Celebrating Books That Touch Our Humanity

This week, I tweeted this, "Books that touch our humanity need to be celebrated." Constrained by 140 characters, that was all I could manage (in addition to mentioning three authors that inspired the tweet.) I decided to spend a little more time  and give a bit of a description of each. Since these books have impacted me so greatly, I want to share them with my blog readers. There are a million books in the bookstore, everything from vampires, to teen drama, to mindless drivel... I think it's important to share the books that touch our humanity and make us want to be better people.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate 

   Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.

Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he's seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.

Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it's up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.Website

I loved this book from the very first paragraph. I never know what it is about a book that does this, but I loved every single word and I hated when it ended. As soon as I finished it, I told every single person I met to read it.

I first learned about this book from two super Twitter members, John @mrschureads and Colby @colbysharp. If you are not following them, you MUST. Mr Schu has been on an amazing journey with another awesome Twitter friend, Donna @akgal68 and they visited the real Ivan! Read about that part of the adventure on the "Let's Go South" blog I had a great time vicariously traveling with John and Donna.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

   August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances? Website

Wonder is a one-of-a-kind sort of a book. It seems to have everything from laughs to tears. It's told from multiple perspectives and that really enhances the impact of the story. I have also shared this book with nearly everyone.

Wonder is such an amazing book, it inspired the Choose Kind movement.

The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds Website 

     Her teacher smiled. "Just make a mark and see where it takes you."
Art class is over, but Vashti is sitting glued to her chair in front of a blank piece of paper. The words of her teacher are a gentle invitation to express herself. But Vashti can’t draw - she’s no artist. To prove her point, Vashti jabs at a blank sheet of paper to make an unremarkable and angry mark. "There!" she says. That one little dot marks the beginning of Vashti’s journey of surprise and self-discovery. That special moment is the core of Peter H. Reynolds’s delicate fable about the creative spirit in all of us. Source


The Dot is a book that absolutely inspired me the first time I read it. I believe it is a book every person who wants to be a teacher must read and I share it with my college class of future teachers. To me, the beauty is how close it is to real life...Sometimes a rather small act by a significant person can truly change a kid. It's a message every single teacher needs to hear.


The Dot was so inspiring, a day was created to inspire kids to create dots called, "International Dot Day". You can read more about it here. As of today, 7/31, over 33,000 kids are expected to participate this year.

I'm Here by Peter H. Reynolds Website

 I'm here.

And you're there.
And that's okay.

But…

maybe there will be a gentle wind that pulls us together. 
And then I'll be here and you'll be here, too.

Pure, powerful, and deceptively simple, best-selling author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds reminds us that children — and the friendships they make — can take flight in unexpected ways. With a strong anti-bullying message, I'm Here teaches children to stand up for others who may not seem to belong. Source

If you have read this blog before, you know In December I held a contest for people who bought the book and gave it to a school...I think it's that important of a book. You simply must read this book and share it with the kids in your life. It was originally written with autism in mind, I believe it is applicable for every kid.

What books have touched your humanity?? List them in the comments!

I Am Not Nice

Due to some recent conversations, I am feeling the need to explain one thing...I am not that nice. When I recommend a book or an author, I often get the comment, "you are so nice." The truth is, I am not that nice. What I am is passionate...annoyingly so. If you friend or follow me, you will know what truly engages me...and what feeds my passion in life.

Although I tweet often about FableVision Learning and Peter H. Reynolds, it's because they share my passion for helping kids reach their true potential. I lead an educator program, but that does not involve what I do on Twitter and Facebook, that is ALL based on passion for education and helping kids.

Follow me for 15 minutes, and you will hear a LOT about International Dot Day...a global event to celebrate creativity in schools....again, passionate about creativity in schools. I could not love that day more for what it brings to the world of education.

Finally, authors and books that I love get a LOT of of attention from me. I adore Sharon Creech and her writing style. Katie Davis and the book trailer for "Little Chicken's Big Day"...huge fan. All of the dear authors and illustrators who have created "Celebridots" are going to have my gratitude forever because they volunteered for a project to help kids after a simple invitation from someone they don't know and will probably never meet. Kristin Tubb is A+ with me because she not only created a dot, she helped spread the word.

