Are Fantasy Books Healthy for Kids?

Is fantasy literature safe for children? Let's look at addictive, psychological and separation issues. Opponents of fantasy literature worry about the fearful aspects of fantasy. They contend that fantasy literature threatens emotionally fragile children by its unreality. Fantasy may create an existential crisis wherein the child cannot separate fantasy from reality. Reading fantasy literature may produce what is called in special education "perseverative behavior." The concern is that kids who read fantasy literature will only read fantasy and never explore other genres. Here are some issues. Children's Fantasy Literature Concerns

Free Printable Reading Games and Activities

Anytime teachers can make a game out of learning activities, education becomes more enjoyable and interactive. Research shows that students retain information that they have actively participated with. Educational activities easily become too predictable and therefore can also become meaningless. Just the act of getting out of the desk and onto the floor breaks the monotony. Here are some free printable reading games for your homeschool and classroom. Use these free printables for preschool, day care, tutoring and lesson plans.  Read more

DIY Gothic Haunted House Like Dark Shadows

When I was in Kindergarten in 1968, kids loved to watch TV after school (if you had TV-we didn't so I had to go to the neighbors' house). But did we get cute cartoons? Oh no! What awaited kids was a show that that's I'm still convinced is the most terrifying ever made: Dark Shadows. My heart is in my throat thinking of it 43 years later. Just the name Barnabas Collins sends chills down my spine. 

What was the secret behind these early creep shows that still terrifies us today? I maintain as do others my age, that these shows offered a unique kind of horror. Dark Shadows relied on subtle sensory details-- light, music, sound and, well, shadows. To my knowledge, we never saw anyone injured or killed. It was all implied. That's how it's done in the best film noir shows.  Want to create a Gothic Halloween haunted house based on Dark Shadows? Here's one worthy of Edgar Allen Poe. This type of haunted house could be adapted easily for a theater or literature class. How to Create a Gothic Haunted House

Skip "Fifty Shades of Grey" and Try these Really Good Reads!

"Fifty Shades of Grey" is a run-away best-seller 2011 book by E.L. James. And no wonder--it delves into the taboo, between-the-sheets world of sadomasochism and bondage. Just what every repressed, lonely housefrau wants to read, presumably. Well not for this WAHM. I'm not opposed to sex in literature. I object to obligatory, sensationalized, fear-based sex. I liken obligatory sex to obligatory violence or morality. It's contrived and unnatural. "Fifty Shades of Grey" sex to sell. I say skip "Fifty Shades of Grey","Fifty Shades Darker" and "Fifty Shades Freed" and check out this adult reading. Summer Recommended Reading: Medieval Mystery Books and Authors

Dystopian Books, Utopian Literature like "The Hunger Games"

You read "The Hunger Games","Catching Fire" and "Mockingjay." You saw "The Hunger Games" movie--six times. Until Suzanne Collins writes another book or the "Catching Fire" movie comes out, how will you satisfy your lust for dystopian literature? You'll take this handy list of best futuristic dystopian/utopian books to your local library and get busy reading. (And seriously, isn't "dystopian" as fun to say as "juxtapose" or "ameliorate?" I love touting the word out with a glass of dry red.) Dystopian Books, Utopian Literature like "The Hunger Games"

Beloved, Waterland Challenged Books

A school district near Detroit, has been wrestling with a decision to ban two books from its high school AP English program. A husband and wife objected to Toni Morrison's Pulitzer winner "Beloved" and Graham Swift's "Waterland," Michigan Radio reports. Here are details about this debate.

Matt Dame, a father of high school and middle school students, ran for school board in November. Dame and his wife Barb launched the campaign against "Beloved" and "Waterland," saying they have no place on an advanced English required reading list. These books are commonly challenged. Read more...Michigan School District Might Ban Two Books 

Chuck Palaniuk 'Fight Club' Sideways Humor, Cult Fictioin

Author Chuck Palahniuk Fight Club, Survivor and Beyond
Chuck Palahniuk (Ukranian, pronounced 'paula nick') author of Fight Club, Survivor, Rant, Choke, Lullaby and other brief one-word book titles, has earned high marks in literary circles.
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