Ideas for Final Project

Hey guys!

I found a great website for creating crossword puzzles and word searches. It's called theteacherscorner.net.  There are also lesson plan ideas and other printable worksheets that you can get your hands on.  Check it out!

Ramona and Her Father

Ramona, Ramona.......a persistent little pip squeak.

I really enjoyed this story. There were many parts that made me laugh out loud. I loved all the anti-smoking signs she made for her father; especially when she was trying so hard to make her point, but ran out of room to write it on paper. Her father said, "Who is this Mr. King?" "What Mr. King?" asked Ramona. "Nosmo King" answered her father. She got so ticked! I nearly busted out laughing. The "best" scene for me was on page #2230 (Norton Anthology). It had to do with the jack-o-lantern pumpkin leftovers. Beezus protested about having to eat pumpkin pie again for the hundredth time since the cat ate part of the jack-o-lantern. Mrs. Quimby goes on to apologize for not coming up with more pumpkin recipes and then mentions she remembered she had one for pumpkin soup. The whole family cried out in a unanimous voice, "no!" Then, Ramona had to give her two cents and say something at the most inappropriate time. She asked her mom, "are you sure you cut off all the parts with cat spit on them?" Her father cries, "Ramona!" He drops his spoon and goes on to say, "Please, we are eating."

My Rough Sketch: Children's Book

About a Boy named Edward

“Daddy?” asked Martin.        

“Yes, son?” responded Mr. Snagelfritz

“Did you ever get made fun of when you were a child?”

“Well, when you have a name like Snagelfritz, you can’t really get away from all the jokes and games that other kids play on you.”

“Why? What’s going on at school? Are the kids teasing you because of your last name?” asked Mr. Snagelfritz.

“No. Worse. Mrs. Sasselfratz calls it a Pho-bee-ah. She said that I have it.”

 “She did?” asked Mr. Snagelfritz

“Yeah, she said the other day that I have AR-ACK-NA-something.”

“Arachnophobia?”

“Yes! That’s the word!”

“So you are scared of spiders then?”

“Yes! How did you know that?”

“Well, son, that’s what it means.”

“Oh. You’re so smart daddy!”

“Not really. I just know from experience. When I was your age I was also afraid of those creepy crawly things. Now I can squash one with my bare hands!”

“Ewwww!  I wish I was that brave.   

 “Martin, you can be brave too. Sometimes you just need to face your fears head on.” Mr. Snagelfritz lovingly responded.

ARACHIBUTYROPHOBIA

“Here, let me tell you a story about this boy named Edward. You see, Edward was a strange little boy. Well, at least he was in the eyes of his classmates.

 “It’s the beginning of the school year at Rumpledump Elementary. Edward is a new student. Some of his friends are sitting around the table in the lunchroom eating their lunch. Ella had a turkey sandwich with mayo, Richie had a roast beef sandwich with horseradish, and Phillip had a tuna melt with pickles. Edward opened his lunch sack and realized his mother forgot to pack him his sandwich. Another boy, named Sam, wasn’t so hungry so he offered little Eddie his sandwich.

“Here you go, Eddie. I’m not very hungry today. You can have my sandwich.” said Sam.

“Thanks, Sam.” Eddie accepted.

Edward had just finished his last drop of milk. He took one bite of the sandwich and froze.

“What’s this?” Eddie asked.

“It’s a sandwich, silly.” said Phillip.

“I mean what is in between this bread?”

Sam answered, “It’s peanut butter, why?”

“I…I…I can’t stand the feeling of peanut butter on the roof of my mouth! It makes me squirm!”

Eddie fell off his chair and started to breathe heavily. He felt the flush of heat in his face as he turned bright red. All the kids in the lunchroom looked down at him and broke out into laughter. He was feeling even hotter by now. It felt like he had a fever coming on. One of Eddie’s teachers was nearby and heard the ruckus.

“Come on, Edward. Let’s talk.”

She grabbed his hand and walked away with him from the crowd as dozens of half eaten peanut butter sandwiches were chucked into the air after him.

It was not a good day for Edward.

FELINOPHOBIA

“Here kitty kitty. Here kitty kitty,” cried out the neighbor lady.

“I like most animals, but cats drive me crazy!” said Edward.

“Why so?” said Ella.

