Lerer (2015) points out that authorial intent and reader response can be two very different things. I find this so fascinating as it can show how one collection of words can communicate something totally unique to each individual (or the same individual at a different point in their lives) depending on their experiences and understanding- this is something I try to remember when teaching my students. 

One of the first books I can remember truly loving was Phoebe Gilman’s The Gypsy Princess. When I was 5 I asked my mum to read that book to me over and over! When I was a little older, around grade 3 and 4, I picked up Tamora Peirce’s Protector of the Small and Song of the Lioness quartets and loved them just as much. Rereading all of these books as I got older I noticed the similarities in the theme of a young women struggling with their identity and finding their place in a world not always friendly to them. I feel these stories deeply to this day. 

Lerer's (2015) reading highlighted a point that really resonated with me as children’s literature can also be used to help learn the language for young learners. I remember in primary school being in a french immersion program where reading to me was less about what messages can be taken away from the story and more about understanding what the text in french was about. Learning a third language did affect my interest in reading in french as I was prioritizing learning the language which affected my focus on the message that the author was trying to convey.

I always loved reading, especially during my childhood and this love for reading was further encouraged as my English primary school teachers really prioritized reading to us daily. One of my favourite books as a child was The Majic School Bus series by Joanna Cole and Burce Degen. This series had a huge effect on my love for reading as it had so many stories that were fun, educational, and very relatable when I was a young student. I read the book series in English so connecting the plot, theme, characters, and other aspects of the book was less challenging. I loved how to novel had students that were very diverse and how the authors put in a lot of effort in creating literature that makes learning science fun.

 

Another thing that stood out to me about this week's readings was when Court (2018) discussed how our childhood favourites that manage to stay favourites could serve as an anchor throughout our lives. Particularly when Court mentioned that “well-loved books stay the same even as so much else changes” (2018, p.4). It got me thinking about the Harry Potter series’ power over so many people worldwide. In my opinion, those books have never lost their appeal and charm. I can re-read those books over and over again. I watched the movies in order over the break and realized that I haven’t read the books in a very long time. Because of that, I have added them to my reading list for 2023. 

 

One of my favourite childhood storybooks was Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. I reached out to my Mom to ask her what it was about this story I liked so much. She said that it was because the story went through saying goodnight to everything in the house. Just as it was a ritual in the house in the story to say goodnight to everything, reading this storybook became my ritual as I would not even think of going to sleep until we had read this storybook at least once. 

What stood out to me in the document by Lerer (2015), was in reference to “The Golden Age”.  What I interpret from this statement is that there is not a specific time where literature is better or more effective, but rather it is a system whose value is determined by the reader.  Like a piece of art, each reader will interpret and make a meaning of literature based on individual experience and ideas.  In that way, impact and value may differ between readers.

For many years, I looked back on my elementary school years and reflected on grade three as being my favourite.  It wasn’t until I was an adult that I understood why that year was so impactful in my life.  I can vividly remember the classroom reading carpet, with the scratchy low-pile texture, the bright fluorescent lights, the dozens of children wiggling around on the floor beside me, and like it was yesterday, I can feel my eagerness as Miss. Kitchener cracks open the pages to read another chapter of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  It was then, that the surrounding distractions disappeared and I was swept away by words, into a whole other world.  As a child, I had a vivid imagination (and a sweet tooth!) and that book came to life while I sat there on my third grade floor.  I recall finding enjoyment through the introduction of the amusing characters, especially kind-hearted Charlie, who found a place in my heart.  Listening to the adventures and events that took place throughout the book fed my imagination.  As a teenager, my favourite movie became Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and as an adult, I was thrilled to take my son to the theatre to enjoy the 2005 film.    

As a child I enjoyed the Berenstain Bears book series. I still own over 40 copies of the series to this day. I can’t pinpoint exactly why I loved these books so much or even why I refuse to let them go. Perhaps it was because at a young age the books felt long and allowed me to stay up a little bit later each night! Upon further reflection, I wonder if perhaps these books gave me insight into the nuclear family as I come from a single parent family and these books were my favourite to read with my mom shortly after my parent's separation. 

