Save Oakland's Libraries Now!

Many cities need to cut budgets drastically, my city of Oakland, CA, is no different. As of now, there are 3 budgets scenarios out there.  One scenario proposes to close 14 of Oakland's 17 branches. That is just craziness!! We've been up in arms about it for the last month or so locally.

Under Scenario A, the following services will be cut:

• 13 branch libraries are scheduled to close: Asian, Brookfield, Chavez, Eastmont, Elmhurst, Golden Gate, Lakeview, Martin Luther King, Melrose, Montclair, Piedmont Avenue, Temescal, West Oakland
• 4 remaining libraries – Main, Rockridge, Dimond, and 81st Avenue – would only be open 3 days a week
• Main Library will close its Children’s Room, Teen Zone, and Oakland History Room
• The Tool Lending Library and the African-American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO) will close
• Second Start Adult Literacy will close
• Limited funding for new books, DVDs or other materials purchased
• Discontinuation of electronic services like downloadable books and databases

It's plain ridiculous that in a city with such high crime rates- libraries would be shuttered. I use our libraries all the time, mainly the Cesar Chavez, Dimond, and Main branches. As a teacher, I often get books to read to my students (ps. most schools don't have libraries anymore! Remember? The libraries and librarians were the first to go?). I also love walking to the library with my daughter- getting books for myself and books for us to read together. However, the biggest tragedy wouldn't be that I'd personally lose this beloved and valuable community resource, but I know closing our libraries will have a dramatic (negative) impact on our city.

I teach in East Oakland. I encourage many of our students to get outside and play. So often I hear the refrain, "It's not safe." And they're right. We've had several lock downs at our school this year because of mid-day drive-by shootings on the corner. Our kids (and adults!!) need somewhere safe to be, to learn, to explore, outside of their homes and classrooms. Many parks are deteriorating and unsafe. Where will my students get books? Where will adults go for literacy support? Where will families discover the love of literacy together?

It is hard to believe that our libraries could close. I know that our crime rates would go even higher. More kids would enter gangs.  Our adult illiteracy rate would climb. And I don't think I'm being overly dramatic. Giving access to books and literacy resources ensures a better future for the members of our community- have we lost sight of that plain truth?

This may just be a political stunt to get folks riled up- I really hope so.

See these community letters in support of our libraries 

 

What does your library brings to your community?

Oakland Locals: Fairyland is a Must See!

I can't resist sharing about my family's recent trip to Children's Fairyland in Oakland, California. I live nearby and have known about Fairyland for a long while, but just visited for the first time last week; I instantly became smitten. Fairyland is directly off of Lake Merritt, near downtown Oakland.

The park opened about 60 years ago- and everything at the park does harken back to that era. But it is simply a wonderful place for toddlers and preschoolers to come and interact with storybook scenes and characters. I loved the idea of it so much that I bought a membership before I set foot into the park. My toddler loved as well (everything is her size!), and I look forward to many mornings exploring the different attractions.

Those of you looking for thrills and chills- stay away! Your 2-7 year old will enjoy Fairyland. It's simplistic- with play and stories at the forefront. As you may has guessed, I love that Fairyland has a focus on childhood literacy, in addition to play and creativity. Isn't that what being a kid is supposed to be about?

From Fairyland's Website:

Children’s Fairyland is much more than amusement park. Since our beginnings, we’ve been a place where stories come to life, where reading is celebrated, and where childhood literacy for the whole community is our goal.

Stroll through Fairyland and you’ll see the ways in which we put our commitment into action:

• Our Reading Room is a cozy storybook hut filled with books for readers of all ages—from colorful picture books to children’s magazines to chapter books.
• The Marilynn O’Hare Art Center, open on weekends, invites children to express themselves with crayons, clay, paint, and other art materials. 
• A field trip to Fairyland can enhance your teaching curriculum while giving kids a memorable day away from the classroom, in a beautiful park on the shores of Lake Merritt.

Favorite childhood stories come to life in the nearly 40 storybook sets throughout Fairyland. The Three Little Pigs’ three little houses, Humpty Dumpty’s wall, Pinocchio’s castle—stroll through our park (or run through, if you’re a child) and discover them all.

The original storybook sets were designed by local architect William Russell Everitt, whose whimsical creations featured wildly off-kilter walls, bright colors, and—most important—child-size proportions. In the more than 55 years since we opened, we’ve gradually added and remodeled many sets, but always in the original spirit.Puppets have been used to tell stories to children and adults for thousands of years. Fairyland’s Storybook Puppet Theater isn’t quite that old, but we’re proud that it’s the oldest continuously operating puppet theater in the United States.

