Introduce your daughter to a Nobel Prize winner

One girl may not change the world but she CAN raise awareness around the world. Reading a book like I Am Malala  http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/malala-yousafzai/i-am-malala/9780316327930/gives me renewed energy to spread the word about the impact Mother Daughter Book Clubs can have. I wish I could reach out to every elementary age girl and her mother to share the experience of reading this book.

Malala teaches us courage, perseverance, love of family and resilience. She turned tragedy into opportunity and her voice is now more powerful than ever. Her books are her most valued possessions and her education her most precious gift. By the way, young readers edition of books are sometimes more “true” to the author than the “adult” versions. Kasey Butcher, a scholar about discourse about childhood...and young adult literature reviews in great detail about how the “young reader’s” addition gives us more insight into Malala’s life and her recovery in England than the adult version.
http://phdsandpigtails.com/2015/03/12/i-am-malala-comparing-the-young-reader-edition-to-the-original/

As your contribution to the world, start a Mother Daughter Book Club or give this book as a gift to a young girl. You will be doing your part to empower girls and all children to understand the value of an education and the freedom to read all they desire.

Mother Daughter Book Clubs Teach the “Art” of Reading

I’m constantly looking for ways to maximize my time....sometimes while driving, I just “zone out” but a friend introduced me to “The Great Courses." These are CDs or DVDs on every imaginable subject. I perused the ones on sale and “The Art of Reading” caught my eye.  I couldn’t resist.  Who ever thought there was an “art” to reading/!  We learn to read, some of us learn easier than others and than thats it, right?  Well....yes and no….

According to Professor Timothy Spurgin at Lawrence University, there are different types of reading....there is “everyday” reading which you use to understand directions or follow a recipe.  The second type is “artful” reading.  This is the type of reading when you “stop to take note of an elegant phrase or a striking image” says professor Spurgin.  It is when you think about the story, how it relates to your life, how the characters interact with each other, how the author uses various techniques, etc.  It occurred to me that is what we are teaching our daughters to do in a Mother Daughter Book Club.  We are teaching them the “art of reading.”  We are enhancing their thinking and analyzing skills.  We are expanding their minds and teaching them to be read “beyond the words,” to appreciate a story at a deeper level.  What a gift we are giving them!

It's Not Just About The Reading...

"...It's about revealing and questioning, voicing opinions, speaking out and exploring. It's about mothers and daughters, girls and women and how reading and talking can enrich our relationships with each other and strengthen our daughters' courage to be themselves.

Our shared communications allow girls to feel comfortable and safe raising questions both in and out of the the club setting. By talking about plots and characters, we reveal candid thoughts on issues like friendships and marriage, school and social issues, illness and death.”
-Etta Gold, Library Director, Temple Beth Am

Etta’s comments certainly reflect my experience and that of the other mothers/daughters I have met. There is something “magic” that happens when mothers/daughters talk about characters/situations in books. Topics and conversations that would be difficult to discuss come up naturally in the context of a book. When the focus is on the characters and not themselves, girls can be free to express their opinions and concerns. By doing so, they gain the perspective of both the other girls in the group and the other mothers. As one mother of a fifth grader commented, “Being in a mother-daughter book club has given me the opportunity to connect with my daughter at a time when mothers and daughters can drift apart and lose the lines of communication. It also gave me the chance to share the joy of literature with my child and to help her see how a good book can reflect the experiences we all have.”

photo source: charliemackenzie.co.uk

Chicago Comes Alive

We are excited to announce the 2013 Chicago Comes Alive!

How exciting would it be to have some of the same adventures as characters in books, going to the places they have gone, eating in the same restaurants and perhaps even meeting the authors? From these two passions, I developed the first of a series of book trips, “Chicago Comes Alive.”

The first adventure will take place August 22-25 of 2013 and will allow attendees to literally “live the books.” Designed for mothers/grandmothers/special friends and girls 8-11 years of age, the group will travel to the Chicago settings showcased in three award-winning young reader books. The books (to be read before traveling) include The Sixty Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone, Fair Weather by Richard Peck and The Wright 3 by Blue Balliett. I chose these books because they showcase Chicago landmarks, demonstrate the influence children can have to bring attention to community issues and place notable historical figures in the context of the times. Travelers will even get to have lunch at one of the restaurants the characters in Wright 3 frequent.


The attendees will stay at the famed Talbott Hotel, a premiere small luxury hotel, and our book adventures will be led by Sally Sexton Kalmbach, a fourth generation Chicagoan who also specializes in customized travel.

I know this trip will create both lifetime memories and lifetime readers. I can’t wait to have you join us.