What you can always count on is truth and honesty. I will never promote anything I don't believe in with my whole heart. Ever. I never say anything to 'be nice', I say what I am thinking and what is important to me.

I often tell former students and friends that I love them or I am proud of them. I mean every single word every single time.

I love big and loud....but I am not that nice. 

Discovering The Treasure

I returned last week from ISTE and spending time with some of my favorite people on earth, my Fable Family and the FableVision Ambassadors. The theme for our booth was "Discover the treasure in every student." This resonated with me, because I believe that's what I try to do in my 'real' job as an educator.

I was driving across town last night when it occurred to me just how true this is and I took the analogy a bit further. Sometimes, you walk along and you find something valuable quite by accident. I remember walking through the library one day and finding the diamond pendant my friend had lost. I wasn't really searching for it, it was just there. Some kids are like that. Their inherent beauty is just there, right on the surface and easy to spot.

Then, I thought of some other kids...the kids who make teaching a little bit like an Indiana Jones movie.  It's a perilous journey to find the true and amazing person at the core. There are boulders chasing you down tiny corridors, snakes hissing, and all manner of obstacle. No judgment goes along with the Indiana Jones analogy. I have always believed if I had been brought up exactly like the troubled kids that I deal with, I would act the same way.


But, after twenty-six years I can say without a shadow of a doubt....it's worth it. Finding that amazing person underneath the defensiveness and drama is absolutely worth every effort it takes to get there.


Does this make sense to you?? Are you on that same journey??


Luckily for me, I have Peter H. Reynolds and the Fable Family who cheer me on. I have a strong Twitter support team. I have awesome students who make the journey worthwhile.




By the way, I lead an educator program for FableVision Learning, but I don't benefit from sales. The poster above is available in a t-shirt. 

It All Started With a Dot

If you follow me on Twitter or 'friend' me on Facebook, you will often see mention of "International Dot Day". If you are new to following, you might wonder what it is all about. You can find out much more on  the FableVision Learning website. But, really, why the focus on dots?

Peter H. Reynolds wrote a book called "The Dot". The first time I read it, I got tears in my eyes. You see, it is the story of a girl, Vashti, who has an amazing teacher. The basic premise is that the teacher does a relatively small (though fabulously thoughtful) thing that transforms Vashti into a super-creative wonder. I love that idea.

The official FableVision Learning press release says, "One teacher, Terry Shay in Iowa, believed so fully in the power of The Dot that in 2009 he “made his mark” by declaring September 15^th as International Dot Day. To commemorate The Dot’s publication date, he encouraged fellow teachers to read the book and then create their own dots." That's the story...but it was only the beginning. 

The amazing thing is that it started with a Facebook message to Peter H. Reynolds and what I called a 'crazy idea'. (I have a lot of those). I thought it would be fun to create little event where kids could put down their standardized tests and just spend some time being creative. What it has developed into exceeds my wildest dreams. 

The first year was a sweet little celebration with friends around the country. I marveled at the creativity of teachers wearing dot shirts ( <3 Maryann), decorating their school with dots, and I was thrilled to that many people sent me photos commemorating the day. I held an event in my school with fourth graders and the school counselor was there to help. 

Fast forward three years, my good friend, Bill Norris, suggested we come up with some sort of form to find out who was celebrating and where they were. Again, I am a pretty good at dreaming, but I never dreamed 17,000 kids and 1000 adults on six continents would be participating...and those are only the ones who filled out the form. We were helped out a lot last year by dear friends Shannon Miller and John Schumacher, who made a weeks worth of activities and got a lot of new people on board.

Now for something I have never said to anyone. I feel like I should label this section "Dear Diary". . . at least one time per celebration, a tiny negative voice creeps into my brain and says, "really... dots... is that it? No one has ever changed the world by making a dot." Then, fortunately, that little voice is shouted down by a barrage of emails, tweets, and Facebook messages with kids proudly holding their creations. And, as I always say, if there is something better than a kid with a beaming smile, proudly holding their creation, I don't know what it is. I do believe with my whole heart and 99.9% of my brain that this day can be a launching pad for future creative classrooms. I know it has worked for mine. 

