Comments for Worlds of Words http://wowlit.org International Collection of Children's and Adolescent Literature Thu, 02 Feb 2012 01:43:10 +0000 hourly 1 Comment on The Emergence of “Fantastic” in Chamorro Literature by Tanya Taimanglo http://wowlit.org/blog/2011/11/21/the-emergence-of-%e2%80%9cfantastic%e2%80%9d-chamorro-literature/comment-page-1/#comment-12299 Tanya Taimanglo Thu, 02 Feb 2012 01:43:10 +0000 http://wowlit.org/?p=17683#comment-12299 Si Yu'os Ma'ase and thank you Dr. Storie for your review and support. I am encouraged to continue writing fantastically! Si Yu’os Ma’ase and thank you Dr. Storie for your review and support. I am encouraged to continue writing fantastically!

]]> Comment on WOW Review: Reading Across Cultures Volume 3, Issue 4 by Don H. Appel http://wowlit.org/on-line-publications/review/reviewiii4/comment-page-1/#comment-11842 Don H. Appel Mon, 02 Jan 2012 23:55:17 +0000 http://wowlit.org/?page_id=16597#comment-11842 For your in formation "wunschkind child without a country" by Liesel Appel as paired in your review of "Traitor" was written by Mrs. Appel where she adapted her memoir "The Neighbor's Son"for young adult readers. The site is wwwtheneighborsson.com. For your in formation “wunschkind child without a country” by Liesel Appel as paired in your review of “Traitor” was written by Mrs. Appel where she adapted her memoir “The Neighbor’s Son”for young adult readers. The site is wwwtheneighborsson.com.

]]> Comment on Building Intercultural Connections through Literacy Community Explorations of Global and Multicultural Literature by Michele Bosler http://wowlit.org/on-line-publications/stories/storiesiv1/comment-page-1/#comment-10955 Michele Bosler Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:25:44 +0000 http://wowlit.org/?page_id=17373#comment-10955 I wish that more teachers took such an innovative approach to embracing our cultures. As an American, I embody several different culture through our families bloodlines. We celebrate holidays with many Polish and German traditions. Through our celebrations, I have been able to inform many people about how our culturevhas had an impact on my life and my families life. These students now have a basic understanding that we are all different and yet all the same. If every teacher took advantage of this opportunity, there would be so much more tolerance of other cultures and may create a general sense of intrigue to understand them. I do hope that more teachers read this and implement these strategies into their classrooms to better the future of our great nation. I wish that more teachers took such an innovative approach to embracing our cultures. As an American, I embody several different culture through our families bloodlines. We celebrate holidays with many Polish and German traditions. Through our celebrations, I have been able to inform many people about how our culturevhas had an impact on my life and my families life. These students now have a basic understanding that we are all different and yet all the same. If every teacher took advantage of this opportunity, there would be so much more tolerance of other cultures and may create a general sense of intrigue to understand them. I do hope that more teachers read this and implement these strategies into their classrooms to better the future of our great nation.

]]> Comment on WOW Review: Reading Across Cultures Volume 3, Issue 4 by David Canfield-P http://wowlit.org/on-line-publications/review/reviewiii4/comment-page-1/#comment-10502 David Canfield-P Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:02:17 +0000 http://wowlit.org/?page_id=16597#comment-10502 This is a very unique book written about Maasai culture primarily from the perspective of a pre-adolescent female growing up in that world. A very engaging book in terms of background, cultural perspectives, and the surprising universalities of growing up, regardless of where in the world you are. The female protagonist, Namelok, will undoubtedly give new insight into what it means to be young in Africa to Western readers. This book is particularly enjoyable in terms of how it gives snapshots of what we have already seen about the Maasai culture, Kenya, wild African animals, etc. Yet at the same time, the viewpoint and perspectives of the people inside that culture take it a step further in terms of their modern struggles, survival, traditions, and what that means for the modern day Maasai. What I found particularly interesting are the explanations of how an African tribe views animals and their natural world, along with the ways in which they connect with it. Will that world be lost forever this century? It is a theme that shines through as a common thread running across the pages of this very original book written by a Westerner, Cristina Kessler, under the guidance of Kakuta Ole Maimai Hamisi, a Maasai who helped in the editing of the manuscript. This book stands out as another fine example of African literature, which is a literature that we know little of in North America, and that we undoubtedly need to get much closer to. This is a very unique book written about Maasai culture primarily from the perspective of a pre-adolescent female growing up in that world. A very engaging book in terms of background, cultural perspectives, and the surprising universalities of growing up, regardless of where in the world you are. The female protagonist, Namelok, will undoubtedly give new insight into what it means to be young in Africa to Western readers. This book is particularly enjoyable in terms of how it gives snapshots of what we have already seen about the Maasai culture, Kenya, wild African animals, etc. Yet at the same time, the viewpoint and perspectives of the people inside that culture take it a step further in terms of their modern struggles, survival, traditions, and what that means for the modern day Maasai. What I found particularly interesting are the explanations of how an African tribe views animals and their natural world, along with the ways in which they connect with it. Will that world be lost forever this century? It is a theme that shines through as a common thread running across the pages of this very original book written by a Westerner, Cristina Kessler, under the guidance of Kakuta Ole Maimai Hamisi, a Maasai who helped in the editing of the manuscript. This book stands out as another fine example of African literature, which is a literature that we know little of in North America, and that we undoubtedly need to get much closer to.

