Tag Archives: Reading

The Mirror World of Books

Posted on January 29, 2016 by Jennifer Jensen

Books let us escape from current life woes.  They let us explore other worlds and other times. But did you ever think about the things we learn without realizing it, the things we can apply (consciously or not) in our own lives?   Mikey Brooks wrote a great post over at Emblazon about young readers and learning from the “Mirror World” of books, and he very kindly said I could share it with you: The Most Important Thing a Child Should Be Doing When a child reads a book they view it as a type of mirror world—as if by magic they become the main characters, living and breathing in that character’s mind. Gender holds no boundaries when it comes to this mirror world. Whether they are a boy or a girl, when they read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, they become Harry Potter. When they read The Lightning Thief, they are Percy Jackson. … Continue reading →

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Put a Book in the Hands of a Child

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Jennifer Jensen

This is the third year for the holiday, and the goal is to get English Rhymes & Lullabies books into the hands of as many children as possible.  And surely that’s something we can all help with! First, if you aren’t familiar with International Book Giving Day (I wasn’t), here are some ideas: 1. Give a Book to a Friend or Relative. Celebrate International Book Giving Day by giving a child a new, used or borrowed book. 2. Leave a Book in a Waiting Room or Lobby. Choose a waiting room where kids are stuck waiting and there are few to no good books available. Purchase a good book, and deposit your book covertly or overtly in your waiting room of choice. The goal here is to spread the love of reading to kids, so choose a fun book, nothing controversial. 3. Donate a Book. Wrap up a box of children’s books … Continue reading →

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TBR Pile Challenge: The Maze Runner

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Jennifer Jensen

Oh, the agony!  James Dashner’s The Maze Runner stared at me for three days before I was allowed to read it.  It was finally my turn at the library, so I picked it up – but because it was part of my “2015 TBR Pile Challenge,” I couldn’t start it until the new year! This YA dystopian story has a unique premise: teenage boys have been sent one by one to an area where necessities are provided for them and they govern themselves, but they’re not only surrounded by a maze with deadly creatures, their memories have been wiped and they know nothing about their past except their names.  Runners are sent out daily to explore the maze (which keeps changing) to find a way out. Maze runner is said to have a slot machine version at 666 casino and said to give you the best chances of hitting the … Continue reading →

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BlogMash: Strong Daughters, Reading & NaNoWriMo

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Jennifer Jensen

While I’m off traveling once more (to Oregon for a visit with my mother, this time), I’ve collected some cool stuff for you to read until I manage the next installment of our Irish adventure: *** We can teach our kids to be strong and stand up for themselves, but what about when they’re facing an authority figure?  Here’s Carissa Rogers on raising strong daughters. *** Myndi Shafer shares a heartbreaking post about the repercussions of calling someone fat.  And we should all shut up and quit asking women when their is due unless they’ve announced it publicly. *** Jenny Lussier sheds some insight on where she would be without books and reading.  What would your life look like? *** For a follow-on, Pragmatic Mom (aka Mia Wenjen) has some great tips for encouraging kids to read. *** If you’re a writer considering plotting vs. flying by the seat of … Continue reading →

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Looking for Kids’ Books?

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Jennifer Jensen

Hey all you children’s book lovers out there – look what I found!       It’s hosted over at Mother Daughter Book Reviews and if you’re looking for kids’ books, it’s the place to be – fantasy, history, multicultural, picture books and more.  Click the picture, then scroll down past the explanations and you’ll see thumbnails of a whole lot of new books to discover.       And if you’re a children’s writer, read those explanations and add your book to the list.  Cheers!

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