B'Racz's grandmother was a Hungarian who lived through two World wars, a revolution, and communist rule. 

When B'Racz bought the space for her bookstore in 1982, downtown Asheville was largely abandoned.  B'Racz's dream was to make her bookstore

a place "where poetry mattered, where women's words were as important as men's, where one is surprised by excellence, where good writing has a home, where [she] could nurture [her] addiction to literature, and play, enjoy, and entertain people drawn to quality books."   I love reading that quote over and over; it takes my breath away.

In its fifteenth year of business, Malaprop's was approached by a local investment group who wanted the bookstore to relocate into their newly purchased building a block away.  B'Racz discovered that the building had been built for use as an Elk's Club--a club that prohibits women from entering--so B'Racz says she could not refuse "that redemptive offer." 

After thirty years in business, Malaprop's is a beloved part of a now-vibrant downtown Asheville.  It is voted the best bookstore in Western North Carolina every year.  It is a favorite meeting place in downtown, with a cafe boasting a literary menu, fair trade coffee, and locally grown foods.  Malaprop's supports its community through monetary, book, and coffee donations. The bookstore offers book clubs, author signings, and writing workshops.

Owner B'Racz explains that, despite all the awards Malaprop's has won, she feels her success most "when a grandmother brings her granddaughter visiting from a big city to 'her bookstore,' or when a college student brings his visiting parents to show them 'his fave hangout.'  These are the most precious moments in a bookseller's life."

By the way, what is the meaning behind the store's name?  A malapropism is a ludicrous misuse of a word, especially by confusion with one of another sound.

One other tidbit I can't resist sharing:  when asked by a reporter which author, living or dead, would the general manager of Malaprop's most want to read at Malaprop's, she said:   "William Shakespeare.  I will spend my whole life in awe of his brilliant work and contribution to our culture."

Coincidentally, during my recent visit to Malaprop's, I didn't just buy books-- I bought a lovely set of notecards bearing Shakespeare quotes.

  

Sundog Books, Seaside

In May this year I visited Sundog Books with fellow booklover WordMom.

Sundog Books is located in picturesque Seaside, Florida.  You know, where the movie The Truman Show was filmed?  Sundog Books is right on Seaside's central square that surrounds the community amphitheater.  The square houses a number of shops, galleries, and restaurants, as well as a Farmers Market.  Oh, and the pristine beach is just steps away.  (I took this picture one morning while I sat on the beach alone for nearly an hour without seeing another human.)

Upon entering, the scent of Sundog Books immediately reminded me of a bookstore I frequented years ago in Abingdon, Virginia, as an undergraduate English major, back before most bookstores smelled like coffee.  Don't get me wrong--I love the aroma of coffee--but there is something pure and wonderful about the smell of real, honest to God books.  Add a hint of seaspray, and you've got the scent of Sundog Books.

Sunlight streams through the windows and the hardwood floor creaks as you browse the excellent selection of books and merchandise.  

No trip to Seaside is complete without visiting this charming store.  Sure, you could buy your beach reading material before you leave for vacation, but why not wait and buy it here?  The staff will provide you with excellent recommendations and you can support this independent gem.

To find out more about the history of Sundog Books, click here.  



Blue Manatee Children's Bookstore and Decafe, Cincinnati

In March this year I visited Blue Manatee Children's Bookstore and Decafe in Cincinnati, Ohio.  The store is located in Oakley Square on a block referred to by the locals as Kid's Row.  Along with the bookstore and coffee shop, the block boasts an amazing toy store, an old fashioned ice cream and candy shop, and a boutique children's clothing shop.   The drive from downtown Cincinnati to Oakley Square is short, and the area is lovely.  There is ample parking right beside the Blue Manatee store.

It's easy to see why Blue Manatee Children's Bookstore and Decafe has been voted the Best Non-Chain Bookstore in Cincinnati every year since 2006.   The store is large enough to offer a great many books but small enough to feel cozy and charming.  The displays are artistic and vibrant, attractive to parents and children alike. 

