General

Summer reading has always been a time of freedom for me. No longer does the school course of study dictate what we read. We can pick up whatever book appeals to us in the moment! I decided to start my summer reading with Dragonwings by Laurence Yep. A fascinating title, right? It speaks of fantasy and adventure. This mysterious book kept popping up at book fairs but I couldn’t recommend it to a child because I didn’t REALLY know what it was about. That all changed today.

Dragonwings swept me away to the Middle Kingdom of China in 1903 where Shadow Moon lives on a small country farm with his mother and grandmother. They all terribly miss his father, who has been in working in the land of the Golden Mountain (California) since before Shadow Moon’s birth, seven years ago. It is full of beautiful descriptions of Chinese culture, stories, and the poverty which drove men to leave their wives and children behind to seek a better life in an unknown and somewhat fearful land across the ocean. When Shadow Moon is nine (or ten as the Chinese count it), his father sends Hand Clap, a cousin, to bring Shadow Moon to America and the adventure begins.

Dragonwings is a fictional account of what life was like for a Chinese boy in San Francisco in the early 1900s and through the San Francisco Earthquake and Fire which destroyed much of the city. It is an excellent book to use to talk to children about immigration as we watch Shadow Moon struggle but persevere through the fear of a new land and people, learn a new language and customs, and retain his own traditions while learning how to live in a land with new technology and practices. We watch Shadow Moon interact with hostile and friendly people among the “demons” (Americans) and the “Tang” (Chinese). We see how the love of family and friendship help him and his father accomplish their dreams. I hope you will check it out!

What book is the opener for your summer reading?

We recently returned from a family vacation. For months, we carefully planned our trip – the destination city, the perfect location to stay, visits to museums and World Heritage Sites, and not-to-be-missed foods. It was a lovely time! It is after times like these, we ask, “What was your favorite part?”

As I thought about it, I found that it was not the carefully-planned outing or the world famous spots that stood out as the most cherished moments. It was the unexpected happenings – the SURPRISES that brought me the most delight! It was stumbling upon a beautiful street market, accidentally arriving in time for a free concert, and the sheer size of a huge painting!

SURPRISE!
The very word shouted aloud makes the heart beat a little faster, the eyes perk up a little brighter, and (hopefully) a startled look dissolve into a wide smile and laughter. Some of us love surprises more than others; nevertheless, surprises jolt us out of the mundane activities of life.

Surprise.
Isn’t that something that all great books share? A surprising plot twist. An unpredicted action by a favorite character. A truly tragic series of events. An amicable resolution of a conflict.

Great authors cause us to hold our breath while we read on to see if our hero makes it out of a treacherous situation. Great books prompt us to stay up way past our bedtime because we just MUST see what happens! Great stories surprise and delight us.

What are some books that surprised you?

These words warmed my heart because they are evidence that we are fulfilling our mission to help create a culture of literacy! In January, A+ Academy and Inspired Vision Academy, both charter schools operating in south Dallas, welcomed us on to their campuses. We found students who were excited about learning and enthusiastic about books! In the words of Ticcoa, a first-time volunteer:
“It was fun! My favorite moment (though there were many) was the third-grader who found a book super quick and came running to get his bookplate. He half-shouted, half-laughed, ‘I found a book about electricity! I love to build robotics and stuff. I love this book!’”
It’s wonderful experiences and feedback like this that make our giveaways so rewarding!

We know that books inform,
influence,
spark,
instill,
explain,
demonstrate,
illustrate,
interpret,
illuminate, but most of all they
feed our minds and souls with ideas.
Without this “food”, we starve the desire to learn. So join us as we strive to meet this need and feed the minds of the next generation. Get involved today!