Sunday, December 31, 2017

Stumbling On History

Stumbling On History

Juvenile/YA/adult nonfiction
"How we remember--not just what--shapes who we are. As individuals,
we find it difficult, when conscience tells us we've done wrong, to
face up, say we're sorry, and make amends. For an entire nation, it
is even harder to take the blame and make things right. When people
have committed terrible acts as a nation, how do they atone for these
acts and face their victims? Who speaks for a nation in apologizing--
even when not everyone is sorry? Whose job is it to honor the past?
And when should history be put behind us?"
These are questions Fern Schumer Chapman pursues on two levels
in Stumbling On History: An Art Project Compels A Small German Town
To Face Its Past. She skillfully weaves together two levels of
narrative. One is a town's atonement for the evils of Hitler's
Germany. The other is the very real meaning of this act to her
family's life.
Stumbling Stones was an art project designed to honor the dead
and displaced of the Holocaust. Bronze plaques with information about
them are set into sidewalks near where victims had lived. Since 1996
tens of thousands of them have been installed in Germany and other
countries.
"'This is a different way of teaching history,' Demnig [Gunther
Demnig, creator of the project] explains. 'Students open books and
read "eleven million people," and they can't imagine. It is an
abstract figure. With the stones these people come to life. Young
people say they would have played with [the victims'] children and
grandchildren.' In many towns students research the lives of those who
are memorialized and make presentations at the installation ceremonies."
Through the book Chapman and her mother, Edith Westerfeld
Schumer, are going to the installation ceremony in the small German
town of Stockstadt. It's the small town from which Edith's desperate
parents (whom she would never see again) had sent her to America on a
boat with other children in similar situations. On the plane over
Edith asks her daughter, "Who will remember? Fifty or a hundred years
from now, who will know this happened?"
On a personal note, Maine is stil gripped in an arctic chill.
According to the Bangor Daily News it's the coldest spell in 70
years. I've been staying in, writing and making significant progress
on my spring cleaning. But in a few minutes I'm putting on my party
clothes for a family get together at the in laws' in Winterport.
If you plan to party, please do responsibly.
If you're going to attend an outdoor gathering where they drop a ball
or lobster or something, dress to stay warm. There is nothing sexy
about frost bite. A hospital room is a pretty crappy place to start a
new year.
A great big shout out goes out to you, my readers with hope that 2018
will be full of hope and promise for us all.
jules hathaway


Sent from my iPod

Friday, December 29, 2017

Understanding And Caring For Your Pet

Understanding And Caring For Your Pet

Juvenile nonfiction
Animal companions can be a very special part of childhood,
providing kids with unconditional love and acceptance, fun times and
happy memories, and chances to learn and grow. I believe that the
presence of first Murray, then Sapphire, and now Joey, our good family
cats, in my children's lives helped them become the kind, responsible,
compassionate adults they are today. Under the right circumstances,
it is a very good idea to share your home with companion animals.
Surprising a child with a pet is a very bad, horrible,
irresponsible, dumb, stinky, no good idea. Often it does not work
out. Look at how shelters see an influx of bunnies not long after
Easter. Rather than being cute animated toys, rabbits are complex
creatures with very special needs.
A child recipient needs to realize that an animal requires a
very special commitment. There's a big investment of time and energy
required to make the relationship work. Some of the tasks involved
can be rather stinky. And unlike electronics and other objects that
can be upgraded, a dog or cat can't be traded in if a child's interest
begins to waver. Joey cat, at 14, is very much still thriving.
A training process is, in my mind, a must for a child wishing to
adopt an animal companion. Perhaps she can apprentice with the
critter of a friend or family member. Walking, feeding, and cleaning
up after a nearby dog, for example, can help her more realistically
weigh her desire for a puppy. And reading about and discussing the
needs of a particular species with parents is another way she can self
assess readiness. The Understanding and Caring for Your Pet series is
an attractive critter care library that was specifically designed for
young readers.
"Kittens are fantastic fun--playful, funny, loving, and
energetic. It's easy to spend hours just watching them, playing with
them, petting them, and enjoying them to the fullest. They don't stay
kittens, of course--though many remain young at heart throughout their
lives."
Claire Horton-Bussey's Kittens gives prospective adopters advice
on all
things feline beginning from scratch. There's information about some
popular breeds including the fabulous mixed breeds like Joey (90% of
American felines). There's what to acquire and how to kitten proof
your abode. I was happy to see toys and interactive play included in
the essentials.
Litter box training is a must. A new feline must be integrated
with any preexisting nonhuman family members. And there's information
on feeding, grooming, and health care.
The book is packed with totally adorable pictures.
"The rabbit is a favorite with families all over the world.
Apart from cats and dogs it is one of the most popular of all the
furry (mammal) creatures we keep as pets."
Dr. Anne McBride's Rabbits is a must read for prospective child
adopters and their parents. Unless their offspring are teens, mom and
dad are going to assume a lot of the care and expense required for
health and longevity.
Forget about a small cage. Even a petite bunny will need a 6' x
2' x 2' hutch, raised off the ground if it's outside, with a separate
sleeping area. Bunny proofing to allow Cottontail the run of the
house can be quite complex, especially if she has to share the turf
with other four footers. Those convenient to dish out pellets must
supplement hay and veggies. Long furred bunnies need frequent
grooming. Nails and teeth must be kept from getting too long...
Not exactly what an eight-year-can manage solo. I think that was
about how old my best friend and her twin brother were when they were
gifted with several bunnies. They were always going to take care of
them. Their mom got fed up. Hausenfeffer made the Sunday lunch
menu. My family was visiting them that day. When we learned what
we'd just dined on...
Don't get me wrong. Rabbits can be affectionate, precious,
amazing animal companions. I have friends who can't imagine life
without them. Just if you have adoption on your mind, be realistic
about what you're getting into. If this fits your lifestyle...
...hop to it!
Again the photos are precious.
"Ferrets can be a lot of fun to keep as pets. They are lively,
intelligent animals, although not particularly obedient. They come in
a variety of colors and usually weigh between two and four pounds
(900g-1.8kg)."
These days I love seeing people walk around carrying curious
ferrets in hands, on shoulders, or in carrying devices. Those
incredibly soft critters who usually greet even total strangers with
gentle nuzzles remind me of my childhood companion Sniffles.
A ferret can be a tad destructive. It has a slightly musky
smell that does not endear it to some people. But it can be an
enchanting, amusing, affectionate chum. Just please read Dr. Anne
McBride's Ferrets before setting up an adoption.
I'd consider it more a YA than child pet. (The demographic I've
seen most taken with it is the college student/recent grad crowd).
Although mischievous and playful, a ferret is smaller and more
delicate than a cat or dog and more apt to be hurt during rough and
tumble play. And poor eyesight combined with predatory instincts give
it a tendency to nip. Prospective homes must be ferret proofed.
Regular care and enriching and social experiences are essential. A
parent should definitely supervise a child caretaker.
Oh, yeah, before you even think of adopting a ferret check your
state's laws. They aren't legal everywhere.
Those are just three of the books in the series. I think just
about any companion animal your family wants to (and can legally)
adopt has its volume. Orono Public Library has wisely invested in the
series, a good example your library would do well to follow.
On a purrrrrsonal note, my organizing is going well. I've decided
it's my spring cleaning which puts me ahead on a task that normally
inspires procrastination. I'm also writing and doing cat assisted
reading near my lovely tree.
We're in a bitter cold snap with below zero wind chills. If you have
an animal companion who goes outside pay special to his her
protection. Layer and don't sacrifice warmth for style when you go
out. Keep in touch with medically fragile friends and family
members. And if the cold is getting you down, remind yourself that a
prolonged cold snap will interfere with the reproductive cycles of
disease bearing ticks and the fleas that torment our cats and dogs.
It's getting close to New Years Eve. Please celebrate responsibly.
Have fun seeing the old year out.
My New Years plans (rather than resolutions) are to get the house
organized for grad school, work on getting my book manuscripts, and
get Joy To Maine to the point where we can save our first animal lives.
I hope you've enjoyed my 2017 reviews and plan to stick with me in 2018.
jules hathaway



