The Elephant Keeper
Juvenile nonfiction
"He wasn't nearly as strong as his father had been before his
illness, but Aaron worked hard. He carried bundles of reeds and
learned to thatch roofs. He hauled lumber, handed nails to the
carpenter and sharpened the ax. He hauled water from the wells and
did other hot jobs, such as burning debris and raking leaves."
When his father became too sick to work, Aaron, still a boy,
took over his job at a lodge. One day he arrived at work to see an
unusual sight. A baby elephant was in the lodge's pool, frantically
struggling. He was no fan of elephants. They ate his people's
crops. But he plunged (literally) right in to save its life.
Visiting the orphaned elephant, Zambezi, at an elephant
orphanage was a life changing experience for Aaron. He was able to
feed Zambezi, something the keepers had been unable to achieve. He
was invited to work at the orphanage. He'd have to live there,
sleeping with the elephants and only seeing his family on visits.
Can you imagine leading a life like that while still a child?
There really is an elephant named Zambezi who was rescued from a
pool and has been rehabilitated and released into the wild. The real
life Aaron is now an elephant keeper team leader.
Margriet Ruurs' The Elephant Keeper: Caring for Orphaned
Elephants in Zambia gives readers an up close and personal look at
those intelligent animals and the dangers they face, the humans who
rescue them when they are in danger, and the caring relationships that
can develop between human and beast.
On a personal note, yesterday at UMaine we did Tunnel Of Oppression.
It's an amazing activity to help bust stereotypes by which different
people are judged. Like all black people hate white people. Tour
guides took groups through a series of rooms where they saw
scenarios. I was in the mental health scenario. I played the part of
a college student whose roommate was concerned about me because of
something I'd written. I argued with her and flew off the handle when
she suggested I get help. I played that part 8 times and owned it. I
was proud to be part of such an important educational opportunity.
Plus I really miss acting which I gave up almost 3 years ago because
it took too much time from volunteering with students.
A great big shout out goes out to all who participated, especially
those who undertook the massive task of organizing it.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Friday, March 30, 2018
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
A Time To Act
A Time To Act
Juvenile nonfiction
"John F. Kennedy loved to read about history.
But history isn't just in books--it's happening all around us.
And the people who make history aren't just famous leaders or
characters in stories.
They're real people, just like you.
Sometimes, they ARE you."
That first page of Shana Corey's A Time To Act: John F.
Kennedy's Big Speech very nicely sets the tone of the book. Kennedy
is pictured not only as a president, but as a human being dealing with
all kinds of responsibilities and alliances and concerns.
When Kennedy was running for president segregation was creating
separate and inequal schools and restricting black people's
participation in facets of life--even voting, that quintessential
privilege and responsibility of citizenship. People were working for
change. Kennedy said:
"The aim of the next president of the United States must be
to...achieve equal opportunity for Americans regardless of race. This
requires equal access to the voting booth, to the school room, and to
lunch counters."
As president, Kennedy did many bold things. Acting on civil
rights was not one of them. The Freedom Riders tried to integrate
buses. Martin Luther King Jr. was jailed in Birmingham. Children and
teens marched in protest. Finally Kennedy sent a strong civil rights
bill to Congress only a few months before he was killed.
A Time To Act is a good book because it shows a very much loved
president as a human with strengths and weaknesses, facing problems
and challenges day by day...
...like all the rest of us.
On a personal note, here in Penobscot County we are seeing signs of
spring. The snow mountains are receding. We're getting balmy temps
in the 40's. Soon the people who complained about the cold will be
kvetching about the heat. I call them seasonal grinches. My life is
a dizzying (for me) round of school, homework, campus group
involvement, hunting for the GA or job that will finance grad school,
writing, reading books to review, cat care, cooking, and spring
cleaning.
A great big shout out goes to the gang in UMaine's Career Center who
are guiding me through the scary job hunt process. They are not only
professionally competent and perpetually poised, but optimistic that
despite my huge gap in paid work history (child raising, you know),
left behindness in computer literacy, and post traumatic stress
triggered by job hunting we will work something out.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Juvenile nonfiction
"John F. Kennedy loved to read about history.
But history isn't just in books--it's happening all around us.
And the people who make history aren't just famous leaders or
characters in stories.
They're real people, just like you.
Sometimes, they ARE you."
That first page of Shana Corey's A Time To Act: John F.
Kennedy's Big Speech very nicely sets the tone of the book. Kennedy
is pictured not only as a president, but as a human being dealing with
all kinds of responsibilities and alliances and concerns.
When Kennedy was running for president segregation was creating
separate and inequal schools and restricting black people's
participation in facets of life--even voting, that quintessential
privilege and responsibility of citizenship. People were working for
change. Kennedy said:
"The aim of the next president of the United States must be
to...achieve equal opportunity for Americans regardless of race. This
requires equal access to the voting booth, to the school room, and to
lunch counters."
As president, Kennedy did many bold things. Acting on civil
rights was not one of them. The Freedom Riders tried to integrate
buses. Martin Luther King Jr. was jailed in Birmingham. Children and
teens marched in protest. Finally Kennedy sent a strong civil rights
bill to Congress only a few months before he was killed.
A Time To Act is a good book because it shows a very much loved
president as a human with strengths and weaknesses, facing problems
and challenges day by day...
...like all the rest of us.
On a personal note, here in Penobscot County we are seeing signs of
spring. The snow mountains are receding. We're getting balmy temps
in the 40's. Soon the people who complained about the cold will be
kvetching about the heat. I call them seasonal grinches. My life is
a dizzying (for me) round of school, homework, campus group
involvement, hunting for the GA or job that will finance grad school,
writing, reading books to review, cat care, cooking, and spring
cleaning.
A great big shout out goes to the gang in UMaine's Career Center who
are guiding me through the scary job hunt process. They are not only
professionally competent and perpetually poised, but optimistic that
despite my huge gap in paid work history (child raising, you know),
left behindness in computer literacy, and post traumatic stress
triggered by job hunting we will work something out.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Monday, March 26, 2018
Give Bees A Chance
Give Bees A Chance
Juvenile nonfiction
At last Bethany Barton has created a worthy sequel to her I'm
Trying To Love Spiders. (Recall we looked at that last year?)
A guy and his best buddy like most of the same things: board
games, dinosaurs, strawberries, honey... They part company when it
comes to bees. Best friend Edgar doesn't like bees.
Our intrepid narrator thinks that's subject to change. He
introduces Edgar to all kinds of bee info. When he mentions bees'
role in food production, he starts to win him over.
In a world where bees (essential for much of the food we eat)
are seriously endangered, kids and many adults need to learn why this
very much matters.
On a personal note, Saturday my church, Church Of Universal
Fellowship, went all out in the national marches against gun
violence. Our event was organized and led by our youth and supported
strongly by the rest of us. We met at church where we listened to
younger members speak of how the rise in school shootings effects them
and what we must do to keep them safe. Then we walked peacefully to
the UMaine campus where we joined the event there. There were over
125 of us ranging from tots in strollers to a WWII vet. I just wish
that groups that segregate by age could have been there. There was no
micro managing on the part of "adults", no disrespect or "What do you
know? You're only a kid?" Despite prejudice to the contrary, we can
work together across the age spectrum. Indeed solidarity across all
spectrums is the only thing that can save us, our fellow creatures
including pollinators, and the beautiful world we inhabit.
