by Janine Schall, University of Texas-Pan American, Edinburg, TX
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WOW Currents
Codeswitching: Translation and Linguistic Issues
by Janine Schall, University of Texas-Pan American, Edinburg, TX
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Codeswitching: Why Do It?
by Janine Schall, University of Texas-Pan American, Edinburg, TX
Los gatos black with eyes of green,
Cats slink and creep on Halloween.
With ojos keen that squint and gleam—
They yowl, they hiss…they sometimes scream.
English/Spanish Codeswitching in Children’s Literature
by Janine Schall, University of Texas-Pan American, Edinburg, TX
I spend los domingos with Abuelito y Abuelita.
Abuelito y Abuelita are my mother’s parents.
They are always happy to see me.
I say: –¡Hola, Abuelito! ¡Hola, Abuelita!—as I get out of the car.
And they say: –¡Hola, hijita! ¿Cómo estás? ¡Hola, mi corazón!
I Love Saturdays y domingos
Alma Flor Ada
“I love to see that my language is valued and that my ELL students are offered booksthat they can connect to.” – Gracia
Session Spotlight: Confronting Difficult Life Events through Story III
Young people understand more than we give them credit for. Reading books about difficult topics allows them to think about strife in their lives before they have to face it.— Jewell Parker Rhodes
Today’s blog concludes a discussion by authors Ruta Sepetys, Jim Deem, and Jewell Parker Rhodes at the 2012 Tucson Festival of Books in March entitled “Confronting Difficult Life Events through Story.” In this section, the authors examine their feelings as they worked on books that contained difficult material, and what they are working on next.
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Session Spotlight: Confronting Difficult Life Events through Story II
by Ann Parker, Pima Community College, Tucson, Arizona
I realized that the lowlands were always given to the poor, so naturally the Ninth Ward would flood.
“I’ll tell you what happened to me, but you have to promise never to use my name.”
. . . Kristallnacht was a blink in time . . .
Today’s blog continues the discussion between authors Ruta Sepetys, Jim Deem, and Jewell Parker Rhodes at the 2012 Tucson Festival of Books in March entitled “Confronting Difficult Life Events through Story.”
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Session Spotlight: Confronting Difficult Life Events through Story
by Ann Parker, Pima Community College, Tucson, Arizona
Today’s blog begins a discussion by authors Ruta Sepetys, Jim Deem, and Jewell Parker Rhodes at the 2012 Tucson Festival of Books in March entitled “Confronting Difficult Life Events through Story.” The discussion will continue in the next two blogs. All three authors have published books, both fiction and non-fiction, that deal with terrible historical events and the resiliency of people to endure in the most horrific of circumstances.
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Session Spotlight: Monica Brown
by Ann Parker, Pima Community College, Tucson, Arizona
” . . . the story also spoke to her because it contained the themes of finding your voice, of imagination and determination, of social justice and what we can do to spread literacy . . .“
Session Spotlight: Karen Lynn Williams
by Ann Parker, Pima Community College, Tucson, Arizona
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Books can be very powerful, and be careful what you give your children to read!
Karen Lynn Williams
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I attended a presentation at the 2012 Tucson Festival of Books entitled “Picture Books as Global Passports” with authors Karen Lynn Williams and Monica Brown in March. Karen Lynn Williams has published 14 children’s books, many of them about children in other countries, including Africa, Haiti, and Pakistan.
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The Hero’s Journey from Another Point of View: Here Lies Arthur
By Judi Moreillon, Texas Woman’s University, Texas Ambassador for USBBY
“Cei laughed off the slanders. ‘They’re only stories,’ he would say. ‘What do stories matter?’ But he wasn’t stupid. He knew as well as Myrddin that in the end stories are all that matter” (Reeve 204).
British author Philip Reeve uses the well-known legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable as a springboard for his novel Here Lies Arthur. Reeve offers explanations for the unexplained in the original tales, which may be part history and greater part folklore, and have been embellished by retellers since the late 5th and early 6th century when King Arthur supposedly performed heroic and even magical deeds. Along with his knights, Arthur has been credited with defending Britain from invading Saxons. He has embodied the virtues of loyalty, honor and chivalry. In his author’s note, Reeve provides historical and literary documentation for the novel.
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