by Melody Morrison
I wanted to write, but we were supposed to be down-sizing. Yuck. I faced a wall unit of books, games and toys. Over 750 youth and children’s books called my name. Stopping to read “a little”, I didn’t accomplish much. Today two thirds of the books are still on the shelves and five piles designated for various possible locations remain in the room. Then there are the 2500 additional books arranged on other shelves throughout the house.
Daunting.
Eight grandchildren range from college ages to seven. They are wonderful readers, but Laptops, iPads, Tablets and Kindles have taken over. Google has replaced hours in the library researching and digging up microfiche. The bottom line is our rising generation neither wants nor needs our “real books”. Yet reading is reading so why mourn. The practice of a honing-down attempt produced one positive, unexpected outcome. (No, not dusting.) Remembering some of these as favorites raised questions in my mind. What makes these books engaging and memorable? What makes one want to keep a book forever? What makes a child want to hear a particular story again and again? How do we write like that?
Here are eight lessons my books taught me:
“The Little Red Hen.” (Never mind the logic of a four-year-old, “Why in the world is a chicken trying to cook anyway?”) She was industrious and needed help. She must have asked the wrong characters. Writing should be a group project if we want to produce an excellent product, but we have to seek the right helpers and experts.
Ever heard the idea at a conference?
Life is like that, too.
Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain): A character doesn’t have to be “holier than thou” or even educated to refuse participation in the hypocrisy around him.
Be authentic.
The Frog Prince (Donna Jo Napoli) and The True Story of the Three Pigs as told by A. Wolf (Jon Scieskza): two of my very favorites. Well-known stories can be retold from the point of view of the presumed antagonist and make the reader laugh or see a new perspective.
Clever.
Fascinating.
“The Giant Jam Sandwich” (Lord, John Vernon): People can work together to find an innovative solution for a problem affecting an entire community.
Interactive solutions.
The discovery went on with Folk Tales from a variety of countries:
Cultural differences.
Diversity.
Classic novels:
Clues about pacing and text-painting time and place.
Science learning/activity books.
A picture’s worth a thousand words.
“What Does God Do?” stopped me in my stacks. This children’s book by Hans Wilhelm closes with Psalm 78. “I will speak using stories. I will tell things that have been secret since long ago. Our fathers told us about…his power and the miracles he has done” (International Children’s Bible).
The children’s room avoided for weeks kicked up embers for the fire I needed to approach the next endeavors. A chore provided concepts and fresh approaches. Who knew?
Surprise. Inspiration and great reminders could be on a shelf near you.
Melody Morrison attempts to harness wild minds of children and adults with relatable stories. She stays busy developing liturgy and drama to accompany seasonal music presentations and devotions. Her life goals focus on encouraging learners of all ages through teaching ESL, writing and music by the grace of God.