How to encourage reading

How to Survive the Thanksgiving Road Trip

Posted on by Julia Tomiak / 11 Comments

Will you be traveling for Thanksgiving?  Hopping in a car or van with several other people to spend hours together in a confined space?  If so, are you anticipating some conflict?

I am.

The Problem

My husband and I will drive to Tennessee with our four lovely, yet noisy and independent minded, children.  My new Honda minivan has all of the swanky upgrades – the sunroof, the Bluetooth, and the cool box.  But it’s missing the most important feature: a sound proof glass barrier between the driver’s area and the rest of the van.  You know, like the ones you find in limousines?

We could keep the kids quiet by letting them play on electronic gadgets the entire trip.  Right now, they love a game called Mine Craft.  In it, they search for resources, build homes, and fight off monsters.  They can play across devices, so at least they are interacting with each other, but still, can’t we find something more thought-provoking?

The Solution

When you have reached that point, when you can’t tolerate the tension/arguing/boredom any longer, grab your smart phone and surf to the website www.sporcle.com.  There, you will  find “mentally stimulating diversions”  in several categories, like geography, entertainment, movies, and, most importantly to word nerds, literature.

Choose a trivia quiz that appeals to you and your road trip companions.  Some options from the literature section include:

  • Lord of the Rings or IKEA– Determine if a name is from LOTR or the Scandinavian store (hilarious)
  • Harry Potter: Last Words– Name the characters who spoke the listed quote (sniffle)
  • Literary Lovers– Name a literary figure’s famous lover.  (This one is tough; it includes easy ones like Juliet as well more obscure characters like Lady Rowena, Marius Pontmercy, and Bathsheba Everdene.)
  • Children’s Book Characters– name the character shown (great for younger players)
  • Hunger Games Name Game– determine if the name listed is actually a character from the trilogy (there are a ton of names!)

And guess what?  All of the quizzes are timed.  No pressure.

I can’t wait to play the LOTR/IKEA one, as I am a Tolkien fanatic, enthusiastically looking forward to The Hobbit’s release next month.  My husband isn’t good with names, so I actually have a chance of beating him at something.  But, my twelve-year-old son just read through all the Tolkien books again… GAME ON!

Happy travels, if applicable, and have a wonderful holiday.

Do you have a favorite road trip survival technique that you’d like to share?

 

 

 

 

How to encourage reading/Improving vocabulary

More Vocabulary from Jane Eyre: Torpid

Posted on by Julia Tomiak / 14 Comments

As I said last week, besides being a wonderful read, Jane Eyre has given me plenty of vocabulary words to learn about!

In the middle of the novel, Jane takes a position as a teacher for a rural school.  Upon first meeting her students, Jane says about them:

Wholly untaught, with faculties quite torpid, they seemed to me hopelessly dull.

Don’t judge Jane for saying this; she learns, with time, how capable her students really are.

Now, let’s learn something too!

 

 

 

torpid \’tȯr-pəd\ adj, from Latin torpidus, torpere to be stiff or numb; having lost motion or power of exertion; sluggish in acting or functioning

Word Nerd Workout

Use torpid in a sentence.  My example:

  • The dose of NyQuil quickly rendered my mind torpid and useless for finishing the edits.
Your turn!  Leave a sentence in the reply section below.  This one’s tough, isn’t it?

Other Word Nerdy Words

winsome, vapid

 

 

 

Book reviews

The Giver: A Great Introduction to Dystopian Literature

Posted on by Julia Tomiak / 5 Comments

Up until last month, no one in my house had read The Giver, by Lois Lowry.  No one.  Very unusual for a house full of book lovers.
Since we spend many hours on the road commuting to sports practice in a nearby town, I decided we should use that time to listen to The Giver together.  And it was so much more beneficial than everyone staring at electronic devices for 90 minutes.  

The Premise

At the opening of The Giver we meet Jonas, a boy eagerly anticipating The Ceremony of Twelve.  At this ceremony, the Elders of his Community will give all the 12 year olds their Assignment, or adult occupation.   The Elders choose the Assignment for each Community member based on several years of observation.  Jonas can’t wait to learn his.
But The Ceremony changes Jonas’s life in unexpected ways.  He isn’t named a Nurturer, or Instructor, or Caretaker.  Instead, he is called to be the Receiver, the one person responsible for holding all of the Community’s memories.  Jonas immediately starts to worry.

