GDC Newsletter Updates
August is Berry Picking Month
Review by Dr. Jerry Flack | In Berry Song, the artist celebrates life on an island surrounded by the wild sea that has been the home of her Tlingit ancestors for countless generations. Berry Song is a lovely celebration of Mother Earth. The narration is brief yet inspirational.
But, Is It Art?
Review by Dr. Jerry Flack | If there is a lesson to be learned from this unique double biography, it is that truly creative people never give up. Christo and Jeanne-Claude considered their life work a success despite the reality that they were at least one project shy of even realizing 50 percent overall success of their monumental dreams.
How Do You Spell Memorable?
Review by Dr. Jerry Flack | Academic competitions are part of the lifeblood of many programs for gifted students and perhaps the most famous such event is the Scripps National Spelling Bee. How Do You Spell Unfair? is a beautifully written and illustrated picture book tribute to a brave young girl who was the first African American finalist in the National Spelling Bee.
Knight Owl
Review by Dr. Jerry Flack | Readers of all ages will get a hoot out of the consummate picture book, Knight Owl, that was this year named by the American Library Association as a Caldecott Honor Book. This seemingly simple picture book is filled with laugh out-loud word play and cleverness. But, it is also a book about courage, confidence, and diligence.
My Spiritual Brother, Frank
A tribute to Frank Falk, his work, and the deep connections he had to those in the gifted community.
New Ways to Identify Twice Exceptional Learners
Gifted Development Center and Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG) are offering a series of professional development courses for psychologists and examiners of gifted and twice exceptional children. The series generates APA Continuing Education Units (CEUs), but others can enroll without earning the APA CEUs. The courses are also of interest to university instructors in gifted education, school counselors, therapists, coordinators of gifted programs, Directors of Admission at schools for the gifted, teachers, and parents.
The Misery of the City, The Peace of the Sea
Review by Dr. Jerry Flack | The canine hero of Hot Dog is a Dachshund, but the title is not a nickname for that popular breed. The title is quite literally a story about the day in life of a dog (actually a pup) whose existence becomes increasingly wretched due to the stifling summer heat of his home in New York City.
The Miracle of Creativity
We are creators. Every day we design our lives. We choose to survive major illnesses, to overcome obstacles, to do our own part in making this a better world. We seek meaningful lives, and we desire that our children do the same. Most of our GDC parents want their child to be happy—now and in the future. They don’t say, “Tell us how to make our child successful.” I believe happiness comes from following our drive to create.
Mathematics + Poetry = A Dynamic Duo
Review by Dr. Jerry Flack | Betsy Franco is a prolific author of more than 80 books for children, including several titles that combine mathematics and science with poetry. Priscilla Tey’s frolicsome illustrations superbly complement the text of Counting in Dog Years. Readers will have an amusing time visiting familiar mathematical functions and perhaps even learn a few new “sassy” math terms and tricks.
America’s Gift to the World
Review by Dr. Jerry Flack | Reading for gifted youths is basically divided into two major genres: fiction and nonfiction. The essence of fiction is storytelling and the primary format is the use of the narrative voice. Nonfiction writing may use either exposition or narration. Expository writing is information based. One of the characteristics of expository writing is the presence of extensive author research. The text introduces and explains information that may be new to students.
Acceleration: Is It right for your Child?
Acceleration is allowing a student the opportunity to move through an educational program at a younger age or at a faster pace than typical. It is the most research-supported intervention in gifted education. Is this the right course of action? Read more about our expert recommendatioons.
Honoring Lee Ann Powell
Lee Ann’s dedication to the children, parents and community of GDC will be sorely missed. She knew everything about the organization and made sure everyone had what they needed. Read more for details about her scholarship fund and memorial service.
Hello Lighthouse
Review by Dr. Jerry Flack | Lighthouses along the coasts of the North Atlantic, especially from New York to Newfoundland, are portrayed in this luminous and highly informative picture book. They serve as steadfast sentinels that from dusk to dawn send out the life-saving message, “Hello, Hello, Hello” to ships at sea that may be in peril in all kinds of weather.
Farmhouse: Stories brought to Life
Review by Dr. Jerry Flack | Sophie Blackall has a rare visual talent for bringing old stories to life for contemporary readers in her remarkable history-oriented picture books. Farmhouse explores a time in the distant past when a family of mother, father, and their 12 children made a white clapboard farmhouse the center of their lives. In simple verse and inspired images, Blackall celebrates the plain yet loving lives of a large family on a real farm in upstate New York.
An Enduring Classic: The Westing Game
Review by Dr. Jerry Flack | The Westing Game is one of the all-time favorite Newbery Medal-winning books. Originally published in 1978, Ellen Raskin’s final book is a novel of delight that should be introduced to each new generation of readers. The Westing Game is much more than a mystery novel. It is a puzzle, a word mystifier, a game to be played, and a work of fiction filled with delightfully eccentric characters of multiple disguises, aliases, and even at least one case of mistaken identity. One of the particularly relevant features of this classic work of juvenile fiction is the presence of four highly gifted teens among the cast of unlikely game players.
The Poet Who Was Green
Review by Dr. Jerry Flack | “The Poem Forest” is a picture book biography of W. S. Merwin (1927-2019), an exceptionally gifted man who adeptly combined his life passions for poetry, literary translations, and the wilderness.
A Tribute to Betty Meckstroth
We have much to thank Betty Meckstroth for. Betty was coauthor of one of the first, most important, award-winning books on the gifted: Guiding the Gifted Child (Webb, Meckstroth, & Tolan, 1982). A huge supporter of parents of the gifted, Betty contributed an immense amount of knowledge and experience to this book, which remained a favorite for decades.
Could Your Child Have CAPD?
CAPD occurs when an individual has excellent hearing but has difficulty understanding speech and concentrating in the presence of background noise. CAPD occurs independently of other strengths, including strong intellectual abilities. Regardless of where intellectual abilities fall, if CAPD is present, one can benefit from solutions that help manage their CAPD.
Two Great Ladies
Review by Dr. Jerry Flack | “Jackie” (Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy) and the Mona Lisa (Lisa Gherardini) are two of the most beloved women in the world. One of the advantages of fact-based picture books is that they serve all ages of gifted readers. Children can simply enjoy the story line and acquire new information. Older readers can use such books as points of departure to engage in fascinating research. Jackie and the Mona Lisa is just such a book.
The Gift of Vision for the Gifted
The gift of excellent vision is one gift all children deserve.