Throughout the store, there are engaging areas for children to plop down and read.

Honestly, though, the first thing I noticed right away were the walls.  What is all over them?  Look closer and you will discover authentic signatures, messages, and drawings left by authors and illustrators who have visited the store and left notes for the owners and customers.  

I had to find out more about the walls.  Turns out, there's an amazing story behind those walls and the bookstore itself.   

In 1989, a bookstore opened in that same spot called The Blue Marble.  In 2000, like many independent bookstores across the nation, The Blue Marble announced its closing.  Local residents were saddened by the news.  But two longtime customers, pediatrician turned novelist John Hutton and Montessori school teacher turned sculptor Sandy Gross, decided they could not bear to see the demise of "The Wall" and the bookstore.  Without lawyers, the couple wrote a one-page $5,000 buyout of the former bookstore's owner.  The contract was signed in green crayon.

The new owners renamed the bookstore The Blue Manatee and invested $40,000 in paint, carpet, shelves, computers, and an inventory of 10,000 volumes.  When they first bought the store, Ms. Gross said:  "It's not about making money.  We see it as a mission."  Why name a bookstore after a manatee?  Dr. Hutton explains that independent bookstores, like manatees, are an endangered species.   They are "sanctuaries of quality, whimsy, and inspiration, places where kids, parents, and the young-at-heart can go, slow down, and spend some quality time together," says Hutton.

In 2005, Dr. Hutton and Ms. Gross boarded up an office and turned that space into the decafe.  The decafe is a treat in its own right.  Shadow boxes containing eclectic items double as tables, inviting customers to pass the time by playing games or by making up stories based on the items in the boxes.  After buying our books and drinks, my children and I very much enjoyed several rounds of "I Spy," and some of the unusual shadow box items led to interesting discussions of history and the like. 

Blue Manatee Children's Bookstore and Decafe has won more awards than I can list here.  Dr. Hutton is a recognized figure in promoting more reading and outside time for kids and less time with technology.  Learn more about his efforts along those lines here and here.

Our time at Blue Manatee Children's Bookstore and Decafe was nothing short of wonderful.  I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to visit and experience this delightful place.   

Small Business Saturday and Independent Bookstores

© 2012 Lisa Ehrie, Thirteen Photography.  All rights reserved.

Today is Small Business Saturday--a day, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration, to celebrate and support small businesses and all they do for their communities.   I encourage all of you to support your favorite small businesses today and throughout this holiday season!  

You probably remember the gut-punch you felt when you learned that Borders Books and Music was closing.  Locals surely recall their near despair when they learned that Davis-Kidd Booksellers, a Nashville literary institution for 30 years, would close its doors for the last time. 

Imagine, then, how difficult it is for smaller independent bookstores to remain open when many of the big-box bookstores could not do it!  According to IndieBound, when you shop at independent bookstores, your entire community benefits in ways you might not have realized.  For example, spend $100 at a local business and $68 of that stays in your community; spend the same at a national chain, and your community sees only $43.  Local businesses donate to charities at more than twice the rate of national chains.  Buying local means less packaging, less transportation, and a smaller carbon footprint.

One of my favorite things to do while visiting a city is to explore its independent bookstores.  You can really get a sense of a place and its people by wandering the aisles of these local gems and sipping coffee at their in-house cafes.   So, in recognition of Small Business Saturday, this week I will be featuring several independent bookstores I've visited this year on my travels.  I would love to hear from you about bookstores I should put on my "must visit" list for future travels!

Remember, read global and shop local!

Life in Your Years

In September, I shared memories about people who made a difference in my life and told you how, through Spark, I hoped to pay forward the kindness and support those people had given me.

