Rules For Camouflage

 "RULES FOR CAMOUFLAGE 

1. Whenever you need to 

2. Anytime it seems necessary 

3. Not with people you trust 

4. How do you figure out who to trust?

5. Almost always in public.

6. Definitely with grown-ups

7. ALWAYS at school 

8. Never at the zoo."

    Evvie, protagonist of Kirsten Cronn-Mills' Rules For Camouflage, is neurodivergent. Life was challenging after her sophomore year diagnosis. Now she understands her brain and  how to work with it. And she's discovered a real passion. She volunteers after school at a zoo where they're testing the intelligence of a day 🐙. She's become enamored of Aretha and her species. She's also met kindred spirits among the staff and caught the interest of a cute fellow volunteer. In fact he may be more than just a friend. 

     Unfortunately high school can be a very unkind space for anyone who is different. At Bluestem Lake Area High School, in addition to the student bullies there's a teacher who is determined to keep Evvie from graduating 🎓 if she won't conform to her rules. 

     Hence the need for rules for camoflage. 

     There is one place in the school that has been created as a sanctuary for neurodivergent students. The Lair is a place where they can get a break from the pressure and stress and be valued for who they truly are.

     But its continued existence is being threatened. 

     Evvie is a shero you can't help rooting for. Please join her for her (hopefully) final year of high school. 

On a purrrsonal note, today when I went to Orono Public Library to get my new bunch of inter library loans I met and befriended by a very gentle, dignified, friendly and big dog named Bailey. I'll post a picture tomorrow. She was bred a lot and then discarded. Fortunately she now has a loving home and time to make friends at the library. 

A great big shout out goes out to Bailey and all the good rescue dogs and cats. 

Jules Hathaway 

Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone

These are the treasures I got for myself, (Thanks, Amber!!!) on my final trip to Joann Fabrics. I hate it when really good stores and restaurants go out of business.

The White Guy Dies First (YA chiller anthology)

     If you, like me, have developed a taste for scary short stories you'll find a feast in The White Guy Dies First: 13 Scary Stories of Fear and Power. Between the covers you'll discover:

*topiary animals more malevolent than the ones in The Shining;

*a vengeful spirit with a hatred for rapists and their enablers;

*the gruesome secrets behind a young woman's gardening obsession;

*what docile girls are truly capable of;

And so much more. There's even a story by THE Tiffany Jackson. If you're a true chiller affecianado you don't want to miss out...

     ...but you may not want to read some of the pieces after darkness falls. 

On a purrrsonal note, I had myself an adventure today. Amber had a gift card for a store that's going out of business Friday. She sent me the card and a list of things she wanted and said I should also get stuff for myself. I hadn't counted on the place being so crowded and chaotic. I was going up and down the aisles and waiting in lines for hours. But I found good stuff for us both and got to campus in time to forage for lunch before class. So it was a fun adventure. 

A great big shout out goes out to Jo-ann Fabrics for supplying crafters so well for eighty years. You will be greatly missed.

Jules Hathaway 

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An Outbreak of Witchcraft (YA graphic novel)

     The winter of 1692 was a dire time in Salem, Massachusetts. There was a lot of fear and distrust. People heard from the pulpit that they were Sinners in the hands of a very angry God. A bloody raid by Indigenous People in what is now Maine had them terrified of suffering a similar fate. There were many feuds and rivalries between townspeople. And it was a brutally cold, dark season. 

     Suddenly a small group of tween and teenage girls started exhibiting bizarre  symptoms, seemingly being tormented by unseen beings. When asked to reveal the identities of the witches hurting them they began naming them. The ranks of the accusers and accused grew quickly. Jails were packed. Before the hysteria had run its course twenty 

innocent people had been hanged.

     In Outbreak of Witchcraft Deborah Noyes' words and M. Duffy's illustrations introduce YA readers to that perilous year. An unusually grim palette adds to the ambiance of terror and helplessness and darkness. 

