I read for hours each day...but not for myself. I read with my children every morning and evening and with my ailing mom many hours a week. I consider this reading as service reading, especially the time spent providing enrichment to my cognitively impaired mom. With a vast array of developmental abilities, my reading selections range from the very simple, rich texts to more complex plots and characters. I truly try to match the listener's skills and interests to the book selections. For example, my mom's continuous cognitive decline caused by progressive dementia challenges me to constantly introduce books to match her abilities. Therefore, my reading profile is extraordinarily dynamic.
Our best loved children's books include:
- Vincent Van Gogh (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists) by Mike Venezia [and his other artist and musician books]
- The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco (a favorite with my mom)
- The Clown of God by Tomi dePaola
Our best loved middle grade books include:
- The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
- Book Scavenger (the series) by Jennifer Chamblis Bertman
- Chasing Vermeer (the series) by Blue Balliet
When I'm not reading to others, I read books that will enrich and enlighten me and my perspective on life. Because I don't have any spare time, if I'm going to read, I want self-improvement resulting from my investment of time. It's a tall order for a book to fulfill, but, I have found great success with inspiring biographies and inspirational spiritual books.
My recent reads include:
- Christmas Stories: Heartwarming Stories of Angels, A Manger and the Birth of Hope by Max Lucado
- The Angel Tree by Daphne Benedis-Grab
- The Adventures of Henry Thoreau; A Young Man's Unlikely Path to Walden Pond by Michael Sims
My personal reading is sparse and I am comfortable reading my select favorites within a narrow list of genres. When selecting books for others, however, I found that knowledge of current genre trends and appeal factors is essential to correctly match the reading material to the user. I agree with Saricks' emphasis on keeping up on current genre trends in order to provide effective services to the "fans of a genre" (Saricks 10). Communicating with others and establishing a useful plan to maintain current knowledge of genres provides necessary information for better patron service (Saricks 10).
For example, in 2015, Emma Rose Sparrow self-published a series of books for dementia patients. Sparrow's books are categorized for varied developmental stages of dementia, providing unparalleled enrichment and engagement to cognitively impaired seniors. I stumbled upon this series through a basic search, purchased a few and have successfully shared them with several seniors and caregivers. Yet, my local library collection does not include any books written for dementia patients to read and enjoy. My hope is that materials for dementia patients continue to grow in popularity and become a respectable subject area in our libraries.
Works Cited
Saricks, Joyce G. The Reader's Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction. American Library Association, 2009.
Hi Lisa! I noticed you liked the book The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Bruebaker Bradley. It just so happens that one of my relatives is best friends with the author! I always find historical fiction to be interesting to read, because of the context of the story, and how much research the author needed to do. Did you know that Beverly Lewis writes children's books? She writes Christian Fiction like Max Lucado. You might like her work as well!
ReplyDeleteWhat a small world. I love hearing stories like your relative and Kimberly Bruebaker Bradley. I enjoy historical fiction, especially, listening or reading historical fiction with my kids. I think they can learn a lot about cultures through historical fiction. Thank you for the tip on Beverly Lewis, I will look for some of her works. I read mostly Christian nonfiction books, but, I do select Christian Fiction for the senior outreach program and I should try it.....broaden my horizons. Thank you!
DeleteHi Lisa! I love how your reading profile is so diverse. It's so great that you find time to read with your children and your mother. When I read that one of your favorite middle school books was The War That Saved My Life, I jumped! I always get excited when others read the same books I love so dearly. I also love Chasing Vermeer. I taught a unit to middle schoolers while reading that book. I haven't had the chance to read the Book Scavenger series, but I will definitely check it out!
ReplyDeletePaige,
DeleteMy kids are ages 7, 11 and 14. They absolutely LOVE books that involve logic puzzles. The Book Scavenger series is great, and interactive. Readers can hide books and also find books by using the link and registering. We enjoyed this fun activity last summer. I was so pleased that a book can also give my kids physical exercise...who knew? Thanks!
Hi Lisa, I read "The War That Saved My Life" in my youth literate class and really enjoyed it. Have you read the second one "The War I Finally Won". I have wanted to read it but my library doesn't have it and I haven't got around to buying it yet. I didn't know that there were books out there for people with dementia. I will have to look into this and see if the library would look in to purchasing some of this title.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I have not read "The War I Finally Won"...I'll look into getting the audio book, so my kids can enjoy it with me...we all loved "The War That Saved My Life." Thanks for the tip.
DeleteThere are a few books out that are geared for the Alzheimer patient. Emma Rose Sparrow has a wonderful series that she rates according to the degree of impairment....but, she's self-published, I believe and libraries [from my understanding] are not anxious to carry these books. There are others, too, but, hers are truly a gift.
Wonderful reading profile!! I like that you referenced some class readings and got personal in this. I love your term, "service reading," something we should all strive to do more!
ReplyDeleteThank you. The reason I am working on my MLS is to provide outreach services and enrichment for cognitively impaired seniors [and impaired children as well]. I believe this very delicate and important sector of our communities can benefit tremendously from literary enrichment. So, although I used to enjoy reading for pleasure, the past several years have been reading for the pleasure of others...it's a journey that has offered many gifts...
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