Sent from my iPod

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

The Island of Dr. Libris

The Island of Dr. Libris

Juvenile fiction
"I am thrilled to report that after an exhaustive search, I have
found the ideal subject for our first field test, which will commence
as soon as Billy G., a twelve-year-old male with a very vivid
imagination, arrives on-site.
His mother will be busy. His father will be away. He will be
bored.
In short, Billy G. will be perfect."
Recall last summer we discovered Chris Grabenstein's Escape From
Mr. Lemoncello's Library and Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics?
Unbeknownst to me they are part of a trilogy build around books and
mind games. This year I stumbled upon the middle volume: the Island
of Dr. Libris. If you enjoyed the other books, you're gonna need to
read this one.
Billy is going to vacation in a very strange house. His mother
will indeed by busy working on her dissertation. His father is indeed
away. He is indeed bored out of his mind minus television and his
phone.
The owner of the cottage, Dr. Libris has a study full of books.
Part of the collection resides in a very unusual locked bookcase.
When Billy discovers the key he begins to read The Labors of
Hercules. Suddenly he begins hearing sound effects from the book
eminating from an island. On that island the characters from the
special books come to life and interact with each other and Billy,
sometimes putting him in danger.
What the heck is going on? What is the mysterious experiment
for which Billy seems to be the sole guinea pig?
Read the book and see.
On a personal note, here in Penobscot County, Maine Mother
Nature is following her spectacular Christmas Day storm with a cold
snap. These are good days for staying to home. I'm getting the house
organized to be easy to keep up when I get in grad school and working
on my writing. Of course at night I'm reading near my lovely tree
with Joey cat on my lap.
A great big shout goes out to all those who, like my husband, go out
at all hours to clean up the mess when Mother Nature parties.
jules hathaway


