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.