Neighbourhood
I absolutely love this line of illuminated laundry by the artist Sergey Kim. Here it glows in Amsterdam as part of the 2021 Light Festival and another washing line hangs along Liverpool’s Castle Street as part of the city’s River of Light Trail.
Outdoor galleries make art accessible as we continue to wrestle with the pandemic. Light is - of course - hope and safety. Light guides us home and allows us to see clearly. Florence Nightingale was known as The Lady with the Lamp because she carried a small light as she moved from bed to bed, visiting wounded soldiers at night during the Crimean War. Ever since the pandemic began, hospital and care home staff have kept watch over Covid-19 patients in just the same way and this installation demonstrates both the brilliance of C21st light technology and the enduring comfort of a light in the darkness.
Young people could have fun interpreting this washing line, its points of connection and its domesticity, with just a little information from their teacher and perhaps some images of washing strung between streets and high-rise buildings, as it is all over the world. And it would be exciting to explore this line of clothes, with its Moroccan djellaba, pair of wide Turkish pants and traditional Jewish dress, and then discuss the role that clothes play in literature. How does Inspector Goole’s costume reveal him to be a professional in An Inspector Calls? In what ways does Lady Macbeth’s clothing reveal her changing public and private experiences? Are there any details of soldiers’ uniforms in Wilfred Owen’s poems? And how does Scout - in Chapter 24 of To Kill a Mockingbird - respond to Miss Maudie’s question, “So where are your britches today?”
Just published
One of the jobs that I would like to conjure up for myself is that of The Grand Book Selector, the job description for which would sit define a role that blended fairy godmother, super scholar and secret Santa. I would work in a turreted castle of books and my visitors could describe a person and I would magic the perfect read for them out of my kingdom of All Books.
Meanwhile, back at my desk with a snoring labrador keeping my feet warm, I noticed the following in The Guardian’s Review (30th January 2021):
The Worries: Sohal Finds a Friend, Jion Sheibani (Puffin, 144 pages)
This highly illustrated book is recommended for 5-8 year olds and it tells the story of a little boy, Sohal, who worries a lot. He draws his worries to see if he can find a way to manage his anxieties and finds himself with a cast of characters that he needs to keep under control. As events evolve, Sohal has some fun with Alone, Hurt, Fail and Anger. The reviews of this book suggest that children are enjoying it and that it provides a great starting point for parents or carers who want to talk to younger children about worries and worrying. It might, therefore, be a very useful tool for children who feel anxious about returning to school after lockdown.
I Talk Like a River, Jordan Scott with illustrations by Sydney Smith (Walker Books)
This picture book, recommended for 4-8 year olds, was first published in the U.S. last year and won a host of awards, including being named as A New York Times Best Children's Book of the Year. The story, based on the author’s own experience, describes how a boy with a stutter finds a new way of understanding his struggles with fluency. The gentle, muted watercolour illustrations look absolutely beautiful and the reviews of the book are excellent.
The Humiliations of Welton Blake, Alex Wheatle (Barrington Stoke)
In my experience of using Wheatle’s work in the classroom, most recently with a mixed ability Year 9 class, the energy and humour of his language work brilliantly for young people. This new novel is published by Barrington Stoke, an independent publishing house that specialises in producing very readable and dyslexia friendly books. Wheatle writes for teenagers but the reading age of this short novel (176 pages) is eight years and it is designed to hold the attention of reluctant readers. Wheatle takes his readers through the trials and tribulations of Welton’s life and the blurb suggests that Wheatle portrays the dramas of his characters’ lives at home and at school.
The Royal Collection Trust
I did a small at-my-desk dance today when I stumbled across the Royal Collection Trust’s School Resources: https://www.rct.uk/discover/school-resources
This corner of the website has an interesting range of accessible resources and I was particularly excited by the multidisciplinary opportunities presented by the ‘Science and art with Leonardo da Vinci’ resource set. I also loved the ‘Art Techniques’ activities and the way in which they offer support to young people during lockdown. My five year old friend, Gabriel, would have a happy time discussing the ‘Face Facts’ activity with his mum and I am going to email them the link right now.