Sent from my iPod

Monday, December 25, 2017

Full Moon Lore

Full Moon Lore

Juvenile nonfiction
"The September full moon is the harvest moon.
This month brings the Autumnal Equinox.
The light of this moon lets farmers harvest their fields well into the
night.
The moon's orange glow is like a pumpkin ripening on the vine.
Corn, pumpkins, beans, and squash--
the Harvest Moon finds our
tables filled
with the garden's bounty."
I chose September because it's my birthday month. But any month
in Ellen Wahi's Full Moon Lore would have provided a perfect quote to
start this review off with. In February we have Snow Moon when drifts
cover everything and animals (and some people) find food to come by.
June brings Strawberry Moon. In July there's Buck Moon when male deer
grow antlers (and I suspect get ready to connect with does to
propogate the species).
These days, for the most part, people are insulated from the
natural cycle of life. People who harvest sap for syrup know when to
harvest their maple trees. Orono Community Gardeners know when to put
our garden to bed. But in a world where all foods are available year
round to those with money and access, we run our lives by clocks,
bells, buzzers, ring tones...oblivious to seasons as anything other
than settings for holidays...
...which is so not a good thing.
Full Moon Lore reminds readers how in the past each month's full
moon was named to help people properly observe the seasons. This is
something we need to be at least partly going back to if we want to
inhabit a sustainable world. Many available year round fruits, for
example, travel thousands of miles in semis (air pollution anyone?)
and are blandly generic.
Anyway Full Moon Lore is a wonderful book for sharing in familes
and other groups. Maybe a group year round observation could result
in a unique naming full moons manuscript.
I can just imagine what our capitalist on steroids society would
name full moons. November is Black Friday Moon. February is spend a
gazillion dollars to show her you love her moon. Have mercy!
On a personal note, I have a few minutes in my wonderful Christmas to
post this review. A storm that is predicted to last well into late
afternoon has deep sixed plans for a ride to the in-laws which is our
usual tradition. Amber and Brian rose to the occassion by hosting a
family get together yesterday afternoon so Eugene and I got to spend
quality time with all our three amazing children and Amber's Brian.
We made glitter globe ornaments. I used gold and silver glitter and
put lots of cat stickers on mine. We had fresh hot bread Brian made.
Katie slept over last night. It was great to have her sleeping in her
room and to make her chocolate chip pancakes this morning. Joey was
delighted to have his buddy home. I was glad to have a chance for us
to talk. We and Eugene opened gifts and were happy with what we
received.
Two of my very favorite people had an early visit from Santa in the
guise of the stork. Congrats, Erin and Matt!!! Your baby is adorable!!!
A great big shout out goes out to my wonderful family! Also to Erin,
Matt, and their precious baby! And to you, dear readers. Hope you're
having a happy and safe Christmas!
jules hathaway




Sent from my iPod

Friday, December 22, 2017

Gwendy's Button Box

Gwendy's Button Box

YA/adult fiction
"And she still thinks about the buttons of course, especially
the red one. She sometimes finds herself sitting cross-legged on the
cold basement floor, holding the button box in her lap, staring at
that red button in a kind of daze and caressing it with the tip of her
finger. She wonders what would happen if she pushed the red button
without a clear choice of a place to blow up. Who would decide what
was destroyed? God? The Box?"
Gwendy, narrator of Stephen King and Richard Chizmar's Gwendy's
Button Box is twelve when she meets the mystery man with the black
hat. She's old enough to know not to talk to and take gifts from
strangers. But she converses with him and goes home in possession of
a very strange and unique wooden box.
The box is quite magical. A lever on one side dispenses tiny
chocolate candies that surpress her appetite. A lever on the other
dispenses rare antique silver dollars. Neither run out. The buttons,
however, are instruments of selective or mass anihilation.
One day Gwendy, curious to see what will happen, pushes the red
button, thinking about an isolated location in Guyana. The next day
the news is all about the Jonestown Massacre.
What's that they say? With great power comes great
responsibility...all in the hands of a teenage girl.
Although Gwendy's Button Box is a departure from King's more
recent writing, it reminds me of his earlier Stand By Me. Both look
at youth without the golden patina of nostalgia that erases all
blemishes. Because of the quality of writing and the issues raised, I
think either or both would be perfect for high school literature
classes. Teachers take note.
On a personal note, you will never guess who I met in Fogler
(UMaine's) Library when I was getting a book fix! The kind reference
librarian who helped me locate a Linda Gordon book was none other than
Alexandra Hinrichs, author of Therese Makes A Tapestry! Recall we
discovered that sweet picture book last year? She works right in my
neighborhood. How cool is that?
It looks like Maine will be having quite a white Christmas. We
already look like a Currier & Ives print, and more snow is on the
way! I am contentedly getting the house ready for Katie to stay the
night Christmas Eve. The tree is ever so beautiful!
A great big shout goes out to Alexandra with hope that she is working
on another children's book. With her historian's attention to detail
and her feel for what makes a picture book come alive, she has what it
takes to make the past come alive for our youngest readers and
listeners.
A great big shout out also to you, my dear readers. I want to wish
you a merry Christmas! Travel safely. Enjoy loved ones. Have
patience with snags, disappointments, and hard to deal with family
members. I hope your yuletide is all your heart desires. I'm due to
do a post Christmas Eve, but what happens is not always what should
happen, especially with big old storms on the way. You Know?
jules hathaway



