Poetry: Listen to the mustn’ts, child

Listen to the Mustn'ts, Child
By Shel Siverstein ( 1930 - 1999 )

Listen to the mustn'ts, child
Listen to the shouldn'ts,
the impossibles,
the won'ts.

Listen to the never haves,
then listen close to me...

Anything can happen, child.
Anything can be.

Panayam ng mga Mag-aaral ng Raya School tungkol sa Sambat Trust UK

Ang mga mag-aaral ng Raya School na sina Diego Montenejo at Pepe Domingo ay nagpadala ng mga tanong ukol sa adbokasiya ng Sambat Trust UK. Gusto nilang malaman kung ano ang mga ginagawa ng charity para sa mga taga Tanauan, Batangas. Narito ang transcript ng panayam.

1.Sino ang nagsimula ng Sambat Trust at bakit niya binuo ito?

Si G. Anthony Mariano ang nagsimula ng Sambat Trust. Gusto niyang makatulong sa mga kababayan niyang taga Tanauan sa pamamagitan ng scholarship program at pagpapatayo ng mga aklatan sa mga pampublikong paaralan. Filipino British is G. Mariano. Lumaki siya sa London. Ang kanyang mga magulang ay tubong Tanauan, Batangas.

2. Gaano kalaki ang epekto ninyo sa buhay ng mga bata?

Nakakapagbigay ng inspirasyon sa mga bata ang library project ng Sambat Trust. Pag may aklatan sila sa paaralan, nagiging masipag sila sa pag-aaral.

3. Ano ang plano ninyo sa hinaharap para sa mga bata?

Gusto kong magkaroon pa ng maraming aklatan sa Tanauan at sana, makapag basa pa ng mas madalas ang mga bata.

4. Gaano karaming bata ang pumupunta sa mga library ninyo?

Sa report ng Trapiche Elementary School, lahat ng mag-aaral nila ay nakakapunta sa aklatan dahil may schedule sila ng pag bisita sa aklatan. Subalit, wala pa kaming balita sa apat pang paaralan na binigyan namin ng aklatan.

5. Anong klaseng mga libro ang pinapabasa ninyo sa mga bata?

Mga aklat na limbag ng lokal na publishers ang nasa mga aklatan na project ng Sambat Trust. May foreign books rin pero, iilan lamang. Madalas ay sa Adarna House kami bumibili ng mga aklat.

6. Ano ang mga librong palaging binabasa o paborito ng mga bata?

Mga picture books at illustrated story books. Walang pinakasikat na aklat pero, gustong gusto nila ang mga aklat na may drawing.

7. Bakit ninyo ginagawa ang adbokasiyang ito? 

Mahilig aking magbasa at may kakayanan akong tumulong sa pagbuo ng aklatan. Bilang isang Filipino, ito na ang magagawa ko para sa bayan. Naniniwala rin ako na edukasyon ang makakapagbigay ng kalayaan mula sa kahirapan sa mga kababayan nating mahihirap. Dapat Silang turuan Kung paano magbasa at mag isip. Sa scholarship program at school library project namin ito magafawa.

8. Ano ang inyong paboritong bahagi o aspekto sa trabaho ninyo?

Masaya ako pag may nabubuo kaming aklatan at pag nalalaman  ko na may mga batang natututong magbasa dahil may aklatan silang pinuputahan. Bukod sa silid aralan, ang aklatan ay isang lugar kung saan makakapag isip ng malaya ang isang batang natututong magbasa.

Movie Review: Rise of the Guardians

What do Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman and the Easter Bunny have in common? They're all guardians. Guardians of children from all over the world. It's a conceit too big to make it believable. The magical visuals and metaphors used in the story helped me suspend my disbelief.

What worked

Thanks to high tech CGI animation, the film's ambition to make magic worked wonders. What appeared real to me: the golden strands of the Sandman weaving dreams on top of sleeping heads of children; Jack Frost producing ice and icicles on everything he touches and breathes on; the Boogeyman's sinister shadow that casts doubt and fear; the black mares with gleaming eyes depicted as nightmares that snuff out dreams of gold. DreamWorks did its homework so, as far as animation is concerned, they got the prize in the bag.