Last year, another event made a huge difference to me. The lovely and talented author, Sharon Creech, did a simple act of love and kindness that changed something in me. She sent me a dot on dot day. I am just a teacher in a tiny school in Iowa, and this amazing person who is loved by every single person who has picked up one of her books, is taking part in this special day. That special email launched the next project I am working on, Celebri-dots. In my mind I can picture kids going to that site and seeing famous people creating dots just like they did in school. Again, wildly exceeding my expectations, the creativity on that site has blown me away. Apple pie dot, raspberry juice dot, clay dot....what better example could their be for children than a wide variety of creative responses?

I could go on and on....and I have. I am grateful beyond words for Peter H. Reynolds the author of the Dot and a champion of creativity. I am grateful for friends like Shannon M. Miller and John Schumacher who have taken the dot and run with it. I am honored to have awesome celebrity friends who inspire me every day, following the model of Sharon Creech, whom I adore. 

I dream of taking this day even farther....to 170,000 students, then 170 million . .. to pick up that last continent (because 6 continents is SO last year). I dream of the day that a student will say, 'hey, remember when we celebrated dot day, that launched a journey of unimagined proportions for me' . . because it has done that for me. 

Read about International Dot Day in Publisher's Weekly 

Read about it in the Dedham Patch

Best of all... PARTICIPATE THIS YEAR!! September 15ish.

Celebri-dots!

International Dot Day is a celebration of creativity around the globe which was inspired by Peter H. Reynolds' book, "The Dot." The Dot is a sweet story about a girl who thinks she can't draw and the teacher encourages her to "make a dot and see where it takes you." I personally believe it belongs in every library in the world.

Last year, over 17,000 students and 1,000 adults on six continents 'made their mark' by creating a dot on or around International Dot Day, September 15. Next year we want to have an even bigger and better celebration!

Inspired by a very special dot created by Newbery Award Winning (and all around amazing human being) Sharon Creech last year, I am creating a very special blog for Celebri-dots. I would love for authors, illustrators, and any kind of celebrity to create a dot to be shown in this special online gallery. You may create this using any medium and email it to me. Be sure to 'sign it' like Vashti does in "The Dot".

I think it will be really cool for kids to see a bunch of different awesome people contributing to this. Please help spreading the word. Within the post about your signed dot, I would like to include books you have written, shows you have been on, anything you are willing to share. This is a love-fest!

You can email your submissions any time, but would love to have them soon so I can start building. Be BRAVE, you don't have to have the world's best looking dot, just 'make your mark and see where it takes you!"

You can email me at tjshay (at) gmail (dot) com

Peter H. Reynolds has given his blessing for this project.

Thank you in advance!!

Peter H. Reynolds and Carrie Hillman- Conspiring to Inspire

Today I had lunch with my favorite boy, my nine year old great-nephew. He can be pretty shy around other people, so I was shocked when he told me he wanted me to ask Peter H. Reynolds if he would illustrate the book he was writing. I sent Peter a text message and the boy smiled from ear to ear.

I was asked to find the blog post he had written in school on my phone and send that along to Peter to help encourage him to be his illustrator. Yes, a lot of nine year old's have dreams, but in the beginning of this year, this little boy thought blogs were stupid and he hated to write....now he wants to be an author.

Fortunately for me, my favorite boy has the world's best teacher, Mrs. Hillman. Almost every day I wonder what the world would be like if every kid had a teacher like her. She encourages the kids, nudges them to take steps outside of their comfort zone, and loves them into success. I had the good fortune to be able to spend a morning in her classroom and I was just amazed by the way she handled the class.

I am also blessed with a dear friend in Peter H. Reynolds. An inspiring author and illustrator and a great human. My favorite boy has many books signed by Peter and he loves them. I love the gentle nature of the books and how they inspire kids to greatness. His work encourages kids by letting them know they matter, that they are important, that they can make mistakes and move on.

Today, I am overwhelmed with gratitude to these amazing people and the gift they have given children everywhere, and especially my favorite boy. Imagine a world where every kid thinks they can be an author (or painter, astronaut, chemist, etc) and being surrounded by loving caring people who made them think anything was possible.

Dream Big!

Lucky

Sometimes, even on the worst days, something happens to make you feel really lucky to be where you are and doing what you are doing.