Sent from my iPod

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass

Juvenile biography
"Soon after he arrived, Frederick saw Sophia Auld, the mistress
of the house, teaching her children to read. He wanted to learn too.
Seeing how eager he was, Mrs. Auld started giving him lessons along
with her own children.
But when Hugh Auld found out that his wife was teaching
Frederick to read he objected. 'Teaching a slave to read will make
him unfit to be a slave,' Mr. Auld said."
Well he got that right. It's a darn good thing. Walter Dean
Myers' Frederick Douglass: The Lion Who Wrote History gives readers
the story of a man born into slavery whose life came to matter
immensely to the world.
Realizing the importance of literacy, Douglass continued his
education, reading anything he could get his hands on. Hired out to
be a caulker at a shipyard, he listened to the adventures of free
blacks and wanted nothing less for himself, especially after he fell
in love with a free black woman. Escaping slaves who were recaptured
were severely punished.
But this is a chance he was willing to take.
His story of determination and daring is one we really need to
learn and be inspired by in today's world.
On a personal note, I can't believe it! I am now the proud owner of
my first smart phone. Yesterday when Eugene got through the night
shift plowing the new snow, we got it at the mall. It's the cat's
pajamas! It's got Internet access, apps, everything. I've set the
weather and figured out how to make a phone call. It's a whole
different world from the flip phone I've been carting around for ages.
The salesperson pleasantly surprised me. Instead of trying to sell me
the priciest model, he asked me what I would use it for and selected a
relatively reasonable one.
Oh, yeah, looks like Maine is going to have a white Christmas! Santa
should be happy. Hey, at least I don't believe in trickle down
economics like one Susan Collins.
A great big shout out go to Eugene and the ethical salesperson.
Our very first big thumbs down EVER goes to Susan Collins and those of
her colleagues who put the interests of the wealthy first, filling
their stockings while leaving lumps of coal (which President Pennywise
wants to promote) for the rest of us. I'd like to know what Frederick
Douglass would think of that.
jules hathaway


Sent from my iPod

Monday, December 18, 2017

Real Friends

Real Friends

Juvenile graphic novel
"I never thought I would write a memoir. For one thing I didn't
have a tragic or extraordinary childhood. I had kind parents who
loved me. I had friends and many good times. But I decided to write
this book in order to show how those years felt to me, in case you
have felt or are feeling the same way. And then we can say to each
other, 'Hey, me too! Isn't that something? To realize I'm not the
only one?"
I've experienced girls' friendships from the perspective of
child, sibling, and mother. In each role I've found them to be
complex, evoking emotions covering the whole range from joy to fear
and anger...sometimes in the course of a single day. All of this
complexity is magnified by the crucialness of peers in the growing up
years.
In Real Friends Newbury Honor author Shannon Hale reveals her
life in friendships through sixth grade. There's a kaliedescope of
shifting loyalties. A best friend (Adrienne) moves. Her changed
return is bittersweet. Shannon gets on the precarious periphery of
the in group Adrienne is firmly entrenched in, a clique with ever
changing rules and alliances.
Home presents its own challenges. Shannon is the left out
middle child excluded by two older sisters and beyond the interests of
two younger siblings. Her oldest sister, Wendy, seems intent on
making her life miserable.
LeUyen Pham's evocative illustrations capture the text
perfectly. Facial expressions, postures, and distances between
characters speak at least as loudly as words. Segues between reality
and fantasy are flawless.
Real Friends is a lively, accessible book and a must read for
every girl and woman who has ever wondered what is most important in
friendship.
On a personal note, Joey cat and I are enjoying our lovely Christmas
tree. Yesterday church was so beautiful! In front were the white
poinsettas that would later be delivered to shut in people. (If you
have a cat and get a poinsetta keep the two far apart.) My choir and
bell choir teamed up on O Come O Come Emanuel. I admit I may be
prejudiced. But it was so beautiful it sent chills up my spine. I
was swept away with the pure joy of it all.
A great big shout out goes out to my fellow choir members, choir
director Molly, and our talented bell choir. We made beautiful music
together!
jules hathaway


Sent from my iPod

Saturday, December 16, 2017

What Makes Us Unique?

What Makes Us Unique?

Picture book
Diversity can be a tricky topic for adults to wrap their minds
around. For kids just learning their place in the world, however, it's
a natural interest. People obviously differ in a number of ways.
What does it mean? Why are some kinds of people seen as dangerous or
scary?
What Makes Us Unique? by Dr. Jillian Roberts, child psychologist
and educational psychology professor, is a good place to start.
Readers are introduced to a number of ways in which people look, act,
think, and feel differently from one another. It's pointed out that
folks also have a great deal in common including the right to be
treated with compassion, respect, and love.
What Makes Us Unique? is a good acquisition for public and
school libraries, especially in places where there's a lot of
divisiveness and prejudice.
On a personal note, I'm staying in today and cooking a turkey for
supper. I have time for that with the semester over. Joey cat is
wildly excited. It's his favorite food and he knows that looking
adorable will get him his share of tasty tidbits. The tree is looking
so beautiful! It's a good day for writing and cleaning and later cat
assisted reading. And knowing how lucky I am to have a home, food,
family including cat, functional literacy...
A great big shout out goes out to my talented older daughter, Amber.
If you haven't checked out her blog http://amberscraftaweek.blogspot.com
lately you don't know what you're missing. There's still time to make
pokemon stuffed toys, Christmas bats, and the most adorable cat
sweater you've ever laid eyes on. ;-)
jules hathaway



