French Friday: Le Petit Prince

September 8, 2017 (251/365)

« Toutes les grandes personnes ont d'abord été des enfants. Mais peu d'entre elles s'en souviennent. » 

- Le Petit Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)

Today is International Literacy Day, and we're celebrating at PHS with summer reading book discussions and the ultimate luxury -- 45 minutes of uninterrupted time to read! Another way that we are promoting our own love of reading is by displaying a "read thread" with the name of a favorite book. I have read and taught Le Petit Prince more times than I can remember and, each time, I discover something new. From its whimsical watercolor illustrations to its ironic view of adults, from its social criticism to its touching advice about relationships, this universal tale of love and loss, of courage and faith, of vision and imagination -- disguised as a children's book -- is a must read for everyone who wants to avoid being labeled a "grande personne."  Le Petit Prince has taught me to look at life from different points of view, to notice beauty in ordinary things, to slow down and appreciate quiet moments -- not just with my eyes, but with my heart: «On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.» Last winter, when I was in Paris, I visited the Petit Prince Boutique in the charming Saint-Germain neighborhood in Paris -- a great place to reconnect with one's inner child.

Close Attention

September 6, 2017 (249/365)

"The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself. - Henry Miller