Since we first parted the curtains in 1956, we’ve presented hundreds of delightful and wondrous tales through the magic of puppetry. Some of the Bay Area’s—and the country’s—most gifted puppeteers have worked backstage at the puppet theater: Luman Coad, Frank and Dorothy Hayward, Tony Urbano, and Mike and Frances Oznowicz. As a teenager, Frank Oznowicz—later and better known as Frank Oz—helped his parents prepare puppet shows after school and on weekends; later, he built on that experience to help create the Muppets and to direct feature films.

And so our morning begins:

Entrance to Fairyland (The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe):

There are a few animals. But they are not for petting. However, my daughter did spend 15+ minutes sitting on a rail, watching the donkeys (at the Pinocchio attraction):

Pinocchio's House:

Jolly Trolley:

Just-right doorways for toddlers (mine pictured):

There are story book boxes throughout the park. You put in a Fairyland Key (one time fee of $2) to listen to the story that corresponds to the attraction. Surprise, surprise I LOVE that they have this! What a great way to promote literacy! BTW- this "big girl" (a total stranger to us), was not to thrilled to have a toddler pecking at her heels.

Alice and Wonderland's Maze of Cards:

Wild West Junction. Kids (only) can climb inside of these structures. Great for preschoolers on up:

Aesop's Playhouse for Children's Theater:

Willie the Whale. Kids (best for kids 3+) can climb inside the Whale's mouth:

The park is trying to bring things somewhat up to date by adding attractions such as, The Woman Who Outshone the Sun:

Mary Mary, Quite Contrary:

I'm getting excited just writing this post! There is so much we didn't get to explore on our first trip: the puppet theater, the Alice and Wonderland tunnel, the musical tunnel, the reading room, the chapel, etc... Good thing we got a membership! I look forward to reading these stories with my daughter, and helping her  make connections with what she read and what she's experiencing when she visits the park.



Be Well! Read On! And if you're local, and have a young child around, go visit Fairyland!

Reconnecting to Community Literacy, Part 2

I visited Harbor House again this week to read aloud to a group of K-1 students. The visit was brief (I had to get to a celebration for my hubby, who finished his masters in composition this week-woot woot for him!), but the read aloud time with the kids was just lovely!

The book I read this week was Pierre the Penguin by Jean Marzollo, Illustrated by Laura Regan. I found it at my public library last week, and I'm so glad I did- I love it, my toddler loves it, and the K-1 students couldn't get enough of it today! They asked me if I could read it again to them next week- oh they're such sweeties!

I choose this book at the libray because it is a true story about a penguin that lives at the California Academy of Sciences, a fabulous museum in San Francisco that houses an entire colony of African Penguins.

Before I read the book to the little wigglers I asked them what they knew about penguins. I was impressed with their collective store of background knowledge- especially because this is a diverse group of youngsters, a few can't speak English yet.

This is what the kids knew (or thought they knew) about penguins:

• They waddle (I was especially impressed that a 1st grader used the word waddle, so I asked her to demonstrate a waddle for all to see)
• They live in the north pole with santa
• They like to live where it's very cold- in the ice
• They like to stand on ice. (I think she said icee, but I helped her out)
• They slide on their bellies and swim in the water (hmmm, reminds me of the cover picture)

This book instantly intrigued these little ones because it begins by dealing with their assumptions about penguins- these penguins don't like ice, but like it warmer.

In the book, Pam, an aquatic biologist, helps to problem solve when Pierre began losing his feathers. She makes a penguin-sized wetsuit, so that Pierre can swim in the cold water with his fellow penguins.

The book is short and informative, and it rhymes all the way through. I love the way the book is playful, but educational at the same time. There is also a Q and A section with Pam the Biologist at the end. It is simply cute! Your K-2 aged little people will love Pierre and especially his custom-made wetsuit.

And if you live in the Bay Area and know the California Academy of Sciences- you must check out this book.

See Part 1 of Reconnecting to Community Literacy here.

I'm linking this post up to Facts First! Nonfiction Monday:

Nonfiction Monday is a blogging celebration of nonfiction books for kids. We invite you to join us. For more information and a schedule, stop by the new Nonfiction Monday blog to see who is hosting each week.

This week’s post is at Great Kids Books.

Read on!

Reconnecting to Community Literacy

Before I became a teacher, I worked as a youth program director for a local non-profit here in Oakland. I loved so many things about it: having flexibility on how you get to work with kids (socially, emotionally, academically, spiritually, etc...), the more casual nature of the programs, ability to create unique relationships with kids/community/families, and gaining creative control with curriculum and programs. Having the ability to work with the WHOLE child- their hearts, their souls AND their brains- was quite wondrous. And it's very different than working with kids in a classroom. It just is. No matter how wonderful of a teacher you are you'll always be an authority figure in an institution. For some reason, being at a non-profit breaks downs walls, and allows parents and kids to be less on guard and to feel more at home. Sometimes you have to put academic excellence and rigor aside and deal with a child's personal issues. This can most certainly be done in a school setting, but it's a lot trickier. Of course, there were also downsides to working at a non-profit: inconsistency with students (you can't force them to come daily), my lack of professional training, lack of money and support, etc...


