A little bit of everything

Reviews!

A House Called Tomorrow: Fifty Years of Poetry from Copper Canyon Press (Adult Nonfiction)

A HUGE anthology with a variety of poems. My favorite poem from this collection is Separation by W.S. Merwin:

"Your absence has gone through me
Like thread through a needle.
Everything I do is stitched with its color."

A Trauma-Informed Framework for Supporting Patrons: The PLA Workbook of Best Practices (Adult Nonfiction)

This is a little redundant with lots of common sense moments, but there are plenty of helpful moments that more than outweigh these issues. Great for anyone working in customer/patron service. Providing patrons with choices, acknowledging their emotions, introducing ourselves, and letting them know we're glad they're at the library (or wherever you work!) are a few things we can do for all our patrons. Sometimes these things are easy to do, but some situations can be a bit tricky. This book has lots of examples of unique situations and different ways we can help patrons in these situations. Helpful, educational, and an excellent resource for assisting patrons.

I Feel! by Juana Medina (Picture Book)

At first glance I Feel looks like one of those tricky one-word-a-page books that may not make a great read-aloud. But Medina is a wonderful artist gifted at creating spot-on facial expressions that will prompt lots of conversation. What makes you feel happy? What does a calm face look like? Describe a moment you felt brave?

Rainbow Shopping by Qing Zhuang (Picture Book)

I enjoyed getting to be a part of this colorful shopping trip with a young girl and her mom. The whole family works very hard, so getting to prepare dinner and sit down together to eat it is a special treat for everyone. There were so many beautiful and delicious details that used all my senses, so this would be a great book on that topic! There were also surprisingly touching and rich details like the moment the girl shows grandma her drawings and grandma compares the artwork to that of the girl’s great-grandmother’s embroidery and cut-papers artwork. A comforting, vibrant, and pleasurable story!

Cupcake Diaries #1 by Coco Simon (Juvenile Fiction)

I am late to the party with this series, but I’m so glad I joined! The characters and their issues (friendships, identity, belonging) are realistic and relevant (though I was getting more upper elementary vibes than middle school vibes).

I’m pretty sure Katie is going to be my favorite character, but I like the fact that there are different main characters in each of the books. Katie’s character was surprisingly complex, and I feel like kids can definitely relate to her. I appreciated Katie’s composure, which felt mature for her age, but also how her insecurities were present despite the lack of drama.

Like I mentioned earlier, though this series is about middle schoolers, the characters feel a bit younger. There’s an innocence to this series that I don’t usually get when reading books about middle school. It’s definitely a great readalike for fans of The Baby Sitter’s Club (BSC). It certainly spoke to my BSC heart! And just like BSC, there’s a graphic version available.

some squishy things

It has been VERY busy here.  Definitely juggling a lot of things, but I also feel like things are in a happy balance right now.  Except blogging!  I am still making lotsa art. I will hopefully have something to share soon.  The spring semester is just days away from being over.  I'm pretty sure I passed everything, thanks to much support from Robert. I'm still writing, but mostly editing and hunkering down with poems I've been close to polishing for years.  I'm hoping to start submitting to chapbook contests soon, but it's on the back burner until things are in order and polished.  Work is fantastic.  Chaotic but in the best way possible.  My library is taking a break from programming in May, so I'll have some time to figure out summer storytimes!  And fall storytimes!  

And don't worry. I've been making time for these two goofs.

Life is busy.  Life is great.

Reviews!

Thank goodness for books!  I've read some great books for all ages so far this year, but juvenile fiction may be in the lead for my favorites so far.

PAWS by Nathan Fairbairn and illustrated by Michele Assarasakorn (Juvenile Graphic Fiction)

Grade level: 3-7. This series is for anyone who loves The Baby Sitter’s Club (BSC) and/or adorable pets.  Like BSC, this book is about a handful of girls who come together to form a special group.  Unlike BSC, these girls take care of fur babies!  

This group of unlikely friends have a very big something in common.  They all love pets, but due to different issues, they cannot have any of their own.  After some trial and error they start a dog-walking service called PAWS.  

