Don't Miss the National Book Awards!

Want to know who's the best of the best in literature for both youth and adults? Don't miss The National Book Awards LIVE via webcast!

Next Halloween, Don't let this be your kid.

READ TO YOUR KIDS!

Twilight's Edward (Robert Pattinson) has a secret...

he likes to read!

If you missed Robert Pattinson's interview with Oprah where they discuss their love for reading, check it out!

The Case For The Written Word: Why YOU should be reading

Watch This. No. Read It!

By Lauren Duzbow
O, The Oprah Magazine  |  From the June 2008 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine

 

In our high-speed-connection world, why bother to read when you can get it all electronically? We make the case for not closing the book.

When you can see Atonement in two hours and 10 minutes (enacted by the very appealing James McAvoy, no less) or listen to it on audiotape, why bother working through the 371-page novel? For that matter, why trudge through the newspaper when you can turn on CNN? Why puzzle over a manual when you can YouTube the instructions? Everyone knows the book is always better than the movie, but is there any real advantage to getting your information by reading it?

Yes, according to neuroscience—your mind will most definitely thank you.


This article is part of Oprah.com's 2011 Feel Good Challenge. Join now—and move closer to the life you want!

Just like muscles, the brain benefits from a good workout. And reading is more neurobiologically demanding than processing images or speech. As you're absorbing, say, this article, "parts of the brain that have evolved for other functions—such as vision, language, and associative learning—connect in a specific neural circuit for reading, which is very challenging," says Ken Pugh, PhD, president and director of research of Haskins Laboratories, which is devoted to the science of language and affiliated with Yale. "A sentence is shorthand for a lot of information that must be inferred by the brain." In general, your intelligence is called to action, as is greater concentration. "We are forced to construct, to produce narrative, to imagine," says Maryanne Wolf, director of the Center for Reading and Language Research at Tufts University and author of Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain. "Typically, when you read, you have more time to think. Reading gives you a unique pause button for comprehension and insight. By and large, with oral language—when you watch a film or listen to a tape—you don't press pause."

The benefits of all this mental activity include keeping your memory sharp, your learning capacity nimble, and your mind basically hardier as you age. No one's advising that you toss the DVD player—or books on tape, which, Pugh says, provide more work for your brain than seeing a movie—but print should take up part of your life too. A literate mind is a more complex one. "There's a richness that reading gives you," Wolf says, "an opportunity to probe more than any other medium I know of. Reading is about not being content with the surface." Even when it is superficial (what's a plane ride without a little celebrity gossip?), indulging in a tabloid beats watching TV—just processing the words boosts the brain. "If you had your druthers," Pugh says, "you'd rather be reading."

Keep Your Mind Sharp

• 4 ways to remember what you've learned
• This is your brain on happiness
• 11 empowering ways to strengthen your brain

Read more: http://www.oprah.com/health/How-Reading-Can-Improve-Your-Memory#ixzz1dosfhj3Q

Now now something for the adults: Kids books that adults will love too

Early Lit Tip Tuesday Week One

For the next 42 weeks. I'm going to be showcasing a YouTube video featuring early literacy and/or early education tips. And lucky you, you get to start with week one! Enjoy!

Good Night Construction Site, Good Night Baby

Image Courtesy of bookmarkable.wordpress.com

Today I brought home a new kid's book for little man, he's been fascinated by cars, trucks, trains and all things that go, So I thought I would cater to his desire for things that go, and brought home Good Night, Good Night, Construction Site.

Let me tell you, I am in love with this book! As a kid, I loved the Snort in Are You My Mother, and Mike Mulligan's Steam Shovel. GNGNCS just can't even compare. It goes above and beyond. The best way I can describe the book, is that it's Bob the Builder, meets the Snort and Mike Mulligan, meets Pixar's Cars. This book is not only brilliant, it's award worthy.

The story itself talks about each different personified construction site vehicle, what it does during the day, and how it gets ready for bed. The crane truck even sleeps with a teddy bear. It's adorable. Each segment of the story concludes with saying "Shhhh", and wishing the construction site vehicle goodnight. Little Man loved saying "Shhh" along with the story. And the best part is that he was tuckered and ready for bed by the conclusion. Thank you Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld for reviving my childhood through your fabulous book and for putting my son to sleep. 

Don't believe me that this is one of the cutest books ever?? Check out the book trailer!

Ready to pick up a copy? Check out your local library or purchase a copy on Amazon.