February 2008

Dear Fellow Book Lovers:

PAY-A-COMPLIMENT THROUGH BOOKS

I’ve learned that you don’t have to look far to find something special to celebrate. For example, I just discovered that there is a “Pay-A-Compliment” Day in February. It’s a little sad that our society has reached a point that we have to designate a day for issuing compliments to friends and family. They even make greeting cards for this special day. Since schools and libraries are constantly searching for programming ideas, it makes perfect sense to capitalize on “Pay-A-Compliment” Day and incorporate books and reading into the celebration. Here are a few programming ideas:

• Ask children and young adults to share a time that someone paid them a compliment. How did it make them feel? How did they know that the person was sincere? Brainstorm different types of compliments: “You look so pretty,” “I really like your shirt,” “Your artwork is amazing,” and “That was a nice deed you did.” Then have young patrons practice paying compliments to one another.

• Readers may enjoy identifying favorite book characters that deserve compliments. For example, ask them to consider a compliment that Sylvester’s parents in William Steig’s Sylvester and the Magic Pebble might pay to the policemen who help search for Sylvester. Stage a compliment that Cassie Louise Lightfoot may pay to her parents after friends and family picnic in Faith Ringgold’s Tar Beach. What compliment might Kenny pay to Byron in Christopher Paul Curtis’ The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963? Then consider Hattie in Kirby Larson’s Hattie Big Sky. Which character in this novel is most likely to compliment Hattie?

• Role-play a compliment from Caroline to Sam MacKenzie in Patricia Reilly Giff’s Eleven.

• Think of main characters that desire a compliment from a certain person. For example, who does Georgia McCoy most want to compliment her in Pieces of Georgia by Jen Bryant?

• Name book characters whose behavior might change if someone took the time to pay them a compliment. Such characters may include: Marc Brown’s Arthur, Barbara Park’s Junie B. Jones, The Hatford brothers and the Malloy girls in Phyllis Reynolds Naylor’s Boys and Girls series, Linda Fischer in Judy Blume’s Blubber, Harriet in Louise Fitzhugh’s Harriet the Spy. How do these characters need to change their behavior? What type of compliment might offer them encouragement?

• Have readers make a “Pay-A-Compliment” greeting card to send to a favorite character. Maybe they will consider Velma Gratch in Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly by Alan Madison; iillustrated by Kevin Hawkes, Muhammad Ali in The Champ by Tonya Bolden; illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, Annemarie Johansen in Lois Lowry’s Number the Stars, Noah in Carol Hiaasen’s Flush, Jared Finch in Caroline Cooney’s Diamonds in the Shadow, Armpit in Louis Sachar’s Small Steps, April and Melanie in Zilpha Keatley Snyder’s The Egypt Game, Mikey in Graham Salisbury's Lord of the Deep, and Leon in How to Get Suspended and Influence People by Adam Selzer.

• Pay-A-Compliment to all young readers by introducing them to some good new books. Such titles from Random House may include: The Silk Princess by Charles Santore, Night Running by Elisa Carbone; illustrated by E. B. Lewis, and The Last Exit to Normal by Michael Harmon.

You may email me at pscales@bellsouth.net.

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