A great big shout out goes out to all people and dogs around the world
who participated in the marches.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Juvenile nonfiction
At last Bethany Barton has created a worthy sequel to her I'm
Trying To Love Spiders. (Recall we looked at that last year?)
A guy and his best buddy like most of the same things: board
games, dinosaurs, strawberries, honey... They part company when it
comes to bees. Best friend Edgar doesn't like bees.
Our intrepid narrator thinks that's subject to change. He
introduces Edgar to all kinds of bee info. When he mentions bees'
role in food production, he starts to win him over.
In a world where bees (essential for much of the food we eat)
are seriously endangered, kids and many adults need to learn why this
very much matters.
On a personal note, Saturday my church, Church Of Universal
Fellowship, went all out in the national marches against gun
violence. Our event was organized and led by our youth and supported
strongly by the rest of us. We met at church where we listened to
younger members speak of how the rise in school shootings effects them
and what we must do to keep them safe. Then we walked peacefully to
the UMaine campus where we joined the event there. There were over
125 of us ranging from tots in strollers to a WWII vet. I just wish
that groups that segregate by age could have been there. There was no
micro managing on the part of "adults", no disrespect or "What do you
know? You're only a kid?" Despite prejudice to the contrary, we can
work together across the age spectrum. Indeed solidarity across all
spectrums is the only thing that can save us, our fellow creatures
including pollinators, and the beautiful world we inhabit.
A great big shout out goes out to all people and dogs around the world
who participated in the marches.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Saturday, March 24, 2018
Say Something
Say Something
Picture book
The narrator of Peggy Moss' Say Something doesn't join in
tormenting the kid the other kids pick on. She feels sorry for him.
She also doesn't mess with the kid everyone calls names or the girl
who sits alone on the bus.
She learns that isn't enough on a day her friends aren't in
school and she has to sit by herself in the cafetoria. Some kids
start harassing her. No one steps in to help even though kids she
knows are at the next table over.
It takes strength and courage for kids to stand up for peers. A
lot of parents convey the message that as long as their kids aren't
the bullies, that's all they really can do. This book can help start
conversations that can empower formerly silent bystanders.
On a personal note, I have hit the point of accepting being white
(culturally, not genetically defined BTW). I am doing all I can to
make white privilege a thing of the past. I read voraciously and
convey information that many people don't know with friends, in
groups, and in newspaper opinion pieces. I review insightful books
for you, my readers. And I share my poetry. Yesterday I had the
privilege of reading my Except Perhaps The Serpant (a poem about
racism being in the North as well as South) to my friends in Black
Student Union. They are my favorite group to share with. They always
give me the precious gift of feeling that my words matter. One cannot
choose to be white. But one can choose how to perform whiteness:
positively (fighting for justice), negatively (preserving the status
quo), or inertly.
A great big shout out goes out to my friends in Black Student Union,
Wilson Center, Active Minds, Mind Spa, and all the amazing UMaine
groups fighting for a better future.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Picture book
The narrator of Peggy Moss' Say Something doesn't join in
tormenting the kid the other kids pick on. She feels sorry for him.
She also doesn't mess with the kid everyone calls names or the girl
who sits alone on the bus.
She learns that isn't enough on a day her friends aren't in
school and she has to sit by herself in the cafetoria. Some kids
start harassing her. No one steps in to help even though kids she
knows are at the next table over.
It takes strength and courage for kids to stand up for peers. A
lot of parents convey the message that as long as their kids aren't
the bullies, that's all they really can do. This book can help start
conversations that can empower formerly silent bystanders.
On a personal note, I have hit the point of accepting being white
(culturally, not genetically defined BTW). I am doing all I can to
make white privilege a thing of the past. I read voraciously and
convey information that many people don't know with friends, in
groups, and in newspaper opinion pieces. I review insightful books
for you, my readers. And I share my poetry. Yesterday I had the
privilege of reading my Except Perhaps The Serpant (a poem about
racism being in the North as well as South) to my friends in Black
Student Union. They are my favorite group to share with. They always
give me the precious gift of feeling that my words matter. One cannot
choose to be white. But one can choose how to perform whiteness:
positively (fighting for justice), negatively (preserving the status
quo), or inertly.
A great big shout out goes out to my friends in Black Student Union,
Wilson Center, Active Minds, Mind Spa, and all the amazing UMaine
groups fighting for a better future.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Thursday, March 22, 2018
My Beautiful Birds
My Beautiful Birds
Picture
Suzanne Del Rizzo's My Beautiful Birds had its genesis in its
author/illustrator's quest to find a way to talk to her own children
about the Syrian Civil War. When she read about a refugee camp boy
who was comforted by the wild birds he could see even there, she found
her story line. Her creation combines a powerful and poignant
narrative with the most amazing three dimensional art one can imagine.
"I remember filling my pigeons' food bowl, then--in a flash--my
neighborhood, and all that was home...gone.
And my beautiful birds?"
Sami, his family, and their neighbors must flee their bomb
demolished Syrian city. After several days walking they arrive at a
refugee camp. Family members and neighbors settle in the best they can.
Sami deeply misses his pigeons. He isn't ready to play with the
other kids. He can't enjoy stuff he formerly did. But then one day he
makes a beautiful discovery.
Del Rizzo used clay and other materials to create three
dimensional illustrations. Rocks, shrubbery, grains of sand, and the
fabric of clothing all give the illusion of texture. The skies are
especially spectacular. But the piece de resistance is the beautiful
birds, their feathers elaborately detailed, their faces oh so
expressive.
My Beautiful birds gives parents a touching way to explain to
children that Syrian refugees are not terrorists and future terrorists
who "hate our way of life, but families like their own caught in
terrible circumstances beyond their control. It's a lesson too many
adults have not yet learned.
On a personal note, last night at Wilson House we had a great dinner
and a talk about Citizens' Climate Lobby led by my friend, Gerry.
It's the most hopeful approach I've seen yet toward solving the
humungous peril of climate change.
A great big shout out goes out to the Citizens' Climate Lobby crew for
their ability to engage people on both sides of the political aisle
and develop a plan that will be good for us all (except maybe some
companies who won't any more be able to get away with screwing the
environment under it). You can find them online at www.citizensclimatelobby.org
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Picture
Suzanne Del Rizzo's My Beautiful Birds had its genesis in its
author/illustrator's quest to find a way to talk to her own children
about the Syrian Civil War. When she read about a refugee camp boy
who was comforted by the wild birds he could see even there, she found
her story line. Her creation combines a powerful and poignant
narrative with the most amazing three dimensional art one can imagine.
"I remember filling my pigeons' food bowl, then--in a flash--my
neighborhood, and all that was home...gone.
And my beautiful birds?"