Kids playing hockey at Harbor House in Oakland

I left Harbor House, the non-profit where I worked, so that I could learn how to teach reading. I had so many program participants (grades K-12) that didn't know how to read. I tried my darnedest to help them, but I knew my knowledge of teaching kids how to read was limited. I tried Hooked on Phonics and other efforts, but I knew I wasn't giving the students the reading support they really needed to become successful.

All that to say...after 5 years in the professional world- teaching middle school, going to grad school, and become a literacy specialist (and becoming a mom), I've recently become reacquainted with Harbor House and their new Director. She encouraged me to come in weekly and read a book aloud to the K-1 students. The school year is almost through, but for the last month, I'm going to go each week and share a book or two with them.

For the next month, I'll share here the books that I read to the kids from Harbor House's after school program. It's fun for me to talk about books and authors, so I thought it may be fun for you too. I took a trip to the library and picked out a few good read alouds.

Last Thursday I shared two books by Mem Fox, a beloved Australian author, with about 15 K-1 kids at Harbor House. The two books I shared were silly, repetitious, and filled with word play and rhyme-all excellent things for the listening ears of K-1 students. Reading books aloud with rhyme and repetition is excellent for beginning readers- it builds phonemic awareness (awareness of sound), builds a motivation to read early on, and encourages kids to become engaged with the book (they can't help themselves but to join in as the book is read). Mem Fox is very well known. If you haven't picked up any of her books for your kids/students- I encourage you to do so!

Boo To a Goose is such a fun book to read. The students soon join in with the refrain. They commented that they liked the silly pictures too. This was perfect for K-1 students.



I read this book second. I think students may have lost steam after the first read. But I wanted to show them a couple of Fox's books. This was a little more complex than Boo to Goose, and it seems to end more abruptly (it could have been that the kids were getting squirmy). I love the illustrations in this book. I also love her rhyming patterns in this book; a keen reader can guess what will be coming next- which makes a book fun to read, especially for little ones.



Hopefully my relationship with Harbor House will continue next year. It's fun to be surrounded by a gaggle of enthusiastic kids- where you can connect on a personal level, and when you don't have to constantly redirect them to focus on their work, book, etc... Don't get me wrong, I love teaching. But sometimes us teachers get so busy, and pour so much of ourselves into our classroom, that we don't get a chance to invest in our local communities as much- I am guilty of it myself. It's taken me 5 years to volunteer outside of my classroom, that's much too long of time for something so enjoyable and beneficial to the community. 

Let's Hear it for the Moms!!

On this Mother's day, I want to celebrate my mom- who took me (along with my 3 siblings) to the library, read me bedtime stories, gave me good snuggly feelings about reading, and treated words like they were treats to discover. She was my first (and best?) teacher- thank you mom!!

I'm the 2nd from the right left, with the gang

Here's a poem my good friend sent to me.....how wonderful and true it is:

THE READING MOTHER

by Strickland Gillilan

I had a mother who read to me
Sagas of pirates who scoured the sea,
Cutlasses clenched in their yellow teeth,
"Blackbirds" stowed in the hold beneath

I had a Mother who read me lays
Of ancient and gallant and golden days;
Stories of Marmion and Ivanhoe,
Which every boy has a right to know.

I had a Mother who read me tales
Of Celert the hound of the hills of Wales,
True to his trust till his tragic death,
Faithfulness blent with his final breath.

I had a Mother who read me the things
That wholesome life to the boy heart brings-
Stories that stir with an upward touch,
Oh, that each mother of boys were such.

You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be --
I had a Mother who read to me.

Happy Mother's Day to all you Moms!

How did your mom encourage a love of literacy in you? And if you're a mom, how do you try to encourage a love of literacy in your child?

Recently I moved the books off the bookshelves in my daughter's room. Now, I try to leave books around the house (in the living room, my bedroom, my daughter's bedroom), instead of tucking them away neatly. I noticed they get used more now that I moved them to places at my daughter's level.

Take a minute and leave a comment- I'd love to hear your thoughts!!

Read On!

Today is Dia de Los Ninos

Today is Dia de los ninos (Kid's Day). Many of my student's family celebrate this holiday. Later this afternoon I am going to watch some of my students do a traditional Mexican dance in honor of Dia de los ninos. I suggest you snuggle up to a child today and read him/her one of your favorite books.