One of the people I mentioned in that blog entry was the Honorable Glen M. Williams, United States District Judge for the Western District of Virginia.   Judge Williams gave me the privilege of serving as a judicial intern in his chambers in 1995.  It was my first real legal job and I hadn't even attended my first day of law school.   During my senior year of college, I wrote my joint English/pre-law honors thesis on some of Judge Williams's many amazing experiences.  This project afforded me the opportunity to spend a year interviewing a man who would spend 34 years on the federal bench.  A man who was decorated for action in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Mediterranean theaters of war, who participated in the 1944 Allied Invasion of Southern France.    Those who knew Judge Williams understand that I spent a year listening to the one of the best storytellers in the world tell me stories I wouldn't have believed had I not known the source to be trustworthy.

For example, Judge Williams left school and enlisted in the Navy the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor.  As a Naval officer trainee at Columbia University in New York City, Judge Williams roomed with Herman Wouk, who won the Pulitzer Prize for his novel The Caine Mutiny, about life aboard a World War II minesweeper.  According to Judge Williams, he is one of the characters in Wouk's novel.

Judge Williams's recount of his rocky road to nomination to the federal bench was nothing short of fascinating.  He knew exactly how to weave a tale and appreciated that truth was, truly, stranger than fiction.

It was only years after my time spent with Judge Williams that I truly understood how remarkable was my  experience.

I learned from a friend today that Judge Williams died this weekend at age 92.   Abraham Lincoln said:  "In the end, it's not the years in your life that count.  It's the life in your years."   Judge Williams was fortunate to celebrate many years of a live well lived, and I am fortunate to have known him.

To learn more about the life of Judge Williams, click here:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2012/nov/06/tdmet04-retired-federal-judge-glen-m-williams-dies-ar-2339668/

or here:

http://www.thecoalfieldprogress.com/view/friends_fans_followers/20722735/article-Williams-known-as-sympathetic--sensible?listener=not_free&instance=free_article

Her Sustenance

On Thursday our Creative Writing workshop meets for the first time this fall. 
As writers, we can be inspired by many things -- even a ham sandwich!

9.30.2012
Lunch, WWII Museum
New Orleans, Louisiana

It was as though someone had punched me in the stomach and given me the present I'd always wanted, both at the same moment.  For at that moment, as I tasted the ham and cheese sandwich on lightly toasted white bread, crust removed, cut into two triangles, slight bit of mayo, I could have sworn that my grandmother had made that sandwich.

I tasted the memories of a woman who was so dear to me, so absolutely wonderful, and so absolutely absent.  I looked around the restaurant, almost expecting to see her.  To hear her:  "Jennifer, you need to eat!"   I missed her so much I could barely stand it.  I could barely eat.

But I ate.  I ate because, with each bite of that sandwich, I consumed again all of the meals I had shared with my grandmother, first as a child on my favorite plate . . . as a moody teenager . . . as an energetic college student and then as a sleep-deprived law student . . . after my grandfather was no longer there at the table with us . . . as a new mother, twice over . . . until just a few years ago, around this time of the year, she left us unexpectedly.

I needed that sandwich like I need my grandmother.

Introducing Our Contest Judges

The Spark Freedom to Read Contest is underway, and entries are due no later than midnight on November 7.   For more details, click here:
http://sparkreadiness.blogspot.com/2012/09/enter-our-freedom-to-read-contest.html

Who will be judging our contest?  Not me!  I know way too many kids around here!  

I have assembled a very special panel of judges, all chosen for (1) their backgrounds in literature or law; (2) their writing and editing experience, and (3) their enthusiasm for the written word.  Find out more about each judge by clicking on the links below.

