“A book is a gift you can open again and again.”
-Garrison Keillor
Well, as long as it’s taken care of, that is. There is nothing more disappointing than discovering a missing page or feeling the book spine fall off in your hands because a book was abused. One way to be kind to books is to mark your place with a bookmark rather than turning down corners or leaving your book splayed open. A bookmark also lets you get quickly back to where you were reading before–and who doesn’t like that? Losing your place can slow you down when all you want to do is read!
We made these pop-up bookmarks during our first week of school. They are easy and fun to make by folding manilla tag (teachers use it for word strips). I have very creative students as you can tell. Soon they will have their own blogs and you’ll be able read their interesting posts and see what they create.
Here’s a sample of our bookmarks. Take a look, and as Neil Buchanan used to say on his program Art Attack, try it yourself!
-
- Bright and bouncy…
-
- …and amazing!
-
- Feel like a superhero…
-
- …while you read.
-
- Dark but cute…
-
- …and awesome. of course.
-
- Read…
-
- …with a friend
-
- And of course…
-
- Huzzah! Celebrate reading!
-
- Don’t lose your place…
-
- Use a bookmark!
Here is an Art Attack from the 1990s–Neil brought so much enthusiasm and creativity to the show. It’s a little corny, silly, and over the top–but I love it. I wish I could find the episode that had the bookmarks in it –but I bet you can figure it out yourself. If you are really stuck, leave a comment and I will give you some details.
(Video starts after 10 seconds–it’s a bit loud!)
So, students of Smarthlandia and guests too: in your comment below, please tell us about your reading habits: what do you like to read? What have you read lately that you recommend? Any favourite authors? And do you use a bookmark?
We look forward to hearing from you!