Indigenous Stories of Being

By Angeline Hoffman, White Mountain Apache Tribe

Story is about the unique ways of teaching and learning as reflected through special connections to nature, family, community and ecology. It is understanding and acknowledging the connections and deep knowledge through teaching and learning about how life is.

Indigenous stories involve members of a community or small groups of relatives gathering together to hear stories told, mostly by an elder, to convey information about the specific Indigenous culture of the community. The stories, especially through the Indigenous language, support the maintenance of Native identity. Embedded in these stories is the important knowledge that we, as Native Americans from special tribal cultures, must acquire to survive and to conduct oneself appropriately. Both the narratives and the languages that convey them are place-based in the sense that they are tied to the land – especially the knowledge of where we came from, where we live, how we survive and our way of life. Continue reading →

WOW Dozen: Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight

By Michele Ebersole and Avis Masuda, University of Hawaii at Hilo

A proverb or a noteworthy saying is often used to teach important lessons and can help children connect to human experiences in simple, yet profound, ways. This WOW Dozen is centered around the Japanese proverb, “Fall down seven times, get up eight,” another way to convey the message “never give up.” This theme of hard work, perseverance or persistence is reflected through different means — whether overcoming small challenges, dealing with human relationships, standing up for oneself to make a significant change in laws to fight for the rights of others, inventing something new that builds confidence or creating an innovation that makes a big impact in the world. This list introduces biographies of meaningful people who overcame big challenges as well as fictional stories that are fun and whimsical. Reading these books aloud may inspire children to see themselves as capable and resilient beings in the world. Continue reading →

WOW Recommends: The Eyes and the Impossible

The Eyes and The Impossible by Dave Eggers is the story of Johannes, an independent stray dog that lives in the park eating the delicious food left by picnickers on the ground or in trash receptacles across his daily route of surveillance. He is, after all, the “eyes” of the park, informing the other nonhuman inhabitants who share the park with him of the changes he notes or of issues of which they should be informed. In many ways, Johannes is the caretaker of those with whom he shares his life.

For the most part, Johannes lives a wonderful life with all manner of possibilities. He runs fast, oh so fast, and sees, yes, sees so much, sees everything, of which he is the first to let the reader know. He reports his findings to the three buffalo who are the oldest and wisest of the inhabitants of the park. Johannes also accepts those around him. He appreciates them and councils with them, and only occasionally disparages the ducks, who seem to be not quite connected to, or concerned with, the rest of the world around them. Continue reading →

Invest In Youth as Readers: MASH and Matching

Contact Rebecca Ballenger, Assistant Director of Worlds of Words

In this last stretch towards our goal, we extend our deepest gratitude to each of you, our co-authors in continuing this program. Thanks to the generosity of 14 donors, we have raised a total of $4827 to support the Reading Ambassadors as they continue to discover, discuss, and delight in the power of literature. We continue the good news today with the announcement of a donor who will match each gift dollar-for-dollar up to $1500! Your gift would be doubled, bringing us closer to (and maybe past) our goal!

Visit crowdfund.arizona.edu/wow to make a gift. Continue reading →

Invest In Youth as Readers: WOW Reads Podcast

Contact Rebecca Ballenger, Worlds of Words Associate Director

This month, we launch our third season of WOW Reads, a podcast that centers the voices of middle school and teen readers around literature for young people. The podcast features Reading Ambassadors discussing their experience reading and responding to books, planning and moderating an author event and the lessons they learned along the way.

Donors to our crowdfund campaign with gifts above $1000 can be acknowledged “on air” in an upcoming episode of WOW Reads. Visit crowdfund.arizona.edu/wow for more information. Continue reading →

Invest In Youth As Readers: Catch the Reading Ambassadors In Action

Contact Rebecca Ballenger, Worlds of Words Associate Director

Reading Ambassadors participate in literature discussions with books that offer multiple perspectives and equip them to be critical thinkers, empathetic citizens and reading promoters. Those experiences include hosting events with the book authors. Please join these remarkable readers in action at two events this October and consider making a gift at crowdfund.arizona.edu/WOW. Continue reading →

Invest In Youth as Readers: 2024 Crowdfund Campaign

Contact Rebecca Ballenger, Worlds of Words Associate Director

This year, Worlds of Words offers an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on middle and high school readers through a crowdfund campaign benefiting the Worlds of Words Center Reading Ambassador program. Since its inception in 2018, the Reading Ambassador program has been instrumental in creating a community for young people around reading, equipping them with real-world skills and experiences that extend beyond the pages of a book.

For more information, visit our U of A Foundation crowdfund campaign website.
Continue reading →

WOW Dozen: Understanding the Power and Beauty of a Unique Name

By Janine M. Schall, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Several months ago I posted a WOW Dozen called Multiple Perspectives on Names and Naming. While I was collecting picturebooks on names in preparation for writing that post, I realized that while the books connected to the topic in a wide variety of ways, a large percentage of them focused on children learning to love their unique or unusual names. Because there were so many excellent books with this focus, I decided to do a separate WOW Dozen post. Continue reading →

WOW Recommends: Spirit Sleuths, How Magicians and Detectives Exposed the Ghost Hoaxes

For many people, October includes activities around spirits, ghosts and supernatural beings. On a related theme, although not to take away from the fantasy and fun of autumn, this month’s recommended book is Spirit Sleuths, How Magicians and Detectives Exposed the Ghost Hoaxes. Author Gail Jarrow invites readers to investigate the history behind particular supernatural activities.

This account begins in 1848 with two sisters in upstate New York who claimed that mysterious tappings in their house were communications from ghosts. As this story grew and traveled to nearby communities, the girls gained popularity, as did the séances they held. The author provides narrative detail that describes the experiences of their family. Jarrow continues her account to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when other people such as Ira and William Davenport, Henry Keller, and William Mumler claimed supernatural powers. The stories of their mystic experiences are documented in narrative form and include particular seemingly magical events, such as spirit cabinets, spirit photographs, planchette which led to the Ouija Boards, mind reading and fortune-telling. Each chapter ends with a section titled “How Did They Do It?”

These fraudulent spiritualists traveled nationally and internationally, holding meetings and giving false hope to grieving individuals that they could communicate with their dead loved ones. Eventually, suspicion of these experiences led to exposure of spiritual mediums and the fraudulent opportunities they provided emotional people. Continue reading →

WOW Recommends: The House Before Falling Into The Sea

The House Before Falling Into the Sea by Ann Suk Wang is a picturebook that tells a story from Korean history that is seldom found in children’s books. In 1950, the Korean War broke out. North and South Korea were at war for 3 years. People fled southward to escape from the war. Korea is geographically a peninsula, with Busan located at the southern tip of the peninsula. Beyond Busan, there is no further land to which people could flee; it was the last refuge on the peninsula.

In the story, Kyung’s family has long resided near Busan, next to the sea. Her family has owned a cozy house shielded from the war which, fortunately, had not reached that far. However, Kyung’s parents opened their home to the refugees fleeing from the war. Kyung’s home is not intended to be a shelter, yet it became a sanctuary for the refugees. Kyung’s family welcomed them with open arms and shared their intimate space. Continue reading →