 I've nothing much to say about the script as I find the sub-plots cluttered and a few bits misplaced. For example, the elves and the yetis. They're all adorable but too much of them were used as comic relief. Perhaps, this was an attempt to lighten a story that's too philosophical for kids in the preschool age?

The movie is really meant for adults, like me, who've had their share of lemons thrown at them by life. Childhood is magical and wonderful. Growing up breaks the magic and wonderment. Children are trusting and honest. Grown ups operate on deceit to get what they want and are more fearful of their evil, if not, imperfect selves showing out for others to see. Such contradictions were made palpable through the use of childhood folk lore and images that we're familiar with - Jack Frost, Santa, Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, the Sandman. Each represent a virtue or an aspect of childhood: play, wonder, memories, hope and dreams. Stuff that children believe in. Stuff that adults find once again in the children they care for and love.

What did not work

Apart from the cluttered script, the movie left me with a big lacuna on the Man on the Moon. I'd be looking up on William Joyce's novel from which the movie was based on. And this is actually a good thing, thinking about it.

Rise of the Guardians is a feel good movie. I'm glad I'm a parent and that I work with children and teens. If not, I'd have chucked the movie out the window as an attempt to water down Gaiman's conceit in American Gods.

Photo sources:

http://kidstvmovies.about.com/od/RiseoftheGuardians/ig/Rise-of-the-Guardians---Photos/Sandman.htm

http://www.movieposterdb.com/movie/1446192/Rise-of-the-Guardians.html

Bibliotherapy PowerPoint Slides

Picture! Picture!

When Reading is an Act of Love

When Carla Pacis invited me to do a workshop on literacy development, the importance of reading and storytelling to parents of St. John La Salle Preschool, I immediately said yes -- without second thoughts. The home is a child's first school and the parents are his/her first teachers. And boy, every school MUST collaborate with parents and every parent NEED allies to raise a child. As the old saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child.

So Carla and I met with Chichi Ferrer, cooridinator of the De La Salle Univeristy-Taft run St. John La Salle Preschool. If you put three women whose common advocacy is literacy development, there must be good coffee. Plans were laid out and it wheeled along smoothly on the day of the workshop. There were, more or less, thirty parents (five daddies were present) who attended. They were ready and eager to participate.

I brought my storytelling stuff, of course, and donated story books to the school so Chichi and her teachers can start a lending library.

At the workshop, parents read stories, told stories and WROTE some too!

They also discussed their views on reading, books and learning in general. I had to emphasize how reading and literacy is a RIGHT that must be claimed and that no child should be deprived of this.

It is always a joy to see grown-ups engrossed in books! I used mostly local books published by Adarna House, Lampara, LG & M and Hiyas. The parents were very attentive and analytical. Some gave comments, good and otherwise on the books they read. We closed the workshop with group presentations on their selected books for read aloud and storytelling.

Summer's Hot But Art Is Cool!

I will be conducting a workshop on storytelling for children at the Museo Pambata from April 17-18, 2010. It's a creative expression workshop using voice and body movements in telling stories.

For inquiries call 5231797 or 5360595.

The Spirit of PaperTigers

PaperTigers is in the process of selecting books for children that will be donated to places around the world where the need is great. Here's an introduction on the project they launched last February 1, 2010.

The Spirit of PaperTigers project is best understood within the overall goals of PaperTigers: that is, to encourage literacy, helping to make children hungry readers and thus helping them form a lifelong habit. It is also our goal to do that within the context of promoting “multicultural” or “cross-cultural” books: this means we focus on books that promote awareness of, knowledge about, and positive acceptance of “the other”, books that encourage empathy and understanding.

I'm hoping that The Spirit of PaperTigers reach the Philippines. To stretch my hopes further, it would be a great opportunity if PBBY can network with PaperTigers on this endeavor. Click the highlighted words for more information on the project.

Bagyo! Baha! Kwentong Pambata!