“Every time I go outside to play with my remote-control car, Jack comes out and starts rubbing his fur ball face against my legs. He starts to climb my leg and tear at my pants. What did I do to deserve that?! Then he always nips at my ankles when I’m minding my own business sitting down on the porch.” 

“It sounds to me like he likes you.” Ella laughed.

 “It’s not funny. He has the most ferocious teeth and pin-picking nails! My throat dries up and I can’t even swallow when he gets too close to me. I usually try to push him away, but he is a persistent little bugger. Then when I get mad, I just run inside and steam for a while.”

“Sounds to me like you need a chill pill,” said Ella.

“A what??” said Eddie.

 “You need to calm down and relax. You’re too uptight.”

“Sure, Ella, whatever you say.” Edward responded sarcastically.

SYNGENESOPHOBIA

“Eddie!” cried Mr. Dimpleknott

“Yes, Papa?”

“Your Aunt Hilda is here!”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Eddie grumbled to himself.

 As soon as Eddie got word of his aunt visiting, he bolted right up to the attic to hide. He locked himself up in an old wooden trunk. He was starting to vomit in his mouth as he could hear his aunt calling out his name.

“Edward? Where are you? Your favorite Auntie is here!” 

“Where is that little boy? He is hiding on me isn’t he?

“I don’t know, sis.” Said Mr. Dimpleknott.

The day goes by, and Eddie ends up falling asleep in the trunk.

BACK TO REALITY

“Daddy, wasn’t Eddie afraid of being all alone in the attic where there are spiders and creepy crawly things all over the place. It’s so dark in that trunk too!”

“Son, I think that he was so worried about his aunt that he didn’t even think about those other scary things.”

“Really?” asked Martin.

“Really.” Said Mr. Snagelfritz

“So can I overcome this AR-ACK-NA…”

“Arachnophobia.”

“Yes, that word.”  

“Martin my little boy, you can overcome this fear.”

“Thanks daddy.” 

“But there’s more, son. The young Edward overcame his fears eventually. He fell in love with the neighbor cat, Jack. His parents bought him a cat for his birthday. He decided that he liked peanut butter and jelly sandwiches after all, and he finally let his Aunt Hilda come into his room and sit beside him. A few inches away, I might add. But it was a start, a good one.”

Life's a Stage with Roll of Thunder.....

The Guthrie Center for the Performing Arts introduces Mildred Taylor's--
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry!


Soundtrack:

First two songs taken from O Brother, Where Art Thou?--(www.losthighwayrecords.com)

1.) Down to the River to Pray-by Alison Krauss

I chose this song because it relates to that time period of the 1930's. The movie that this song was made for related to the South and hard life of those days. I felt it was a nice somber song for the country life that they lived in. To me, it set up the mood for how they faced daily life.

2.) I'll Fly Away--Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch

This is the contemporary version of an old gospel hymn that was written in 1929. It brings me happiness every time I hear it. When life gets difficult, this song gives me hope for the next life. I'm sure the Logan's wanted to be "free," just like a bird. They wanted to fly far away from all of the harrassments and abuses they had to endure.

3.)Down Home Folks Blues Harp Jam--by: Markus Bravo (Composer, producer, multiple instrumentalist)

http://www.audiosparx.com/sa/display/sounds.cfm/sound_group_iid.1751

This song makes me want to learn how to play the harmonica. This fun toe-tappin' song lifts my spirits and I'm sure it would appeal to the audience for setting the mood for this story. It would be one that plays often throughout the musical.




The Logan's house



Cotton plantation


Meet the cast!


Will Smith as "Papa"



Jada Pinkett Smith as "Mama"



Yara Shahidi as "Cassie"


Terrell Ransom Jr. as "Little Man"


Laurence Fishburne as "Uncle Hammer"


Diggy Simmons as "Stacey"


Tyler James Williams as "T.J"

Oprah Winfrey as "Big Ma"

The Children's Crusade: Fact or Fiction?

Laura Amy Schlitz, Author of of Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! writes about the “Children’s Crusade”: “In 1212, a French shepherd boy had a vision that the Holy Land could be recovered by innocent children. Thirty to forty thousand children from France and Germany set off to Palestine, believing that God would favor their cause because of their faith, love, and poverty. They believed that when they reached the Mediterranean, it would part, like the Red Sea. They were mistaken. Most of them starved, froze to death, or were sold into slavery.” [Page 37] Some scholars aren’t sure that this “crusade” occurred in the form Schlitz describes.