Sami, his family, and their neighbors must flee their bomb
demolished Syrian city. After several days walking they arrive at a
refugee camp. Family members and neighbors settle in the best they can.
Sami deeply misses his pigeons. He isn't ready to play with the
other kids. He can't enjoy stuff he formerly did. But then one day he
makes a beautiful discovery.
Del Rizzo used clay and other materials to create three
dimensional illustrations. Rocks, shrubbery, grains of sand, and the
fabric of clothing all give the illusion of texture. The skies are
especially spectacular. But the piece de resistance is the beautiful
birds, their feathers elaborately detailed, their faces oh so
expressive.
My Beautiful birds gives parents a touching way to explain to
children that Syrian refugees are not terrorists and future terrorists
who "hate our way of life, but families like their own caught in
terrible circumstances beyond their control. It's a lesson too many
adults have not yet learned.
On a personal note, last night at Wilson House we had a great dinner
and a talk about Citizens' Climate Lobby led by my friend, Gerry.
It's the most hopeful approach I've seen yet toward solving the
humungous peril of climate change.
A great big shout out goes out to the Citizens' Climate Lobby crew for
their ability to engage people on both sides of the political aisle
and develop a plan that will be good for us all (except maybe some
companies who won't any more be able to get away with screwing the
environment under it). You can find them online at www.citizensclimatelobby.org
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
B Is For Bicycle In Sustainability
B Is For Bicycle In Sustainability
Juvenile nonfiction
Do you find yourself caught in traffic jams? Do you slog across
what feels like a mile of hot tar because there are a gazillion cars
between you and the store or other destination of your choice? Are
you bothered by the increasingly unsustainability of the methods
people must use to extract gas as we burn through the low hanging
fossil fuel fruit?
Getting out of the mess we're in won't be achieved by a magic
bullet. It will take a lot of intersecting actions. One is using
more person powered propulsion. Two recent children's books I
discovered in the Orono Public Library are very inspirational.
Amsterdam is now considered the Bicycle Capital of the World.
It wasn't always. Allan Drummond's Pedal Power tells the story of the
campaign to put cars in their place.
Back in the 1970s buildings were being torn down to make huge
highways. Dark tunnels and very wide streets had no room for people
powered vehicles, making biking to work or school very hazardous.
Cars ruled the roads.
Not everyone found this state of affairs acceptable. People
began to protest in some very creative ways. The press gave them
great coverage. Then a girl was killed by a car while bicycling to
school and her journalist father revealed that she was one of five
hundred children killed on the roads. The protests got noisier and
more insistent.
Although Pedal Power is targeted to kids, it can powerfully
remind the rest of us that a community pulling together can pull off
some mighty awesome David vs Goliath feats.
Patricia Lakin's Bicycles introduces readers to a novel
concept: making them by hand as opposed to on an assembly line.
Aaron Dykstra does just that. He crafts bikes individually, guided by
customer measurements and the uses they will put them too. Readers
get to see one put together step by step. In a world of mass
production and planned obsolescence, that's a breath of fresh air.
Child readers are encouraged to think of ways they can be
creative and make things by hand. Imagine the wonderful skills and
insights they can develop. I know people who are aces at knitting and
crocheting winter wear to keep ears and fingers warm in frigid
weather. My cross stitch pictures warm people's hearts and make them
smile.
On a personal note, today, the first day of calendar spring, I see
swaths of snow outside my studio window. Another nor'easter may be on
the way. I signed the letter saying yes, I'll attend UMaine grad
school. I'm working to get a GA or job to afford to go. That is the
terrifying part for me. Eugene bought the ingredients for my home made
lasagna so that's what's for supper chez moi.
A great big shout out goes out to fellow Mainers and other folk who
are still awaiting flowers and robins and the other harbingers of
spring. We will cherish them all the more when they arrive.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Juvenile nonfiction
Do you find yourself caught in traffic jams? Do you slog across
what feels like a mile of hot tar because there are a gazillion cars
between you and the store or other destination of your choice? Are
you bothered by the increasingly unsustainability of the methods
people must use to extract gas as we burn through the low hanging
fossil fuel fruit?
Getting out of the mess we're in won't be achieved by a magic
bullet. It will take a lot of intersecting actions. One is using
more person powered propulsion. Two recent children's books I
discovered in the Orono Public Library are very inspirational.
Amsterdam is now considered the Bicycle Capital of the World.
It wasn't always. Allan Drummond's Pedal Power tells the story of the
campaign to put cars in their place.
Back in the 1970s buildings were being torn down to make huge
highways. Dark tunnels and very wide streets had no room for people
powered vehicles, making biking to work or school very hazardous.
Cars ruled the roads.
Not everyone found this state of affairs acceptable. People
began to protest in some very creative ways. The press gave them
great coverage. Then a girl was killed by a car while bicycling to
school and her journalist father revealed that she was one of five
hundred children killed on the roads. The protests got noisier and
more insistent.
Although Pedal Power is targeted to kids, it can powerfully
remind the rest of us that a community pulling together can pull off
some mighty awesome David vs Goliath feats.
Patricia Lakin's Bicycles introduces readers to a novel
concept: making them by hand as opposed to on an assembly line.
Aaron Dykstra does just that. He crafts bikes individually, guided by
customer measurements and the uses they will put them too. Readers
get to see one put together step by step. In a world of mass
production and planned obsolescence, that's a breath of fresh air.
Child readers are encouraged to think of ways they can be
creative and make things by hand. Imagine the wonderful skills and
insights they can develop. I know people who are aces at knitting and
crocheting winter wear to keep ears and fingers warm in frigid
weather. My cross stitch pictures warm people's hearts and make them
smile.
On a personal note, today, the first day of calendar spring, I see
swaths of snow outside my studio window. Another nor'easter may be on
the way. I signed the letter saying yes, I'll attend UMaine grad
school. I'm working to get a GA or job to afford to go. That is the
terrifying part for me. Eugene bought the ingredients for my home made
lasagna so that's what's for supper chez moi.
A great big shout out goes out to fellow Mainers and other folk who
are still awaiting flowers and robins and the other harbingers of
spring. We will cherish them all the more when they arrive.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Sunday, March 18, 2018
Slacker
Slacker
Juvenile fiction
"Without putting down the controller, I got up, ran to the high
window, yanked away the pillow I'd jammed there for extra darkness,
and peered outside. All I could see were fire engines and guys in
heavy raincoats and rubber boots.
'What?' I exclaimed aloud, and this time it didn't mean 'Do not
disturb' or 'I'm busy.' It meant 'Why is the entire Sycamore Fire
Department parked on our lawn.'"
Fortunately Cam's house isn't on fire. The baked ziti he was
supposed to remove from the oven burned to a crisp, filling the house
with smoke. His parents are not amused. The walls are grimy and
sooty. And the front door, an unusual size that must be special
ordered, has been smashed by by firefighter axes.
Cam's parents make him an ultimatum: if he doesn't become
involved in an activity that involves real live human interaction
before the new door is on he'll lose his game system.
