Author-Avi

Interview with Avi who is Newbery Honors author
He has  symptoms of dyslexia
His writings were always criticized by his teachers-sloppy,careless, and messy in his early school years.
In college, he  did not take English class, however he kept on reading and writing.
Kids are wonderful and direct readers. They read differently from adults.They engage themselves in books and suck them books up.

The problem to teach children to write is to expect their work to be whole.

The books of Avi
Listen to Avi read from
Reading Rocket:  author interview, free reading guide, Reading Topics A-Z
The Bookshelf

Animal Farm By George Orwell

Mistreated and overloaded animals can’t stand it anymore.  They took a revolution to defeat human being and built a farm ruled by animals called “Animal Farm”.

Victorious and excited animals constituted their own law called

 “THE SEVEN COMMANDMENTS” (P43)

1, Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.

2, Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.

3, No animal shall wear clothes.

4, No animal shall sleep in a bed.

5, No animal shall drink alcohol.

6, No animal shall kill any other animal.

7, All animals are equal.

A few years later, what happened?

What did they hear from the pigs who had being marched through the farm?

“Four legs good, two legs better!  Four legs good, two legs better!”

“Are the Seven Commandments the same as they used to be?”

“There were nothing there now except a single commandment. It ran

“All animals are equal. But Some Animals Are More Equal Than Other.” (P133)

The Trumpet of the Swan By E.B. White

Louise is a trumpeter swan without voice.  When he fell in love with a beautiful swan Serena, how did he tell her he loves him?  How did he get a real trumpet to play a song " beautiful dreamer" to win his sweet heart? Louise is a very special swan. Though he had no voice , he could read , write, play a trumpet, even earn money.

Some Excerpts
" The world  is full of talkers, but it is rare to find anyone who listens. And I assure you that you can pick up more information when you are listening than when you are talking."
" The best was to travel, really, is to travel light."
"Louise is a musician, and musicians can't choose their working hours-they must work when their employer wants them to."
"this feeling of rapture can lead you to your death.  No matter how wonderful you feel down there, don't ever forget to return to the surface, where you can breathe again."

The Cricket In Times Square by George Selden

The cricket, Chester who used to live in the country in Connecticut, accidently came to Times Square in New York.  What happened to him? A very interesting, warm and touching story reminds me the song of “New York New York” and old memories.

Some excerpts from the book

“I thought cats and mice were enemies.”

“In the country, maybe, But in New York we gave up those old habits long ago.” (P28)

“And as always in New York, when a little crowd formed, more people came just to see what the other were looking at. Bees do that, and so do human beings.”

“So by Thursday Chester cricket was the most famous musician in new York City. But now there is a strange thing: he wasn’t really happy-not the way he used to be. Life didn’t seem to have fun and freedom it had had before.” (P124)

“I almost wish he hadn’t come to New York-if he isn’t going to be happy here.” (P133)

“What good is it to be famous if it only makes you unhappy?” (p134)

Giant Yellow Teddy Bear In New York City

Island of the Blue Dolphins Scott O’Dell

Island of the Blue Dolphins           Scott O’Dell

(P 166)

                                                             

“After that summer, after being friends with Won-a nee and her young, I never killed another otter.”  I had an otter cape for my shoulders, which I used until it wore out, but never again did I make a new one. “

” Nor did I ever kill another cormorant for its beautiful feathers, though they have long, thin necks and make ugly sounds when they talk to each other.”

“Nor did I kill kills seals for their sinews, using instead kelp to bind the things that needed it.”

“Nor did I kill another wild dog, nor did I try to spear another elephant.”

“ If Ulape and my  father had come back and laughed, still I would have felt the same way, for animals and birds are like people, too, though they do not talk the same or do the same things.  Without them the earth would be an unhappy place.” 

A Tiny Little Seed-Matthew 13

“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” 
(Matthew 13:31)

Matthew 13