Wilona Karimabadi
Wilona Karimabadi, Managing Editor for KidsView joined me for a show on a kid’s view of literature. Wilona Karimabadi has worked on KidsView since January 2007. She gets to edit copy, talk to KidsView reporters, plan issues, test out the puzzles, and put together a monthly calendar. She is also responsible for KidsView’s first website! As we talked I remembered my first experience with literature.
I held that first book in my hand—Dick and Jane—I couldn’t believe that I would finally learn to read. I don’t think I’d slept a wink that night, I’d turned and tossed looking at the special white dress with red polka-dots hanging like an expectant ghost on the door frame of my bedroom.
When morning finally came, I’d inhaled my breakfast and ran upstairs to the school. I was fortunate because I lived under a two-room school house. I couldn’t have been more impatient with myself when I discovered that you learn to read word by word. It wasn’t something you learned in one day. But I was able to tell my Auntie Win that afternoon that I could read one page. And I still remember the one word and picture on that one page. The word was “Look.” So how do kid’s view literature? How do they remain excited about acquiring the skill of deciphering meaning from symbols? Even though the traditional view of literature is broad i.e., “creative writing of recognized artistic value; the humanistic study of a body of literature; published writings in a particular style on a particular subject; the profession or art of a writer,”[1] I think a kid’s view of literature is even more expanded because: 1. Literature also comes in a technological form. 2. It comes in a promotion of morays and attitudes. 3. And it comes in the form of images. Along with all the skills that go to interpret meaning from all these pictures and symbols, the message is born—sometimes good and sometimes bad.
The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:8 that “whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Don’t you think this is an excellent guide for the literature we can enjoy?
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[1] wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi, I hope to be a published author some day. I am 12 years old and love to write. Right now I am writing a historical fiction story for my English class and I love doing it. Mom says that it’s really good and she lets me get out of typing class because I’m typing it and using the right fingers. I found out that writing can be fun.
Be sure to keep a journal. I’d love to see some of your writing samples.
Thanks so much for posting this entry on your blog! It was such a pleasure to be a part of the show and talk about this topic. Reading and writing are such huge parts of my life and have been since I was a child. Here\’s to hoping more children will find the joy in good literature from a young age!