Just like BSC, it looks like the illustrator and narrator will change with each book.  As a HUGE BSC fan, I found myself constantly comparing the two series.  I love the artwork in PAWS even more, especially the second book in the series.  The facial expressions can’t be beat!  

Though the kids handle much of the pet-walking responsibilities in PAWS, Gabby’s Dad is often around, and even handles Gabby’s phone calls since she is not allowed a cell phone like her friends (this would have been my dad if cell phones existed when I was young).  I remember reading BSC as a kid and thinking the girls had a lot of autonomy and being simultaneously star struck and sick with envy about it.  I’m curious if young readers will notice this difference between the two series.  Or if they will draw any comparisons between characters.  For example, which BSC dad does Gabby’s dad remind you of? :D  

The BSC books often focus on complex issues (diabetes, an ailing grandparent, neglectful parents) in addition to everyday issues (friendships, jealousy, feeling left out).  The first two PAWS books are following this same path, but it felt like there was a lot more weight to the issues and they weren’t as easily remedied as the issues in BSC.  I appreciated this, and once again, am curious if young readers notice this and if so, how they feel about it.  Overall, I am thrilled with this new series and cannot wait for book three!

Out of Range by Heidi Lang (Juvenile Fiction)

Grade level: 3-7.  Sisters Abby, Emma, and Ollie get lost during a hiking trip and face many dangers and challenges: wild animals, getting swept away in the river, and much discomfort including fatigue, poison ivy, and hunger.  But really, all of these dangers pale in comparison to the epic fights they’ve had over the past several months, fights that ultimately led to their parents sending them to a camp to work through their problems and become friends again.  

Wooeee did this bring up memories of long-buried fights with my brothers, fights that were, at the time, the end of the world.  As an adult, I should know better, but that didn’t stop me from picking sides.  As the youngest, I found myself on Team Emma and Ollie.  And you know what?  I still didn’t really like Abby’s character even at the end.  Having said that, I think her desperation to fit in and have friends, and how that desperation clouded everything and caused her to make poor decisions, is so dang realistic, it hurts like heck.  So maybe I’m looking at some long-buried sibling fights with new insight.  Who knows?  

I was either cringing or laughing for most of this book, and I couldn’t put it down!  I think it’s a great book for kids who have recently moved and are navigating a new school.  I also think anyone who has siblings will connect to at least one character in this book.  And I can’t forget the survival element, so this book is great for fans of books that feature kids trying to survive scary things on their own. And I’m not just talking about siblings!

Uncle Ray

Thank you to The Phoenix Soul for publishing my poem, Uncle Ray.  

What a tough poem to write.  I've been writing it most of my life.  My Uncle Ray passed away when I was only six, but my few memories are only good memories, and my family did a pretty darn good job coloring in those happy lines with their own happy memories.  I didn't know him well, but I think of him often.  He made one poor decision that eventually cost him his life.  Though my family shared the happy memories, I grew up in the aftermath of that decision and its effect on my family.  

We're all connected in so many different ways.  Grief is only one of those ways.

a bridge

Just like anyone else, I have days when I'm overcome with the longing for others I cannot see or have lost.  I can be having the best day ever and the storm of all that longing hits full force.  I've had a few days like that this week.  I've surfaced a few times and have so much gratitude for the life I get to live, not just for myself but for those who now shelter in the mystery.  

Dogs are such a comfort.  A constant bridge to the here and now.

Just when I think Margo's drool can't get any better, I am gloriously proven wrong.  I often take the girls with me when I hit on the backboard, and they love it even more than I do.  Margo gets so excited she forgets to swallow, and then, if I'm lucky, nothing gets in the way of her magnificent strings of drool for a long time, and every time I look over at her, I see all that evidence of her excitement hanging from her face.  

Jo Pie has upped the cute factor with the toys.  She's pretty competitive, so I'm wondering if she's figured out how much I love looking up and seeing all their toys tucked beneath Margo, who usually hoards them so Josie can't have them.