 

Within Lerer's (2015) reading, what resonated with me was the point that reading is an engagement of the whole reader and their relation to oneself and others, which emphasizes the importance of how books are like "windows, mirrors and sliding glass doors" (National Council of Teachers of English, 2018, p. 1).  

2.) My favourite book as a child was “Love You Forever” by Robert Munsch. This book was my favourite book growing up, because it was the book my mother would often read to me, and it was a book in which we both bonded over. The book centres around the story of a loving relationship between a mother and her son as he grows from a baby to an adult. I think this book meant so much to me because  I related so much to the book as I could see my own relationship with my mother reflected in the story. Whenever I revisit the story now, I rediscover the connections, memories and feelings attached to it. 

In the Lerer (2014) reading, I appreciated his inclusion of the passage from The Little Prince in which the child, after his boa constrictor picture fails to impress the adults, laments always having always to explain things to them. This instance of a child connecting to something which adults failed to appreciate reminded me of some social media posts I’ve seen dismissing the works of Dav Pilkey. When my son became a huge Pilkey fan, I thought about how damaging it would be if someone disparaged these books that had become so meaningful to him. 

 

When I was a child, I went through a real Choose Your Own Adventure phase. It was a revelation to me that books could end in a multitude of different ways. So much seemed to ride on the choice and whether I'd make the 'right' decision. My brother and I would bring a stack on our family’s summer road trips and we’d take turns choosing the ending. I remember the books being so well-loved that they had sticky pages from the snacks we’d been eating in the backseat as we read them aloud. Again, rather than any specific detail from the story, it’s the feeling I had while reading and while sharing this experience that remains. 

 

 

 

This leads me to the second part of the post – a book that resonated me with my childhood. It is Whoever Heard of a Fird? It is this “Fird” (Part Fish part Bird) who cannot find his family (as no one has ever heard of a Fird) and does not feel like he belongs. Along the way he meets other characters that are two parts other animals. In the end he meets a “Bish” (Part Bird part fish). There is a little girl Bish who doesn’t fit in with her family because she is too loud – “Bish’s” are supposed to be quiet in the bushes. These two little ones branch out on their own and live their own lives and break the rules on what they are “supposed to do”. This reflection is almost therapeutic in nature. I chose my favourite childhood book without thinking about the message behind it. As a child, I was always a bit “too loud”, and never did things as “I was supposed to” (moved away for university, eloped, etc). However, I am exactly where I am meant to be, all due to being a loud excitable FIRD!

 

I really enjoyed reading books as a child and I would read a lot, unlike now because of the lack of time. Personally, my favourite book series was always Nancy Drew written by Carolyn Keene. I really enjoyed the minimalistic artwork that was scattered throughout the book because it allowed me to create my own scene in my head and imagine what it would be like to be Nancy Drew. I enjoyed the thrill, the puzzle and the elaborate detail that went into each book. While the entire series was amazing, the book I read most often was “The Hidden Staircase”. As a child I always wished I would one day find a hidden staircase in my house (that never happened), but the way the book was written allowed me to think outside the box and try to solve the mystery before the last page. 

 

What stood out to me in the Lerer (2015) reading was the two different ways of reading literature where the reader either looks to create their own meaning or tries to understand exactly what the author meant. Reading childhood books now that I am an adult, I can definitely say that I tend to try and understand the author’s meaning rather than imagine my very own. 

 

As a child, my favourite book was Love You Forever written by Robert Munsch. I have profound memories of my parents reading this story to my two brothers and myself. As I grew older, I now have a different perspective on this book and its meaning. This book brings back core memories of my childhood and I look forward to passing it on to next generations. 

 

When I was a new mom, one of the first things that I did was purchase all sorts of board books to read to my little ones. I rushed to my mom’s house to rediscover some of the favourite books that she often read to us as children and brought some of them home to read to our boys. I loved our collection of Little Golden Books, many of which were about either Disney characters or simple things like puppies, tug boats, school, families, and trains. I remember how proud I was once I was able to read these books to my younger sisters as I developed my literacy skills.