Sent from my iPod

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Girl Code

Girl Code

YA nonfiction
"If you had told us that one day we would be writing a book about
the time we learned to code, created a menstruation-themed video game,
and then watched as that game went viral overnight and shook up our
lives forever, we would have laughed in your face."
Obviously, since that book is in my hands, Andrea Gonzales and
Sophie Houser won't be laughing in people's faces (at least on that
score) any time soon. Their Girl Code: Gaming, Going Viral, And
Getting It Done couldn't possibly be more timely. Coding is a field
with rapidly increasing potential for well paying, intrinsically
interesting careers. It's still almost all guys. By telling the
story of their experiences, Gonzales and Houser show that it's also a
field with room for ambitious and creative girls and women.
Both girls were high school students when they met up. Sophie
was a quiet girl living with her family on the Upper West Side of
Manhattan. She had a great deal of difficulty with sharing her ideas
with anyone outside of family and close friends. She found class
participation difficult and public speaking torture. Andy was living
with her Phillipines immigrant parents and sisters. Both parents had
grown up very poor and put financial stability first. Andy and her
sisters were urged to work dilligently towards secure careers as
doctors, lawyers, or engineers.
They participated in a seven week Girls Who Code summer
program. It's a program created to address the shortage of girls and
women (especially minorities) in the field. When it came time to
create a final project they ended up working together on a video game
that sought to shatter menstrual tabboos. Apart from the snags and
difficulties in any coding project, each girl faced her own
challenge. For Sophie it would be speaking in front of a large
audience. For Andy it would be uncertainty whether her traditional
parents would accept her working on a taboo topic.
Girl Code, told in their alternating voices, takes readers
through that year and well beyond. Their voices are candid,
thoughtful, intimate, and perceptive. It's the kind of narrative that
could leave today's girls thinking "That looks like fun." or "I can do
that." Oh, yeah, there's a coding appendix to help them get started.
Girl code is a must acquire for public and school libraries and
a wise investment for parents of daughters.
On a personal note, in case you're wondering, I bagged my moose. I
was ready with a cushion to sit on and a book to read when the line
started forming. My moose is very soft and adorable in his little
UMaine shirt. I named him David Tyler after the prof and GA of my
sustainability class because mooses need a sustainable world.
Yesterday I went to a crafting stress reduction event at UMaine. I
made and gave a bunch of Christmas gifts and hung with my friends.
Here is how to make a facial scrub. Mix together 3 scoops sugar, 11/2
scoops veggie oil, and drops of essential oils. It's a good idea for
last minute gifts.
My Christmas tree is gorgeous. I'm putting on the candy canes.
A great big shout goes out to the CASE (campus activities) and Mind
Spa (outpost of counseling center) folks for all they do to relieve
final exam stress and Joey cat for (so far) not knocking over the tree.
jules hathaway


Sent from my iPod

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

What Do You Do With An Idea?

What Do You Do With An Idea?

Picture book
What do you do when you get an idea? Do you dismiss it because
it might be nice, but realistically you could never pull it off? Do
you worry about what other people might think of it and/or you? Or do
you own it, incubate it, and share it with others with the potential
to share your belef in it?
Kobi Yamada's What Do You Do With An Idea? neatly personifies
this concept for our younger book readers and listeners. A young
beautifully androgynous child with a wonderfully expressive face gets
an idea and wonders what to do with it, trying at first to abandon or
hide it, but eventually finding the magic in it and nurturing it. Of
course the naysayers and sceptics have plenty of opinions and almost
succeed in getting everykid to give up.
But then something amazing happens.
Mae Besom's unusual pencil/watercolor illustrations perfectly
compliment the text. In the beginning almost all is white and shades
of grey except for the idea, conceptualized as a golden egg with a
crown and some green plants that sprout up where its feet touch the
ground. The naysayers, in particularly, are quite grimly sketched.
When the idea makes the child alive colors start to spread. On the
last page there is no more black and white.
I believe this is a perfect book to give an abstract concept
just enough concretenesss to make it come alive for kids. We need
them to believe in their ideas and not give up, not just in their
youth, but across their life span. There will be so many critics
eager to shoot them down. But with all the problems humans face we
need all the good ideas we can get for solutions. And some of them
may change the world or at least part of it.
I am taking the first steps on my idea which I call Joy (Joey -
e) To Maine. It will help people who can't afford vet surgery not
lose beloved animal companions. It took me (I'm not gonna lie) over
two years to come up with a viable structure. Right now I'm saving
soda can redemption money to be the first seed money and looking for a
person or people with computer expertise.
What is your best idea? What can you do to turn it into a
reality?
On a purrrrsonal note, last night I was very lucky to get to go to a
sustainability Christmas party at UMaine. It was quite posh. My
friend Sonja won the grad student research award. Sonja had an idea
and knew what to do with it. Her WEEDucator is a computer game that
helps farmers evaluate different weed eradicating options for efficacy
and cost. It is going to be BIG. I'm most excited for its potential
use by refugees from agrarian traditions wishing to farm in America.
You know, the English as a second language thing.
Joy To Maine now has a credit union account of $122.46.
Joey cat is loving the Christmas tree. Now he's napping under it. It
just have to make sure he doesn't try to climb it and prove that
gravity is still working like he did last year.
Today is stuff a moose day at UMaine. I am going to risk getting
caught in the predicted messy storm because I am determined to bag my
moose.
A great big shout out goes out to my award winning friend Sonja. That
girl is going places!
jules hathaway


