Thursday, November 10, 2011

Check this out--Very Cool! NPR's Back-Seat Book Club for ages 9-14

National Public Radio (NPR) is starting a special project aimed at younger listeners. They're talking about all those young people who listen to NPR programs while riding in the car or sitting at the kitchen table. They'd like you to lend them your ears and your curiosity. This fall, All Things Considered is rolling out NPR's Back-Seat Book Club for kids ages 9 to 14. Beginning in October, the show All Things Considered would like young listeners and their parents to read a selected book each month and then join in the conversation with that book's author. They want to know what you think and give the author a chance to answer questions you have about the book!

For October they read The Graveyard Book by the award-winning, best-selling author Neil Gaiman. For November ... drum roll please ... They've selected a book that's celebrating a big anniversary: The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster and illustrated by Jules Feiffer. The book was published in 1961; five decades later, it is still much loved and widely read. And, after all this time, the story of the bored little boy who travels on a journey to the Lands Beyond still feels fresh. The jokes are still funny. The language is still captivating. And the excursions through the Sea of Knowledge, the Mountains of Ignorance and the Island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping) are still quite magical. That's saying something when you consider that The Phantom Tollbooth was written before the age of computers, cellphones or digital watches.

Since this book has had such great staying power, chances are your parents or other relatives may have read The Phantom Tollbooth when they were young. That makes this a great choice for a family read. Also, the language is so delicious that you might want to read this book out loud with friend or a buddy. In any case, enjoy — and then join in the conversation.

One last thing: If it's OK with your parents, please ask them to email a picture of you reading The Phantom Tollbooth to backseatbookclub@npr.org. We just might post some of those photos on our upcoming readers gallery.

Cutest Bumble Bee!

More Halloween Party fun!



Miss Vicki as "Miss Viola Swamp!"

Pin the part on the monster game!

The kids mummy wrap Miss Christine!

Halloween Party Fun !