I think that the "Children's Crusade" is somewhat of a mystery. By doing a little research I came across differing viewpoints on the subject. It seems like maybe some of the information was distorted over the years. Remember the game, "telephone?" You start with some statement, pass it on down from one person to the next, and then you get your final answer. It usually ends up with something entirely different from the first "phone call." I think that is what happened here. But then again, this is just my opinion.

The Encyclopedia Britannica states that the "Children's Crusade" lasted for only four months and that none of the participants ever reached the Holy Land. It was also known to have sparked the fifth crusade of 1218.

There is very little information known about Stephen of Cloyes and yet he stands out as the leader of this group that suppossedly ventured out to reclaim Jerusalem back from the muslims. Some would say that this "crusade" wasn't even a crusade because it wasn't blessed by the pope. It surprises me to see that a 12 year old could have this much influence on people, but then again they were just children. I still wonder about how they would be able to get away with all of this? Where were the parents? Did they even care about what they did? The medieval period is a mystery to me. I think that religious fervor mixed with superstition and pure ignorance lead a lot of these people to do some crazy stuff.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/111277/Childrens-Crusade

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/childrens_crusade.htm

Walk Two Moons

Blackberry-meets-Grams Gooseberry Pie

Pastry for 2 - 9" pie crusts
2 cups blackberries 1 cup gooseberries

2 cups sugar
3 tbsp quick-cooking tapioca
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp butter or margarine

Prepare pastry. Stem and rinse berries. Crush 1/2 cup berries; combine sugar, tapioca, and salt and mix with crushed berries. Cook and stir until mixture boils; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add remaining whole berries. Pour into pastry. Adjust top crust , cut slits for escape of steam. Brush with milk and sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes.

Huzza! Huzza!

             Bod's Supernatural Powers




Omiyage for Lynnie

Inspired by Lynn, Katie decided to continue the legacy of writing in her diary.

January 2, 1962

"We saw the beautiful ocean in sunny California. It was all that Lynn would've expected and more.I couldn't help but think of Lynn and how she would've fell in love with this great body of water. We couldn't leave without bringing an 'omiyage' back for her. She always loved that sweater with the flowers on it. Wait, how about a new bottle of sparkly nail polish? Although, I never did tell her about that pretty nail polish that I stole from the store. Of course I could buy her a new bottle of nail polish that I purchased with my own cash? No, I think she would've liked to have a piece of the ocean by her side. That's it!"

"At the beach I saw what looked like kira-kira off in the distance. I walked towards it and found an empty glass bottle sticking halfway out of the sand. Just then, an idea popped into my head."

"Lynnie can't be here, so I will bring the ocean back to her!"

"And so I did. I filled the bottom of the bottle up with some sand and then filled the rest of it up with the cold Pacific blue. I tied a little string around it and turned it into a bow. This was my gift to my dear Lynnie. I'm going to miss her. May she rest in peace."

Katie

Bud, Not Buddy--Black and White or Color?

Bud, Not Buddy is a fascinating story about a young 10-year old orphan boy who grew up during the Great Depression. Author, Christopher Paul Curtis shows us the travels of this boy from his time with his no-so-friendly foster parents--The Amos's--to his real home with Herman E. Calloway and the traveling band. If this story was made into a movie or television series, I would want to see it in black and white. Especially, since it took place in the 1930's. It gives it that old feel. The thing that I would do differently is to transition from black and white to color later on in the story. I thought of the movie, The Wizard of Oz. This movie was filmed in the early 30's. After the tornado came, Dorothy woke up in a new, colorful world. The change from black and white would slowly begin after someone yells out, “One, two, one two three!” (p. 200). The band begins from one instrument to the next. As each instrument begins, more color is added to the scene. The sticks begin to brush against the cymbals and drums, fingers begin to snap, the horn and piano begins, followed by the sax, the strumming of the fiddle, and finally the beautiful voice of Miss Thomas. This would be a great spot for the color to come into play because music is what brings people to life. I couldn’t think of a better place for the colors to come in. I would recommend this book to anyone at any age! When reading this book, young people can begin to appreciate what they have today as opposed to life in the depression era. They can gain some knowledge about history too! "If we do not learn from the mistakes of history, we are doomed to repeat them." George Santayana.

