Sunday, April 1, 2012

Books in A Time Capsule - Messages In A Bottle From Our Time

In New York City in the Theodore Roosevelt Park behind the American Museum of Natural History in th year 2001, a time capsule was buried. A plaque suggests that the capsule be opened in the year 3000. Among the many items in the capsule are books. If you took part in contributing something to a time capsule today, especially contributing children's books, which titles would you choose? In the actual time capsule, there is a Dr. Seuss book. I suggest at least two Seuss books for a time capsule. My choices: "Oh the Places You'll Go!" and "The Lorax." Which Seuss book would you choose? Also in the capsule there's a science fiction book: Arthur Clarke's "2001: A Space Odyssey." Some of my choices for science fiction books to include in a time capsule would be: Madeleine's L'Engle's "A Wrinkle in Time," Vonda N. McIntyre's "Barbary" (of a cat and its young owner on a space station), and Robert Heinlein's "Podkadne of Mars." There would mostly likely be a Harry Potter book. If not all, which one would you choose? Which other children's books would you choose to be in this time capsule to reflect what is available for children to read during our lifetimes, the latter part of the 20th century and the first part of the 21st century? Where would you suggest the time capsule be buried and what would it have to do with children's literature? Ready for this challenge, or not? Do give it a try. You'll probably be surprised at your choices; given that future generations will be looking to you for a glimpse into our time.