 

In the Lerer (2014) reading, I liked the idea that there are two ways to read a book. The first is to look at what the book means to us and the other is to look for the author’s intention. Through books, we learn to make meaning of the world around us. It helps us understand and interpret the world through our own lense. As teachers, it is our duty to facilitate the second way of reading the book, which is the author’s intention. What I mean is that it is that it is easy for one to make sense of literature through their own experience, but it is a learned skill to try to understand it from someone else’s experience.

 

As a child, my favorite part of the day was the bedtime story. I loved being read to every night. I had a library of picture books, but always chose the same 2-3 books for my parents to read. The book I loved most was “Love you Forever” by Robert Munch. My mother used to sing me the lullaby on each page. The repetition made the book very comforting. I loved being able to predict what the next words will be or what the character would do next. 

A point Lerer (2015) makes, was how women authors were brushed aside and ignored early on, which reminds me of one of my favorite authors, Jane Austen. Not only has her work endured and remained relevant over the past two hundred years, it has left an impact amongst young and old readers. Literary works can be transformed over time, and Lerer (2015) states his fascination with the process.

As for my favorite book, I have many. As an avid reader from a young age, I read whatever I could get my hands on, I still do! But I would have to say my favorite book series (I can’t just choose one) would be the Harry Potter series. I have read and reread the entire series ever since the books came out, some of my fondest memories are tied to those books. I own both the UK and the US versions. The reason I feel like I loved this series as much as I did when I was younger was because of the world that was inside the book. The characters felt relatable, even though I was neither British nor a witch. The writing itself was simple enough for me to be able to immerse myself in this make-belief world and go on adventures that are impossible in real-life. It felt like this whole other world that I could escape to and be whoever I wanted to be, and all I had to do was pick up a book and read. 

 

As a child, I really enjoyed reading (I still do!), and my favourite book was Holes by Louis Sachar. I remember reading it at a time when I was having some difficulty adjusting to my new life in Texas. The main character of the story, Stanley Yelnats, is wrongfully accused of having stolen a pair of shoes, and this accusation results in his being sent to a juvenile detention camp where he struggles to relate to his peers and to come to terms with the unlucky circumstances of his life. The book grapples with the question of whether or not we can shape our fates through the choices we make. Ultimately, despite being put in a tough situation, Stanley is able to grow from his experience and he makes choices that improve his own life as well as the lives of his new friends at camp. Holes imparted an empowering message on me as a reader that stuck with me well throughout my childhood years.

Disappointment when reading happens to all of us when we fail to engage with the characters or ideas in literature. Court (2019) notes that disappointment can also come when we reread and discover the exclusion of our core values in literature. This happened to me upon rereading my childhood favourite novel, Pride and Prejudice. I reread this novel a few years ago and had a hard time choking back the white privilege that was splattered across the pages for readers to soak up. Since then, I have stepped back to see the novel for what it was, a placeholder in history that taught me the value of gender equality through the tenacious personality of Ms. Elizabeth Bennett. 

I have enjoyed very much reading about everyone else’s favourite books and look forward to sharing more stories throughout this course!

 

According to Lerer (2015), the article portrayed that “ Children’s literature offers more than just a chronicle of forms of fiction or the arts of illustration. It charts the makings of the literate imagination.” The article displayed that the value of reading is significant because as a child, reading helps to open the doors to your innovation, creativity and imagination.

2) As a child, my all-time favourite book was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Ronald Dahl. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory demonstrated the differences between rich and poor societies. I loved how the main character, Charlie got an equal opportunity to enter the chocolate factory. Chocolates are my favourite sweets of all time. The lesson that I learned from the book is that “ Money can’t buy us happiness, nor health, wisdom, nor any of much more important things in life. Even if you’re poor, you can still enjoy your life; even if you’re rich, you may not be happy.” This book was read during the novel study unit in Grade four. I was able to connect to the book because when attending school, I used to look up to my peers as well as cousins and complain to my parents about the luxurious lives experienced by them. My parents used to tell me one thing in the world that remains priceless is happiness and you can never buy it. I began to enjoy my life by doing things that brought me joy and not comparing my life to another.