Now, for the first time in his twelve years of life, Jonas felt separate, different.

His fears escalate when he reads the guidelines for his Assignment, which include:
  • From this moment, you are prohibited from dream –telling.
  • Except for illness or injury unrelated to your training, do not apply for medication.
  • You are not permitted to apply for release.
  • You may lie.

Wouldn’t you worry too?

What Works Well

Remember that by definition, a dystopian society has at least one inherent, horrible flaw.  Lowry builds tension and interest by slowly revealing multiple problems with Jonas’s Community, which was founded on the principle of “Same”.   All irritating irregularities have been removed.  The people exist in a peaceful environment of competence, politeness, and security. 
At a great price.  Yet they don’t realize it.
As Jonas gains memories from his trainer, The Giver, he learns about everything, and everyone, that has been sacrificed to maintain the stability of Same.  With each memory he receives, Jonas moves closer to a difficult decision: should he do the right thing, or the safe thing?  
Jonas’s dilemma, and his reaction to the knowledge he receives, sparked great discussion with my kids, aged 6-12.  I asked them things like:
  • What do you like about Jonas’s community?
  • What is missing?
  • What would you do if you were in Jonas’s place?
  • What is something you would like to change in our community?
  • How can “sameness” be a bad thing?

Words of Caution

Very little violence occurs in The Giver, except that people deemed no longer valuable to the Community are “released”, and that includes children.  Late in the book, we finally learn for sure what “released” means, as Jonas witnesses the lethal injection of a baby.  My kids listened in stunned silence, and afterward, I hit pause so we could process together.
We all truly enjoyed this book, and I highly recommend it, but the ending disappointed me.  Too many loose strings.  On the positive side, that led to more discussion.  I’d love to share my daughter’s interpretation of the ending, but I hate to spoil the book.  E-mail me after you read it, and we’ll talk.
There are three more books considered to be “companions” to The Giver: 

Can you recommend a dystopian book appropriate for younger readers?  If you have read The Giver, what did you like/dislike about it?

Julia
Improving vocabulary

Vocabulary from Jane Eyre: Vapid

Posted on by Julia Tomiak / 7 Comments

Last Week’s Winner

So many of you were close on last week’s vocabulary challenge– one answer away from perfection.  But I only had one winner (aha!  I said I’d make October’s quiz harder!)  Congratulations to:

Lara Britt of Writing Space.  Lara (aka Lori Tian Sailiata) blogs from Hawaii.  Visit her site for writing tips, fascinating personal stories, and insights from paradise.  

Good luck with NaNo, Lori!  And congrats on your second win here!

The answers to last week’s quiz

  1. Expurgated = offensive content removed
  2. Scout Finch is definitely more perspicacious (having acute mental discernment) than either Ron Weasley or Pip.
  3. The analogy required a synonym for obdurate: stubborn, inflexible, unyielding, etc.
  • Bonus: October is the tenth month, instead of the eighth, because during changes to the Roman calendar, the start of the year moved to January from March, and months were added.  For more juicy details, see the full post on why October is the Tenth Month.

This week’s new word

I’m currently reading Jane Eyre, and I can find at least one word on EACH PAGE of the novel that I need to look up.  My note cards have gotten full!  (My friend Crystal read the ebook and could look everything up quickly on her Kindle dictionary!  Smart girl.)
So today, I present the first of many vocab words that Charlotte Bronte has brought to my attention:

[Sophie] was not of a descriptive or narrative turn, and generally gave such vapid and confused answers as were calculated rather to check than encourage inquiry.

vapid \’va-pəd,’ vā-pəd\ adj, from Latin vapidus flat tasting; lacking liveliness, tang, briskness, or force; uninteresting
I also recently saw this adjective used in a movie review and thought, I need to get a handle on this word.

Word Nerd Workout

Use vapid in a sentence; try to write about a character, book, or movie that fits “vapid.”  For example,

Since film critics called New Year’s Eve a vapid and unimaginative parade of popular stars, I rented This Means War from Redbox instead.

