Sometimes getting the right book at the right time can make a difference in your life.
I believe the generation of kids growing up right now are
extremely important. They will face
extraordinary challenges and see amazing
things.
The more they are prepared for this, the
better they'll do.
We can prepare them, and there's never been a better time (really!)
Some books have power.
Power to inspire, power to instruct, to entertain with purpose, books that open up our minds and expand the areas of our understanding, socially and academically.
I think sharing these books with kids
(and adults) can make a positive difference in their lives by showing them
the value of knowledge.
This will motivate them toward learning, helping to prepare them for life and how we'll need to adapt how we interact with each other and our world.
This book, The Phantom Tollbooth, is the first book I want to share.
And I want you to share it too!
In fact, I want you to give it to somebody who you think will like it when you're done.
And if you want to buy another copy for a kid you know, they can be purchased quite reasonably (sometimes extremely, try a discount media site.)
I personally admit to trying to buy them below 50 cents, the shipping unfortunately can be $4.00 US. This is a limiting factor even at 1 cent.
If anyone knows how I can purchase them extremely cheaply or even get them donated, these are used books for kids whose lives would hopefully be enriched.
I'm not making anything off this, in fact I've been paying for it for more than a year, and this is the beginning of a plan to organize it and get other people involved.
For now, I have just been buying copies as cheaply as possible online and giving them to friends' and associates' kids.
I'm sure I'm not the only person who thinks this is a good idea, and if it snowballed into a torrential downpour of literacy and achievement that propelled these minds to
greater things , I don't see that as a bad thing!
My plan is to show where the books have adventured on a map kind of like Google Maps meets this great book sharing site bookcrossing.com, but I haven't figured out a way to do that free yet, so that will come a little later.
I also will have to get a PO Box where these books can be sent if I end up receiving donations and to send stickers from, so as you can see, I'm just starting out.
Until I get these things sorted out, I'd like to encourage you to give
this book to others on your own.
(There are alternate suggestions below.
This is not the only book I want to put out there, but it's a great start, and any of the others would also be a great start.
I count upon you to use your discretion as to what's appropriate in any given situation, I think that's reasonable.)
I would also like to encourage you to give other books to anyone(everyone!) but we live in a time where it is important not to be misconstrued, so, in the interest of protecting myself AND kids, I must choose which books I will encourage starting this process with.
Books for the younger kids 4-7 will be marked "y"
I'm not saying other books won't be great, in fact, please, if you have suggestions,
I would like suggestions for these categories so far.
0-7
5-8
7-9
8-12
10-14
12-up
older teen
adult/teacher/parent
please, it's not that I'm trying to exclude entertanment value, but whenever possible I want these books to reflect specific ends.
These are a love of learning, a curiosity for science and math, literature, history, music ,the arts and the rest of humanities, ecological responsibilty, the importance of ethics,
integrity , innovation, compassion, resourcefulness and technological understanding, appropriate technologies, peaceful communication and worldwide collaboration for the betterment of mankind and to help each other face environmental,educational,medical,fiscal and energy challenges, needed adaptations, obstacles to survival as a species, disease, population, food production and climate factors, and toward better understanding and appreciationg each other's diversity, and what we have to teach each other.
The Dot and The Line-Norton Juster
Harold and The Purple Crayon-Crockett Johnson-y
Where The Wild Things Are-Maurice Sendak-y
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs-Judi and Ron Barrett-y
The Wonderful O- James Thurber
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-Roald Dahl
Charlie and The Great Glass Elevator- Roald Dahl
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle- Betty MacDonald-y and above
My Father's Dragon-Ruth Stiles Gannett
A Wrinkle in Time-Madeline L'Engle
The Marvelous Inventions of Alvin Fernald-Clifford B. Hicks
Masquerade-Kit Williams
I also believe in the following books to arouse interest in maths and sciences.
Books For Teachers/Parents -I hold no responsibilty if anyone is offended by any of this technology, but on the off chance, I encourage you to broaden your horizons to accept new things and ideas.
The world changes very rapidly. It can only be beneficial to have practical information, to therefore be better prepared. The younger this becomes part
of a curriculum, the more experience and understanding it can engender.
Healthy Foods from Healthy Soils- Patten/Lyons
Physics for Every Kid- Janice Van Cleave. Mrs.Van Cleave has many scientific titles available.
Platonic and Archimedean Solids-Daud Sutton
A Little Book of Coincidence- John Martineau
Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots- Sharon Lovejoy
Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth-you can read it here for free by the grace of the Buckminster Fuller Institute
Grunch of Giants- again BFI serves up the hits, and at the perfect price. Free.you may also purchase a three-dimensional copy of either of those through the site.
A Beginner's Guide to Constructing the Universe-Michael S. Schneider
Chew on this-Eric Schlosser & Charles Wilson
Garden based Learning-a wiki
not to keep incessantly ringing the same bell, this man , R.Buckminster Fuller, has inspired me and deserves
the credit for many things. This is one of the things that he said, that inspired me.
another link for teachers and parents:
Instructables-Some of these are kid-friendly projects and some not. Either way, a valuable resource
Remeber MadLibs? A lot of people around my age learned the difference between an adverb and an adjective like that!Well, I just looked them up, and not only are they still around, but like many of the things on my list, they're about 50 years old or more.
Beyond Parents and Teachers, these books are probably for slightly older children
(or the very advanced young ones... never underestimate of all things, the mind of a child! Remember, before you react to that statement, that children ARE our future.
We will need to work consciously to address how misspending and deprioritizing education in favor of other pursuits over a long period of time has damaged not only our science talent pool, but left many of our youth and adults woefully undereducated and with little idea of the importance of seeking information and understanding it's implementation.
I salute anyone who asserts themselves and willfully takes on the task of teaching young people useful practical up to date information in today's schools.
If there are any books you as teachers reccommend, please let me know, I'll check them out.
For people who eventually send me books and for those who show me a proof of purchase,
I am going to attach some stickers and include a bookmark with a craft project for how to make a bookmark for the next person.
That way, the kids can share and express themselves, and a fun book, too!
The books will have numbers , and the kids need not give their names , but there would be an option to leave a city name or general area to mark on the map.
If you want to get stickers once I get the process a little more under way,
I will require proof of purchase. I am not appointing myself censor or promoter of what books people give to kids, but I must control what I publically advocate for literature. If you show me what book you've given from that list, each copy I have not purchased I will give a number to, and free stickers if given an address and postage.This way, if you want to be included on the map when it happens, I can mark the address you provide.
I believe you may still do General Delivery at your local Post Office if you do not want to share your address, but I think you would have to use your real name for ID purposes.At any rate,I'm not interested in doing anything untoward with your information, I'm just a guy who wants to save the world in my own little ways.
(I'm also doing this because I think there are a lot of great books and people who don't get the credit or exposure they deserve, and in the interest of that dilemma, here is my solution, Cousin Leopold's Pantheon of Undersung Heroes!-first Hero,
Norton Juster. This is a beta version, still doing research, (and asking permission, if he doesn't want me to honor him for some reason,I will start with one of my planned list, which includes roald dahl,raymond scott,r. buckminster fuller, don herbert, beverly cleary,boris artzybasheff and belva lockwood. Suggestions welcome and considered, though I'm trying to honor the living heroes first,so Norton Juster, will you consent to be the first Undersung Hero?
and also, who are YOUR Undersung Heroes?
that's all for now, more later
Sincerely,
Cousin Leopold
contact me at cousinleopold@gmail.com
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