Read Across America

“You may not see it now,” said the Princess of Pure Reason, looking knowingly at Milo’s puzzled face, “but whatever we learn has a purpose and whatever we do affects everything and everyone else, if even in the tiniest way. Why, when a housefly flaps his wings, a breeze goes round the world; when a speck of dust falls to the ground, the entire planet weighs a little more; and when you stamp your foot, the earth moves slightly off its course. Whenever you laugh, gladness spreads like the ripples in the pond; and whenever you’re sad, no one anywhere can be really happy. And it’s much the same thing with knowledge, for whenever you learn something new, the whole world becomes that much richer.”

A couple days ago Jeremy asked if I would participate in Read Across America. This is the third year he’s asked people to call in via Skype and read something to his class. You probably know some of the others who are reading to his class today. Isn’t this a great idea?! I love it.

Today is also Dr. Seuss‘s birthday.

I had a hard time deciding what to read because most of my children’s books are in my mom’s attic in Rubbermaid containers. Also, at 10 years old I was reading at higher grade levels. This is somewhat surprising given my difficulties with reading. I read to myself like I would read aloud, so I’m a slow reader. I also switch words around (it’s the same with numbers). As a kid I also had severe anxiety and hated reading aloud in class because of those issues. I started thinking about this when I said I would read to Jeremy’s class. What if I screw it up? What if I switch the words around? I’m almost 28 years old and I got nervous thinking about reading in front of some kids! But I love reading. I always have. My frustrations and inability to read quickly never kept me from reading everything I could get my hands on.

I wanted to read some Neil Gaiman to Jeremy’s class, but the lovely Grace beat me to it. I chose not to read a Dr. Suess story because I didn’t really like Dr. Suess as a ten year old. Instead, I’m reading the first two chapters from one of my top ten favorite books of all time. It is a book that my mom read to me as a kid and one I read every few years because it is so remarkable. It was enjoyable to read as a kid, but I thought it was brilliant by high school. I still have my mom’s copy from when she was a kid. Maybe after hearing the first section, they’ll want to finish the story themselves or to ask a family member to read it to them.

{Image via Britannica.com}

It’s about a ten year old boy, Milo, who is bored with everything. After a tollbooth lands in his bedroom, he travels to a far off world filled with topsy turvy places like Digitopolis, Dictionopolis and the Doldrums. He meets some wonderful characters like Tock the watchdog who hates killing time, the Humbug who is a bug with nothing very positive to say, and the Spelling B-e-e who is, yes, a bee and an expert speller. They encounter terrible villains like the Senses Taker, the Trivium, and the Lethargians. They must rescue Rhyme and Reason in the Castle in the Air because there is a disagreement about whether numbers or letters are more important than one another. Along the way, a conductor conducts a sunrise, they don’t get wet in the Sea of Knowledge, a midget is actually a giant depending on how you look at it, people eat their words (and synonym buns), and the Whether Man doesn’t care what the weather is as long as he knows whether there will be weather. In the end, Milo comes to appreciate learning, curiosity, and perspective, and he is never bored again. Yeah, so it’s completely fantastical, but it is so clever and has a great message.

Books like this made me love reading. And love learning. It’s amazing how the lessons we learn as children can stick with us into adulthood.

“And remember, also,” added the Princess of Sweet Rhyme, “that many places you would like to see are just off the map and many things you want to know are just out of sight or a little beyond your reach. But someday you’ll reach them all, for what you learn today, for no reason at all, will help you discover all the wonderful secrets of tomorrow.”