Cam is frantic. Getting ready for a gaming competition with a
substantial cash prize takes all his spare time. Activities take
time. But what if he can invent a fake school club, satisfying his
parents while staying on his favorite couch, controller in hand?
Only in no time flat the Positive Action Group is all over town
doing good deeds and being targeted by a Harvard aspiring high school
student who thinks they're undermining her school group.
And there's a beaver named Elvis.
Gordon Korman is brilliant at satirizing both school fads and
the foibles of the very inept adults in charge of running things. His
Slacker is a most excellent example.
On a personal note, after a slow paced spring break I'm back in
reality. Today I have packed with church and social justice
activities. And tomorrow I'll be back at UMaine.
A great big shout out goes out to the friends I'll be seeing for the
first time in nine days or so.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Juvenile fiction
"Without putting down the controller, I got up, ran to the high
window, yanked away the pillow I'd jammed there for extra darkness,
and peered outside. All I could see were fire engines and guys in
heavy raincoats and rubber boots.
'What?' I exclaimed aloud, and this time it didn't mean 'Do not
disturb' or 'I'm busy.' It meant 'Why is the entire Sycamore Fire
Department parked on our lawn.'"
Fortunately Cam's house isn't on fire. The baked ziti he was
supposed to remove from the oven burned to a crisp, filling the house
with smoke. His parents are not amused. The walls are grimy and
sooty. And the front door, an unusual size that must be special
ordered, has been smashed by by firefighter axes.
Cam's parents make him an ultimatum: if he doesn't become
involved in an activity that involves real live human interaction
before the new door is on he'll lose his game system.
Cam is frantic. Getting ready for a gaming competition with a
substantial cash prize takes all his spare time. Activities take
time. But what if he can invent a fake school club, satisfying his
parents while staying on his favorite couch, controller in hand?
Only in no time flat the Positive Action Group is all over town
doing good deeds and being targeted by a Harvard aspiring high school
student who thinks they're undermining her school group.
And there's a beaver named Elvis.
Gordon Korman is brilliant at satirizing both school fads and
the foibles of the very inept adults in charge of running things. His
Slacker is a most excellent example.
On a personal note, after a slow paced spring break I'm back in
reality. Today I have packed with church and social justice
activities. And tomorrow I'll be back at UMaine.
A great big shout out goes out to the friends I'll be seeing for the
first time in nine days or so.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Friday, March 16, 2018
Watched
Watched
"It takes a few seconds for me to realize that the crazy
bleating noise was triggered by me. The metal rods stationed at the
entrance are flashing wild, for me. And the security guard and some
woman in a cardigan are bearing down--on me. Then my arm is seized,
the backpack yanked off my shoulder. I see the suit guy bringing up
the rear, looking not uncle-like at all, but tense."
Naeem, protagonist of Marina Budhos' Watched, is in a world of
trouble. He's been shopping with a friend, Ibrahim. Ibrahim has
tried on a $700 suit he could never afford. When they split up Naeem
triggers the store's alarms. It turns out there are unpaid shirts in
his backpack, stuck there by Ibrahim who will get off with his suit
while Naeem takes the fall.
This isn't the first time Naeem has been in trouble. He's sure
he will be booked and jailed and his parents will be called in.
Having turned eighteen, he'll be charged in adult court. But the cops
who talk to him have another option to offer him. If he can keep an
eye on his Muslim neighborhood and report anything suspicious back to
them, they'll not only get the charges dropped, but pay for the
intelligence.
At first Naeem is checking out computer websites, using a
persona to get accepted by groups. Then he's watching a Queens human
rights group, pretending to volunteer. At first he sees himself as a
hero, but as his work gets closer to home he begins to wonder.
Although a work of fiction, Watched is based on reality. As
author Budhos says,
"I wrote this book while buffeted by painful headlines--the
terrorist attacks in Paris, sting operations and further attacks in
the United States, and the rise of ISIS and their slick recruitment of
young people. My aim is to tell the human story behind the headlines,
to explore the complicated choices and pressures teenagers--especially
Muslim teenagers--face when their world is so riven and made
precarious by violence, extremism, intolerance, and mistrust."
I think she has succeeded beautifully. For this reason I highly
recommend Watched to all who believe that Muslim lives matter.
On a personal note, I'm using the tail end of March break to do as
much writing and spring cleaning as possible. As I write this the
sunshine streaming through my studio window feels like a blessing from
above.
A great big shout out goes to Stephen Hawking who the world just
lost. One of the most amazing individuals ever born, he never let
severe handicaps interfere with his optimism and curiosity about this
beautiful blue planet hurtling through space.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
"It takes a few seconds for me to realize that the crazy
bleating noise was triggered by me. The metal rods stationed at the
entrance are flashing wild, for me. And the security guard and some
woman in a cardigan are bearing down--on me. Then my arm is seized,
the backpack yanked off my shoulder. I see the suit guy bringing up
the rear, looking not uncle-like at all, but tense."
Naeem, protagonist of Marina Budhos' Watched, is in a world of
trouble. He's been shopping with a friend, Ibrahim. Ibrahim has
tried on a $700 suit he could never afford. When they split up Naeem
triggers the store's alarms. It turns out there are unpaid shirts in
his backpack, stuck there by Ibrahim who will get off with his suit
while Naeem takes the fall.
This isn't the first time Naeem has been in trouble. He's sure
he will be booked and jailed and his parents will be called in.
Having turned eighteen, he'll be charged in adult court. But the cops
who talk to him have another option to offer him. If he can keep an
eye on his Muslim neighborhood and report anything suspicious back to
them, they'll not only get the charges dropped, but pay for the
intelligence.
At first Naeem is checking out computer websites, using a
persona to get accepted by groups. Then he's watching a Queens human
rights group, pretending to volunteer. At first he sees himself as a
hero, but as his work gets closer to home he begins to wonder.
Although a work of fiction, Watched is based on reality. As
author Budhos says,
"I wrote this book while buffeted by painful headlines--the
terrorist attacks in Paris, sting operations and further attacks in
the United States, and the rise of ISIS and their slick recruitment of
young people. My aim is to tell the human story behind the headlines,
to explore the complicated choices and pressures teenagers--especially
Muslim teenagers--face when their world is so riven and made
precarious by violence, extremism, intolerance, and mistrust."
I think she has succeeded beautifully. For this reason I highly
recommend Watched to all who believe that Muslim lives matter.
On a personal note, I'm using the tail end of March break to do as
much writing and spring cleaning as possible. As I write this the
sunshine streaming through my studio window feels like a blessing from
above.
A great big shout out goes to Stephen Hawking who the world just
lost. One of the most amazing individuals ever born, he never let
severe handicaps interfere with his optimism and curiosity about this
beautiful blue planet hurtling through space.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Dreamland Burning
Dreamland Burning
YA/adult fiction
"Greenwood [a black neighborhood] burned because white folks--
not all of them, mind you, but plenty--wanted to clear the 'bad
niggers' out of Tulsa. To them, that meant any black man, woman, or
child with the audacity to believe they deserved as much dignity and
respect as a white person. Only those white folks failed, because in
the end, the survivors went right back and rebuilt what had been
theirs from the start."