·       Lea Carol Owen

Carol is a partner in the Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis Trial and Appellate Practice division.  She received her B.A. in English from Yale University and her law degree from Vanderbilt University.  Before obtaining her law degree, Carol was an English teacher. 
http://www.wallerlaw.com/Our-People/Carol-Owen

·       Sean J. Martin

Sean is a partner with Drescher & Sharp where he practices in the areas of personal injury and family law.  He received his B.A. in English and his law degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.  Sean is a fan of Shakespeare, Hemingway, and big game fishing.
http://www.dsattorneys.com/attorneys

·       Amy J. Everhart

Amy, owner of The Everhart Law Firm, counsels clients in the creative industries, entrepreneurs, inventors, business owners, and others with legal needs in the areas of trademark, copyright, entertainment, and the Internet.  Amy received her B.A. in Journalism from the University of North Dakota and her law degree from Vanderbilt University.  Amy's forthcoming novel All The Good Ones Are Gone will be available soon.
http://www.aeverhart.com/aboutattorneys.php

·       Joell Smith-Borne

Joell is the Managing Editor of the Vanderbilt University Press.   Joell received her B.A. in English from Anderson University.  Joell has been working as a writer, editor, and teacher of writing for over 20 years.

http://www.vanderbiltuniversitypress.com/about

These judges can handle a challenge, so let's make their jobs tough.  Submit your best writing responses by November 7 and celebrate your freedom to read!

Fall Workshop Info Here

There's a chill in the morning air, and it's time to announce our fall workshops!    [Some workshop information has been changed due to a facilities conflict.  Please note the updated times and locations as of 10/17.  Pre-registration is required for some workshops.]

  

·        Creative Writing - registration now closed

Thursday, October 11 (No school in Williamson County public schools)

Thursday, November 15

5:00-6:30 pm

December Parent Showcase, TBD

Additional support available by phone appointment and from 6:30-7:00 on November 15.  We want your child to succeed!

$75 (comprehensive, includes snacks on 10/11 and 11/15)

Calling aspiring writers and reporters!  Select and complete a specific writing project that will be featured on our blog!  Choose from short stories, poems, news articles, interviews, and reviews.   Instruction and brainstorming on October 11.  Review and revision on November 15.    Finished product ready by December, and we will schedule a special reading for parents.   Some at-home work required.  Do a knock-out job, and you may be selected to write again for our blog.   Parents, this workshop will boost your child's writing skills and self-esteem, and it will encourage responsibility as kids complete a significant project over a period of months.   Recommended for grades 2-5. 

·        No Girls Allowed!  -  registration now closed

Monday, October 29:  Spooked

Thursday, November 8:   Boys, Beyblades, & Better Writing

6:30-8:00 pm at Firstlight Arts Academy

$35 for one, $60 for both (snacks included)
Just in time for Halloween, our popular all-boys group will meet for brain-building fun, Spook Style.  Costumes encouraged as we'll use our imaginations and Touch-If-You-Dare props to create stories by boys that boys want to read.   No blood and gore, but plenty of action and laughs.   On the second evening, we'll share our stories with one another.  We'll then use our Beyblade toys in a writing exercise.  Skeptical?  Test us!  We'll have some extra Beyblades on hand if you don't have your own.   Recommended for grades 1-5.

·        Sparkle (Girl Power)

Thursday, October 25:  Attitude of Gratitude
at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church [registration now closed]

Thursday, November 29:  Spirit of the Season [registration ongoing]
at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church

5:00-6:30 pm

$35 for one, $60 for both (snacks included)

With the holidays around the corner, our all-girls group will focus on the spirit of the season.  In October, each girl will complete a writing project perfect for  a grandparent or that special aunt or uncle – just in time for holiday gift-giving!   In November, we'll meet for a Sparkle Holiday Book Club Night focusing on Junie B., First Grader, Jingle Bells, Batman Smells!  (P.S.  So Does May.) and other girl-friendly holiday stories.  Recommended for grades 1-2.

• More Than A Book Club - [We're full!  Registration now closed]

Sundays, October 28, November 4, and November 11 

4:30-6:00 pm at the Starbucks on Highway 100 in Bellevue
$60

You asked and we listened!   We're meeting at Starbucks like we did in the summer of 2011.  There is a limit of 10 kids in this group.   No exceptions. 

