Barry Lane has written many professional books including But How Do You Teach Writing?, After The End, Revisers Toolbox, and 51 Wacky We-Search Reports. His latest project, co-authored with Colleen Mestdagh, teaches kindness to children through original songs and lessons. It is called Force Field for Good. He recently wrote an essay for our Open a World of Possible initiative, reflecting upon an early experience with reading. We've excerpted the essay here. The full version is also available in our new Open a World of Possible book, which you can download for free here.
"If I told you that I communed regularly with people who lived 400 years ago, you would not believe me. If I confided to you that there were imaginary humans who never breathed a single breath but were as alive to me as friends I know and love, you would think me a lunatic. If I pointed to some marks on white paper and said to you I could stare at them and through this process meditate with the mind of the person who made them, you might think I was a member of some cult religion.
But I can do all these things because I am a reader. I did not always possess these magical powers. I grew up in the land of shadows deep in the cave, staring for hours at the flickering images on the box. I watched shows and absorbed the light and darkness. In between sales jingles that still rattle around in my head many years later, I sat in silence, drawing in the stories. At the end of the night, I turned off the light.
Looking back, I still remember those empty moments as a child when the box went mute. I was left with very little because I never really participated in the stories I watched—I was a spectator. My television fed me visions, but I never created my own until I became a reader."
If you have a minute, check out this video Barry shared with us. He filmed teacher Jamie Palmer who has 4,500 books in her 4/5th grade classroom. Her students love to read we love to watch her describe how she organizes her books and engages her students.
