My Very First Blog

          I must admit that this is my first attempt at blogging.  This blog will serve as a semester-long assignment for my Children's Literature class.  The idea of this blog is to share our thoughts, feelings, and connections to children's books as we read them.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with this term, there are three different types of "connections" one can make to a piece of literature.  A "text-to-text connection" is just that; when you make a connection between one piece of text and another.  In a "text-to-self connection," the reader makes connections between herself and the book.  Perhaps the book reminds you of something that has happened to you.  A "text-to-world connection" is when the reader connects the book to the world around her.  I imagine I will often refer to these terms throughout my blog.
          I have always been a huge fan of children's literature.  As a kid, I remember reading under my covers with a flashlight so my mother would think I was asleep (although now that I think about it, I suppose a flashlight wasn't the best idea).  Back then, all I knew was that I was reading books that interested me.  As an adult, I realize that I was reading award winning pieces of literature that I can now share with my students.  I love the fact that the classics I read in the early 90s are still being enjoyed today; there's brave little Madeline, silly Amelia Bedelia, the troublesome Cat in the Hat, the great Ramona Quimby, and the responsible members of The Babysitter's Club.  In fact, most of the books I came to love were around for many years already!  These characters have secured their place in the hearts of children from generation to generation.  Through the years we have met many new characters for children to love as well, such as the "wimpy" Greg Heffley, the magical Harry Potter, and a friendly dog named Winn-Dixie.
          I will try to blog about books that are new to me, but I can't promise that I won't incorporate some of my all-time favs as well.  However, what I can promise is to follow the advice I give my students when they read something for the second (or third, etc.) time, and that is to "read through a different pair of lenses."  Each time we read a book, we are even smarter than we were the last time; we now have more experiences under our belts; the world around us has changed.  I am looking forward to sharing my love for children's literature :)