Before Words

As an alternative to reductive views of emergent literacy, Lysaker explains how wordless books help young children to develop a range of comprehension abilities that are important for understanding narrative texts. Readers will find concrete methods to help them gauge, document, and respond to children as they make meaning of wordless books.

In this book, the author challenges reductive views of emergent literacy prevalent in many of today’s kindergarten and pre–K classrooms. As an alternative, Lysaker explains how reading wordless books with young children helps them to develop a range of comprehension abilities that are important for understanding narrative texts. Readers will find concrete methods to help them gauge, document, and respond to children as they make meaning of and respond to wordless books. Through description and analysis, the text reveals the undervalued richness of young children’s emergent comprehension and the intricate, purposeful nature of their specific early thinking activities. Before Words encourages readers to think about young children’s comprehension as complex meaning-making and suggests new ways of responding to the unique sense-making tools young children use during wordless book reading. Book Features: Demonstrates how young children develop reading comprehension abilities even before learning to read print.Expands on reading as more than just a technical skill.Engages the whole child and scaffolds their formation of relationships with other people, including peers, teachers, families, and communities.Nurtures students’ creativity, positive relationships with storytelling, and social-emotional growth.Offers guidance for building a wordless book library, including a selected list of books. “A breakthrough work. Prepare to have your mind opened to completely new terrain in children’s literate development.” —From the Foreword by Peter Johnston, The University at Albany–SUNY “Before Words is a kidwatcher’s delight! Her sensitive descriptions of reading conversations provide concrete strategies that will be welcome additions to both novice and experienced teachers’ toolkits!” —Deborah Wells Rowe, Vanderbilt University “Scholars of early childhood literacy development will find much of interest in this book.” —Nell K. Duke, University of Michigan

At the beginning of his physical transition from female to male, then-seventeen-year-old Skylar Kergil posted his first video on YouTube. In the months and years that followed, he recorded weekly update videos about the physical and emotional changes he experienced. Skylar’s openness and positivity attracted thousands of viewers, who followed along as his voice deepened and his body changed shape. Through surgeries and recovery, highs and lows, from high school to college to the real world, Skylar welcomed others on his journey. Before I Had the Words is the story of what came before the videos and what happened behind the scenes. From early childhood memories to the changes and confusion brought by adolescence, Skylar reflects on coming of age while struggling to understand his gender. As humorous as it is heartbreaking and as informative as it is entertaining, this memoir provides an intimate look at the experience of transitioning from one gender to another. Skylar opens up about the long path to gaining his family’s acceptance and to accepting himself, sharing stories along the way about smaller challenges like choosing a new name and learning to shave without eyebrow mishaps. Revealing entries from the author’s personal journals as well as interviews with members of his family lend remarkable depth to Skylar’s story. A groundbreaking chronicle of change, loss, discovery, pain, and relief, Before I Had the Words brings new meaning to the phrase “formative years.”

First English-language collection of David Huerta; includes the premier translation from his masterpiece, Incurable.

"This book presents the environmental philosophies of the Haudenosaunee, as told by the members of the Haudenosaunee Environmental Task Force. ... Many of the authors have included within their chapter practical examples of how they are using these philosophies to guide them in todays world. This timely book offers a different way to look at our relationship with the natural world, presenting an Indigenous and culturally-based approach to environmental problems."--Back cover

An inspiring, accessible and powerful collection of words that matter. Published in a gorgeous hardback edition, with a stunning neon and foil-stamped cover, ribbon marker, and beautifully designed insides, Writes of Passage is the perfect gift for every occasion - birthdays, Christmas, school leaving celebrations, confirmations, bar and bat mitzvahs, and more. An inspiring collection of over 100 pieces of writing - poems, prose, letters, speeches, song lyrics, quotations, and more - from Shakespeare to Stephen Hawking; Greta Thunberg to Galileo; Malala to Martin Luther King; and Lin-Manuel Miranda to Lord Tennyson - which are in turn powerful, funny, moving, wise, and thought-provoking, and expertly selected and with accessible, thoughtful commentary by Nicolette Jones, children's book critic for The Sunday Times.