Hello Book Bums families!
Can you believe it's the middle of December? In the midst of busy holiday preparations, we are slowing down this week to focus on the joy of sharing a story with a child, beautiful language and music, and the wonder of the stars. This edition of the newsletter offers several links to bring you beautiful sights and sounds. Enjoy!
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Word of the Week
arduous (ar-joo-us) adjective/describing word - requiring effort, difficult or tiring
In The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Frodo and Sam make an arduous and life-threatening journey to destroy the ring.
Literary Calendar
• December 16 is Jane Austen's birthday.
• Austen's six major novels are comfort reads for many fans, but there are many re-tellings and film adaptations to explore as well.
• Do you have a favorite Austen heroine?
"I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading.
How much sooner one tires of any thing than a book!"
-Jane Austen
From our Bookshelves
The Velveteen Rabbit was written by Margery Williams and is a beloved classic that’s just turned 100 years old. If you’ve never heard Meryl Streep read this treasure of a tale, set aside some time to be lulled into the rich beauty and charm of a story that begins with a stuffed bunny nestled inside a Christmas stocking with a sprig of holly between his paws. Though the Christmas theme doesn’t continue throughout the book, it does offer a delightful opportunity to ponder those holiday gifts that have become more than gifts.
Tips for Readers and Writers
Books like The Velveteen Rabbit provide many opportunities for expanding kids’ knowledge about literature. They can also inspire meaningful conversations. The stretch into more demanding texts greatly benefits children. Having a loved one to coach them through unfamiliar vocabulary and arduous concepts promotes confidence in the classroom and beyond. We’re including some ideas for you, below.
If you read or listen to The Velveteen Rabbit together, consider some of these conversational topics:
• How do our Christmases compare to the boy’s holiday in the story? What’s similar? What’s different?
• What does it mean to “put on airs” (like Timothy, the jointed wooden lion)?
• Mechanical toys, boast and swagger and eventually break their mainsprings. Which of your toys might boast and swagger?
• Which of your toys has lived long and is wise like the skin horse?
• How did the Velveteen Rabbit become a treasured toy to the boy?
• Why didn’t the rabbit mind becoming shabby? Do you have any toys you love, even though they are a bit shabby?
• Why, do you suppose, didn’t the boy make a fuss when the rabbit was taken away?
• Did this story have a happy ending? Why is (or isn’t) it a happy ending?
"...by the time you are real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."
Tips for Families
We’re sharing another holiday song with you this week. Perhaps you’ll add it to your holiday playlist and enjoy it throughout the holidays. This one is Phil Driscoll’s "O Holy Night." This musician, who presently resides in SW Ohio, is a trumpeter, singer, composer, and producer.
O Holy Night
O Holy Night!
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary soul rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!
Fall on your knees
Oh hear the angel voices
Oh night divine
Oh night when Christ was born
Oh night divine
Oh night divine
Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming
Here come the wise men from Orient land
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger
In all our trials born to be our friend
Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name
Practical Grammar
Are we a weary world or a wary world? Maybe both?
In the song "O Holy Night," it says “The weary world rejoices.”
weary: (adj.) feeling or showing tiredness, especially as a result of excessive exertion or lack of sleep.
wary: (adj.) feeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems.
Though the spelling doesn’t match, we can remember the meaning of wary because it sounds a lot like the words beware and aware.
Wordology Workshop
• The Greek root astr means star.
• You may recall that the Latin root for star is stell.
• While stell shows up in words like constellation and stellar, you'll find astr in words like astronaut (someone who travels to the stars), and asterisk (a star-shaped symbol).
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