I went nursery school through college without ever hearing of
the 1921Tulsa, Oklahoma race riots. They were pretty major. I mean
when the smoke had cleared over 1,200 black owned businesses and
family homes and other buildings including a school and a hospital had
been burned to the ground and around 300 people had been killed, some
in truly horrific ways. Then again, there were a lot of events my
very whitewashed history textbooks felt free to omit. Fortunately the
new crop of juvenile and YA books is helping me fill in these gaps in
my knowledge. Jennifer Latham's Dreamland Burning is a perfect example.
Rowan, at 17, is about to start a summer internship her mother
has helped her get to improve her chances of getting into a good
college. Her one day off turns out to be quite eventful. Her mother
has decided to get the family's back house (a more modest structure
behind a fine home in which the help resided in the old days) brought
up to code. The workmen are tearing up the floor when they make a
gruesome discovery: an obviously murdered skeleton. Rowan takes a
paper that had been on the deceased. She wants to solve the mystery
with the help of computers and her best friend, James.
In 1921 Will was a 17-year-old student at Tulsa High School.
His father was the propriotor of a Victrola (brand of record player)
store. His family was having a grand new home built for them. Race
came into his thoughts through several threads. The jealous defense
of a girl he had a crush on resulted in a black man being beaten to
death. The chum he hangs out with the most has been reportedly
developing KKK affinities. And a black (under the table--Will's dad
was not supposed to sell to blacks, but he liked the color of their
money) Victrola buyer and his sassy sister have somehow challenged his
ways of thinking and feeling.
Told in alternating chapters, their stories interweave in a
sophisticated, but colorfully down to earth way. Alert readers will
find themselves eagerly searching for clues as they relish the
protagonists' stories.
Dreamland Burning is a must read on several levels. It's a
finely drawn dramatic narrative. It teaches a lot about a part of
history many would rather leave buried. It's a cautionary tale.
Present day Rowan is challenged to testify against a racist murder her
local police would rather see as an unfortunate accident.
On a personal note, Happy Pi Day! Feel free to celebrate by
commemding a woman in a STEM field and enjoying a piece of pie.
Penobscot County is once again buried in white. They're expecting
this two day snow storm to drop close to two feet. Mother Nature must
be seeing the first day of spring coming up and chuckling, "That's
what you think!"
A great big shout out goes out to women in STEM fields and blizzard
battlers.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
YA/adult fiction
"Greenwood [a black neighborhood] burned because white folks--
not all of them, mind you, but plenty--wanted to clear the 'bad
niggers' out of Tulsa. To them, that meant any black man, woman, or
child with the audacity to believe they deserved as much dignity and
respect as a white person. Only those white folks failed, because in
the end, the survivors went right back and rebuilt what had been
theirs from the start."
I went nursery school through college without ever hearing of
the 1921Tulsa, Oklahoma race riots. They were pretty major. I mean
when the smoke had cleared over 1,200 black owned businesses and
family homes and other buildings including a school and a hospital had
been burned to the ground and around 300 people had been killed, some
in truly horrific ways. Then again, there were a lot of events my
very whitewashed history textbooks felt free to omit. Fortunately the
new crop of juvenile and YA books is helping me fill in these gaps in
my knowledge. Jennifer Latham's Dreamland Burning is a perfect example.
Rowan, at 17, is about to start a summer internship her mother
has helped her get to improve her chances of getting into a good
college. Her one day off turns out to be quite eventful. Her mother
has decided to get the family's back house (a more modest structure
behind a fine home in which the help resided in the old days) brought
up to code. The workmen are tearing up the floor when they make a
gruesome discovery: an obviously murdered skeleton. Rowan takes a
paper that had been on the deceased. She wants to solve the mystery
with the help of computers and her best friend, James.
In 1921 Will was a 17-year-old student at Tulsa High School.
His father was the propriotor of a Victrola (brand of record player)
store. His family was having a grand new home built for them. Race
came into his thoughts through several threads. The jealous defense
of a girl he had a crush on resulted in a black man being beaten to
death. The chum he hangs out with the most has been reportedly
developing KKK affinities. And a black (under the table--Will's dad
was not supposed to sell to blacks, but he liked the color of their
money) Victrola buyer and his sassy sister have somehow challenged his
ways of thinking and feeling.
Told in alternating chapters, their stories interweave in a
sophisticated, but colorfully down to earth way. Alert readers will
find themselves eagerly searching for clues as they relish the
protagonists' stories.
Dreamland Burning is a must read on several levels. It's a
finely drawn dramatic narrative. It teaches a lot about a part of
history many would rather leave buried. It's a cautionary tale.
Present day Rowan is challenged to testify against a racist murder her
local police would rather see as an unfortunate accident.
On a personal note, Happy Pi Day! Feel free to celebrate by
commemding a woman in a STEM field and enjoying a piece of pie.
Penobscot County is once again buried in white. They're expecting
this two day snow storm to drop close to two feet. Mother Nature must
be seeing the first day of spring coming up and chuckling, "That's
what you think!"
A great big shout out goes out to women in STEM fields and blizzard
battlers.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Monday, March 12, 2018
What Milly Did
What Milly Did
Juvenile herstory
Take a good look at the number on the bottom of a plastic
recyclable product, say a milk jug. You probably know it's a way of
sorting plastics for the purpose of turning them into new items. You
probably won't know how this process came into being...
...until you read Elise Moser's What Milly Did.
In 1978 Milly Zantow (who was born in 1923) had an epiphany.
She'd seen the elaborate ways Japanese people recycled. Returning
home, she learned that her local landfill was not only near capacity,
but leaking toxins into the water. She climbed to the top and spent a
day observing just what was being dumped in it. She found that a lot
of the rubbish was plastic, a substance that takes an incredibly long
time to break down.
Milly took it upon herself to take plastics from trash to
recycling. She learned all she could about them by reading, talking
to experts, and conducting research. Any time an obstacle arose she
tackled it head on rather than giving up.
What Milly Did is an inspiring reminder that one person can
really make a big difference.
I'm deeply troubled by the fact that many people and families
have to have beloved companion animals prematurely euthanased because
they can't afford vetinary surgery. I am at the very beginning of
starting an organization to raise money to help with this. The vets
and future vets in this area say it's a major need. I plan to be like
Milly and let nothing stand in my way.
What's bugging you? What can you do about it?
On a purrsonal note, yesterday was one of my favorite days of the
year. We set the clock forward. It felt amazing to eat supper and do
dishes in daylight. Longer days really energize me.
A great big shout out goes out to all who work to engage more girls
and women in STEM careers: both individuals like my daughter, Amber,
and organizations like UMaine's Rising Tide Center.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Juvenile herstory
Take a good look at the number on the bottom of a plastic
recyclable product, say a milk jug. You probably know it's a way of
sorting plastics for the purpose of turning them into new items. You
probably won't know how this process came into being...
...until you read Elise Moser's What Milly Did.
In 1978 Milly Zantow (who was born in 1923) had an epiphany.