Sent from my iPod

Sunday, December 10, 2017

Places I Never Meant To Be

Places I Never Meant To Be

YA/adult short stories
"Harry Mazer on censorship
I struggle each day not to let the fear of the censor poison my
writing. When the censor rules, a dull sameness creeps into books.
Am I being too cautious, being too careful in what I choose to write
about, watching my language? It's this caution inside that I fear
more than the censors. If I can't write the book that I want to
write, what am I doing?"
In my eleven years on school committee I never had to
officially weigh in on a censorship attempt. I saw a neighboring
town grapple with the issue. A high school freshperson was assigned a
book that his patents considered inappropriate. He was offered an
alternate assignment. His parents pushed to get the book removed from
curriculum and school library. I think the school refused and the boy
was placed in a private school. I knew all the participants. I was
amazed by the amount of acrimony I saw, the with us or against us
mentality.
I read the book. If Veazie had had a high school I would have
argued in its favor. I can understand people making book decisions
for their own children. I steered mine from books that were thinly
veiled attempts to get them to buy name brand products. I see red,
however, when they try to decide what everyone's children must not
have access to, especially when they hadn't read a whole book, but
completely decontextualized "offensive" passages.
We tend to look at the effect books in question have on kids.
Sometimes we try to take a slightly wider perspective and include the
school and community. I had never seen anything on the effect of
censorship on authors until I read Places I Never Meant To Be edited
by Judy Blume. It's a collection of short stories by writers who are
no strangers to controversy.
The stories are little masterpieces in their own right. In
Walter Dean Myers' The Beast Is in the Labyrinth a college boy has to
deal with a sister dying of drug abuse when he goes home on vacations.
"I know it's too hard. It's too hard to see her wasted on the
bed. Everything that was to be known was crammed into the small space
between us. We've walked together into the maze of our lives. The
beast has come to the reunion."
Harry Mazer's You Come, Too, A-Ron deals with the plight of
harder-to-find-homes-for older kids. Aaron has escaped from a state
school with too few staff members to keep the place safe, determined
to never go back. But when he goes back to placement he unexpectedly
bonds with a little kid, Kenny. That changes a lot in Aaron's mind.
When Kenny gets placed in a home...
"...I remembered something else. There were phones at Oakmont.
If I was there, the kid could call me whenever he wanted.
On weekends I could go see Kenny. Oakmont ran a bus into the
city for kids visiting their families. I'd go see the kid. We'd go
to Bronx Park, walk over to the zoo...Me and the kid."
Susan Beth Pfeffer's Ashes strikes close to home for me. The
divorced parents of Ashes (Asleigh) are a lot like mine were with her
mom being practical and responsible and her dad being anything but.
Her dad wants her to hand over her mom's savings. He's in danger from
probably unsavory characters he owes money to.
"I stood over the teapot and stared at the money. Mom's
emergency money. Her earthquake money. Her Martian money. Ten
Andrew Jacksons stared right back at me. They offered me no advice on
what I should do."
In addition to the stories each writer discusses what censorship
has meant to his/her life and career. Some were quite surprised to
find their content deemed dangerous and objectionable. Many found
themselves conflicted, wanting to give young readers authentic
content, but realizing too much pushing the envelope could have their
work banned or never published. Some considered the effect of their
work and reactions to it on others. Katherine Patterson said.
"I know that when a book is challenged, I will not be the one
who suffers. It will be the teacher or librarian who is called upon
to defend what I have written who must stand in the line of fire.
They are true heroes to me--the guardians of the constitutional
freedoms which make this country great. I admire them more than I can
say. If we lose their witness, we will have lost democracy itself."
Walter Dean Myers put a name to a concept I only became aware of
a few years ago: censorship by ommission. Unbeknownst to me, authors
like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston had spoken of it. If you
look at books with black protagonists (of which there are far too few)
most are about the black experience, as opposed to black narrator as
everychild/teen as in Jaburi Jumps which we looked at recently.
"Limiting the ideas that will be published not only prevents the
propogation of these ideas, it also corrupts the development of the
writer. But censorship by ommission does one other thing: it keeps
the evils of censorship hidden not only from the general public but
from other black writers who might be attracted to literature if they
did not have to filter their thoughts solely through their racial
identity."
I see the same process at work when it comes to LGBTQ
literature. In either case narrowing the scope of minority portrayal
to identity while giving majority characters the full scope of human
experience has the effect of othering at a time when we are in
desperate need of solidarity.
About a year or so ago I woke from a sound sleep with the idea
that gender fluid kids need a series of the kind that are so popular
with their peers: the kind with a blend of words and graphic art. I
came up with a protagonist who learns that she is gender fluid/
nonconforming. However, this is in the context of a lot of major
stuff going on in her life. Her parents have divorced and her dad's
moved to Alaska with the new love of his life. Mazie and her mom have
to move from Boston to a conservative town in Maine and live with her
fundamentalist grandparents. In the first book she nearly loses her
cat who is one of the few links she has to her former life, as well as
being a beloved companion.
I have no delusions that the censors will be friends of mine.
In addition to those who who believe in only the binary, I suspect the
religious right and NRA won't be happy campers.
I know that this is an unusually long review. It also took me
an unusually long time to wrote. I do most reviews in one day. I
started this one on a Saturday and ended it on a Monday.
Places I Never Meant to Be is a must read for folks along the
age continuum who are concerned with the depth and authenticity of the
juvenile/YA reading experience or just enjoy a good banned book.
Read banned books in a spirit of thoughtful inquiry. With each
one try to figure out who is censoring what and why. This modest
questioning may give you surprising insights.
On a personal note, Penobscot County is looking like a winter picture
postcard. We had a snow storm last night. Eugene has been plowing
about ten hours now. Gotta love a weekend snow event when it's all
overtime.
Friday at UMaine we had the hunger banquet to raise awareness of
hunger around the world and in Maine. People were randomly assigned
to tables catered by different multicultural organizations. I was at
one of the Asian tables. We had bento boxes. I'd read about them so
I was really psyched. I did my part by participating in set up and
clean up.
A great big shout out goes out to Eugene and all the others who are
clearing the snow and everyone involved with the Hunger Banquet.
jules hathaway