Creative Writing and Storytelling Workshop for child workers, teachers and parents. * Nov. 21, 8 AM-5 PM at the Museo Pambata.

Join and learn to write and tell stories for children. Discover how stories help children emotionally cope and heal from difficult circumstances and events. Workshop facilitators include Zarah Gagatiga and Dr. Luis Gatmaitan MD.

Zarah Gagatiga is a teacher, writer, librarian and storyteller. She explores the therapeutic claims of storytelling through experience and personal stories. Techniques and strategies to tell stories are also included in the workshop. Zarah is the president of the Philippine Board On Books for Young People. She is currently writing a book on Filipino Folk Tales in collaboration with international storyteller, Dianne delas Casas.

Luis Gatmaitan, M.D. will discuss the healing qualities of story writing and its effects on children. He has traveled to Mindanao and experienced first hand the healing process that children of war and conflict go through. Tips to improve one's writing skills are included in his talk cum workshop. Dr. Luis Gatmaitan is a Palanca Hall of Famer and TOYM awardee. For further details and reservation contact 09209602884 or 523-1797-98. Registration fee is at P800.00.

Live Blogging: Literacy Night at CLP

My mini-workshop with the parents ended thirty minutes ago. I'm now watching the presentations of the kids. The primary graders had chamber telling of Thunder Cake and Big Brother Mike. The intermediate grades are performing Lon Popo.

I'm so proud of the kids! They were bursting with energy during the workshop (which is expected with kids, of course!) Now, they are organized and more restrained. Their costumes are fantastic. The props, ingenuous! It's obvious that they made it themselves. Oh, now I face the difficult task of judging!

Live Blogging: At Teacher Tin's CLP

Five more minutes and it's show time!

I'm here at CLP (Create and Learning Path), Teacher Tin's school in Merville, Paranaque for a talk cum workshop for parents on Storytelling. Afterwards, we'll be watching the kids' performance. Each class will present a chamber theatre of their chosen stories. These kids were my students in the storytelling workshop I conducted last week. It was fun!

But later I face the difficult task of judging them.

The 2008 of the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY)

Here is a copy of the PBBY Chairman's report. Posted with permission from Totet De Jesus.

The past year was characterized by ongoing activities by the different sectors and newer initiatives aimed at making children more interested in reading and making books a little more accessible and within reach.

2008 was a special year for PBBY with 25th Anniversary. Events, exhibitions, competitions, workshops, and writers' talks were the highlights of this celebration.

Storytelling - Salaysayan 2008
The Board strongly recognizes the vital role that storytelling plays in promoting the love for reading. With the Alitaptap Storytellers Group, the Board organized storytelling competitions for both amateur and professional storytellers. Last year, the Eliminations and Grand Finals of Salaysayan 2008 were held during the Manila International Book Fair at the SMX Convention Center last September. Storytelling has really been getting much attention lately with various institutions engaging in storytelling activities as part of their corporate social responsibility projects. Our National Finals was generously supported by the National Book Development Board, a government agency whose present officers have been very active in finding meaningful and productive ways to promote and support reading advocacies.

25 Author Visits
Throughout the Board's 25th Anniversary, 25 schools were visited by their favorite children's book authors. The visits were a joint project between PBBY and the members of Kuwentista ng mga Tsikiting (Kuting), the organization of writers for children. The students had the opportunity to meet the writers, listen as they storytell and hear the stories behind their stories. Meeting the creator of a storybook was quite an experience for children and it gave an added thrill to the idea of reading.

25 Best-Loved Philippine Children's Book Characters
After surveying hundreds of Filipino children, an exhibition of rubber foam sculptures of the 25 Best-Loved Children's Book Characters was staged at the Cultural Center of the Philippines during last year's celebration of National Children's Book Day. After almost one month of being viewed at the CCP, the exhibit was moved to the National Library, The Manila International Bookfair, and the University of the Philippines in Diliman. The sculptures were created by members of Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang INK), the organization of illustrators for children.

