Reading Rockets offers reading comprehension and language arts teaching strategies for kids, and is a free web site for parents and educators
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Reading Rockets offers a wealth of reading strategies, lessons, and activities designed to help young children learn how to read and read better. Our reading resources assist parents, teachers, and other educators in working with struggling readers who require additional help in reading fundamentals and comprehension skills development.

A video interview with

Gail Gibbons

Gail Gibbons

Gail Gibbons writes the kind of non-fiction books that young children pore over. In this exclusive video interview with Reading Rockets, Gail Gibbons discusses how she comes up with the idea for her books and the daunting task of explaining complex topics in a few pages.

Click on the links below§ to watch this interview onlineor to download it. You can also read the interview transcript or read a short biography of Gail Gibbons, or see a selected list of her children’s books.

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For more information and options, please see the Podcasts & Videos section.

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  • Mom, Dad, how does this work? (:40)

    As a young girl, Gail Gibbons always asked questions about the things around her. One time she tore a clock apart and tried to put it back together. Years later she wrote Clocks and How They Go.

  • Unicorns, grizzly bears, and quilts (:40)

    Here's one reason why Gail Gibbons writes books about topics so diverse.

  • Making nonfiction interesting (2:00)

    In this video clip, Gibbons talks about where her ideas originate and how she makes nonfiction visually exciting.

  • But aren't dragons fiction? (1:30)

    After a little boy pleaded with her to write a book about dragons, Gail Gibbons researched the history of dragons and discovered more than just fiction.

  • Now, how am I going to explain this? (2:15)

    Gail Gibbons describes the daunting task of explaining complex topics – such as building a skyscraper – in less than 32 pages.

  • Conducive living (2:40, Windows Media Player required)

    When Gail Gibbons and her husband aren't living on their 300 acres in rural Vermont, they might just be at their other home on a remote island off the coast of Maine.

  • Do you have a dog? (:45)

    For school visits, Gail Gibbons brings a slide show that will answer many students' questions about who she is.

  • Write what interests you (1:15)

    Gail Gibbons suggests that students' writing will be much more interesting when they are allowed to choose their own topics.

  • Reading with enthusiasm (1:30)

    Even the youngest of children can tell when an adult is excited about reading.

§ To play this clip, you'll need a copy of the free RealOne Player. Most computers already have it installed, or you can download it now.

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~ Lee P.

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