On a purrrsonal note, today was a special election day. I made it to the town office even though I had to take the long way around thanks to the snow. I have no right to talk to undergrads about civic engagement unless I practice what I preach. Yesterday and today temps have been warmish. Today actually smelled a little like spring. Sadly well probably get a lot more ❄️ before that glorious season arrives in Maine. 

Jules Hathaway 

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My stuff a buddy llama

I named her Bailey after one of my friends. Isn't she too cute for words?

Nice Is Not Enough (adult nonfiction)

     Sociologist C. J. Pascoe spent over two years of observations, interviews, and the study of primary sources at a public high school serving students from working and middle class families. It was not her first rodeo. Similar research she'd conducted at the turn of the century had resulted in her first book--Dude, You're a Fag: Masculinity and Sexuaity in High School. Nice Is Not Enough: Inequality and the Limits  of Kindness at American High is the result of her more recent foray into secondary school. 

     At first Pascoe was pleasantly surprised by the contrast between American and the high schools she'd done her previous research at and attended as a teen. She didn't see the "gender- and sexuality-based bullying and harassment" she'd previously spent so much time documenting. 

     "American is just that kind of school, the kind of school where there is 'no room for hate," the kind of school where care, connection, and kindness characterize school culture. At every turn I see manifestations of this kindness and care."

     But Pascoe quickly discovered the dark side to this culture of acceptance and kindness. Issues like racism, sexism, and homophbia were only tackled on an individual level. Students were encouraged to be kind and inclusive and to see something, say something when they observed peers failing to live up to the school's standards. 

     But it was quite a different story when students and sympathetic staff members tried to raise awareness of these issues on a systemic level. Administration was quick to resist and and try to shut down or at least water down their attempts. Pascoe meticulously documents and analyzes this dynamic across a full range of social justice issues. 

     Pascoe nicely balances scholarship with vivid anecdotes. She includes the right details to bring her subjects vividly to life. I think it's a must read for anyone who has at least suspects that a focus on individual kindness and empowerment can easily easily divert attention from resistance to tackling or even acknowledging institutional and systemic injustices. 

On a purrrsonal note, I  have faith that the UMaine Winter Carnival went well. Unfortunately I couldn't go because for months there have no Saturday buses on the Old Town route. But I got to take a stuff a buddy llama early. It was what I wanted most.

A great big shout out goes out to the CSI staff for all the hard work they put into their amazing events. 

Jules Hathaway 

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AfterMath (juvenile fiction)

     Lucy, protagonist of Emily Barth Isler's AfterMath, has lost her beloved little brother, Theo. He was just months old when he began to show signs of the birth defect that would claim his life. But despite his frequent hospital stays and the medical paraphernalia he was hooked up to he had a vibrant personality. His absence has left a gaping hole in his family, one they tiptoe around. 

     Lucy's mother has decided that what the family needs to heal is a fresh start--a new home in a new town.  So she's starting seventh grade in a new school with a very unusual group dynamic. Four years ago her classmates,  then only eight-years-old, were the survivors of a school shooting. They saw friends murdered. They had to run for their lives. They bear inward, if not outward scars.

     The other students shun the only girl who is friendly to Lucy. It turns out that her now dead brother was the shooter. 

     And Lucy can't turn to her parents for help. They've retreated into individual coping methods--ones that depend on her keeping up the appearance of being fine...

     ...even though she very much isn't. 

     Lucy has been a long term fan of math. The formulas are are logical, the answers consistent. 

     Too bad life is nothing like that. 

On a purrrsonal note, this is a big homework weekend for me. I'm very happy to be spending most of it in my nice warm home. 

A great big shout out goes out to my faithful wing 🐈 Tobago. 

Jules Hathaway 

     

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Furia (YA fiction)

     On the soccer field Camila shines. She has the giftedness, the passion, and the drive. She's such a force to be reckoned with she's called Furia. But her team winning an important game is bittersweet for her. She sees a woman consoling a member of the losing team she wonders, "What would it be like for my mother to come and watch my games, comfort me if I lost, celebrate my victories?"