Not ready for your kid to read The Hunger Games?  We offer a compromise.  We'll read the first book of The City of Ember series, a book that--like The Hunger Games--takes place in a post-apocalyptic world with teens as the main characters.  The Ember books are thought-provoking, great reads, and they are edgy enough for older kids but age-appropriate for high level readers in grades 3-5.  We'll read, write, analyze, and debate in this fun workshop that enhances reading comprehension, reasoning, composition, teamwork, and public speaking.  We'll encourage the group to read the second book over the holiday break.

Want to know more about More Than A Book Club?  Click here:
http://sparkreadiness.blogspot.com/2012/05/more-than-book-club.html

Check your calendars and see what works.  FALL into reading and writing with us!

Enter Our Freedom to Read Contest

The Bible.
Harry Potter.
A Wrinkle in Time.
Shel Silverstein's poems.
Captain Underpants.

What do these books have in common?  Chances are, you have at least one of them in your house!  They have something else in common, though:  all have been recent targets of efforts to remove them from school and public libraries.

Banned Books Week is the national book community’s annual celebration of the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment.  The 2012 Banned Books Week will be held from September 30 through October 6.

Here at Spark, we support First Amendment freedoms, and we also support a parent’s right to make choices as to what is appropriate for his or her child.  For example, we recognize there is a big difference between deciding that your own child should wait a year or two before reading The Hunger Games and advocating that certain books should permanently be removed from a public, taxpayer funded library.  

With that in mind, we want to celebrate American children's freedom to read during this year’s Banned Books Week. We're celebrating with a writing contest for that special reader, writer, and thinker in your life!  And, it's free to enter!

CONTEST NEED TO KNOW INFO

WHO?  The Spark Freedom to Read Contest is open to children in kindergarten through fifth grade who live in the Middle Tennessee area.  All children are eligible (public and private school students and home school students) except for immediate family members of Spark employees and contest judges. 

WHAT?  Entries will be grouped into 3 categories by grades:  K-1, 2-3, and 4-5. Children should prepare a written response to the questions based on their grade level.  There is no minimum length for responses, but children should take care to answer all of the questions in their grade category.  Creativity and critical thinking are encouraged.   All work must be the student's original writing. 

Kindergarten - 1st Grade:  What is your favorite book?  Why do you like it? 

Children in this group may dictate their answers to someone who can legibly write or type it.  Handwritten entries, even if messy, are welcome.  Children may include illustrations.

2nd Grade - 3rd Grade:   What is your favorite book?  Why do you like it?  In your opinion, what makes a book a good book? 

4th Grade - 5th Grade:   During Banned Books Week, Americans celebrate the freedom to read.  Frederick Douglass said:  "Once you learn to read you will be forever free."  Who is Frederick Douglass?  What do you think he meant?   How can reading make a person free?

Students in this category should list any sources consulted for information.

For all categories, judges will score based on (1) clarity of the response; (2) overall content of the response; and (3) whether the response answers all questions for the grade category.  The judges' decision is final.

PRIZES?  Yes!  All participants will receive a small prize and $10 off their next Spark workshop.  The top entries will be published on our website with their parents' permission along with a brief biography of the authors.

1st Place K-1st Category:

$25 Parnassus Books Gift Card

2nd Place K-1st Category:

$10 Parnassus Books Gift Card

1st Place 2nd-3rd & 4th-5th Categories:

$50 Parnassus Books Gift Card

2nd Place 2nd-3rd & 4th-5th Categories:

$20 Parnassus Books Gift Card

HOW?  There is no entry fee.  Each child may only submit one entry.  No co-written entries.  Each entry must be accompanied by a completed entry form.  Entries may be submitted by snail mail or email.   Email entries to sparkreadiness@comcast.net and put "Freedom to Read Contest" in the subject line. You may scan and send a handwritten response, add a Word document as an attachment to the email, or simply type the response directly into the email. If you prefer to mail your entry, please email us and say so, and we will provide a mailing address for your convenience.

