5/19/2007

At Isotope, a comic book store in Hayes Valley

The man of the evening--Ed Brubaker, there to launch Criminal: Coward. His favorite book--Palomar, by Gilbert Hernandez.

(note: the man in the white suit is not the illustrator of the Crime series, Sean Phillips)

Also in the shop, a Sherman Elementary School first-grade teacher, reading She Hulk, by Stan Lee and John Buscema.

What do his students like to read? They mostly like what I read them, he says (note to authors: make friends with teachers) --Green Eggs and Ham and The Lorax by Dr. Seuss; It's Okay To Be Different, by local author, Todd Parr, who also writes--I love this title--Reading Makes You Feel Good ; and Why? a wordless book by a Russian illustrator I forgot the name of. Why? teaches children comprehension skills in following a story from beginning to end and promotes creativity in making up the words.

How do you get the kids to sit still? I asked him, as my experience teaching children involved pulling them off the bookshelves. His answer--positive examples like "Look how nicely X is sitting," or telling them the consequences, "5 minutes less recess..." It usually works.

On Fridays, they have storytelling day. He tells stories, involving his students as characters and the students create stories too, either taking off on his stories or creating stories from their own lives.

The guy in the amazing purple suit said he's actually read my blog!