Picturing reading

At yesterday's session of Literary Lunches,  Torie Johnson, director of special education for the Grand Forks Public Schools, read from a number of different books: two familiar children's books, Thomas' Snowsuit written by Robert Munsch and illustrated by Michael Martchenko and Love You Forever also written by Munsch and illustrated by Sheila McGraw, and Jacqueline Woodson's Locomotion, the story of William C. Motion written in poetry.

The common theme was pictures. Thomas's Snowsuit and Love You Forever both include illustrations; Woodson's does not. Still, Johnson encouraged us to really listen to and think about the images Woodson has created for Locomotion.

Here's what Woodson says about Locomotion at her website: 

Lonnie C. Motion has had some tough breaks in his life. But this fall, Lonnie’s fifth grade class is learning to write poetry and suddenly, Lonnie is finding the words to tell the world about his family, the fire that took his parents away, his little sister, his world.