She'd seen the elaborate ways Japanese people recycled. Returning
home, she learned that her local landfill was not only near capacity,
but leaking toxins into the water. She climbed to the top and spent a
day observing just what was being dumped in it. She found that a lot
of the rubbish was plastic, a substance that takes an incredibly long
time to break down.
Milly took it upon herself to take plastics from trash to
recycling. She learned all she could about them by reading, talking
to experts, and conducting research. Any time an obstacle arose she
tackled it head on rather than giving up.
What Milly Did is an inspiring reminder that one person can
really make a big difference.
I'm deeply troubled by the fact that many people and families
have to have beloved companion animals prematurely euthanased because
they can't afford vetinary surgery. I am at the very beginning of
starting an organization to raise money to help with this. The vets
and future vets in this area say it's a major need. I plan to be like
Milly and let nothing stand in my way.
What's bugging you? What can you do about it?
On a purrsonal note, yesterday was one of my favorite days of the
year. We set the clock forward. It felt amazing to eat supper and do
dishes in daylight. Longer days really energize me.
A great big shout out goes out to all who work to engage more girls
and women in STEM careers: both individuals like my daughter, Amber,
and organizations like UMaine's Rising Tide Center.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Saturday, March 10, 2018
Midnight At The Electric
Midnight At The Electric
YA fiction
Adri lives in Kansas in 2065. Climate change has rendered many
cities uninhabitable and still poses a great threat to humankind.
Planet B has become a necessity. Adri is one of the creme de la creme
chosen to leave Earth forever to become a colonist on Mars. During
the ardurous final training she is living with her just discovered
only living family member and a very old tortoise named Galepagos.
Catherine has the misfortune of living in Kansas during the
1930s. Her family's formerly prosperous farm has been swallowed up by
the dust that relentlessy assaults them. The person she loves the
most in the world, her little sister, Beezie, is stricken with dust
pneumonia which could very well take her life. She'll do whatever it
takes to save Beezie's life, even if it means leaving the only home
she's ever known.
In post World War I England, Lenore has lost the soldier brother
who was closest to her. We learn of her through her letters to her
former best friend who had moved to America quite awhile ago. She
aspires to join her. But fears and insecurities keep her bogged down
and confused. And there's a stranger who covertly enters her life and
leaves her even more uncertain.
At first glance, it would seem like the three girls, separated
by decades, would have anything in common. Their lives, however, are
inextricably interconnected. That makes reading Jodi Lynn Anderson's
Midnight At The Electric like solving a mystery or putting together a
captivating jigsaw puzzle. If you're the kind of active reader who
likes digging for clues, you will find it to be a must read.
On a personal note, snow is still happening in Penobscot County,
Maine. We got more last night. And as I write this flakes are
drifting past the window. UMaine is on our long awaited spring
break. While some folks are off to exotic locations, I suspect a lot
of us are using the week as catch up time.
A great big shout out goes out to the snow removal professionals and
my fellow students.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
YA fiction
Adri lives in Kansas in 2065. Climate change has rendered many
cities uninhabitable and still poses a great threat to humankind.
Planet B has become a necessity. Adri is one of the creme de la creme
chosen to leave Earth forever to become a colonist on Mars. During
the ardurous final training she is living with her just discovered
only living family member and a very old tortoise named Galepagos.
Catherine has the misfortune of living in Kansas during the
1930s. Her family's formerly prosperous farm has been swallowed up by
the dust that relentlessy assaults them. The person she loves the
most in the world, her little sister, Beezie, is stricken with dust
pneumonia which could very well take her life. She'll do whatever it
takes to save Beezie's life, even if it means leaving the only home
she's ever known.
In post World War I England, Lenore has lost the soldier brother
who was closest to her. We learn of her through her letters to her
former best friend who had moved to America quite awhile ago. She
aspires to join her. But fears and insecurities keep her bogged down
and confused. And there's a stranger who covertly enters her life and
leaves her even more uncertain.
At first glance, it would seem like the three girls, separated
by decades, would have anything in common. Their lives, however, are
inextricably interconnected. That makes reading Jodi Lynn Anderson's
Midnight At The Electric like solving a mystery or putting together a
captivating jigsaw puzzle. If you're the kind of active reader who
likes digging for clues, you will find it to be a must read.
On a personal note, snow is still happening in Penobscot County,
Maine. We got more last night. And as I write this flakes are
drifting past the window. UMaine is on our long awaited spring
break. While some folks are off to exotic locations, I suspect a lot
of us are using the week as catch up time.
A great big shout out goes out to the snow removal professionals and
my fellow students.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Thursday, March 8, 2018
The Many Reflections of Miss Jane Deming
The Many Reflections of Miss Jane Deming
"She's pinned all her hopes on it. Mrs. D. hated working in the
Lowell mills. She hated leaving her kitchen and hearth and standing
for fourteen hours a day before a loom, sneezing from all the dust and
lint and not being able to sleep at night because of the ringing in
her ears. She wants to be a wife again, to have someone else go out
to work while she keeps house. If she has to go all the way to
Washington Territory to do it, by golly, that's what she'll do."
Jane, narrator of J. Anderson Coats' The Many Reflections of
Miss Jane Deming, is alluding to her step mother, a Civil War widow.
In mid nineteenth century America widows and even orphans were
supposed to get jobs, often low paying exploitative ones. Eventually
Welfare was initiated as a way of rescuing "respectable" war widows
from destitution. But it didn't come in time to save Mrs. D. from the
mills. Jane hasn't had it easy either. Without any training she had
to become responsible for a household and a baby brother at an early
age while losing the friendships of her former schoolgirl peers as
well as a beloved family member.
The voyage Jane and her kin embark on is far more arduous and
dangerous than most of us would imagine. They're going the long way
by boat from the East Coast. Hint: Rio is on the itinerary. The
shenanigans of the voyage organizer perpetually threaten to strand the
passengers far short of their destination. And what if Seattle holds
far humbler bachelors than the natty banker or businessman Mrs. D.
expects to be swept off her feet by?
The Many Reflections of Miss Jane Deming combines an adventurous
coming of age narrative with interesting historical information.
On a personal note, somewhere in his burrow that old woodchuck
Puxatawny Phil must be chuckling. As far back as Sunday people were
comparing notes on a predicted big storm. By Tuesday people were snow
day dreaming and speculating. The snow had started gently last night
when I went to bed. As I write this I'm in the middle of a NorEaster.
A great big shout out goes out to my husband and the others who are
out plowing and sanding and administrators of schools including UMaine
who declared snow days, keeping students, faculty, and staff safe and
helping to keep the roads clear for the professional snow battlers.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
"She's pinned all her hopes on it. Mrs. D. hated working in the
Lowell mills. She hated leaving her kitchen and hearth and standing
for fourteen hours a day before a loom, sneezing from all the dust and
lint and not being able to sleep at night because of the ringing in
her ears. She wants to be a wife again, to have someone else go out
to work while she keeps house. If she has to go all the way to
Washington Territory to do it, by golly, that's what she'll do."