WHEN?  Entries must be received by midnight on November 7, 2012.  Please note that mailed entries will not be returned. 

QUESTIONS?  Did we forget something? Post any questions here or on our Facebook page and we'll answer right away!  www.facebook.com/SparkREADiness

Download the Entry Form Here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XRthZqNucdGTYqAtmE1Iy-RN_CEcw0S8uyYXoExTMiQ/edit

We hope to announce winners by the end of November.  "LIKE" us on Facebook to receive updates on this contest and other Spark READiness events!

*Parnassus Books is not a sponsor of this contest, and is not affiliated with it in any way.  We just want to support our local bookstore!*

Paying It Forward

I recently returned from my 20 year high school reunion, a weekend that included a tour of my renovated high school.  I noticed that the guide assigned to my group shared the last name of one of my favorite teachers.  Imagine my surprise when I learned he was that teacher's grandson!

Have you ever stopped to think about the people in your life who played a significant role in shaping who you are today?  That teacher --Barbara Cansler--was one of those people for me.

Family members were the first and most important shapers of who I would become.  For their love, encouragement, and sacrifices on my behalf, I will always be grateful.   However, not everyone has such support from family, and I've always been inspired by those people who were not related to me but chose to invest in my future in extraordinary ways, shaping the person I would become.

Amazing, isn't it, that each of us has the opportunity to shape another person's life?  How incredibly powerful!  It is one of the reasons I created Spark.    I want to ignite that special something in each kid, as these people did for me:

Cynthia Lawless
Mrs. Lawless was my 5th grade teacher.   She was one of the first people to push me outside of my comfort zone.  She helped me develop the tenacity I'd like to think I'm known for.  And boy was she fun!   I adored that woman and her flawless, beautiful cursive handwriting.

Barbara Cansler
Ms. Cansler was my 6th and 7th grade English teacher.   A published author herself, she fueled my passion to write and to seek publication.  When I look back at 7th grade, I barely remember anything else but writing, more writing, reading, and 4-H.   I'm not sure I ate.

Eva Victoria Price
Ms. Price was my county 4-H agent for many years.  I learned many things from her, but one of the most important was that sometimes you don't get what you want in the way you wanted it . . . but if you are creative and flexible, you can achieve the same end result through a more challenging and enriching path. 

Dr. Anne Armstrong
I spent two years in creative writing classes with Dr. Armstrong.  At a time when so many were pushing me to focus on "more serious matters," my classes with her nurtured my creative side and helped me maintain my sense of self.  Plus, she is just so darn pleasant.

Dr. Larry Brown
Dr. Brown took me under his wing and mentored me when I needed direction concerning career and college choices.   I would not have learned about Emory & Henry College had he and I not extensively researched and discussed all that we did.  E&H was a fantastic choice for me, and he knew it would be--because he had taken the time to get to know me.

Dr. Samir Saliba
Dr. Saliba was my pre-law advisor.  Dr. Saliba got my foot in the door of a federal judge's chambers as an intern.  Obviously, it stuck, because I have spent my entire legal career with the federal courts. (And thank you to the Honorable Glen M. Williams, Senior U.S. Judge for the Western District of Virginia, for indulging and entrusting a very young Jennifer with legal work.)

Dr. John Lang
Dr. Lang was my major advisor.  What matters most to me about Dr. Lang is that he gave me a break once when I really needed it.  I am proud to say that I mirrored his kindness years later, when a student of mine in a writing course presented with a similar situation.  All college lessons are not academic.

Dr. Robert Reid
He was my Shakespeare professor.   Oh, I had read Shakespeare before 1994, but I did not fall in love with Shakespeare until his course. 

Just reflecting on my many memories of these people makes me explode with gratitude.  Thank you, thank you, thank you to each of them.  And thank you for the opportunity to work with your children, for giving me an opportunity to pay forward all of the kindness shown to me.