There was very positive response to this exhibit from children, families, organizations and institutions. The exhibition turned out to be a good promotional tool for children's books. Aside from the endless picture taking beside the life-(or larger-than-life) size characters, the interest in the books was heightened because it is the first-ever attempt to have these characters in 3D form and have the actual book beside these characters for the viewers to read. For children who have read the books and recognize the characters, seeing (and touching) them was a memorable experience. For those who haven't read the books, seeing the characters and the books on display actually led the parents to check out the books during the Bookfair. I received information that some parents looked for all the titles of the 25 books at the Manila International Book Fair but were disappointed when they found out that some of them were not available anymore.

This year, we approached the City of Marikina and asked them if they are willing to celebrate National Children’s Book day with us. Since literacy is one of the thrusts of Marikina, we were welcomed for this year’s celebration. We are also happy because Marikina is preparing a permanent venue for the 25 Best-Loved Children’s Book Characters where children can view them.

Workshops at the Manila International Book Fair
The PBBY offered workshops at the SMX Convention Center during the Manila International Book Fair. Among the workshops given were:

A Thumbnail History of Children's Literature in the Philippines by Dr. Lina Diaz de Rivera, 25 Ways to Entice Children with Stories by Manolo Silayan, Creating Effective Visuals for Children's Books by Ruben de Jesus, and Reading, Responding and Reviewing by Neni Sta. Romana Cruz. One thing we learned from these workshops is that aside from making the workshops really interesting and substantial, a big effort should be placed in marketing these events to ensure more participation among those groups who will benefit from these activities.

Museo Pambata
Museo Pambata, one of the institutional members of the Board, has continuous programs such as the Mobile Library and the Book Feature where a writer and illustrator is featured every month and are attended by children from welfare centers, nearby communities and museum visitors. A new Career Option or Paglaki Ko Theme Room on the Writer and Illustrator of Children’s Books will open on December 2009. Just recently, South African storyteller Gcina Mhlophe Becker gave a storytelling workshop hosted by the Embassy of South Africa and Museo Pambata.

Booksellers Sector
It is heartening to note the opening of more bookstores within the Metro Manila area. Book fairs during Linggo ng Wika, school fairs, United Nations Week and other occasions continue to bring reading materials closer to children. It has been observed that less young people go to the bookstores and so these book fairs play their role in making these books available in the school environment. Co-branding promotions in bookstores have been started by publishers as premium for books. Reading of quotable quotes from famous people, or excerpts from books will be heard over the in-store radio systems of the leading bookstore chain. Students now get an automatic !0% discount on their textbooks upon presentation of their school ID.

Storywriters Sector
Several writers have been invited to deliver papers and conduct workshops for local and international groups and institutions. Theater adaptations of children’s stories have been staged by schools, community theater groups, Ballet Manila and the Cultural Center of the Philippines during its Virgin Labfest.

Wan Dey Isang Araw
PBBY’s radio program won the Special Citation for the Best Entertainment Radio Program at the 2008 Catholic Mass Media Awards. Last year, the program won the award for the same category. Wan Dey Isang Araw is a joint production with the Cultural Center of the Philippines and DZAS. Wan Dey Isang Araw was also a finalist in the Best Children’s Radio Program in the 2008 Golden Dove Awards given by the KBP.

Book Reviewers Sector
The most significant development is the space given the PBBY and the Sa Aklat Sisikat Foundation as a regular contributor in the Saturday Commentary column of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. There remains only occasional interest in book reviews in the lifestyle pages - much to be desired in this area. We see the efforts of the Manila Bulletin’s children supplement editor in having children write book reviews.

Reading Programs
The Sa Aklat Sisikat Foundation has begun the implementation of reading programs from Luzon to Mindanao with the sponsorship of corporate foundations. The effectiveness of these programs are being studied by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Poverty Action Lab.