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Friday, December 8, 2017

This Truck has Got to be Special

This Truck has Got to be Special

Juvenile fiction
"Today, I am at a truck-yard in Taxila, over two hundred miles
south of my home village. I have come to get my truck painted. Two
days ago, I paid off the last installment on the loan I'd taken to buy
this truck. I have driven it for over five years, and today it's
mine. After 30 years of being on the road, I have my own truck, and
want it painted in bright, welcoming colors..."
Chinar, narrator of Anjun Rana's This Truck has Got to be
Special, was born into a poor family in Pakistan. Not only was he
unable to attend school, but his family needed the money he could
earn. He rode a truck for weeks at a time, cleaning the truck every
time it stopped. Eventually he was promoted to truck driving. Now he
owns his own truck.
"I love to drive, and I am very possessive about driving my
truck. The excitement of the road, more so, when you can actually
choose the route you want to go on, as I have--that's something I
won't trade with anyone or anything."
Chinar's truck is about to be painted, a process that will take
days and involve many decisions. Even the inside of the cab will be
decorated. Don't be thinking detailing like what's done in the United
States. In Pakistan it's taken to whole new dimensions as an art
form. In the section on the making of the book it says:
"...painted Pakistani trucks in all their resplendent and
stately beauty, intrigued us. They appeared all the more special,
given their everyday context: they are driven along some of the most
difficult mountainous terrain in the world, in all kinds of weather.
The art they feature is remarkable therefore for its spirit of
celebrating beauty and bringing a sense of wonder into an otherwise
tough working life..."
The illustrations are perfect for the book. The trucks are
center stage, being the only splashes of color set against
monochromatic backgrounds.
On a personal note, as the year winds down we're doing special things
at UMaine. At Wilson Center we frosted cookies. Active Minds had a
holiday party. Career Center had a posh cookies and cocoa affair.
Those therapy dogs in the library drew quite a crowd. At Leadwell we
put our names on papers and everyone else wrote on our paper. It was
an early Christmas gift to read all the special things people said
about me. Tonight is hunger banquet. Next week there will be exam
stress busters including the chance to stuff a moose. I'm going to
get there early to bag my moose to keep my rainbow bears
company. :-)
Black Bear Exchange got a humungous delivery of food from a drive. I
helped my good friend Marcy check the expiration dates. We had our
contest to find the oldest. I won with 1995. Someone gave a food
item older than my son.
A great big shout out goes out to the people making the events happen
and participating in them and Marcy who, among other things, launders
all clothes donated to BBE and lets me know when the coolest items
arrive.
jules hathaway





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Tuesday, December 5, 2017

When Dimple Met Rishi

When Dimple Met Rishi

YA fiction
"The summer program cost a thousand dollars. And while Papa and
Mamma were solidly middle class, they weren't exactly flush. Not to
mention she'd already stretched her luck about as far as it could go,
she was sure, by asking--nay, haranguing--them to let her go to
Stanford. She was sure the only reason they had agreed was because
they were secretly hoping that she'd meet the I.I.H. of her--no,
their--dreams at the prestigious school.
I.I.H., for the uninitiated, stood for Ideal Indian Husband."
To high school graduate Dimple, marrying young to a boy arranged
by two sets of parents negotiating and becoming a homemaker and mother
(following in her mother's footsteps) would be a nightmare. She's not
sure when, or even if, marriage would fit in with her plans. What she
is sure is that her focus will be on education and career. The summer
program would give her a head start before she started Stanford that
fall.
When her parents quickly agree to paying for the summer program,
Dimple has no idea they have a vested interest in the matter. It
turns out that Rishi will also be in it. He is the boy whose parents
they have negotiated with. Unlike Dimple, he knows what is going on
and loves the idea of an arranged marriage.
Their first meeting is anything but propitious. Rishi greets
Dimple with, "Hello, future wife, I can't wait to get started on the
rest of our lives." Dimple throws her iced coffee at him.
The focus of the program is a competition with a hefty prize:
the chance to pitch the idea they will develop over the six weeks to a
celebrity in the field who will help fine tune their app and pay for
advertising. Students will work in pairs.
And guess who will be working together!
The story, told from alternating points of view, really fleshes
Dimple and Rishi out as teens in a time of tremendous transition.
It's a good read for students close to the high school to college
transition. It's also a good book for their parents.
On a personal note, Eugene has brought in a HUGE tree. I can't wait
for him to put the lights up so I can start decorating. I will tell
Joey cat the story of each ornament and maybe even put a Christmas
movie on. The division of labor is along height, not gender, lines.
He has a good eight inches on me. (Eugene, not Joey)
A great big shout out goes out to Eugene, Joey, and Dr. Laura, vet
extraordinaire, who not only gave Joey a last minute appointment
yesterday, but let me pick him up on my way home so I wouldn't miss
class.
jules hathaway


