The local newspaper of Ray's hometown refers to him in this announcement of an e-book borrowing scheme in Waukegan library:

http://newssun.suntimes.com/ne...he-words-inside.html

"The earthy smell (,touch, and sight) that a classic title acquires after years in circulation. That’s the stuff that Bradbury talked about taking to bed."

I go off on rants occasionally in class when emphasizing the magnificent importance of reading books. I pull from the shelf a well-used copy of Bradbury, Shakespeare, Poe, Songs of the American Cowboys, Philosophy of the Ages, Stevenson, Shelley, London, Lee, or some other wonderful text that has been with me over these many years!

Some students merely snicker at my foolishness, while others maybe don't get it at all, and figure "He's just ranting again!" But some....

Their eyes brighten and they realize I am speaking of friends and sensations and metaphors in hand. These are the young "Book People!" They must keep the fires burning in the forests camps, not is the streets, in piles of publications.

I always, when almost finished with my off-topic tangent, for I rarely know when such a moment is about to come over me, send the selected old friend around the room, requesting that each individual flick the pages, touch the hard, worn cover, and maybe even catch a fragrance of the vintage words and textures.

Over the years, I have consistently had former students send me a note or card recalling their literature studies in my classes. I guess such foolishness and rants remained with them longer than until the sound of the bell that released them.

Let me see!?
This ~ http://lee.schoolfusion.us/mod...29615/Image/j0439493
or

or
This ~ http://latimesblogs.latimes.co...15715a1733970c-800wi

The technology is here to stay! My hope is that teachers continue to teach their students to read and write, not simply surf, scroll, and click...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: fjp451,

A few years ago I produced a video aimed at working-class parents, to show them how they can encourage their children to read. The school teachers I worked with told me how, so often, kids start school not even knowing how to hold a book, or how to turn pages. This isn't a reflection on technology, it's a reflection of how literally meaningless books and reading can be in some families.

When I was preparing for the video, I was expecting that we might have to look at some heavy theorising on how to teach kids to read, but the teachers said it was simple: get the parents to read in front of the kids, and the kids will want to read; get the parents to read WITH the kids, and the kids will want to read; get the kids to find books with a subject matter they are interested in, and they will want to read.

So, a large part of the video ended up showing the SOCIAL activity of reading, just as in that first photo fjp linked to.

quote:

Originally posted by fjp451:
or
This ~ http://latimesblogs.latimes.co...15715a1733970c-800wi

Looks a little like a young Sam Weller, does it not?

Phil, "Families" - a huge part of the equation!!! We still read to and with our "scruffs," now 15 and 13 yrs. Just this past week or so we read and discussed surprised endings of "The Necklace," "The Bet," "The Dragon," and "The Boarded Window." Irony, foreshadowing, allusions, conflict, and interesting themes abound. Interaction magnifies the beauty and appreciation of literature.

I find kids in classes really enjoy and pay attention to oral readings. It may be that they get little (if any) of this at home.

(I always set April 6 or 7 aside for a very special reading of RB's "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh." I had read it one year to a class, referenced the date of the occurrence of battle at the end of the reading, to find that we were actually reading on the day before the battle began. More than metaphoric!)

I may not be a fan of ebooks but I am acquiring audiobooks as fast as I can by any means. Cassettes, many library discards on sale cheap, borrowing CDs from the library, or downloading audiobooks with a service available through the library. Out of respect for Ray I am not reading his books on audio, but this puts me perpetually several books behind. On books I do read on audio I am at least catching up.

quote:

Originally posted by dandelion:
...Out of respect for Ray I am not reading his books on audio, but this puts me perpetually several books behind...

I don't know if I've misunderstood you, but you SHOULD listen to Ray's books - especially the ones he narrated. I heartily recommend Ray reading THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES and FANTASTIC TALES OF RAY BRADBURY, because he does little asides between stories where he tells you about how he came to write the story etc. These were recorded in the late 1970s, when Ray was probably at his prime for this sort of thing.

quote:

Originally posted by philnic:I don't know if I've misunderstood you, but you SHOULD listen to Ray's books - especially the ones he narrated. I heartily recommend Ray reading THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES and FANTASTIC TALES OF RAY BRADBURY, because he does little asides between stories where he tells you about how he came to write the story etc. These were recorded in the late 1970s, when Ray was probably at his prime for this sort of thing.

I do have F451 and at least one other book recorded in this manner.