@litworldsays #WRAD14 WRAD Raising Our Voices Blogging Challenge – Week 1

I am participating in the World Read Aloud Day Blogging Challenge! You can read about the challenge on The Busy Librarian’s blog (PS – The Busy Librarian, AKA Matthew Winner, is AWESOME! Read all the posts.)

This week’s prompt is:

What is your earliest or fondest memory in which someone read aloud to you?

I was read to a lot as a kid, I’m sure. I don’t really remember my parents reading to me (I remember more seeing them read to themselves and knowing that I should maybe go get something to read too…I remember visiting the public library often to get books, but I don’t really remember my mom or my dad reading TO me), however I do remember my grandfather reading to me. My grandfather (I called him Papa) lived in Miami, Florida (where I am from). For a few years after moving to South Carolina, my mom and I would spend summers in Miami and I think my dad would come down as much as he could (Papa was my mom’s father). After a few years, my grandfather would come visit us in SC instead of us going to him. I guess it worked better that way, because my mom’s sister lived in upper Florida and he could visit her on his way to us. He would spend a few weeks with us each time he came. I LOVED those visits. There was even a time when he lived with us. He would take me to school and pick me up. He would make the best meatballs. He was always slipping me money and buying me little gifts (Hershey Almond Bars, markers and crayons, ice cream). Papa was my first best friend. We would spend hours playing cards, walking around the neighborhood, eating ice cream, and reading. I remember him mostly reading Italian Folktales by Italo Calvino to me each night. I fell in love with fairy tales through this book. I never was obsessed with Disney princesses and those versions of fairy tales, but I was in love with the fairy tales in Calvino’s book. What I loved most, I think, was the fact that they were full of princesses and evil stepmothers and all of the important things of fairy tales, but they did not always have a happy ending. I also loved that they were different than the other fairy tales I knew. My favorite was one about an apple princess. Her stepmother turns her into an apple and the prince accidentally eats her! I think I’m going to go find my copy of this book right now and do some re-reading…

On World Read Aloud Day (Wednesday, March 5), I will be hosting some hockey players from USC. They are coming to my school and will pop into classrooms throughout the day to read aloud to students. I also plan to invite my Children’s Literature students from USC to come in and read. This will be my first year celebrating, so I’m excited! Check out this link for some ways you can celebrate!

How about you, What is your earliest or fondest memory in which someone read aloud to you? What are you planning to do to celebrate World Read Aloud Day? Participate in the blogging challenge with me!

VBF