To celebrate Children's Book Week, I asked teachers and librarians to respond to the prompt - "Books can take you anywhere..." Several of my favorite teachers, librarians, bloggers, and booksellers have stopped by to share their thoughts on books this week. For the last day of Children's Book Week, we have a wonderful collection of thoughts on books by a group of book lovers who truly know their books.
Kellee Moye, Middle School Teacher, FL -
Books are like an extremely strong telescope. They are the gateway to the entire universe. When you enter a book, it takes you into a new life, a new setting, a new situation and forces you to live in the shoes of someone else. It is a way to explore aspects of lives and history that we could never be part of. Where the Wild Things Are takes you to a fantastical island filled with monsters, The Giver takes you to the future where the government restricts our rights, every day takes us into the mind of a person who is more than just himself, and Hurt Go Happy puts us in the shoes of a young girl trying to protect something that can't protect itself and trying to overcome her past. These are all places that I would never be able to visit without the help of these books. Books build empathy, experience, and understanding all needs that all make their reader a better person and it is pretty entertaining along the way!
Follow her on twitter: @kelleemoye
 |
| Mary Ann and her first story. |
Mary Ann Scheuer, Teacher/Librarian, CA
Books have always been the perfect escape for me, taking me back in time, to distant lands full of adventure, or just next door to meet a new friend. They let you see how you might want to act in a situation, or just how NOT to treat a friend.
My kids are always amazed that I don't remember lots of my friends from junior high, but I remember the books that were my friends. I loved The White Mountains trilogy by John Christopher - such an exciting, daring adventure that asked fundamental questions about human nature. I loved learning about history from books like Escape from Warsaw, by Ian Serraillier - this let me see a side of history that I knew was important to my family's history, but from the safety of a story that was both exciting and scary, and one with a happy ending.
I only wish I read more nonfiction as a child, that I was able to find more nonfiction that took me to different places and times. My brothers and I loved looking at our family's collection of National Geographic magazines. But I don't remember nonfiction grabbing me the way it does now.
I do connect to stories, and love the way I fall into a story and live with the characters. This is what creates that sense of being taken away.
Follow her on twitter: @maryannscheuer
Sophie Riggsby, Book Aficionado & Blogger, NV -
Books can take you anywhere -- to a secret garden, to a land filled with wizards, witches and magic, to a different time you would've never otherwise seen.
When I was young the first books I loved were C.S. Lewis' The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and Edward Eager's Half Magic. I'm an only child and reading about those large families who found magic in their everyday lives made the possibility so very real to me.
To this day when I see an antique wardrobe, I open it and think, "Narnia?" And when I'm looking for change in my wallet, I find myself hoping to spot an odd, perhaps, magical coin. These books, these special books that we trip across in our childhood stay with us forever. Remember that next time you visit a book store or library. Are you ready for your next journey?
Follow her on twitter: @sophieriggsby
Jen Pino, Bookseller, CA -
Books can take you anywhere means just that. They can transport you into a world that the author makes you a part of instead of where you actually are at the moment. You can instantly be sent to a world such as the dystopian future that is The Giver or sent to one of fantasy and magic such as the world that is Harry Potter or The Unwanteds. Whatever the case may be, books lift you off your seat and help you to imagine things that could only be possible in them.
Follow her on twitter: @jenapino
Thuy Lam, Blogger, CA -
"Books can take you anywhere..." I have always loved reading. I can't remember a time when I did not read. Growing up in a small suburb, books were a way for me to experience the world.Though my town was by no means tiny, it often felt that way. There was only one high school and most of the kids in school had known each other for most of their lives. Reading allowed me to travel to new places, learn new things and meet new friends. I went to the local library religiously, often taking out 10 or more books at a time. I then proceeded to stay up all night reading them. I guess not much has changed. Today, I still love reading for the same reasons. Life is normally pretty stressful - worrying about work, money, family and all those other little things that can bog us down. But reading lets me forget all of that for a little while. I love letting my imagination go and losing myself in a book, whether it be for a few minutes or a few hours. There is a quote "A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies said Jojen. The man who never read lives only one." (George RR Martin), and I believe this is true. And I plan on living many more lifetimes before this one is over.
Follow her on twitter: @fishgirl182
