True Learning

Our society has an extremely narrow view of what "learning" is, and where and how "learning" takes place. How much of the lessons you learned sitting in a classroom are a vital part of you, of the things you use everyday? How many of the things you learned in a non-classroom setting are a part of you?

I know quite a few people who learned to read before they started formal schooling, and then got in trouble with their teachers because they A) "weren't supposed to know how to do that yet" or B) were bored with the little sissy books they had to read, and read books that were "higher than their grade level".

I love the freedom to let my children learn to love learning. Wonderful books do not need to be classified by "grade level", "reading level" or other systems. I do feel that some books are too advanced or difficult for younger children ( from my own personal experience as an extremely precocious reader). That is one of the great benefits of reading 9and discussing together)the books your children read. The other blessing is being introduced to the amazing children's and young adult authors that are working right now.

In my opinion, there is FAR more creativity, cleverness and good writing happening in the "young adult" market than in the "adult" section. Check it out!

Summer Reading List (at Last!)

What would you do if you were a compulsive reader? Someone who read all the time, to the point that you read the shampoo bottle while you were in the shower and the small print in contracts? What if you read really fast, so you could get through a lot of books in a hurry (and you were very good at ignoring minor things like housework and cooking?)

And, even more to the point, what if you were a compulsive reader who had a great local public library less than one block away from your house, AND you found a booklist compiled by people from all over the world who had similar taste in books and wanted to share their favorites with you?

Yep, you would spend all summer reading. Me, too!

I have mentioned the “Pollyanna Booklist” a couple of times on this blog. Two of my favorite authors (Orson Scott Card and Robin McKinley) each have their own reviews and online recommendations for books, and I have really come to trust them. So, here is the long promised list of “Books I Read This Summer” (Although, this list goes up until last week, so not technically still summer).

They are in the order I read them (pretty much!), and I am going to use a 1-4 star rating system. Even the 1 star books were a pretty good read—none of the books on this list was a waste of time or of space in my brain, it is just that some of them didn’t resonate with me the way others did.

Audrey, Wait by Robin Benway ***
Gerald Morris’ series based on King Arthur ** up to ****
Kate Seredy’s The Good Master ****
“The Miracle of the Bells” by Russell Janney *** (don’t give up on it, it gets better!)
The Spymaster’s Lady by Joanna Bourne * (a little too “bodice ripper for my taste--truly the only one I wouldn't recommend)
Tea with the Black Dragon by R.A. MacAvoy * (strange, but enjoyable)
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner **** I loved this trilogy, very creative!
Mairelon the Magician by Patricia C. Wrede ***
Magician’s Apprentice by Patricia C. Wrede ***
Elantris, Brandon Sanderson **** One of the best fantasies I have ever read!
Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett **
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith *
The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope ****
The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope **
Diana Wynne Jones’ Chrestomanci books **
Princess Ben by Catherine GIlbert Burdock. **
Georgette Heyer –I love all of hers!
In the Castle of the Flynns by Michael Raleigh **
The Mistborn Trilogy, Brandon Sanderson **** I LOVED this trilogy, TRULY AWESOME!
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld ****

If you haven't been spending time in the YA section of your library, you are missing out on the freshest, most creative enjoyable writing that is out there.