]]> Comment on WOW Review: Reading Across Cultures by Shri Ramakrishnan http://wowlit.org/on-line-publications/review/reviewiv1/comment-page-1/#comment-10467 Shri Ramakrishnan Tue, 18 Oct 2011 05:50:37 +0000 http://wowlit.org/?page_id=17200#comment-10467 Hello Cathy, Thank you for your gracious response! I thoroughly enjoyed reading the novel and was stunned at the meticulous descriptions of daily life in India, especially considering that your first visit to India was not exactly very pleasurable. India is complex and it is very challenging to view it as a single entity or a single theoretical construct. I admire and applaud your resolve to write a novel about my homeland despite the challenges of being an outsider. And I also applaud your thematic choice for the main plot - the riots following Mrs. Gandhi's assassination are some of the least known and least discussed topics of Indian politics. I hope you will be writing another such powerful story set in India pretty soon! Warmest regards, Shri Ramakrishnan Hello Cathy,
Thank you for your gracious response! I thoroughly enjoyed reading the novel and was stunned at the meticulous descriptions of daily life in India, especially considering that your first visit to India was not exactly very pleasurable. India is complex and it is very challenging to view it as a single entity or a single theoretical construct. I admire and applaud your resolve to write a novel about my homeland despite the challenges of being an outsider. And I also applaud your thematic choice for the main plot – the riots following Mrs. Gandhi’s assassination are some of the least known and least discussed topics of Indian politics. I hope you will be writing another such powerful story set in India pretty soon! Warmest regards, Shri Ramakrishnan

]]> Comment on WOW Review: Reading Across Cultures by Cathy Ostlere http://wowlit.org/on-line-publications/review/reviewiv1/comment-page-1/#comment-10460 Cathy Ostlere Sat, 15 Oct 2011 16:51:22 +0000 http://wowlit.org/?page_id=17200#comment-10460 Hello, How I wish I had found this posting before I submitted my changes for the paperback version of Karma! As you can imagine it is not easy to write of Indian culture as a foreigner. All assurances to readers that I did enlist the help of three Indo-Canadian writers for assistance with the language (one writer of HIndu descent and two Sikh-Punjabi writers). Not only did they read for accuracy but also made many of the additions that you refer to as incorrect. Sigh. It is so difficult to get things right. Writing Karma was a very risky undertaking that I spent three years on. To explore both a culture and the dire political situation of 1984 as an outsider was fraught with peril but I was committed to telling this important story. My hope was to bring to light the relatively unknown massacre of the Sikhs to the general community as well as write about the difficulties of immigration, identity and adolescence. It was a work of passion that I am proud of. Many thanks for taking the time to read Karma and offer your thoughts. I learned much for your post. All my best, Cathy Ostlere Hello,
How I wish I had found this posting before I submitted my changes for the paperback version of Karma! As you can imagine it is not easy to write of Indian culture as a foreigner. All assurances to readers that I did enlist the help of three Indo-Canadian writers for assistance with the language (one writer of HIndu descent and two Sikh-Punjabi writers). Not only did they read for accuracy but also made many of the additions that you refer to as incorrect. Sigh. It is so difficult to get things right. Writing Karma was a very risky undertaking that I spent three years on. To explore both a culture and the dire political situation of 1984 as an outsider was fraught with peril but I was committed to telling this important story. My hope was to bring to light the relatively unknown massacre of the Sikhs to the general community as well as write about the difficulties of immigration, identity and adolescence. It was a work of passion that I am proud of. Many thanks for taking the time to read Karma and offer your thoughts. I learned much for your post. All my best, Cathy Ostlere