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Sunday, December 3, 2017

Jabari Jumps

Jabari Jumps

Picture
Do you remember the first time you jumped off a diving board? I
do as if it was yesterday as opposed to decades ago. The water looked
far away and the chorus of voices urging me to dive had more of a
chilling rather than an encouraging effect.
That's probably one reason why I am a really big fan of Gaia
Cornwall's Jabari Jumps. Jabari is going to the pool with his dad and
little sister. He has decided that he's going to jump off the high,
scary diving board. When they get to the pool he lets some other kids
go ahead. He gets tired and needs a tiny rest. He realizes he forgot
to do his stretches. Maybe tomorrow would be a better day.
Then his dad gives him some excellent advice.
The second reason I love this book is that it advances diversity
in literature in two important ways. Jabari is everychild in the same
way as the protagonist of Ezra Jack Keats' The Snowy Day. His being
black is incidental rather than central to the plot. It busts the
white as normative bias we so often see. Also the patient and wise
parent obviously enjoying the pool time with his kids is a dad.
Jabari Jumps is a perfect book for a child facing any kind of
looming challenge or a parent rembering what it's like.
On a personal note, I had an awesome time in church today. Choir had
a really cool anthem and we nailed it. After service we has an Advent
workshop. The big room in the basement was all set up for crafts. I
made a wreath with gold based decorations. Then I made a bunch of
ornaments: a painted angel, a glitter decorated Christmas tree, three
painted and glitter decorated snowflakes, a glitter decorated fancy
ball, a God's eye. Of course I kept decorating and eating cookies.
Everyone was having so much fun! People kept loving each other's
creations. It was magical.
A great big shout to all who participated, especially the people who
worked dilligently to make it happen.
jules hathaway


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Friday, December 1, 2017

Grit

Grit

Adult nonfiction
"Why were the highly accomplished so dogged in their pursuits?
For most, there was no realistic expectation of ever catching up to
their ambitions...Each was chasing something of unparalleled interest
and importance, and it was the chase--as much as the capture--that was
gratifying. Even if some of the things they had to do were boring, or
frustrating, or even painful, they wouldn't dream of giving up. Their
passion was enduring."
For some reason Americans are obsessed with innate talents.
Whether someone succeeds in sports or writing or anything else, we
want to believe that (s)he is exceptional or a natural. I was brought
up with a different perspective. My college professor mother saw how
many students seemingly full of potential never lived up to it while
others with serious work ethics achieved way beyond expectations.
Those were the people she taught me to respect. When I became a
mother I tried to teach my kids to focus on the self discipline and
drive rather than the innate traits or external rewards. Instead of
praising for getting an A or saying "of course you did. You're
smart.". I'd say, "You studied hard for that test and skipped going to
the party. I'm proud of you." I also made sure to set an example of
perseverance. When I ran for school committee I went door to door
talking to people even though a lot of nights it was the last thing I
wanted to do. I lost my first two elections. I got the message that
people would understand if I called it quits. I was a long shot,
living on the wrong side of the tracks in a town where people judged
each other on where they lived. I won my third election and served 11
years, rising as high as chair.
Angela Duckworth, author of Grit: The Power of Passion and
Perseverance, would have said I was on the right track. As a teacher,
she initially found herself "distracted by talent." Then she noticed
that a lot of her more talented students were pulling down poor grades
while many students who struggled and asked for help excelled. She
went to grad school to understand this phenomenon and came to
attribute it to a factor she calls grit.
Passion is an important part of grit. But there is much more to
passion than infatuation. There is the aspect of sustained interest
and effort. Passion is the top level goal that stays constant even as
the lower level ones, for example, strategies change.
"Grit is about holding the same top-level goal for a very long
time. Furthermore, this 'life philosophy,' as Pete Carroll might put
it, is so interesting and important that it organizes a great deal of
your waking activity. In very gritty people, most mid-level and low-
level goals are, in some way or another, related to that ultimate
goal. In contrast, a lack of grit can come from having less coherent
goal structures."
An long term goal for me was being a parent. For a quarter of a
century my life focussed on being the best mom possible. My kids grew
up. As they became independent I used volunteering as a means of
discovering my passion for post parenting life. In 2010 I began
volunteering at the UMaine campus. What I love most is helping
students fulfill their potential. Now much of my life is focussed in
this direction and I am doing all I can to get into the degree program
that will enable me to turn passion into vocation.
The only passion I've pursued longer is one you're familiar
with--reading and writing. I can't remember a time before I was a
bookworm and story scribbler. For decades I filled notebooks with
descriptions of the books I read for my own enjoyment. The more I did
the better I got. Then one day I was offered a chance to do book
reviews for The Bangor Daily News back when they had freelance money.
The first book I reviewed for print was And If The Moon Could Talk by
Kate Banks. As I sat down to write it I felt almost electricity flow
through me. I felt like I could soar up to that moon. It felt that
right. The naturalness of the feel and the quality of my work stemmed
from all those hours I had spent writing about books because I liked
doing it.
The good news for many of us is that, although a tendency toward
grit may be innate, this very positive trait can be learned.
Duckworth provides guidance for building grit in oneself and nurturing
it in others. Her voice is reader friendly and she has a good balance
between theory, experimental results, and individual narrative.
If you or anyone around you is in need of nurturing this very
important quality, Grit is a wise investment.
On a personal note, yesterday my Amnesty International Chapter had a
letter writing party. We snacked and wrote to heads of governments
about bad things that are going on in their countries and the need for
change. Amnesty International, in my mind, is the conscience of the
world. They bring to light the evils people in power would rather
keep us in the dark about. My prime example is women being jailed for
decades for having abortions, stillbirths, and miscarriages. When
gazillions of people from all over the world write about an issue and
show that it isn't a dirty little secret, often real change happens.
They have on line petitions too. If you care about what happens in
the world and don't have a lot of time or money AI is a great
organization to link up with.
A great big shout out goes out to the smart, funny, and cool people in
my chapter and everyone else around the world involved in AI.
jules hathaway




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