Today, Literacy, Solutions, and More by Rick Walton

Those of us who live in Utah are so lucky. There are lots of reason, of course. But if you are a writer in UT you’re the luckiest person around because you have Rick Walton, author of more than 80 books for kids. Rick has worked tirelessly over the years making Utah a place where writers are born. I’ve been lucky enough to be along for part of the ride. It’s been his goal for years to help anyone he can. And he does. He works along side up-and-coming writers and illustrators and he’s a friend to the published writer.

So our blog post is from Rick today and before you read this I want to just say, “Rick, thank you. Thank you for all you have done for the writers and illustrators of our community. Thanks for being everyone’s firend. Thank you for trying to help so many publish. Thank you for giving of your time. You are an example to us all.”

We’d love to hear from you all about Rick’s suggestions. Please pass this blog (however you do that) to all your reader/writer/illustrator/teacher friends. He makes some interesting points. And I told you–Rick wants to help everybody. Let’s help him.

The children’s book world recently went to a minor convulsion when the Today Show decided that for the first time in several years they would not have the winners of the Caldecott and the Newbery. It felt too many like a slap in the face, and a blow to literacy, and books. There has been much talk about what should be done. How do you address this problem?

I love to tackle impossible problems, and I have been trying to think of the solution to the Today Show problem.

But then I realize that I need to figure out what the real problem is.

Is it that the awards don’t get enough attention? Only, I believe, in the sense that the main value of the awards is that they draw attention to books and reading.

Is it that writers aren’t glitzy enough to be seen as celebrity? I’ve never liked the idea of authors as celebrities. It’s the books, it’s reading, it’s literacy that matters.

Is it even more fundamental, that kids aren’t reading and writing? Actually, with computer gaming, texting, and social media, kids are reading and writing more than ever.

But from what I see, the reading and writing of the e-world lacks some things that traditional reading and writing can provide.

Books ask us to explore ideas, people, and worlds with much more depth and complexity. We are led to think rather than just respond. Because books ask us to give more, we get more.

Reading connects us with our past. It helps us understand where we came from, which helps us better shape where we are going.

Writing teaches us to think and communicate more clearly. I am amazed that kids in the schools I visit don’t think of themselves as writers, don’t understand the real reason for writing education.

Love of and skill at reading and writing, I believe, lead to more rational thinking, more clear communication, more imagination and creativity, more understanding, more compassion. These are things the world desperately needs.

So how does this translate into real action?

I look for a panacea and I don’t see it. But I see a lot of smaller possibilities that take us in the right direction.

And for me that is the answer. If each of us does whatever we can, wherever we have ability and influence, then we can go far.

Just a few thoughts and ideas, in no particular order:

1. I take heart in my perception that book reading by kids and adults has increased.

2. We should acknowledge and support the good things that are being done.

3. We can recognize that the greatest influence is local–friends, parents, teachers, libraries.

4. We can get books into the hands of kids who don’t have them. There are a lot of projects around the country that do this, including a couple here in Utah.

5. We can bring like-minded people together through listservs, conferences, etc, so that they can be more effective.

6. We can work with the schools to help them help kids more. I’m working with a start up charter school whose curriculum is going to be designed around writing.

7. We can encourage more reading aloud to students in the elementary classroom. The most effective thing I did as a teacher was read to my 5th and 6th graders a half hour to an hour a day.

8. We can work with schools to help them choose and develop writing curricula that get kids excited about writing, teaches them real writing skills and helps them see themselves as writers.

9. Writers in each state could create short, catchy videos that explore various reading and writing attitudes and skills, as well as introduce kids to their local writers. These could be given to schools to enhance their curricula.

I’ll stop there. I could keep going on and on. There are so many possibilities.

After writing all of this I’m feeling much better about the NBC decision; not that they made the right decision, but that there is so much good that is being done already, and even more important, so many more things we can do. Their decision is just a minor setback.

We are a creative bunch. It would be interesting to hear what ideas others have.

And of course we should remember that the best thing we can do is continue to write books that people want to read.

Rick