Let's Talk About Books! And Reading.

Book talk@greenspine from Zarah Gagatiga

The Green Spine Book Fair 2016: Book Talk Sessions

Book Convo: Shine by Candy Gourlay (SPOILER ALERT)

I love it when my kids read with me. When they read YA books of my choice and I in turn read theirs, I feel bonded with them. I love it even more when we talk about books we have read. I get new insights from them. I learn about their thought processes, their choices and current disposition. Then, I recommend more books for them to read! 

So I thought of sharing our book conversations (convo) with you all.

These are my questions for Zoe, my daughter (13 years old), who read Shine at the height of Candy Gourlay's rock star visit in Manila.

Mama Z: What did you like about Shine?

Zoe: I like the idea of the surprises in the novel. It gave me goosebumps!
Mama Z: What did you not like about Shine?

Zoe: Nothing. I liked everything about the book. Oh, except for Kat.
Mama Z: Who was the most interesting character and what made him/her interesting ?

Zoe: Danny and Rosa are interesting. I am not sure if Danny has another story. Where did he get weird tattoos? How did he know Rosa all along? Even if Rosa is the narrator she has that "something" and that makes it interesting.

Mama Z: That "something" is perhaps, her attitude? Her curiosity?

Zoe: Hmm… I think so. She sounds like one of my friends.

My recommendation: Read this book with an older set of readers and talk about it.
There is so much to peel away from Shine: relationships, the ghosts of our past, the truths we believe in;
the choices we make; the stories we tell and share.
In the end, the reader would further ruminate on the things that matter in his or her life.
That's what the book did to me. It gave me a lot to think about.

Mama Z: Do you think the death of _____ was worth it?

Zoe: I think she deserves it. She could harm Rosa really bad. Like what she did with Rosa's mom.

Mama Z: What would you want to ask Candy Gourlay?

Zoe: I want to ask Ms. Gourlay if there will be a book 2 of Shine. Will Danny and Rosa's friendship 
continue?

At first, Zoe didn't fully grasp the death scene of one of the characters in the novel. We had to go back to the text and unlock the description of that character's passing. The teacher in me had to tell her how words can be used to say something and mean another and that, much of our experiences in real life come into play when we read.

Books bring people together. Keep reading! And keep talking about books read with friends and family, and people who share the same passion. Until the next book convo! Abangan!

Book Love: An Interactive Book Talk on Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

I made an interactive book talk feature on a recently read novel, Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I used the app ThingLink. View my page here.



Thank you, 23 Mobile Things PH SG! You make me look so good.

I think I'll be doing lots of interactive book talks like this. I've called it BOOK LOVE.

Book Talk Video Using Vine

Learning loads from 23 Mobile Things PH and SG!

World Read Aloud Day 2013: Doll Eyes & Ay Naku!

Two book talks for today's World Read Aloud Day 2013 celebration: Doll Eyes by Eline Santos and Ay Naku by Reni Roxas. Doll Eyes is illustrated by Joy Mallari, while Ay Naku is illustrated by Serge Bumatay III.

Bibliographic info:

Santos, Eline. Doll Eyes. Quezon City: CANVAS. 2010

Roxas, Reni. Ay Naku! Makati: Tahanan Books for Young Readers. 2010.

World Read Aloud Day 2013: The Secret is in the Soil

Written by Flor Gozon Tarriela and Gidget Roceles Jimenez, The Secret id in the Soil: A Beginner's Guide to Natural Gardening helps kids realize that edible plants are healthier; that soil needs to be taken cared of; and that agriculture remains an industry of survival. I love the recipes included in the book! Liza Flores' neat paper art lends a wonderful design and fresh look for the book.

Bibliographic data: Tarriela, Flor Gozon and Gidget Roceles Jimenez. The Secret is in the Soil. Makati: Conquest for Christ Foundation Inc., 2010.

World Read Aloud Day 2013: Jake's Cooking Craze

Imagine a world where everyone can read...

World Read Aloud Day is about taking action to show the world that the right to read and write belongs to all people. World Read Aloud Day motivates children, teens, and adults worldwide to celebrate the power of words, especially those words that are shared from one person to another, and creates a community of readers advocating for every child’s right to a safe education and access to books and technology.

By raising our voices together on this day we show the world’s children that we support their future: that they have the right to read, to write, and to share their words to change the world.

Here is my book talk video of Ken Spillman's Jake's Cooking Craze.

Bibliographic info: Spillman, Ken. Jake's Cooking Craze. New York: Scholastic, 2012

Book Talk & Storytelling Session

Reading educator Trixie Madamba leads the discussion on one of the most popular young adult series today. In this shortened version of our Reading Group Program, we look into the first volume, The Maze of Bones, by Rick Riordan.

Friday, February 27, 4PM and Saturday, February 28, 3PM
Children's Section, Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street
Admission is free!

Brought to you by The Center for East Asian Languages

Told with verve and vitality by the lively and animated teachers from the Julia Gabriel Centre for Learning Manila!

