Someone once said that a good writer, whether for children or adults, has one story, which s/he keeps telling in various disguised ways; the fantastic writer has two stories; and the genius has three. Shakespeare, for example, could write tragedies, comedies, and histories with equal brilliance. In the world of children’s books, you can count the geniuses on one hand. In the pieces in this section, we write about them all – the good writers, the terrific writers, and, yes, those geniuses.
Listen to the Recess! Clip https://recess.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/42/Creation-Myths-1.mp3 Author Kevin Shortsleeve Air Date 12/27/2006 Creation Myths Transcript Inevitably, many children ask the question, “How did the world begin?” And so it is a basic rite of childhood, and a basic rite of enculturation, that children are often taught a traditional tale of where the earth, sky, men […]
Listen to the Recess! Clip https://recess.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/42/Celebrating-the-Shortest-Day.mp3 Author John Cech Air Date 12/20/2006 The Shortest Day Transcript The Winter Solstice occurs later this week. It’s the shortest day of the year, and it takes place during what are called the Halcyon days, the week before and after the Solstice. These days are named after a bird, […]
Listen to the Recess! Clip https://recess.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/42/Rereading-Holiday-Stories.mp3 Author Ramona Caponegro Air Date 12/12/2006 Christmas Stories Transcript As someone who has always wanted “just one more story,”I spend a great deal of time each year reading books that are new — at least to me. But, every December, I immerse myself once again in a collection of […]
Listen to the Recess! Clip https://recess.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/42/Childrens-Favorite-Books-a-Century-Ago.mp3 Author Rita Smith Air Date 12/6/2006 Children’s Favorites Transcript These days, a stroll past the desk in the children’s department of any public library will provide you with a list of “Best Books for Young Readers” or a few minutes spent online will lead to an abundance of good […]
Listen to the Recess! Clip https://recess.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/42/Thanksgiving-some-holiday-history.mp3 Author Lauren Brosnihan Air Date 11/23/2006 Thanksgiving and History Transcript As we celebrate Thanksgiving, it’s difficult to imagine what that first celebration was like for the Allertons, Hopkinses, and other families who broke bread together on that autumn day nearly four hundred years ago. How do we even know […]
Listen to the Recess! Clip https://recess.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/42/Maurice-Sendak-Still-Popping-Up.mp3 Author John Cech Air Date 11/17/2006 Maurice Sendak Transcript You’re hearing Jean Shepard reading the opening lines from one of the most important American picture books of the 20th century, Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are. The Wild Things are turning 43 this fall, but they had already been […]
Listen to the Recess! Clip https://recess.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/42/Talking-with-Nikki-Grimes.mp3 Author Susan Raab Air Date 11/16/2006 Nikki Grimes Transcript Susan Raab recently spoke with the award-winning writer, Nikki Grimes, about her new book of poetry for children about grief. The poems take the reader inside this experience from various points of view. The book is called What is Goodbye? The […]
Today is the birthday of Carlo Collodi, the author of Pinocchio, who based his famous character, at least in part, on himself as a child.
Listen to the Recess! Clip https://recess.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/42/National-Childrens-Book-Week.mp3 Author John Cech Air Date 11/13/2006 Children’s Book Week Transcript This is National Children’s Book Week, which has been brought to us every year since 1919 by the Children’s Book Council. This year’s theme is “More Books Please,” and in the Book Week materials that it makes available — […]
Listen to the Recess! Clip https://recess.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/42/Talking-with-Tomie-DePaola.mp3 Author Susan Raab Air Date 11/8/2006 Tomie DePaola Transcript Susan Raab had a wide-ranging conversation earlier this year with the well-known artist and author, Tomie DePaola, about the autobiographical nature of some of his books, the creative process, the pressures that children are under today, the highly recognizable nature […]