So Much More Than Sugar and Spice

This week was all about the ladies as we met for our first of two Girl Power workshops in July!

Sugar and spice and everything nice . . .

That's what little girls are made of.

Come on, girls are so much more than that!

We started off by closing our eyes and thinking about our dreams for the future.  What do we want to be when we grow up?  What type of women do we want to be?  What will we do with our time and talents?

We did this in style, of course.

We wrote out our dreams. 

We shared them with one another.

It was fun to see what the others want to do, where they want to live, whether they want to get married or have children.

We are aspiring authors, artists, vets, wives, mothers, cityslickers, country folks, beach lovers, and European travelers.



BUT WAIT!  Girls couldn't always have such big dreams!

We spent the rest of our class reading and learning about women who did amazing things at times when women didn't have the same rights as men such as Abigail Adams, Elizabeth Blackwell, and Amelia Earhart.  We also read about women like Rosa Parks, Sally Ride, and Sandra Day O'Connor whose more recent contributions also show some serious girl power!

What will we contribute?

  There's no chance unless you take one!

Join us on Tuesday, July 31 at 6:00 pm for another Girl Power workshop!  









Review of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Puppet-Style

It was a stormy morning in Nashville and YAY to all the parents and grandparents who dragged their kids out in the pouring rain to see A Midsummer Night's Dream at the downtown Nashville Public Library!  I was right there with you, people, hydroplaning on I-40 but very determined to see some Shakespeare.  What a huge crowd! 

This production is the second of three puppet show adaptations of William Shakespeare's works offered by Wishing Chair Productions at the Nashville Public Library this year.  According to Wishing Chair Productions, "This series is intended to open the door to the world of classical theater and text by providing young audiences with a clear plotline and some verse so that the stories they are sure to be asked to read in high school will become familiar ones."   I seriously want to hug these people.

The puppetry is incredible.  Adult-size King Oberon and Queen Titania have illuminated, searing eyes.  As I understand it, some of the puppets were crafted at the library in the puppet workshop by the Wishing Chair Productions staff.  Wow.  The adults were as fascinated as the kids by the puppets and scenery.  The vocal talent includes Denice Hicks, Brain Russell, and Mark Cabus, some of Nashville's finest actors.  The original score was composed by Belmont University's Dan Landles. 

Shakespeare's most performed play has something for everyone:  whimsical fairies, swooning lovers, bloody swords, a girl fight, a wedding, a donkey (whose ears and hee-haw were incredibly funny), and some of the most recognized lines from Shakespeare: 

"The course of true love never did run smooth."

"Reason and love keep little company together nowadays."

And, one of my personal favorites, "Though she be but little, she is fierce."  I know a lot of girls like that!  Puck's journey around the Earth drew cheers from the crowd.

Be advised:  this performance is recommended for ages 6 and up for several reasons.  It is long (70 minutes) so the little ones get restless and disruptive which isn't fair to the otherwise entranced audience members.  It has some scary stuff for the toddler crowd, like loud noises, smoke, and a few moments of pitch black.  Finally, it is Shakespeare, so two people in the play within the play kill themselves with swords and blood is represented by a red scarf.  The scene itself is funny (I know, sounds weird) but I can imagine that some parents might not want to expose young kids to it.   Finally, Shakespeare uses the "a" word for donkey and so does Wishing Chair Productions; if you're especially sensitive to that sort of thing, you'll hear it at least 3 times.

Overall, in my opinion, this production was a real treat!   Me thinks I am enamored of it.   Better than what Titania was enamored with.  

Recommended reading for before or after: 
For the younger kids
A Midsummer Night's Dream for Kids (Shakespeare Can Be Fun!) by Lois Burdett.  Favorite quote from book:  "I think Shakespeare should have called it A Midsummer Nightmare!  I mean who would want to fall in love with a donkey?"  by Ellen, age 7.
For the older kids
Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream for Kids by Brendan Kelso and Shana Lopez.  I love that the authors call it "The melodramatic version!"
  