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“Expect everything, I always say, and the unexpected never happens.”
Norton Juster (The Phantom Tollbooth)
“…the most important reason for going from one place to another is to see what’s in between, and they took great pleasure in doing just that.”
Norton Juster (The Phantom Tollbooth)
“Time is a gift, given to you, given to give you the time you need, the time you need to have the time of your life. ”
Norton Juster (The Phantom Tollbooth)
“You may not see it now,” said the Princess of Pure Reason, looking knowingly at Milo’s puzzled face, “but whatever we learn has a purpose and whatever we do affects everything and everyone else, if even in the tiniest way. Why, when a housefly flaps his wings, a breeze goes round the world; when a speck of dust falls to the ground, the entire planet weighs a little more; and when you stamp your foot, the earth moves slightly off its course. Whenever you laugh, gladness spreads like the ripples in the pond; and whenever you’re sad, no one anywhere can be really happy. And it’s much the same thing with knowledge, for whenever you learn something new, the whole world becomes that much richer.”
Norton Juster (The Phantom Tollbooth)
“The only thing you can do easily is be wrong, and that’s hardly worth the effort”
Norton Juster (The Phantom Tollbooth)
“…it’s not just learning that’s important. It’s learning what to do with what you learn and learning why you learn things that matters.”
Norton Juster
“Things which are equally bad are also equally good. Try to look at the bright side of things.
– Humbug”
Norton Juster (The Phantom Tollbooth)
“You can swim all day in the Sea of Knowledge and not get wet.”
Norton Juster (The Phantom Tollbooth)
“It has been a long trip,” said Milo, climbing onto the couch where the princesses sat; “but we would have been here much sooner if I hadn’t made so many mistakes. I’m afraid it’s all my fault.”
“You must never feel badly about making mistakes,” explained Reason quietly, “as long as you take the trouble to learn from them. For you often learn more by being wrong for the right reasons than you do by being right for the wrong reasons.”
Norton Juster (The Phantom Tollbooth)
“Everybody is so terribly sensitive about the things they know best.”
Norton Juster (The Phantom Tollbooth)
“Would it be possible for me to see something from up there?” asked Milo politely.”You could,” said Alec, “but only if you try very hard to look at things as an adult does.”Milo tried as hard as he could, and, as he did, his feet floated slowly off the ground until he was standing in the air next to Alex Bings. He looked around very quickly and, an instant later, crashed back down to the earth again.”Interesting, wasn’t it?” asked Alex.

“Yes, it was,” agreed Milo, rubbing his head and dusting himself off, “but I think I’ll continue to see things as a child. It’s not so far to fall.”
Norton Juster (The Phantom Tollbooth)

“A slavish concern for the composition of words is the sign of a bankrupt intellect. Be gone, odious wasp! You smell of decayed syllables.”
Norton Juster (The Phantom Tollbooth)
“For instance,” said the boy again, “if Christmas trees were people and people were Christmas trees, we’d all be chopped down, put up in the living room, and covered in tinsel, while the trees opened our presents.”
“What does that have to do with it?” asked Milo.
“Nothing at all,” he answered, “but it’s an interesting possibility, don’t you think?”
Norton Juster (The Phantom Tollbooth)
“Whether or not you find your own way, you’re bound to find some way. If you happen to find my way, please return it, as it was lost years ago. I imagine by now it’s quite rusty.”
Norton Juster (The Phantom Tollbooth)
“As the cheering continued, Rhyme leaned forward and touched Milo gently on the shoulder.
“They’re cheering for you,” she said with a smile.
“But I could never have done it,” he objected, “without everyone else’s help.”
“That may be true,” said Reason gravely, “but you had the courage to try; and what you can do is often simply a matter of what you *will* do.”
“That’s why,” said Azaz, “there was one very important thing about your quest that we couldn’t discuss until you returned.
“I remember,” said Milo eagerly. “Tell me now.”
“It was impossible,” said the king, looking at the Mathemagician.
“Completely impossible,” said the Mathemagician, looking at the king.
“Do you mean—-” said the bug, who suddenly felt a bit faint.
“Yes, indeed,” they repeated together; “but if we’d told you then, you might not have gone—and, as you’ve discovered, so many things are possible just as long as you don’t know they’re impossible.”
And for the remainder of the ride Milo didn’t utter a sound.”
Norton Juster (The Phantom Tollbooth)
“It’s bad enough wasting time without killing it.”
Norton Juster (The Phantom Tollbooth)
“The most important reason for going from one place to another is to see what’s in between.”
Norton Juster (The Phantom Tollbooth)
“So many things are possible just as long as you don’t know they’re impossible.”
Norton Juster (The Phantom Tollbooth)
“You must never feel badly about making mistakes … as long as you take the trouble to learn from them. For you often learn more by being wrong for the right reasons than you do by being right for the wrong reasons.”
Norton Juster (The Phantom Tollbooth)
“Let me try once more,” Milo said in an effort to explain. “In other words–”
“You mean you have other words?” cried the bird happily. “Well, by all means, use them. You’re certainly not doing very well with the ones you have now.”
Norton Juster (The Phantom Tollbooth)

“And remember, also,” added the Princess of Sweet Rhyme, “that many places you would like to see are just off the map and many things you want to know are just out of sight or a little beyond your reach. But someday you’ll reach them all, for what you learn today, for no reason at all, will help you discover all the wonderful secrets of tomorrow.”

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3 thoughts on “Read Across America

  1. Pingback: March 2011
  2. Oh my gosh, I had forgotten about this book. In the sixth grade, I drew the Everpresent Word Snatcher, renamed it the Everpresent Note Snatcher and perched it on my piano. I think it needs to be redrawn and perched on my computer. I LOVED this book. Must reread it.

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