I went to the Mansion with Zinnia this morning, keeping my fingers crossed that the Delta Variant won’t force the Mansion to boot us out again.
It was story reading time, and six residents came outside on the porch to listen to my stories and scratch Zinnia. It was sweltering outside, but the residents were in the shade.
It was actually a little too warm for Zinnia, but she’s dozing in my air-conditioned study right now.
I’ve learned a lot about what the residents like and don’t like to read. They are prone to drowsiness, especially on warm days, so they’ll go right to sleep if a story is boring, too long, or has too few photos.
Connie Brooks from Battenkill Book and I have been selecting books for me to read to the residents for several years now, we’re getting good at it.
I generally choose (and the residents like ) books aimed towards the children’s or YA (young adult audience) categories.
The books have short sentences, large text, and big beautiful drawings.
Every member of my reading class has an impediment of one kind or another – hearing, sight, memory, focus. We just try to hit as many as we can.
Almost all of the residents had cats or dogs, and they love reading about them. My class loved the above book, Cat Problems because author Jory John writes about a kitten that drives people crazy.
She is curious, imperious, and too smart for her own good. This book draws laughs, since the residents all hat difficult cats (is there any other kind?)
Her cat also veers between affection and wildness.
The residents love this, howling at the photos and the shenanigans of the kitten. They also loved a book I brought about a Lion who couldn’t sleep and a bear who didn’t want to look like a bear.
I always remember that the residents are not looking to be more literate, but to have more fun, more stimulation, and hopefully, to see their own lives reflected back at them.
Just about every resident had to give up or give away a cat when they cane to the Mansion, it’s a heartbreak for them, and they never really get over it.
I want the stories to reflect their lives and give them hope and inspiration. I also want them to reflect on the reality of their lives, which can be harsh.
Zinnia was a trooper, she was obviously hot but still went to every single resident for a greeting and kiss on the hand or cheek. I’ve got a batch of new stories for next week.
The Mansion work has become more important to me than I imagined. This is not cheap emotion but the real thing, small acts of great kindness grow my heart and my soul.
At the end of every story session, the residents thank me, one by one, for coming. “Thanks for reading to us,” they say. They are very welcome.
It means the world to these people that we show up. Maria did her art class today, and I did my story reading.
Thursday I’ll teach a meditation class in the morning. Small acts of great kindness. They matter.
Just FYI, young adult books are aimed at teenagers, with reading levels of grade 7 and up. CAT PROBLEMS is not a YA book—it’s a children’s book aimed at kids between three and seven. I am a reading specialist and these descriptions matter.
Thanks for letting me know, Edna. I clarified it because you said it was important. But important to who, exactly? I can tell you that those categories don’t matter one bit to the residents, nor to me. They were in the YA section I think, but it’s right next to the children’s section, so I could be wrong. What is important to me is that the residents love them, which is what is important to the reading specialists I have worked with.
A retired reading specialist here, and I read it as it was written…”I generally choose (and the residents like ) books aimed towards the children’s or YA (young adult audience) categories.” That little word OR is very important here. 🙂
Thanks, Dot, I’m glad you appreciate it and I’m glad it’s important to you. It is not important to me or the residents. I think that needs to be said, even by reading specialists, with whom I often work at the Mansion. I do this for the residents, not for reading specialists.
nICE TO HEAR ABOUT THE mANSION AGAIN….cOMPUTER ACTING UP TONIGHT……..
I’ve been writing about the Mansion almost every day, Sally, as always…
99.9% of us could care less about the “level” of the book. They enjoyed it & you were blessed in a big way for sharing your time. Nothing else matters & everyone wins.
Thanks Steve, I think the residents feel the same way. It’s important to get it right, but you have touched on what is really important.