About Dia from ALA.org
Children's Day/Book Day, also known as El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Día), is a celebration of children, families, and reading held annually on April 30. The celebration emphasizes the importance of literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

Día is an  enhancement of Children’s Day, which began in 1925.   Children’s Day was designated as a day to bring attention to the importance and well-being of children.   In 1996, nationally acclaimed children’s book author Pat Mora proposed linking the celebration of childhood and children with literacy to found El día de los niños/El día de los libros.

Check out this useful book list-
Dia de Los Ninos Book List

Visit this website, explaining Dia de Los Ninos
Website about Dia de Los Ninos

Read On!

Library Visit

I'm trying out this new feature where I report out about what I checked out at the library for the week. If I was one of those super organized moms/teachers, I would visit the library with my toddler weekly. But my visits are not as consistent as they should be (reason being-we have a lot of great books at home and I have a Kindle). Hopefully this new feature will inspire me to take a weekly trip to my local library (only a short walk away!). My social, book-loving daughter certainly loves it- and that's reason enough, eh?

I do love going to the library. I like browsing through the new fiction books, DVDs, and cookbooks. I absolutely love running into neighbors, talking with friendly strangers, and feeling connected to the local community. It really is such a gift that books are made available publicly- for anyone and everyone to access.

My local library- The Dimond Branch, Oakland CA

Here's what I checked out:


For my daughter (17 months):

• My First Spanish Word Board Book, by Angela Wilkes My daughter loves these DK board books with real pictures. This book is packed with small images of everyday things, and showcases a lot of the words that she knows (banana, duck, apple, bread, table, book) or has heard often. My daughter also goes to daycare in a home where they speak Spanish only. I thought this books would help me brush up on some Spanish vocabulary, and help her to make a connection to the words she uses at home and daycare. We'll see how it goes...

For my students (elementary):

This spring I began doing read alouds (when you, as the teacher, read a book out loud to your students) weekly. Since I am a reading intervention teacher I usually have specific goals I'm working on with the students (expression, comprehension, teaching reading strategies, etc...) and much of the time I am working through a reading intervention curriculum with the students. I felt these different curriculum were effective on many levels, but weren't fostering a motivation to read (and that needed to change!). Reading a book to the students once a week for 20 minutes has dramatically improved their motivation to read (while building their knowledge about the world and their vocabulary!). Engaging read alouds are essential for many reasons (I could go on forever!), and my students' change in attitude proves it! I usually use read alouds as a teaching tool to focus on particular reading strategies. But sometimes we read a book just for fun!

• Owl Moon, by Jane Yolen I love Jane Yolen. I was introduced to Owl Moon during my teaching credential program. This book is beautifully written. A daughter and her father go "owling" together. I would use this book to focus on author's craft or visualization. 
• Mrs. Katz and Tush, by Patricia Polacco You'll probably see Patricia Polacco turn up often on this blog. I love her books- and her characters, themes of love, community, and the importance of history, all keep me coming back to her books again and again. And since I love her books so much, my students always do too (funny how that works). I chose this book blindly- I had never read it. But it's simply perfect for this week. There's a Seder in it (Passover is observed this week, I think). What a great way to teach my students about Passover (building their background knowledge) and share a heartfelt story about friendship and community. I'm excited to read this one. Bonus: The setting of this book is my hometown- Oakland, CA.
• My little Car, by Gary Soto. Again, I love Gary Soto. I chose this blindly too (well, knowing that i enjoy Soto's writing). Soto stories often convey the life of the Mexican American youth, and my students have always connected to his books. This story I like, but don't love. I would use this to have the students share connections and reflect on the character's poor decisions.

For Me:

• The Essential New York times Cookbook, by Amanda Hesser Recipes for me and my hubby!
• Too Many Cooks by Emily Franklin Recipes for the family!
• Ortho's All About Additions We may add on to our house- we'll see.
• One-Yard Wonders, by Rebecca Yaker and Patricia Hoskins  I would love to learn to sew well. This book motivates me to make my Christmas presents this year.

Why do you like your library? What book(s) have you checked out recently?

Take your kids to the library early and often!

Read on!

Fridays with MOCHA at Oakland Public Library

Hey local friends!

Check out Friday with Mocha at the Oakland Public Library!


Mocha is a great kids art organization located in Old Oakland, downtown. When I ran after school programs in Oakland, my students loved coming to MOCHA! They often have programs free to the community.

MOCHA artists will be collaborating with the OPL this spring, possibly visiting your local branch.

Today, April 8th at 3:30- Dimond Branch (My library!)
Today, April 8th at 3:30- Lakeview Branch by Lake Merritt
April 15th at 3:30-Cesar Chavez Branch in Fruitvale (by BART)
April 29th at 3:30- Melrose Branch in East Oakland

Enjoy! Read on!