A Letter to Miggery Sow

Dear Mig,

Have you ever been able to forgive your father for what he did to you? Did it ever occur to anyone else that what you wanted actually mattered? You were only a child, Mig. First he insulted you by naming you after his prize-winning pig, and then he sold you for a handful of cigs, a red tablecloth, and a hen?! That must have been devastating to you. To top things off, the man who bought you insisted that you call him, Uncle. Then he had the gall to give you a good clout to the ear. Not once. Not twice, but several times. Your poor ears became so deformed that they became like cauliflowers. You have been neglected, abused, and taken for granted. All you ever wanted was to be loved. Your fascination with becoming a princess became an obsession to you. All it took was for some measly little rat to persuade you into doing his dirty work for him. You didn't know any better. He took interest in what you wanted, and you just ran with it.

I want you to know that forgiving the people who wronged you is not only difficult to do, it is necessary. Trust me. I have been made fun of as a child. I was never abused and neglected like you, but I have been deeply hurt by others. Forgiveness is the only option you have if you want to know what real freedom is. You have been a servant girl all of your life. You have dreamed of being in Princess Pea’s shoes. I am telling you that forgiveness is the way to live happily ever after. No more shame. No more hate bundled up inside of you. The light will shine on you, Mig. You will feel and be like the true princess you’ve always deserved to be treated.

Sincerely,
Courtney

The Invention of Hugo Cabret: A Poem: Ode to the Automaton Man

What's your secret automaton?

You're a magnificant, complex and rusty old bot. Your inner chambers reveal the intricate workings of a clock.

Every gear, every piece, every notch, every groove, is set in place for it to move.
But now you are useless and sit in a corner all day, nobody to fix nobody to play. 

Left behind from a father now gone, a notebook of drawings, a gift to a son.

The boy named Hugo, reminisced of the conversations he had,

He asked his father, "don't you want to know what it can write? Then we'll wind it up and see what the message says.(117)"

Shattered dreams now lost in the fire, could he fix you automaton? What does it require?

His father was taken too soon, automaton.  He was hoping for a personalized message, hand delivered by you.

He looked in books and found one that caught his eye,  Practical Manual of Card Magic and Illusions.

Nothing was in there about you, automaton.

But soon thereafter he was proud of himself when he fixed your arm without any help from the notebook.

Now what else was he missing? The key to wind you up?

How convenient, a girl, named Isabelle so sweet,

Watch out, beware, or she'll shred you up like meat. 

Her heart-shaped key around her neck was sure to fit the hole in your back. 

He used those tricks from the book he got, to steal the key, to set you up so he could see 

Every gear, every piece, every notch, every groove, is set in place for it to move.

At first Hugo is angry that you aren't writing words, you make these random lines that make no sense at all

Scratching lines, you kept dipping your pen in ink, before he knew it, a picture was drawn by you!

You revealed to him something more than you knew, the drawings were there to point him elsewhere.

A gift you are and were to him, this was only the beginning of his life as a magician.







   









   

History of Children's Literature: John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress

John Bunyan lived from 1628-1688. He was a Puritan author from England, who became famous for writing the allegorical work of Pilgrim's Progress (published in 1678). He became a lay preacher, while earning his living as a tinker (a mender of pots and pans). He was arrested while preaching illegally without a license and was sent to jail. It has been known that Bunyan served around a total of 12 years. While he was in prison, he was still able to preach and write Pilgrim's Progress. He was literally making progress while he was paying time in jail! For more than a century, most English-speaking Christians identified with only two books. The Bible and Pilgrim's Progress. Pilgrim's Progress was written in two volumes. The first volume was written in 1675 during a brief imprisonment. The second volume was written six years later.
Pilgrim's Progress became an essential read in the university classroom as well as the nursery. Louisa May Alcott's, Jo March, from Little Women, even took great pleasure in the Bunyan's allegories. Mark Twain was another person who had some basic knowledge of the Bunyan's writings. Pilgrim's Progress was not originally meant for children, but it appealed to them because of the fairy-tale like allegory of giants and bravery. It was a moral and adventurous book that enraptured children's hearts and minds.



John wrote many other books, sermons, and poems over the course of his life. He even wrote a book entitled, A Book for Boys and Girls. It contained 50 poems.