Sunday, March 1, at 3PM
Children's Section, Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street

A Reading Inventory

Sometime in early 2006, I posted a list of books I have read in 2005 in this blog. I remember making a promise to continue reading for the succeeding years and listing down the books I have read by the end of the year. But, real life has a way of snatching dreams and holding up promises. In short, I did read a lot in the span of three years but failed to take an inventory of the books and writers I've admired and abhorred.

Now here I am, blogging on Valentine's Day to catch up on a lost promise. Perhaps it will hold little interest to some of my readers, nevertheless, I will fulfill it for my own sake. I am a librarian, therefore, I read.

So here are current books I've digested at the start of the year. After the list, are books I remember reading since 2006. Some I reckon with fondness while a few are mentioned for less pleasant reasons.

January Reading List

1. 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan - Scholastic merges the best of several worlds - reading, gaming and the WWW . The publishing company who gave us Harry Potter is experimenting on an integration of mediums and so far, they have been successful. The series will hold an appeal for both readers and gamers but I find the merchandising too aggressive. It is an exciting read but the online games and the free game cards are for me a turn off. It robs me of the magic that the book is supposed to hold. I doubt if I would read beyond the third book since there will be actually ten books in the series. Riordan is a good writer. Korman tries to sustain what he begun, however, the prize and the merchandise keep me from suspending my disbelief.

2. Firebird Rising; An Anthology of Science Fiction and Fantasy edited by Sharyn November - I like reading anthologies because, it's like eating cookies. You pick two or three pieces from the cookie jar and you munch them one by one. So far, I've read five stories from the anthology and three of these delighted me to the bone. Dianne Wynne Jone's I Give You My Word tells of the power of the written and spoken word. The next time you use a dictionary, you better be sure where to use the word and how to wield its potency. In The House of Seven Librarians by Ellen Klages, I met all the librarian stereotypes and I could not help but cringe. It's a good thing Klages now her library science that she narrates the lives of her seven characters with dignity and respect. It's peppered with library humor too so the librarian stereotypes as described in the story can be overlooked. It's fantasy, besides. My kind has come a long way since.

3. The Tales of Beedle The Bard by JK Rowling - Superb craftsmanship and excellent rendering of conceit!

This month until summer, I have several anthologies to keep me sane and intact. I got Dahl's anthology for a very cheap price on sale and a good friend gifted me with Susan Vreeland's Life Studies. And of course, I will not miss Dean Alfar's Philippine Speculative Fiction Vol. 4 to be launched at the end of the month.

I am currently half way through the second book in the 39 Clues series and Gaiman's first Newberry, The Grave Yard Book shall soon be lent to me by a dear friend. Ah, to have friends and books!

Now here's a random list of books I have devoured and digested to make up for the past two or three years of missing a reading inventory.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman; The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JKR; Bagets; An Anthology of Young Adult Fiction edited by Pacis and Evasco; Widdershins by Charles de Lint; I Am Messenger and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak; Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by JKR; Prince Ombra by Roderick Macleish; Rushdie's Haroun and the Sea of Stories; Lowry's Number the Stars; For One More Day by Albom; Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman; InkSpell by Funke; The Bartimeus Trilogy by Stroud; The Iron Man by Ted Hughes; The Legend of the Wandering King by Laura Gallego Garcia; PSF Vol. 3 edited by Dean and Nikki Alfar; Maus by Spiegelman; Coelho's Witch of Portobello; Hemmingway's The Old Man and the Sea; Alcott's Little Women; Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice; Dahl's Switch Bitch; Tolkien's The Hobbit; Children of Two Seasons by Lara Saguisag; Enrique El Negro by Pacis; The Faery Reel: Tales From The Twilight Realm edited by Terri Windling; Firebird: Anthology of Sci-fi and Fantasy edited by Sharyn November; The Night Monkeys; The Runaways; A Mouse Called Wolf; The Shredderman Vol. 3; Deltora Quest...and that's all I can remember for now.

Book Talk

A school library has many roles and functions. The promotion of books and reading is one of these. The librarian in this case, becomes a teacher who bridges literacy and the tools necessary for its acquisition to students. Furthermore, she assumes a collaborative role as teaching partner of the classroom teacher. In the process, support for the teaching and learning process is forged between teacher and librarian.

Since techniques and strategies abound when it comes to the promotion of books and reading, Book Talks, are by far the easiest to do. It is simple, quick and resources to implement it are very accessible in the library. Books are, after all, always available in the library.

To start a book talk session, you need to prepare yourself by reading good books suitable for your intended audience. Other library resources can be “talked” about though, so do not limit the opportunity with books alone. Denise Johnson (2003) provides these basic tips:

1. Select one or more books to share. When teachers share more than one book, the books are usually related in some way: they may be part of a text set, written by the same author, or on a related topic.

2. Plan a brief presentation for each book. During the one- to two-minute presentation, the presenter tells the title and author of the book and gives a brief summary, and then explains why they liked it and why students might be interested in it. The teacher may also read a short excerpt and show an illustration.

3. Display the books. Presenters show the book during the book talk and then display it on a chalk tray or shelf to encourage students' interest.

Take note that Book Talks are not exclusive for teachers to do. The library at lunch time or dismissal is filled with students eager to read or while away the time. Invite them for circle groups to discuss new books or old favorites. Energize your Readers' Services by conducting Book Talks.