Reading Assignment, Chapters 1-5

Tunnell, Michael O. and James S. Jacobs. Children's Literature, Briefly. 4e. Upper Sadle River NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall, 2008.

I wasn't at all "intrigued" with the thought that my dead skin was "illimunated by a shaft of sunlight", I was sickened! I prefer to think that that's just dust that hasn't settled, thank you very much! (The scientist side of this educator did find it kinda interesting, though; like when I learned about all those dead cells the mites in my bed are feeding on.)

When I read of "unengaged reading", I wondered—is it unengaged reading when a toddler looses interest in a book, gets up, and leaves the reading circle or is this just toddler behavior when bored? (I noticed Mason paid more attention to Buzz when he chose the book, as opposed to when I chose to read it to him.) I remembered being in the public library when my kids were toddlers and watching as these little people wandered around while the librarian read. I was very irritated that their moms' didn't make them sit and listen. Was this unengaged "listening" because the kids had not selected the book, or were they just being toddlers?

I'd never given much thought to "What Is a Good Book?". I just thought, it's a good book if I like it and it's not, if I don't. I had considered how I select a book to read—if I like the illustrations, I read it. I had a difficult time with illustration #28, so I probably would not have chosen it to read. So, how many other good books have I failed to read because I didn't appreciate the illustrations? That won't happen again—okay, maybe not as often.