Other Word Nerdy Words

Note: I include links to all my word nerdy words, so you don’t ever have to go look something up- just click the link.  Or visit my Word Nerd Vocabulary page.  I’ve already spent precious minutes tracking down definitions- save yourself some time!
Julia
How to encourage reading

Where to Find Great Writing Tips

Posted on by Julia Tomiak / 14 Comments

Chances are, if you’re a word nerd like me, you not only enjoy reading, but you also like writing!  Since National Novel Writing Month has started, I wanted to share some writerly information today.

During NaNoWriMo, thousands of writers vow to pen an entire novel in one month!  I’m not participating this year, but if you’re interested, you can find more information at the official NaNoWriMo site.

If you’re writing for NaNo or on your own time frame, let me introduce you to some wonderful people…

Helpful Writing Blogs

Since I spend so much of my time as transportation supervisor, laundry manager, and nutritional director for five robust personalities, I cannot spend my days reading 1000 word posts on the craft of writing.  I prefer posts from bloggers who are: personable, informative, encouraging, and above all, succinct!  Over the past year, I have found the following bloggers, who offer wonderful content with these expectations in mind.  Check ‘em out:
Best of luck with your writing!

And since I like to write…

My blogging buddy Amy has “tagged” me for “The Next Big Thing.”  So in this writerly post I’ll briefly share some information about my current WIP (work in progress).
What is the working title of your book? 
Redefined.  That’s its third name.
Where did the idea for the book come from?    
My experiences as a teenager caring for my chronically ill mother.  My current observations of life in a small town.  The idea that sometimes to be true to yourself, you  have to stand up to the people closest to you, and trust that they will still love you.
    
What genre does your book fall under?
Young adult 
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition of the book?
If and when the book ever gets published, all the actors I have in mind will be in their 30s.  Not good.
 
What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?
Cat Tierney has always done the right thing, including caring for her ailing mother and respecting her father’s strict mandates, until Adam Jordan moves to town.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?  
I’m going to try the agency route first. 
How long did it take to write the first draft and may we see an intro? 
One year.  At least.
Dianne and Marcy graciously posted the first page of Redefined for critique for their “First Impressions” series at In HighSpirits (Dianne) and  Mainewoods (Marcy).  Please read and critique for yourself.  I love input!  You may also want to submit your own work; Dianne and Marcy are both published authors and give great feedback.  
What other books would you compare the story to? 
The Truth About Forever, by Sarah Dessen
Who or what inspired you to write this book?  
After I read the Twilight series and learned that Stephenie Meyer wrote her books as a stay at home mom of three young boys, I thought, “What a great idea!  I want to use my brain and creativity like that.”  So I told my husband I wanted to write a book, and he, as always, encouraged me.
What else might pique the reader’s interest?  
A boy with penetrating blue eyes, photography, star gazing, Shakespeare, and a near fatal collision with a tractor trailer.
  

Now I’ll tag five other Word Nerds to share about their Next Big Thing:

Laura Howard 
Emily McGee
Jennifer Chow
Muddy Kinzer
Alvarado Frazier

Rules of The Next Big Thing:

*Use this format for your post
*Answer the ten questions about your current WIP
*Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them

Which writing blogs do you like to follow?  Would you like to share information about your WIP?  Thanks for stopping by.

Julia
Improving vocabulary

How Good is Your Vocabulary?

Posted on by Julia Tomiak / 8 Comments

I cannot recall a Halloween when snow was falling in Virginia.  But thanks to the “Super Storm”, I’m huddled up inside, watching white flakes fly past the window, and considering how to best bundle up Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker for Trick or Treating!  Hope you are safe and warm where you are.

The end of October means it’s time for another vocabulary review.  Everyone who answers all three questions correctly will receive “link love” from me, as well as shout outs on Facebook and Twitter about your word nerd excellence.  Good luck!

Word Nerd Quiz

  1. How would an expurgated edition of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn differ from the original version?
    1. It wouldn’t have illustrations.
    2. All offensive content would have been removed.
    3. New passages, based on Twain’s notes, would have been added.
  2. Which one of the following characters would you describe as perspicacious? 
    1. Scout Finch, from To Kill a Mockingbird
    2. Ron Weasley, from Harry Potter
    3. Pip, from Great Expectations
  3. Fill in the blank to complete this analogy:  inexorable:relentless::obdurate: ____________.
  4. Bonus!  In as few words as possible, why is October the 10th month of the year, instead of the eighth?  (you know, Oct= 8)

Julia