]]> Comment on Becoming Critical Readers through Engagements with International and Multicultural Literature by David Canfield-P http://wowlit.org/on-line-publications/stories/storiesiii2/comment-page-1/#comment-10430 David Canfield-P Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:52:27 +0000 http://wowlit.org/?page_id=16825#comment-10430 I am posting to this article, as for some reason what I wrote about the other article posted here. I found this article much more interesting than the other one. I particularly enjoyed to writing samples by children, as I used to be a bilingual writing specialist. It is as interesting to read what children say in word as much as it is interesting to see how they respond through picture. Building on prior knowledge about refugees and experiences is a great way to begin a discussion about this topic. I also like the theme of children's life journeys. It is a new concept since children aren't viewed as having much of a life journey being only alive a few short years, yet they have as interesting a story to tell as adults through writing. I like the idea of taking into account the child's family background, community, etc. in both the home country and the new country. This makes it much more interesting but also tells a much deeper tale. It connects the old with the new in a sense, but also has continuity. Reading and writing about these experiences is very important in a multicultural curriculum. International children's literature plays a key part in this at all levels. The refugee experience is unique in this connection. I am posting to this article, as for some reason what I wrote about the other article posted here.
I found this article much more interesting than the other one. I particularly enjoyed to writing samples by children, as I used to be a bilingual writing specialist. It is as interesting to read what children say in word as much as it is interesting to see how they respond through picture. Building on prior knowledge about refugees and experiences is a great way to begin a discussion about this topic.
I also like the theme of children’s life journeys. It is a new concept since children aren’t viewed as having much of a life journey being only alive a few short years, yet they have as interesting a story to tell as adults through writing.
I like the idea of taking into account the child’s family background, community, etc. in both the home country and the new country. This makes it much more interesting but also tells a much deeper tale. It connects the old with the new in a sense, but also has continuity. Reading and writing about these experiences is very important in a multicultural curriculum. International children’s literature plays a key part in this at all levels. The refugee experience is unique in this connection.

]]> Comment on Becoming Critical Readers through Engagements with International and Multicultural Literature by Genny O'Herron http://wowlit.org/on-line-publications/stories/storiesiii2/comment-page-1/#comment-10429 Genny O'Herron Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:39:56 +0000 http://wowlit.org/?page_id=16825#comment-10429 My above comment was suppose to follow the article about using multicultural and international lit by Deanne Paiva. Sorry for that confusion! I appreciated how this article focused on how being a holistic teacher requires the provision of holistic/creative/broad writing responses. It is true that a range and choice of expressive forms will allow student to demonstrate their knowledge (or lack of) most vividly. It is always helpful to see examples of new expressive strategies--THANKS! And yes -- like in Finland, all teachers should be empowered to realte lessons to community issues & knowledge!!! My above comment was suppose to follow the article about using multicultural and international lit by Deanne Paiva. Sorry for that confusion!

I appreciated how this article focused on how being a holistic teacher requires the provision of holistic/creative/broad writing responses. It is true that a range and choice of expressive forms will allow student to demonstrate their knowledge (or lack of) most vividly. It is always helpful to see examples of new expressive strategies–THANKS!

And yes — like in Finland, all teachers should be empowered to realte lessons to community issues & knowledge!!!

]]> Comment on Becoming Critical Readers through Engagements with International and Multicultural Literature by Genny O'Herron http://wowlit.org/on-line-publications/stories/storiesiii2/comment-page-1/#comment-10428 Genny O'Herron Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:20:19 +0000 http://wowlit.org/?page_id=16825#comment-10428 I appreciate having some how-to steps outlined for using multicultural & international lit in the classroom. It seems so obvious and straight-forward as I read, but without guidance like this I know I'd be floundering. I'm wondering about the Hancock quote, “Moral background becomes an influential part of response to the actions and decisions of characters in literature. Readers measure the right and wrong of characters against their personal value systems.” I like the emphasis on having students articulate the values they glean from a story, rather than on the values a teacher sees, and/but I'm wondering in light of Hancock's observation if there is a skillful way for teachers to model how bias/stereotyping/cultural difference/over-generalizing factors into what-how we see & name values? Has anyone tried an approach like this? I appreciate having some how-to steps outlined for using multicultural & international lit in the classroom. It seems so obvious and straight-forward as I read, but without guidance like this I know I’d be floundering. I’m wondering about the Hancock quote, “Moral background becomes an influential part of response to the actions and decisions of characters in literature. Readers measure the right and wrong of characters against their personal value systems.” I like the emphasis on having students articulate the values they glean from a story, rather than on the values a teacher sees, and/but I’m wondering in light of Hancock’s observation if there is a skillful way for teachers to model how bias/stereotyping/cultural difference/over-generalizing factors into what-how we see & name values? Has anyone tried an approach like this?

]]> Comment on Becoming Critical Readers through Engagements with International and Multicultural Literature by David Canfield-P http://wowlit.org/on-line-publications/stories/storiesiii2/comment-page-1/#comment-10427 David Canfield-P Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:59:04 +0000 http://wowlit.org/?page_id=16825#comment-10427 Children's literature is one of the most important ways the we can express values as well as the values of other cultures through print. It would be a great way to compare and contrast what we hold as our cultural values here in the U.S. with those of the cultures we examine through international literature. How can children learn different view points as well as how to respect those viewpoints? How can children learn that the world is a much bigger place than the classroom, school, state, or country? For most, international literature holds the answer as well as the key to unlock those doors. TV is probably the other way, but how rich a resource we have with a book Children’s literature is one of the most important ways the we can express values as well as the values of other cultures through print. It would be a great way to compare and contrast what we hold as our cultural values here in the U.S. with those of the cultures we examine through international literature. How can children learn different view points as well as how to respect those viewpoints? How can children learn that the world is a much bigger place than the classroom, school, state, or country? For most, international literature holds the answer as well as the key to unlock those doors. TV is probably the other way, but how rich a resource we have with a book

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