"The Pilgrim’s Progress was instantly popular with all social classes upon its publication, though it was perhaps the last great expression of the folk tradition of the common people before the divisive effects of modern enlightened education began to be felt."--Roger Sharrock

http://www.pilgrimsprogress.org/bunyan.html
http://cco.cambridge.org/extract?id=ccol9780521515269_CCOL9780521515269A012

A Folktale: Seth the Slithering Snake

There once was a snake named Seth. He hid under the porch of a girl named Beth. Now Beth was a girly girl to the highest degree. She wore pretty pink dresses and swung from a tree. She played in the backyard with her barbies all day when all of a sudden, Seth came her way.

"Hello, Beth. I'm in need of a friend." said slithering Seth. "You see, it's been quite the day. A hawk picked me up and dropped me on the way." He was taking me back to his nest, where I would be dinner to some hawklings, or so, I have guessed."

"Ahhhhhhh!!" screamed the child. "Stay away don't you see?! I can't believe my eyes a snake is talking to me!

"Calm down little child, you have nothing to fear, I'm not poisonous and will not eat you my dear!"

"Then what shall I do for you Mr. Snake? If my mom finds you here you'll be fried up like steak!"

"Just take me to the tree that you swing. Then swing back and forth until you get real high. Then when you get up there release me into the sky!"

"You can't fly silly snake! What if you fall then it's your life that's at stake?" said Beth.

"I know that there is a lake just over that fence. If you swing hard enough I'll fall into it." said Seth. "Then I'll be back into the place I know. It's near the water where the greenest grasses grow."

"Oh, no. I can't do that you see, the hawk will come back and make a mess of thee."

"Don't worry my friend, I trust you can do it. Just pump those legs and let's get right to it!"

"Okay, Seth. I'll do it for you. You were brave enough to come to me. I'll be brave enough to let you go free!"

So Beth got on the swing and tried her best for Seth. She picked him up and flung him around like a lasso. As she got high in the sky she let go and Seth was back to where the greenest grasses grow.

The End.

This is a folktale. The animal talks with a child. It was explained in an easy way to understand and is a poem with a simple message.

Reader's Sketch/ Rough Draft

Courtney Thorson

Children's Literature, Spring 2012

Reader's Sketch/ Rough Draft

1/20/12

Snippets of my Childhood

Early-Mid 1980's

I can still recall some of the first books I layed my eyes upon. I was probably around 3 or 4 when I was introduced to the Little Golden Books series which were leftover from my father's childhood. I mostly remember the older books because the pages were ripped and the binding on them were falling apart. Some of the books that I can still remember included, The Poky Little Puppy, Bambi, The Saggy Baggy Elephant, Cinderella, and The Monster at the End of the Book. I used to sit on my father's lap as he would read to me and I would take in all of the drawings set before my eyes. When I was little, I heard bible stories in Sunday School every week. One of the first bible's that I received was from my godmother, Lisa. She gave me a Precious Moments Bible. I knew early on that these stories were not just stories, they were His stories passed on down to all men, women and children. Early on, I also loved the Care Bears. Not only did I love the books, but I enjoyed collecting the plush little animals and figurines. I watched the cartoons faithfully. I owned countless coloring and sticker books. I even remember owning the Care Bears board game when I was about 5 years old.

As I started to read on my own, books like Clifford the Big Red Dog, and Rainbow Brite come to mind. Rainbow Brite was yet another obsession for me. Once again I loved collecting all of the characters such as, Rainbow Brite herself, a sprite, named Twink, and the whitehorse, known as Starlite. Cassette tape recorders were popular when I was a kid. I used to go to the library and listen to different narrators read all sorts of books to me. They would help me to sound out new words with ease. I think this helped me to become a good reader early on. Teddy Ruxpin was a popular toy talking bear that held an audio cassette tape in his back. He came with a book and would read to me as I watched his eyes and mechanical mouth move up and down. I was fascinated by this talking toy! He would read to me as I would try to sound out the words and flip through the pages. At the peak of his popularity, Teddy became one of the best selling toys of 1985 and 1986.



Early-Mid 1990's

In 4th grade, I read the classic, Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott for the first time. I think it was one of the thickest books I had ever read. It was something close to 500 pages or more! I remember to this day that it was a tough read and it really opened up my eyes to the life and times during the Civil War period.

It was in my 9th grade English class that I remember reading the most books. I read Jon Steinbeck's popular novels, Of Mice and Men, and The Pearl. The classic William Shakespeare's, Romeo and Juliet, was a required read. We also had to read William Golding's, Lord of the Flie's. I found this book to be one of the most adventurous books I had ever read. The story became so real to me that I almost felt as if I were there with those boys, alone on the island.

