O.R. Sykora's Blog

Storytelling: Touch the Water

The new aquarium experiential exhibit is a perfect sphere. Inside, glowing jellyfish gracefully dance as water pours over the sides of the globe. My daughter placed her hand on the flowing water, her eyes alight. There is wonder in experiencing, in somehow participating in the underwater waltz.  As storytellers, we strive to offer a globeContinue reading "Storytelling: Touch the Water"

Deep Connections: How My Toddler Pulled a Rabbit Out of a Book

All parents like boasting about their kids. I’m no exception. Your child is doing cartwheels by age four? That’s cool. My toddler isn’t quite two yet, and she’s already teaching me about the magical power of connections in engaged reading. Take that, cartwheel kid! Granted, this idea isn’t exactly news to me. I can’t evenContinue reading "Deep Connections: How My Toddler Pulled a Rabbit Out of a Book"

Therapy and the Art of Revision

My students seemed to think that revising and editing were the “boring” parts of writing. No matter what song and dance I did to persuade them that all stages of the writing process were important and interesting, initial drafting received all the glory. If the writing process was a Marvel movie, then prewriting and post-writingContinue reading "Therapy and the Art of Revision"

Music & Fire: I Can’t Teach Poetry

How do we teach poetry? I envy composers. I’ve always wondered how those women and men sit down and see (feel? hear?) the notes that weave together into melodies and harmonies that move us so mightily. Magic? Perfect understanding of the musical disciplines? Inspiration? Just plain luck? How do they do it? I love teachingContinue reading "Music & Fire: I Can’t Teach Poetry"

The Crinkle Flap Book: In Which I Learn How to Read Again (& Again)

I’ll admit: I rolled my eyes a little when I opened the present. I was grateful, of course, for the thoughtful gesture—who wouldn’t be pleased to receive a nice baby gift?—but I fostered doubts as to this particular gift’s ability to interest my coming child. The gift was a fabric book with about four “pages,”Continue reading "The Crinkle Flap Book: In Which I Learn How to Read Again (& Again)"

Book Review: The Midnight Library

Choose Your Own Adventure, the title of a popular young readers series. What magic there was in the phrase. Growing up, all of us—siblings, friends, strangers—loved the thrill of choice that was suddenly thrust upon readers in the middle of the action. If you choose Option A, go to page 12. If you choose OptionContinue reading "Book Review: The Midnight Library"

Apostrophes Aren’t Confetti

My husband and I are members of our own unofficial branch of the Apostrophe Protection Society (population: 2). It doesn’t matter that the official Society, which started in England in 2001, actually shut down two years ago when the founding father decided that 1) he was too old to run an internationally renowned organization, andContinue reading "Apostrophes Aren’t Confetti"

Book Review: The Invoice

We all do funny things when we find a new book or author that we really love. Some people give the book five stars on Goodreads or Amazon and write a rave review. Others talk incessantly about it to friends, shoving copies into their hands before pushing them off to read. A few may sendContinue reading "Book Review: The Invoice"

Just Read

For all the things 2020 wasn’t for most of us (NOT the year for traveling, nor the year of making new friends or even hanging out at Powell’s for no reason), it WAS the year for a crazy adventure that ended (or is starting?) in a tiny human who is now one of my favoriteContinue reading "Just Read"

Essays: The Magic Formula

Dolphins can use half of their brains at a time, sleeping in one half while going about their daily activities with the other before switching. I remember the shocked look on my face when I first heard this fact, something akin to the look people gave me when I mentioned I used to teach bothContinue reading "Essays: The Magic Formula"