Humor and Kids (3:42)

You want a little bit of humor? Well, you’re not alone. Just about everyone does, and children are hardly an exception. In fact, one of the best ways to get children reading is to offer them the enjoyment of something funny. Our first guest today, educator and author Mary Bigler, talks to Rachel about why she thinks humor in books for children is important – and that this type of book can boost a child’s desire to read. Mary also will recommend books with jokes, riddles, tongue twisters and more – titles we can share with our children, friends, and family. Once a pre-school teacher and now, a professor, Mary Bigler has spent her life promoting literacy and celebrating the joys of teaching. She’s an award-winning professor in the Department of Teacher Education at Eastern Michigan University and, author of Lessons Learned. 

Teaching Good Citizenship (15:06)

Next on Worlds Awaiting, Rachel welcomes Amy Miner who discusses the importance of teaching our children a skill-set she calls, “democratic literacies.” This skill-set includes being well-read, more tolerant of others, and open to communication with people not like ourselves. Now, doesn’t that all sound like a recipe for good citizenship? Dr. Miner is a professor of teacher education at BYU. She specializes in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis on social studies and democratic practices. She also has a masters in children's literature.

Book Review (24:47)

We finish up the show with a book review from Margaret Neville, children’s book seller at the King’s English Bookshop in Salt Lake City. Neville introduces a middle grade novel entitled Ghost by Jason Reynolds.