The next puppet show is Hamlet!  Really?  I am intrigued.

And We Didn't Even Break Anything at Firstlight

This Tuesday's No Girls Allowed workshop was so much fun that I was shocked when the clock said 8:00.  I don't think I'm the only one who had fun!

What do you get when you combine a group of first and second grade boys with their imaginations, a bunch of Nintendo DS devices, modeling clay, cool music, paper, pens, and encouragement? 

1.  You get boys drumming with ink pens to "I Like Captain Underpants" which, by the way, is actually a catchy tune.  If you can't appreciate that and a little reasonable potty humor, well, you shouldn't be in charge of a group of 1st and 2nd grade boys.  There's a time and place for most everything, and we weren't in the presence of the Queen.

2.  You get really cool superhero figurines made out of clay.  This is Carson's C-Man.  Wish you could see it up close.

3.  You get boys whose brains are buzzing with all kinds of funny, action-packed, and original ideas.  And they want to get those ideas down on paper which means they are writing . . . during the summer . . . with no one standing over their shoulders forcing them to do it.

4.  You get boys who ask if they can skip the next group activity because they "just want more time to work on my story."  

5.  You get boys who are reading poetry and rating each poem.  Are you kidding?  Everyone knows real men read poetry.

6.  And, you get boys who are totally cool if they have to borrow some girl's pink DS for the workshop.  Because you can be comfortable in your masculinity if you just wrote a story about a superhero who can run faster than 5 cheetahs and you just defeated Water Ninja.

7.  You get boys who are writing together, assuming the identities of their superheroes, collaborating on story lines, and having a blast!

8.  You get boys who run to their parents and ask for the first edition copy of Captain Underpants and the latest Shel Silverstein book of poems.

Last night, I was introduced to Bertha, a superheroine who turns into a bear when people are in trouble; Bart, a superhero who can fly and breathe underwater; Lightning Hero, a superhero who shoots lightning balls out of his ear; Water Ninja, whose nemesis is the Ice King; and C-Man, who uses his powers to battle Zombies.  

What were you doing last night?  What were your kids doing last night to exercise their imaginations and nurture their love of reading?

What Happens When the Girls Aren't Around

Boys' Night this Tuesday at our first of two No Girls Allowed workshops!  Our reading for the evening included Captain Underpants, Diary of A Wimpy Kid, Big Nate, and Shel Silverstein.

After talking about those very cool books and their very cool authors, we used our imaginations to envision our own superheroes.   After all, Dav Pilkey, author of the hugely popular Captain Underpants series, developed his wacky superhero while he still a kid.  We could be authors, too, and write stuff that other kids would like to read.  The only rule:  no copies of existing superheroes.  

We brainstormed on paper, considering what superpowers our superhero would have. How did he get those superpowers? Does he have a supervillain nemesis? After jotting down our preliminary ideas, we took to the Model Magic. We tried to mold with the Model Magic the superheroes we were seeing in our imaginations.

Sometimes we changed our minds about colors or superpowers.  It didn't matter.  It was a work in progress.  We could be as crazy as we wanted!

We could be as loud as we wanted! 

Look at some of our cool creations!    

But a superhero story is B-O-R-I-N-G if all your superhero does is sit there.  Nobody would want to read that book!   So, to get our minds thinking about action, we made some paper airplanes.

What do airplanes do?  They fly!  They shoot guns!  They drop water on stuff on fire!  People jump out of them!  All this action gave us ideas for plot for our own superhero adventures.

 

If you're a boy in elementary school, you can join us on Tuesday, July 10 for our second No Girls Allowed workshop!   If you missed the first one, it's ok!  Have your parent send us an email and we'll get you ready to roll.   Girls, your time is coming . . . it's all about GirlPower starting July 17.