THE COMING YEARS
For the coming years, the Philippine Board on Books for Young People plans to revitalize the annual PBBY Salanga Prize and the PBBY Alcala Prize. Next year‘s Salanga prize will be awarded for the first time to a collection of poetry for children. More schools will be approached and encouraged to participate in the illustrators competition. Hopefully, more local and international linkages can be tapped to support continuing literacy advocacies. Storytelling will still be vigorously promoted as an important tool to encourage the love for reading and a return to our oral tradition. More creative promotions will be studied to encourage more involvement in reading activities. We also hope to strengthen the research component with the involvement of our new sectoral representative for research. We also would like to invite everyone to Buklat Bulilit, a children’s book festival at the Trinoma from July 25 to August 1 co-organized by PBBY.

Let me just end my report by sharing the sentiments of the board on taxing of imported books which violates the Florence Agreement, an international treaty the Philippines signed in 1952, and the Republic Act 8047 or the Book Publishing Industry Development Act.

Books open minds to creativity, critical thinking and possibilities of what one can be. To add a tax to this valuable medium of learning is like killing ideas and a brighter future of our people. Children specially should have access to libraries and books. We just need to look at other countries in Asia that have good public libraries and see how progressive they are. Reading books from all over the world is our own writers’ lifeline. The only way for our young to take part in or benefit from the very important emergence of global ideas is through books.

This, coming from writers, illustrators, educators, storytellers, librarians, publishers, booksellers, book reviewers, media practitioners, reading advocates and our respected institutional members.

Readers make good leaders. To have a nation of good leaders, a continuous access to enriching reading materials must be available for each and every child.

Thank you.

Ruben "Totet" De Jesus
PBBY Chairman 2006-2008

Aklatan ni Mika

Sometime in 2006, I had a telephone conversation with Lizanne Alcazaren who runs Aklatan ni Mika, a children's library in a halfway house for children with cancer. The halfway house is a shelter for children who go through chemotherapy and counseling sessions. At that time, I was still the President of KUTING. Lizanne and I were brainstorming on literacy activities for the children to do while undergoing treatment.

Dreams are easy to conceive, of course. Weaving them to reality is another matter entirely. For some reason, plans did not push through but Lizanne continued collaborating with Teacher Isa Bautista-Saplala of Miriam College. It is a small world. Teacher Isa is my kumare and former co-teacher in Xavier School.

Last month, Teacher Isa brought me to Akltan ni Mika for a storytelling workshop with the children they take care of. We did listening, speaking, reading and writing activities with the kids. They were very eager and perceptive. Teacher Isa's students from Miriam College lent a hand and joined in the fun. For nearly five years now, Lizanne and Teacher Isa struggle to keep the library and its literacy programs alive. I admire their tenacity and dedication. And so far, they and the children have been blessed. Donations and volunteers pour in especially at times when they are needed the most.

Democratizing Reading Among Mindanaoan Children (DReAM)

Those who dare, dream. And those who dare to dream, make a difference.

Democratizing Reading Among Mindanaoan Children (DReAM Children) is a project borne out of the advocacy towards reader development. The project brings together local government units and agencies, academic, socio-civic and business organizations as well as professional organizations and individuals for a partnership that intends to make readers of the children of Tampakan, Kiblawan and Columbio.

The DReAM Children project was first launched in Tampakan, South Cotabato in September of 2006 with the following as partners:

The Municipal Local Government (LGU) of Tampakan
Department of Education – Tampakan and South Cotabato
Rotary Club of Koronadal (The Rock)
NDMU - Books and Information Technology Society (BITS); and
Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI)

The project has since then distributed about 5,000 volumes of books and reading materials to all of Tampakan’s elementary schools and barangay reading centers; and has facilitated reading-mentoring activities and library skills and management trainings.

DReAM Children is looking at continuing and strengthening its Tampakan partnership this year with the Community Development Information Council (CDIC) joining in as one of the major partners; as SMI continues to provide logistical support primarily in the aspects of books acquisition and distribution, and training activities.

