I loved this when I was growing up, I enjoyed this book so much with my own boys and read it a few times on my own. A combination of “delicious” use of language and ideas that are so true, relate to life so well!
One example, a child who grows from top down, and wonders how we do it our way! the older you get you keep seeing things from a different perspective when you grow UP but when you grow DOWN your perspective doesn’t change. what a great discussion- opener with children!
Well, after reading two books in a row relating to the World War 2 (“A History” by Elsa Morante about the war in Rome and the one from my previous post about Roald Dahl) I chose something completely different!
Now I’m reading “The Shipping News”, by E. Annie Proulx, which takes place in Newfoundland. A very readable novel and I love the author’s clever use of quotes from Ashley’s “Book of Knots”! Knots as a metaphor to life’s issues – brilliant!
This book is marvelous for both the family and the classroom. My boys love it! Each page is devoted to a letter of the alphabet (sometimes a double page). There is a huge amount of amazing drawings of things beginning with that letter, some easy to spot, others requiring some effort. I don’t think we ever found everything on some of the pages!
For pupils in class with small vocabularies I supply a brief word list for every page and they look up the words in their dictionaries and then find the pictures. Works very well!
The Irregulars: Roald Dahl and the British Spy Ring in Wartime Washington
by Jennet Conant
This is what I’m reading now. For me the name Roald Dahl had always been associated with Willie Wonka and Charlie from the famous chocolate factory! I had no idea he was a dashing young British RAF pilot involved in “hush-hush” activities during WWII in Washington!
“Last Chance to See” by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine
Wonderful book!
My 16 year old, nature-loving son, had told many times I should read this book and for some reason I just kept postponing it. I kind of forgot who the author was and was kind of worried it would be boring. NO WAY!
I’m quoting from the back cover here because this is an apt description:
“After years of reflecting on the absurdities of life on other planets, Douglas Adams (you know, the one from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy!) teamed up with zoologist Mark Carwardine to find out what was happening to life on this one…”
It is delightful to read and I was repeatedly amazed how by using COMEDY, Adams made some very serious points about the world!
Enjoy!
Teaching English as a FOREIGN language to Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students