Friday, November 30, 2007

Last 2007 Event: Tess Uriza Holthe at MVHS

The MVHS Madrigals opened the event with festive songs. What a musical treat!

We heard your feedback from November 1, so Ms. Holthe opened this event with a brief reading from When the Elephants Dance. Since people enjoyed the conversational style used on November 1 so much, we used the format again. MVHS Assistant Principal Donna Peltz posed several thought-provoking questions before opening up to questions from the audience.

The organized activities are over for this year. Let us know your feedback and book suggestions for future years. We'd love to have your help, too! (info at mvreads dot org).

Friday, November 23, 2007

Fires on the Plain (DVD and Book)

After looking at the book description on the front of the Mountain View Reads Together brochure, a colleague told me about a book he read and recommended, "Fires on the Plain." When I googled it, I found that a film was made (in 1959) based on the book that was restored and reissued just this year. The MV library has the 2007 DVD.

It's a tough film to watch. I advise watching the video introduction by Japanese-film scholar David Richie to help understand the film's relevance. The booklet that comes with the DVD is also interesting.

The book by Shohei Ooka was originally published in Japanese in 1951, and the English translation was published in 1957. A new edition was published in 2001.

I'm reading the book now, after watching the film. I often like a book better than its film version. Maybe it's because I usually read the book first and have to imagine everything, and the film doesn't match what I imagine. When I watch a film first, I often can't forget the images I've seen in the film, so it's a different reading experience.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

NEA Announces New Reading Study

November 19, 2007 the National Endowment for the Arts announced the release of To Read or Not To Read: A Question of National Consequence, a new and comprehensive analysis of reading patterns in the United States. To Read or Not To Read gathers statistics from more than 40 studies on the reading habits and skills of children, teenagers, and adults. The compendium reveals recent declines in voluntary reading and test scores alike, exposing trends that have severe consequences for American society.

The key findings:
  • Americans are reading less (on average, Americans ages 15 to 24 spend almost two hours a day watching TV, and only seven minutes of their daily leisure time on reading)
  • Americans are reading less well
  • The declines in reading have civic, social, and economic implications
Sunil Iyengar, NEA Director of Research and Analysis, said, "To Read or Not to Read compels us to consider more carefully how we spend our time, since those choices affect us individually and collectively."

To Read or Not to Read confirms the central importance of reading for a prosperous, free society. The data here demonstrate that reading is an irreplaceable activity in developing productive and active adults as well as healthy communities.

Click here for the press release.
Click here for the research report.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Filipino American Literature Bibliography

Several times I've heard people express that "When the Elephants Dance" is the first book they've heard about that was written by a Filipino American. I found this entry by Barbara Jane Reyes in the Philippine American Literary House's Blog. If you know of others, please add a comment (click on the word "comment" below this entry).

Bookmaking

Yakkity-yak book to save family stories.

Tracing the MV Community Tree

After the presentation about Mountain View's history and an active discussion with the audience, SFSU Professor Dan Gonzales, second from the right, reviews his notes. These notes will be available online soon.
Graham Middle School TV was on-hand to film the event.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Nov. 7 Celebrate Filipino Culture at MV High



The Filipino Culture Festival was successful from all aspects.
Although we could have used more food, everyone enjoyed themselves.
At least half of the staff and many of the student population came
out after school to enjoy Filipino food, music and games but everyone
seemed to be interested in the food! That was the main attraction:
the food. Everyone who came to the festival refused to leave without
having had a lumpia to eat. The festival could have lasted a little
longer, but I don't think our food supply would have lasted.

-- Angeline Capati, MVHS student, Filipino Youth Organization member

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Read-Aloud with Crafts and Snacks



Linda Watanabe McFerrin Interviews Tess Uriza Holthe

The activities kicked off on November 1 at the MV Senior Center with Linda Watanabe McFerrin (on left) asking thoughtful interview questions to Tess Uriza Holthe (on right).

It was Linda Watanabe McFerrin’s class offered at Book Passage Bookstore in Corte Madera that launched Tess Uriza Holthe’s interest in writing and her first novel (When the Elephants Dance) a year and a half later.

Friday, November 02, 2007

A "Blink" Back

During 2006 researchers from the Exploratorium attended some of our Mountain View Reads Together activities because they were working on a major new exhibit, Mind, for their permanent collection. It was four years of research and work. Check out the website, which includes the press release. If you go to the exhibit, you'll have a lot of fun experiencing many of the topics covered in 2006's book, Blink.

http://www.exploratorium.edu/mind/