Major undertakings under the various components of the DReAM Children project include:

The showcasing of the Municipal Libraries of Tampakan, Kiblawan, and Columbio as model community libraries in the KITACO region by collaborating closely with partners in the local government, the academe professional and local socio-civic organizations, in refurbishing the facilities of the library, and in helping build up its collections; and

The strengthening of community/barangay reading centers and public elementary school libraries/learning centers through the extension of support to their collection-building activities and capability-building activities.

The viability of the above undertakings is bolstered by the existence of book-donating local and foreign agencies that have been networked by SMI through its consultants in the CLA-LRGA Department. Among these donor-organizations are: The Makati Rotary Club Foundation, The Asia Foundation, Philippine Social Science Council, and the National Library Board of Singapore.

On July 23, 2008, DReAM Children-Tampakan distributed for the second time books and materials for the 17 public elementary schools in Tampakan South Cotabato, the 14 Barangay Development Information Centers (BDICs) and the Tampakan Municipal Library. The initial book distribution activity was in 2006.

On October 3, 2008, DReAM is again set to distribute an average of 5-6 boxes of books containing over a hundred volumes of pre-reviewed books and teachers’ resource materials on Science, Mathematics, Reading and Language, Filipininiana short story books, dictionaries and maps to the thirty (30) public elementary schools in Kiblawan, Davao del Sur. (The DReAM Children Project in Kiblawan has the following for its partners: DepEd - Division of Davao Del Sur, Boy Scouts of the Philippines – Davao del Sur Council, Girl Scouts of the Philippines – Davao del Sur Council and the University of Mindanao Librarians Association, Sagittarius Mines)

Other future undertakings within the next 2-3 years include:

Continuous sourcing and distribution of books and other reading materials;

The conduct of periodic storytelling and library-based reading sessions in the different barangays of Kiblawan, Tampakan and Columbio in partnership with their respective municipal libraries.

Education and upgrading of reader development competencies of barangay reading centers-in-charge and school learning centers-in-charge through growth sessions, trainings and workshops; and

Promotion a “READ KITACO” campaign by way of contests -- poster-making, essay-writing, book cover design; Annual Summer Reading Festivals and by participating actively in the annual National Book Week activities.

By 2009, it is hoped that the collaborative undertakings under the DReAM Children partnerships will result in the establishment of functional learning centers in most elementary schools and barangays in the Kiblawan-Tampakan-Columbio area, with the established barangay reading centers having their own evolving reader development programs.

Visit daxiweida for more information on the DReAM initiative.

The Dream of Robert Alejandro

I got this Friendster Bulletin Post from a member of KUTING about Robert Alejandro's call for book donations.

I'm helping set up a children's mini
library in Barangay Luna in Isabela.

I heard the children have NEVER seen a
children's book!
- BUT they have a healthy daily dose of
noontime shows and telenovelas :-(

From this dream of a mini library, I'd
like the children to have a love and
affinity for books which will last a
lifetime.

Please message me here / email if you
have spare children's books I can send
to Isabela.

I will post pictures of the library (and
the kids) when the library is set up.

Please feel free to pass this message along.

Thank you very much!

Cheers

Robert (Alejandro)


email: robert.a.alejandro@ gmail.com
site:
http://raadesign. com/
http://robertalejan dro.carbonmade. com/

Robert Alejandro is a graphic artist, illustrator and artist, celebrity and TV Host of Art is Cool, a show for kids on art and carfts activties. Though the show has ceased air time, Alejandro still dreams of doing something for the children in Isabela. If you're from up there, pitch in some books for the children's library. A good reading reading habit begins with access to books.

Mobile Library and Library People

Nina Lim Yuson, Director of Museo Pambata and PBBY Board Member provided the PBBY with this information on their Mobile Library via email -

Curtis Lim is our Mobile Library coordinator and has been going to Mindanao for Synergeia doing storytelling workshops for teachers. At this time he and an Alitaptap member are in Camp Abubakar, then on to Upi and another town. You should hear his stories and how the kids love the sessions. One of them was seen copying a storybook word for word! Would any of you like to go with Curt to observe these sessions and write about it? I can ask Nene Guevarra. We need to tell the public what its like there.

We are looking for storytellers/ volunteers to join the mobile library on week ends..areas are around Manila.