     You see Camila's parents support her older brother's rising soccer career and bask in his growing fame. But her macho, abusive father has decreed that futbol is not for girls or women. He's a very unpleasant person who cheats on his wife and bullies his family. Her mother plays but resents the role she's been shrunk into. Her brother too often feels diminished. Given their dysfunctional dynamics, Camila feels that she can't tell her family about her involvement in the sport she lives to play. 

     But keeping her secret is about to become complicated. Winning the big game has opened up a world of possibilities unavailable to most girls and women in Argentina. The team has just qualified for the Sudamericano women's tournament. Camila yearns to play on a United States professional team. Doing well in the tournament could make her dream come true. But for her to play in it she has to get her parents to sign permission slips. 

     Camila's childhood best friend, Diego, is back in town and seemingly in love with her. She's falling fast but wondering if their relationship would have space for two high visibility, high pressure careers that would require frequent separations.

     All this plays against a background of so many missing and murdered girls and nothing being done to change this. In the course of the narrative when a school girl is abducted and slain her family and community's grief is mixed with anger. But when girls and women protest the killings and the indifference of the larger society they are demonized.

     Mendez has created a truly memorable, believable, and inspiring protagonist and narrative. Furia is her first YA novel. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

On a purrrsonal note, here in Maine with a few days between storms we have accumulated ❄️ which blizzard battlers are moving to undisclosed locations to make room for more snow. Too much snow. But today on campus was fun. We had free grilled cheese sandwiches and make your own trail mix with the real good ingredients. I got to take home two bags for my weekend studying. 

A great big shout out goes out to the people who worked the wonderful event. 

Jules Hathaway 

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Onyx & Beyond (juvenile historical fiction)

"That's what the doctors said 

Mama had. Early-onset dementia. 

They said maybe put her in a home,

     & Gran said, My baby ain't going in no home.

& we worked together & kept it a secret.

Then Gran went to the sky & Mama got worse."

     After the death of his beloved grandmother Onyx, protagonist of Amber McBride's Onyx & Beyond, has more responsibilities and stresses than any 10-year-old should have. In addition to keeping up in school and navigating the streets as a Black boy he must do the cooking and housework and earn money to help buy food and care for the physical and emotional needs of his mother--parent a parent before he's hit puberty. Gotta keep his mom, whom he loves to the edges of the known universe and beyond, with him and out of a home. This could get much more difficult. Child protective services has scheduled a home visit. 

     Despite the harsh reality of his life Onyx has a fascination with the universe and dreams of flying. His narrative in free verse is a rich blend of imagination and wisdom in addition to the nitty gritty of a challenging existence. 

"I wonder if when Mama is dreaming, 

     she remembers everything?

If her dreams are more real than real life."

     Onyx & Beyond, set in the late 60s, gives a vivid picture of that turbulent time. Onyx is a fictional character. But he's based on Mcbride's father's stories from his youth. 

On a purrrsonal note, I studied at home today since the woods path between my home and the bus stop is snowed in. But I have rides both ways tomorrow. I'm so excited about going in and seeing my friends. 

A great big shout out goes out to my wonderful, amazing friends. 

Jules Hathaway 

     

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The Black Queen (YA chiller)

     Inter library loans are awesome. Rather than being limited to the offerings of my local library I have access to collections all over Maine. It's always such a thrill when I pick up a stack. True, there are some duds that don't live up to their descriptions. But more often I pick up an amazing, spellbinding, impossible to put down volume. This was the case with Jumata Emill's The Black Queen. It seamlessly weaves together small town Southern intrigue, vivid characters, and a roller coaster ride of a plot with insights into the ubiquitousness and evils of racism.

     Tinsley, the white, privileged younger daughter of an influential family, feels that she's entitled to be her high school's homecoming queen. Her grandmother, mother, and older sister wielded the crown and scepter their senior years. And she has not so nice ways she's destroyed rivals for previous leadership positions. 