Late 90's

I must've been in 11th grade when I took a Humanities course for the first time. Homer's The Illiad and the Odyssey based on Greek Mythology, and Dante's The Divine Comedy were some of the most eerie poems and stories that I remember reading in high school. I actually enjoyed them too. Another good read that I took an interest in, was John Bunyan's, Pilgrim's Progress. There was something about these stories that made me think about philosophy and question if there was a God out there who cared about the affairs of mankind.

Early 2000-Today

As I made it to my 20's, I realized that I enjoyed reading non-fiction more than fiction. I wanted to be able to learn about something or someone that was real and that I could more or less relate to. I guess I was looking to find some truth in my life. I didn't want to hear about some made-up stories anymore. I was interested in the cold hard facts, or at least as close to them as possible. Within time, this lead me back to one particular book of my childhood. The Holy Bible. I was at a period in my life where I needed comfort and healing. Without going into too much detail, I took time to read the entire New Testament within a matter of days. Over the next year, I would read almost all of the other half of the Bible, which was the Old Testament. I can say with all honesty, that this book, has changed my life for the better.

To this day, I continue to read mostly non-fiction. I love to read biographies and autobiographies of men and women who have made a a huge impact on history. Corrie Ten Boom, was a Dutch Christian who helped many Jews escape the Nazi Holocaust. Elizabeth Elliot, was a missionary, who helped spread the gospel to a remote Ecuadorian tribe that killed her husband. Fanny Crosby, was a public speaker, rescue mission worker, poet, lyricist, and composer who was best known for her hymns and gospel songs. C.S. Lewis was a novelist, medievalist, literary critic, and Christian apologist well known for The Chronicles of Narnia. These are just some of people who have inspired me throughout the years.

These days, I continue to read mostly non-fiction works, but I'm learning to expand on my selections of other genres as well. Whatever it is, I'm looking forward to the reading the next chapters in my life.....

First Blog Journal: What is Allowed in Young Adult Literature?

These days just about anything is allowed in Young Adult Literature. Bookstore bookshelves are lined with stories of vampires, zombies, self mutilation, sexual perversion, drug-use and anything else that is considered cool and controversial. I'm not too surprised. We live in a messed up world. First of all, my aim is not to pass judgement on the authors of the more explicit YA books. They have their beliefs and convictions about what is right or what is wrong to publish into a book. I figure that these authors will either inspire or have the opposite impact. They will have to answer to their own supporters and critics. In one way or another, they will do something.  I do strongly believe that it is the sole responsibility of the parents or guardians to have a say in what their child is reading and digesting internally. Young adults need positive influences in their lives. There is enough bad stuff in the world. I'm not saying children should be completely sheltered. There are plenty of great YA books that focus on fantasy and real-life tragedies without being overtly explicit. Some children are in situations where they have seen things and experienced things in their life that no child should have to. In a sense, their mentality is at the level of an older adult. But, we must keep in mind that there are many other children out there who haven't seen it all. We should be sensitive to where young adults are both mentally and emotionally. Children are growing up way too fast the way it is.

Two articles written from the opposite sides of the table, have some interesting points and strong opinions about what should be in Young Adult Literature. I respect and consider both views, but I personally have more in common with author, Megahn Cox Gurdon, on this one.  I agree with the majority of what was mentioned in the article, "Darkness too Visible." Gurdon writes, "The book business exists to sell books; parents exist to rear children, and oughtn't be daunted by cries of censorship. No family is obliged to acquiesce when publishers use the vehicle of fundamental free-expression principles to try to bulldoze coarseness or misery into their children's lives." Sherman Alexie, author of "Why the Best Kids Books are Written in Blood," responds in disgust and makes it sound like Gurdon is coming down on him personally with a condescending tone. I could tell that Alexie was trying to defend his side because he was offended by her article. I got the impression that he was still hanging onto a lot of anger and unforgiveness towards those who have caused him pain in the past. Alexie explains, "I don’t write to protect them. It’s far too late for that. I write to give them weapons–in the form of words and ideas-that will help them fight their monsters. I write in blood because I remember what it felt like to bleed." The world can be cruel. There is no doubt about that.  But we don't have to sit in it and let it consume our hearts and minds by feeding off of it either. It's just my opinion. So take it for what it's worth.