I am posting it here in my blog to point out that while book donations are indeed good projects, and providing access to books among children is a great initiative, people who are behind it are just as important. Imagine what the Museo Pambata Mobile LIbrary would be like without Curtis Lim, Alitatap Storytellers and voulunteers?

Take note that Mr. Lim is the library coordinator of the Mobile Library. Whether or not he has a library science degree is beside the point. It would be ideal if he has though. But what matters is the presence of a person to develop and run the programs and the services of the Mobile Library.

A Library for Preschool Teachers & Kids

In 1995, I began work as school librarian for the Preschool library of Xavier School. With an existing program, all I had to do was implement it. Twelve years after, the Early Education Learning Resource Center (EED LRC) has grown in more ways than one.

In terms of collection, the EED LRC now houses 5,000 print and AV resources. The library period for Nursery is slowly being resurrected after a couple of years of restructuring schedule and curriculum. Prep students are regularly being given library encounters and they have begun borrowing books. Special programs like puppet shows and film viewing are provided for students in the preschool unit.

The EED LRC, aside from functioning as reading and literacy center for students, is also a resource center for preschool teachers. Through the varied instructional materials available in the center, teachers have laid their trust on the EED LRC to deliver services and programs that agree and meet their teaching needs.

"Childreen, Teens and Reading In The Time Of IT" (Powerbooks and Read Or Die)

Below is the press release of Read Or Die's panel for parents, teachers and librarians on August 30, 2007. Please send to friends and people you know who might be interested. See you at the Book Fair.

Zarah Grace Gagatiga will be presenting studies and surveys about the reading habits of children as well as activities they do in their leisure time. Parents, teachers, librarians and care givers can see how much media and IT influences children's and teens' environment and way of living. The talk will be an open discussion/workshop type in order for the participants to actively discuss implications and ways of forming kids into better readers and users of information and technology.

Zarah Grace Gagatiga is the head librarian of Xavier School and is an active member of KUTING (Kuwentista Ng Mga Tsikiting, a writers' group for children's literature) and the Philippine Board On Books For Young People (PBBY). She blogs at http://lovealibrarian.blogspot.com.

August 30, 2007 (3:30 - 4:30 PM)
Function Room A
Manila International Book Fair
World Trade Center, Pasay City

Harry Potter Phenomenon

I'm swept far and away by the Harry Potter mania that besieged the online world, as well as the real one. My personal blog, The Coffee Goddess, is ranked 23rd in Pinoy Tob Blogs because of my spoiler posts on the seventh Harry Potter book. I didn't quite expect it, really.



It was not my intention to ride on the book's popularity simply because, I'm a fan. And fans do that - rant and rave and rage over what they are so avid about.

Anyhoo, I've written a review of the movie which will find a published space in the school website this week or the next. Below is the full article.

The Movie Only a Potterite Would Love
By Zarah Gagatiga, GS LRC Coordinator

“What movie did we just watch?”

Such were the words of my dear clueless hubby as soon as the credits of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix rolled up the silver screen. I was pretty pleased to have seen it on its first showing day, but he did not share my delight. For the next ten minutes, he ranted out loud while I raved inside. The fifth Harry Potter film fell short of his expectations. I had a hunch all along that it is not a movie that will stand on its own.

I’m a fan of JK Rowling and her created universe so the angst ridden scenes of Dan Radcliffe, the gloom and the doom that bathed the movie from start to finish, and the exciting but short lived battle of the wizards were visual companions that connected me once again with the book. For one who has read the HP series many times over, the experience is utter satisfaction. This is where my hubby and I draw the line.

There were scenes in the movie that needed no explanation because I was fully aware of its dramatic and fictional background. On the other hand, the ones that director David Yates emphasized and tweaked a bit made me see perspectives I didn’t find in the book.