Jane, narrator of J. Anderson Coats' The Many Reflections of
Miss Jane Deming, is alluding to her step mother, a Civil War widow.
In mid nineteenth century America widows and even orphans were
supposed to get jobs, often low paying exploitative ones. Eventually
Welfare was initiated as a way of rescuing "respectable" war widows
from destitution. But it didn't come in time to save Mrs. D. from the
mills. Jane hasn't had it easy either. Without any training she had
to become responsible for a household and a baby brother at an early
age while losing the friendships of her former schoolgirl peers as
well as a beloved family member.
The voyage Jane and her kin embark on is far more arduous and
dangerous than most of us would imagine. They're going the long way
by boat from the East Coast. Hint: Rio is on the itinerary. The
shenanigans of the voyage organizer perpetually threaten to strand the
passengers far short of their destination. And what if Seattle holds
far humbler bachelors than the natty banker or businessman Mrs. D.
expects to be swept off her feet by?
The Many Reflections of Miss Jane Deming combines an adventurous
coming of age narrative with interesting historical information.
On a personal note, somewhere in his burrow that old woodchuck
Puxatawny Phil must be chuckling. As far back as Sunday people were
comparing notes on a predicted big storm. By Tuesday people were snow
day dreaming and speculating. The snow had started gently last night
when I went to bed. As I write this I'm in the middle of a NorEaster.
A great big shout out goes out to my husband and the others who are
out plowing and sanding and administrators of schools including UMaine
who declared snow days, keeping students, faculty, and staff safe and
helping to keep the roads clear for the professional snow battlers.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Flowers for Sarajevo
Flowers for Sarajevo
Picture book
"He [a musician] sits and places his bow to the string.
The people who have gathered look on in silence. He plays the
most beautiful and heartbreaking music anyone could ever imagine. All
of us--Serb and Croat, Muslim and Christian--stand side by side,
listening to a language we all understand."
In 1992 twenty-two innocent people waiting to buy bread were
killed when a Sarajevo bakery was bombed. The next morning a cellist,
Vedron Smailovic, played a tune at the site of the tragedy. It was
the first of twenty-two days that he played that same tune--acting in
defiance and hope as well as eulogizing the victims.
John McCutcheon was inspired to write a song as a tribute to the
musician. He took a different angle to create this book. He wanted
to show the effect of the music on an ordinary hearer, a boy who must
go from being his father's helper at the family's flower market stall
to proprietor when his dad must go off to fight, in order to show that
each of us has an inner goodness and beauty, capable of fighting evil.
He achieves this goal magnificently. Read the book and see for
yourself.
On a personal note, yesterday at UMaine the counselling center/mind
spa crowd put on their annual carnival. As always it was a big hit
with students seeking stress relief. My favorite part was the therapy
dogs--so soft and fluffy and sweet natured. And the lemonade was just
the right balance of sweet and sour.
A friend who was at last week's cross stitch event where I taught has
finished her piece. It says Femme Ain't Frail. It looks lovely. I'm
glad she's enjoying one of my favorite hobbies.
A great big shout out goes out to the fine folks who work at
Counseling Center and Mind Spa and my new cross stitchers.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Picture book
"He [a musician] sits and places his bow to the string.
The people who have gathered look on in silence. He plays the
most beautiful and heartbreaking music anyone could ever imagine. All
of us--Serb and Croat, Muslim and Christian--stand side by side,
listening to a language we all understand."
In 1992 twenty-two innocent people waiting to buy bread were
killed when a Sarajevo bakery was bombed. The next morning a cellist,
Vedron Smailovic, played a tune at the site of the tragedy. It was
the first of twenty-two days that he played that same tune--acting in
defiance and hope as well as eulogizing the victims.
John McCutcheon was inspired to write a song as a tribute to the
musician. He took a different angle to create this book. He wanted
to show the effect of the music on an ordinary hearer, a boy who must
go from being his father's helper at the family's flower market stall
to proprietor when his dad must go off to fight, in order to show that
each of us has an inner goodness and beauty, capable of fighting evil.
He achieves this goal magnificently. Read the book and see for
yourself.
On a personal note, yesterday at UMaine the counselling center/mind
spa crowd put on their annual carnival. As always it was a big hit
with students seeking stress relief. My favorite part was the therapy
dogs--so soft and fluffy and sweet natured. And the lemonade was just
the right balance of sweet and sour.
A friend who was at last week's cross stitch event where I taught has
finished her piece. It says Femme Ain't Frail. It looks lovely. I'm
glad she's enjoying one of my favorite hobbies.
A great big shout out goes out to the fine folks who work at
Counseling Center and Mind Spa and my new cross stitchers.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Sunday, March 4, 2018
Denied Detained Deported
Denied Detained Deported
YA nonfiction
"'I lift my lamp beside the golden door,' proclaimed the Statue
of Liberty in 1883 with the help of poet Emma Lazarus. At that time
ocean liners filled with 'tempest-tost' immigrants steamed eagerly
toward the copper-clad symbol of fresh beginnings. Millions of
newcomers fanned out across America and put down roots in the land of
opportunity. The Statue's torch of 'world-wide welcome' burned bright.
Through the years, though, varying circumstances have dimmed the
glow of that welcome from time to time. Those grimmer stories tend to
be crowded out of history books by more plentiful tales with happier
endings..."
Ann Bausum decided to remedy that deficit. Her Denied Detained
Deported: Stories From The Dark Side Of American Immigration really
delivers. It shows us that today's atrocious treatment of refugees is
not a sudden snap with the past, but the logical continuation of a
history that stretches back quite far and deep.
Readers will learn about some of the less savory facets of this
history including:
*how Chinese were systematically denied entrance and citizenship with
armed nativists eager to rid the nation of those who had already
arrived,
*how socialists and others with perspectives that challenged
capitalism were forcibly deported,
*how a ship of Jews fleeing for their lives was sent back to Hitler's
Germany,
and *how innocent Japanese-American immigrants were imprisoned in
concentration camps after Pearl Harbor.
There is a detailed six page timeline. This book provides a
good introduction for youngsters to the background of some of the most
contentious issues being debated today.
On a personal note, not knowing if I'll get a GAship is highly
stressful. It's a waiting game that could go on for months. I
wouldn't mind working a regular part time job and going part time.
It's the not knowing that gets to me. I think I'll stop by the career
center this coming week. Today is church and I'm signed up for
hospitality. I hope people like the lemon cookies I baked.
A great big shout out to refugees seeking safety for themselves and
their families and those who advocate for them.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
YA nonfiction
"'I lift my lamp beside the golden door,' proclaimed the Statue
of Liberty in 1883 with the help of poet Emma Lazarus. At that time
ocean liners filled with 'tempest-tost' immigrants steamed eagerly
toward the copper-clad symbol of fresh beginnings. Millions of
newcomers fanned out across America and put down roots in the land of
opportunity. The Statue's torch of 'world-wide welcome' burned bright.
Through the years, though, varying circumstances have dimmed the
glow of that welcome from time to time. Those grimmer stories tend to
be crowded out of history books by more plentiful tales with happier
endings..."
