Monique Storie

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An Ode to Children’s Literature: The Power of Reading for Fun

by Monique Storie, University of Guam, Latte Heights, GU


Colorful covers,
Worlds of words yet unseen brings
the chance for new friends

On a small island, the prospect for finding new books is limited to the local small bookstore chain (about the size of the average Circle K), online, and sometimes the local Kmart. This summer, we had the luxury of going to the mainland. Going stateside brings the excitement of visiting family, playing tourist, and shopping. In our family, shopping means looking for clothes, technological gadgets, gizmos, AND BOOKS! Continue reading →

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Pollyanna? Encyclopedia Brown? Which Reader Are You?

Monique Storie, University of Guam, Latte Heights, GU

 

. . . I am beginning to understand what our teachers were trying to get us to appreciate when we doing literary analyses in high school. . . Why did their efforts make it seem like a reader could only enjoy the story by examining its literary elements?

This summer, I had the luxury of engaging in literature explorations with others who are enthusiastic about children’s literature. One of the novels we shared, Between Shades of Gray (Sepetys, 2012), shocked me Continue reading →

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Intense Books, Dystopia, and the Guy Reader

Monique Storie, University of Guam, Latte Heights, GU

 

. . . I unconsciously considered them the literary equivalent of going to an action-packed movie, e.g. lots of action but not much story.

 

At the same time that Ethan was immersing himself in all things Hunger Games, my husband, who was half a world away, saw firsthand how these same books were creating a whirlwind of excitement among his non-reader friends. Not being able to read the book himself (the libraries and bookstores were all out and we have not progressed to e-readers yet), he watched with fascination as one book created such fervor and caused so many guys to drop their computer games and read. He described it like a wildfire that jumped from one location to another and could not be contained.
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The Internet: Connecting a Non-Fiction Reader to Fiction

Monique Storie, University of Guam, Latte Heights, GU

DC's Ancient Rome Book, the book connecting a non-fiction reader to fiction.

 

“Why would I want to read fiction when there are so many fascinating things on this earth to learn about?!”

 

We are avid readers in my house but we run the gamut in our reading preferences. My husband and I prefer fiction (I gravitate towards realistic fiction while Brett prefers modern fantasy and alternate history) but our son is a true non-fiction aficionado. As a preschooler, Ethan loved when his teacher read current events to him and would even remind her to read the newspaper in the morning when she forgot. As he grew, Ethan found facts, events, and tidbits about our lives more interesting than stories. My father, a non-fiction aficionado himself, summed up Ethan’s fascination with non-fiction by saying “Why would I want to read fiction when there are so many fascinating things on this earth to learn about?!”
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Hesitations About Using Native Language in a Children’s Book

by Monique Storie, University of Guam

Question: When is it okay to use a native language in a children’s book?

This question has been sitting at the back of my mind for some time now. For about fifteen years, I have been working with a group who are passionate about preserving and promoting the indigenous cultures within the Micronesian region. I have participated in events, activities and projects to keep the Chamorro culture alive and the Chamorro language has been a crucial part of these efforts. The Chamorro language is an essential part of the Marianas archipelago’s cultural identity because language is one of the last distinctly Chamorro elements left. Because of that, I am moved by the sound of our elders singing and am filled with hope when I hear young children talking with each other or with their parents in Chamorro. I support publishing books, songs, and news articles in Chamorro. But despite all my pride and elation, despite all my advocacy and academic understanding, I find myself conflicted about using Chamorro for children’s books. Continue reading →

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The Emergence of “Fantastic” in Chamorro Literature

by Monique Storie, University of Guam

Cover from The Duendes HunterDuring a discussion on multicultural children’s literature about a decade ago, a comment about modern fantasy shaped the way I watched the growth of Chamorro children’s literature. The comment was that modern fantasy was one of the more challenging genres to write authentically because the author’s need to suspend reality to allow the impossible can sometimes affect his or her ability to present a world that community members will recognize as their own. At the time of this discussion, Chamorro literature was emergent Continue reading →

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The Idea of Simplicity in Chamorro Children’s Literature

by Monique Storie, University of Guam

One of the themes that intrigued me when I was doing my dissertation on Chamorro literature was the idea of simplicity that emerged from the teachers’ comments. Anthropological research reveals Chamorros have a complex network of reciprocal arrangements that binds the community together (Thompson, 1969, de Valle, 1978). My own experience has taught me that being Chamorro is far from simplistic. We have an intricate maze of relations that we must know and be able to navigate within (e.g. which person should be greeted first, second, and so on, when entering a room full of relatives). Coming from these contexts, comments like “Chamorros are simple people” really stand out.

So, why is “simplicity” important? Continue reading →

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Sometimes, Pacific is NOT Specific Enough

by Monique Storie, University of Guam

Book cover for Ki’i and Li’i: a Story from the StonesI spend a lot of time lurking in bookstores. When I am not picking up the latest and greatest new arrival, I am usually looking for Asian and Pacific children’s literature. In doing so, I have found some themes that resonate across the Pacific. For example, in Too Many Mangos: a Story About Sharing (Paikai, 2009), each time Kama and Nani share their grandfather’s mangos with neighbors, they receive a thank-you gift in return. By sharing with others, the children learn how reciprocal exchanges help everyone to get what they need and create a community. Similarly, Cora Cooks Pancit (Gilmore, 2009) and Lola: a Ghost Story (Torres, 2010) highlight family unity in everyday life and in times of loss. Other books, Continue reading →