Tag: children’s books

Posted on

Reading, apparently

What’s a skill you consider basic, that most people don’t actually know how to do?

Something is happening to reading skills and it is not good. Not just attention spans, which are declining rapidly, actual comprehension.

As in, not only understanding the words written, but understanding the context, subtext, intertext, and metatext of what you are reading. And knowing where to check if you don’t understand what you just read.

There is so much to reading, and it’s a skill humans really shouldn’t neglect, especially in the young.

Read bedtime stories to the children. And yourself.

Your inner child needs attention as well.

#reading

Posted on

Surprise me

Who are your favorite artists?

Um, which art? And which genre?

Books – Movies – Music – Paintings – Dance – Artisans – ?
There are so many arts to choose from, the number of incredible artists are too many to count.

To me, fave’s come and go. Some turn out to be deeply problematic, if not monstrous, others were a fave for a particular time (teens, twens, that one time while traveling, etc.). Some are constants, though the reasons may change over time.

The gauge is surprise. Whether pleasant or thought-provoking: Surprise me. Make me think. Tug at particular heart strings, without manipulation. Observe something interesting. Tell me something I don’t already know. Reflect on something unexpected. Do something wonderful. Show me your experience of the world we both see.

Art is such a sublime thing, uncontainable and uncontained, any artist who can catch that “spark of divine fire” is worth praise.

#create

Posted on

*comms blink*

Describe your dream chocolate bar.

Boss: Go on.

Agent: They’re definitely watching, sir.

Boss: Quite so. Get Hayfield, Simons, and Bashar on this. We’ll need the whole crew.

Agent: Yes, sir. Codename?

Boss: Pondicherry.

Agent: Bit on the nose, sir

Boss: That is the point.

#sweet

Posted on

The Golden Ticket

Do you remember your favorite book from childhood?

Again, too many to count, but let’s go with Charlie and The Misanthrope’s Chocolate Factory.

From Prince Pondicherry to 4 Grandparents in 1 bed, Little Me had a tremendous amount of questions while reading. Also, those chocolates, candies, and sweets sounded amazing. Finally, no way the Oompa Loompas never figured out another diet on their own  (always bothered me).

Then there were The Chocolate Trials:
At first it was enormously satisfying to watch spoilt brats and bullies have the day they deserved. The Oompa Loompas DGAF and Willy Wonka was a revelation: An adult who stood firm in the face of irate parents? Amazing.

After multiple re-reads, though, the terrible children’s “just deserts” stopped being so perfectly just, given how their parents were horrible already and really weren’t being, y’know, parents. Especially in comparison to Charlie’s family, who clearly cared for Little Bucket.

Eye-opening for a kid.

© 2025 threegoodwords