Ann Bausum decided to remedy that deficit. Her Denied Detained
Deported: Stories From The Dark Side Of American Immigration really
delivers. It shows us that today's atrocious treatment of refugees is
not a sudden snap with the past, but the logical continuation of a
history that stretches back quite far and deep.
Readers will learn about some of the less savory facets of this
history including:
*how Chinese were systematically denied entrance and citizenship with
armed nativists eager to rid the nation of those who had already
arrived,
*how socialists and others with perspectives that challenged
capitalism were forcibly deported,
*how a ship of Jews fleeing for their lives was sent back to Hitler's
Germany,
and *how innocent Japanese-American immigrants were imprisoned in
concentration camps after Pearl Harbor.
There is a detailed six page timeline. This book provides a
good introduction for youngsters to the background of some of the most
contentious issues being debated today.
On a personal note, not knowing if I'll get a GAship is highly
stressful. It's a waiting game that could go on for months. I
wouldn't mind working a regular part time job and going part time.
It's the not knowing that gets to me. I think I'll stop by the career
center this coming week. Today is church and I'm signed up for
hospitality. I hope people like the lemon cookies I baked.
A great big shout out to refugees seeking safety for themselves and
their families and those who advocate for them.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Friday, March 2, 2018
Posted
Posted
Juvenile fiction
"I stand motionless and read a few of them, softly enough so
only I can hear. They are just words and they are not just words. I
think about everything that's happened. About Bench and Deedee and
Rose. About all the terrible things that were said. About the things
that should have been said and weren't.
There was a war. This was where it ended."
Frost, narrator of John David Anderson's Posted, has witnessed
an ultimate showdown in his first weeks of eighth grade. One of his
small circle of friends is not coming back to school. Another has
engaged in his school's most dangerous dare. He's trying to figure
out what really went down.
It started with a cell phone in school ban. A teacher caught a
girl texting something rather crude about a fellow faculty member.
The principal cracked down. But middle schoolers want to communicate
with peers. Sticky notes came to take the place of missing texts.
And some were rather mean, leading to the war atmosphere.
Frost's social life is also changing. For most of his middle
school life he's been part of an all guy foursome. They eat together
in the cafeteria, hang out when they can, and play dungeons and
dragons one night a week. When a new girl joins their lunch group it
starts to fall apart and regroup.
Posted gives a very perceptive portrayal of the viscisitudes of
the middle school experience. It's a good read for both students and
parents who too often see those earlier years though a nostalgia patina.
On a personal note, I'm trying not to stress about whether I'll get a
GA offer, which is easier said than done. (Think Cinderella after the
ball, only dealing in brains and aptitude rather than docility and
hotness.) I had three wonderful opportunities to relax recently.
There was a cross stitch event where I got to teach one of my favorite
hobbies to a group of students who caught on quickly, made it their
own, and really had fun. My older daughter, Amber, the craftinista,
was there. My heart sang. After I went over to Wilson Center where
we ate Russell's good lentil soup and learned about black women who
were religious trailblazers. Then yesterday my friend Kat wanted to
celebrate my getting into grad school. We had a Goodwill spree. I
got two dresses, a tie, and three tee shirts including a desperate
housecats one. Kat got good stuff including a purrrrfect for her
sweater. We saved beaucoup with my club goodwill card. (If you don't
have one, get one.) Then she treated me to lunch at Mickey D's. Fun
times!
A great shout out goes out to the friends with whom I had these good
times and the hard workers who keep Goidwill stores enticing places to
shop, especially with besties.
Another shout out goes out to my daughter Amber for her latest post on
her crafts blog. http://amberscraftaweek.blogspot.com
She adapted a project Active Minds did. We're a UMaine group that
works to remove the stigma surrounding psychological challenges. Last
semester we made a post it note quilt of good things that could happen
tomorrow as a reason to keep on living. Our 1,100 squares represented
the number of students in the United States who commit suicide each
year. Amber used 50 squares to arrange on her wall. Check out her
post. This can be a great way to cultivate mindfulness and
gratitude. It can also be useful for times of stress like...
...waiting to hear about a GAship. Guess I'd better get started.
And a great big shout out to my Active Minds chums. We are family.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Juvenile fiction
"I stand motionless and read a few of them, softly enough so
only I can hear. They are just words and they are not just words. I
think about everything that's happened. About Bench and Deedee and
Rose. About all the terrible things that were said. About the things
that should have been said and weren't.
There was a war. This was where it ended."
Frost, narrator of John David Anderson's Posted, has witnessed
an ultimate showdown in his first weeks of eighth grade. One of his
small circle of friends is not coming back to school. Another has
engaged in his school's most dangerous dare. He's trying to figure
out what really went down.
It started with a cell phone in school ban. A teacher caught a
girl texting something rather crude about a fellow faculty member.
The principal cracked down. But middle schoolers want to communicate
with peers. Sticky notes came to take the place of missing texts.
And some were rather mean, leading to the war atmosphere.
Frost's social life is also changing. For most of his middle
school life he's been part of an all guy foursome. They eat together
in the cafeteria, hang out when they can, and play dungeons and
dragons one night a week. When a new girl joins their lunch group it
starts to fall apart and regroup.
Posted gives a very perceptive portrayal of the viscisitudes of
the middle school experience. It's a good read for both students and
parents who too often see those earlier years though a nostalgia patina.
On a personal note, I'm trying not to stress about whether I'll get a
GA offer, which is easier said than done. (Think Cinderella after the
ball, only dealing in brains and aptitude rather than docility and
hotness.) I had three wonderful opportunities to relax recently.
There was a cross stitch event where I got to teach one of my favorite
hobbies to a group of students who caught on quickly, made it their
own, and really had fun. My older daughter, Amber, the craftinista,
was there. My heart sang. After I went over to Wilson Center where
we ate Russell's good lentil soup and learned about black women who
were religious trailblazers. Then yesterday my friend Kat wanted to
celebrate my getting into grad school. We had a Goodwill spree. I
got two dresses, a tie, and three tee shirts including a desperate
housecats one. Kat got good stuff including a purrrrfect for her
sweater. We saved beaucoup with my club goodwill card. (If you don't
have one, get one.) Then she treated me to lunch at Mickey D's. Fun
times!
A great shout out goes out to the friends with whom I had these good
times and the hard workers who keep Goidwill stores enticing places to
shop, especially with besties.
Another shout out goes out to my daughter Amber for her latest post on
her crafts blog. http://amberscraftaweek.blogspot.com
She adapted a project Active Minds did. We're a UMaine group that
works to remove the stigma surrounding psychological challenges. Last
semester we made a post it note quilt of good things that could happen
tomorrow as a reason to keep on living. Our 1,100 squares represented
the number of students in the United States who commit suicide each
year. Amber used 50 squares to arrange on her wall. Check out her
post. This can be a great way to cultivate mindfulness and
gratitude. It can also be useful for times of stress like...
...waiting to hear about a GAship. Guess I'd better get started.
And a great big shout out to my Active Minds chums. We are family.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
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