For example, Luna Lovegood is to me, only another quirky character that Rowling used for texturing. It was a barefoot Luna in the forbidden forest and her red sneakers tied to an archway that did me in. Seeing her come alive in the movie made me realize how essential she was for Harry to cope with the trauma of Cedric Diggory’s death and that of Sirius Black’s too. Sure, he has good friends like Ron and Hermione, but neither has first hand experience with death. This is very telling of what it is like in real life. Our peers may share our deepest sorrows, they may offer support and give us space to overcome the painful process of accepting a loss, but we all need to see one who’s been there and done that. Luna lends this to Harry. Rowling used her as a literary and artistic device to prepare Harry for whatever life will bring him in the next installments.

Another example is Dumbledore’s anxiety that evaded me in the book. I’ve always taken the Hogwarts Headmaster as calm and collected; always in control and larger than life. In the movie, I felt his greatness as well as his vulnerability.

Michael Gambon as a remorseful Dumblodore touched me to the core. He regret protecting Harry too much from the evils that Voldermort could wage. No matter how powerful a wizard he is, he could only do so much for the boy who lived. As a parent, I often find myself in the same predicament. There are battles that my own children will fight in their lifetime. Their joys and pains are mine to bear too. I, however, need to let them go and see how they can pick themselves up when they fall in facing their own Death Eaters and Umbridges of this world. Indeed, love moves us to do great things. It likewise renders us helpless and weak.

Then, there is Ginny Weasley. Yates deftly portrayed a hopeful Ginny, wistfully looking at the object of her childhood romance. She stays there at the background though, waiting and giving Harry and herself all the time to find themselves and be. It is so Jane Austen and I love it!

This sense of control and restraint presented by Yates through Ginny is a stab at youth’s tendency to be impulsive and reckless. It is during the teenage years when tensions between opposites – good and evil, conformity and rebellion, dependence and autonomy, to name a few, clash with in the teenager’s psyche. Oh, the growing pains that goes with adolescence. Harry struggles and this was made palpable in the movie. Yates extended this aspect of growing up by offering us a glimpse of how Ginny was managing all this time.

On the technical aspect, I wished for a snappy plot development and a lengthier battle of the wizards in the end. A professional dancer choreographed the manner in which wizards and witches brandish a wand to cast spells, hexes, jinxes and curses. Those scenes ended as soon as it begun.

The attempt at black comedy was obvious with Imelda Staunton as vehicle. She was an effective embellishment. The rest of the British actors were fantastic as usual, but their thespic talents did not offer salvation for a boring and dragging middle part. The scriptwriters, however, could have spent more time enunciating the importance of Harry knowing the prophecy. This is a key plot that carries Harry and friends till the sixth book. And if my guess is right, readers will hear and know more of it until the seventh book.

If you have not seen the movie yet, I encourage you to read the book first or, read the book after seeing the movie. Otherwise, you’ll end up asking the same question like my hubby. Worse, you might fall asleep on your way to Hogwarts.

Butch Dalisay @ National Chidlren's Book Day 2007

The National Children's Book Day was held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines yesterday, July 17, 2007. The usual ceremony of awarding the Salanga and Alcala prizes were, of course, the highlight of the day. New titles of books by eight publishing houses were presented to the interest and delight of the audience. There were more than twenty titles released and some will be launched in 2007, so people in the industry are happy about this continued, if not, rapid growth of children's book publishing today.

It was Butch Dalisay who graced the occasion. Sharing his reading experiences as a child, he attributed a well stocked library and a very good reading program to his life long love for books and reading.

He remembers with fondness, the Rizal Provincial Library, the public library that satiated his reading appetite. That library is still alive today and can be found in a relatively new building in Pasig City's local government area.

With books and reading, Mr. Dalisay saw a world that is bigger and grander than his own. This prompted him to know more, to learn more and to become more of the boy he used to be. He is continuously learning, even to this day when he has received all possible literary award in the country and overseas.

At the end of his speech, he encouraged schools and libraries for more reading contests other than talent and sports contest that seem to be all too popular to the growing Filipino child. For writers and publishers, stories that matter and help readers become better Filipinos. What exactly is "Filipino" means so much in this day and age. Indeed, this is a far greater challenge.