     But she's met her match in strikingly beautiful and immensely popular Nova--even after trying her best to intimidate her in a Mean Girls style show down and attempting to bribe her by offering to have her family pay for the restoration of a Black cemetery where Nova volunteers. 

     The night when Nova is crowned their school's first Black queen with much fanfare Tinsley is noticeably absent, off partying with her supposed besties, Giselle and Lana. When she makes a very drunk rant, stating that she should have killed Nova and left her body in "that slave cemetery she loves so much" she doesn't suspect that Lana is filming and posting to social media...

     ...where the video goes viral...

     ...which is bad news for Tinsley because the next morning Nova is found dead. Guess where. 

     Now a media hounded Tinsley is struggling to prove her innocence and avoid jail. Duchess, Nova's closest friend, is striving to put her killer behind bars. Duchess's police captain father is searching for the truth as both the black community and his white chief undermine him. And diverse characters,  some with pretty sketchy motive, are inserting themselves in the situation. 

     If you have a hunger for intrigue, drama, and suspense you will find The Black Queen to be mmm mmm good.

     In his acknowledgements Emill hints at writing more stories and maybe including Tinsley and Duchess in some of them. Now that is something to really look forward to. 

On a purrrsonal note, I am getting so tired of the snow. The woods path between my house is totally impassable. So now I have to hunt for rides to and from school. Eugene is working all kinds of hours. He isn't getting enough sleep. I'm more than ready for spring. Most people I talk to are also.

A great big shout out goes out to Eugene and the other blizzard battlers. 

Jules Hathaway 

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Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed To Get Old (adult memoir)

     Celebrity memoirs, along with sci fi, cozy mysteries, Harlequin romances, and anything about sports (except those involving underdog teen or kid teams) are on my do not touch list. This should be easy to understand. I don't watch TV beyond Channel 5 news. I see very few movies. And my interest in celeb gossip matches Tobago's in befriending the dog next door. So when Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed To Get Old showed up in my inter library loan stack I wondered what I was thinking when I ordered it.

     But I had ordered it. I decided to skim the introduction...

     ...and unexpectedly I was hooked. Shields reads the room. She knows who she is addressing and how to hold our interest. Her tone is intimate and candid. She combines personal narrative with research studies. And there is precious little name dropping. 

     The woman calls bull shit. In this country we're still in deep denial when it comes to ageism. She describes its 

manifestations and consequences quite eloquently. Having been on the front line of this war for decades, I find it thrilling that someone with actual name recognition is also in the trenches. And she assuages fears that it's all downhill after menopause. And speaking of menopause...

     ...she actually does. A perfectly natural process is still a taboo topic in our society, even among many doctors. Shields tells us about the wide variation of what's normal during this transition, ways people can improve their experience of it, and why we need so much more research. For this section alone the book is well worth buying for those who are headed toward or in "the change".

     Another change almost universally dreaded by mothers is children growing up and leaving home. Shields does a thoughtful discussion of the depth and complexity of feelings this transition evokes. And she reminds us that if the baby daddy is still in the house parenthood isn't the only changing relationship. 

     And she hits on the ultimate aging taboo: sex. We've moved away from the movies that show mom and dad retiring to separate beds (if not bedrooms) after a chaste kiss. But we still have a long way to go.

     If you're an older woman or nonbinary you should buy this book or at least borrow it from the library. If you're anything like me you'll find it affirming, validating, and liberating.

On a purrrsonal note, I got really great news this morning. I got 100% on my first solo presentation for capstone. I worked really hard on it.

A great big shout out goes out to me from me. I am very proud of how far I've come since the stroke. I hope you can give yourself a shout out when you accomplish something you've worked really hard for. 

Jules Hathaway 

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Before The Badge

   I think we all have perceptions of the actions of the foot soldiers of law enforcement--the cops on the beat. The camp I fall into is deeply concerned about the disproportionate number of Blacks being surveiled,  arrested and killed by police. Some think the force is being bullied by activists, the media, and political correctness. Some want to defund them while others want to give them military grade weapons. 

     In Before The Badge: How Academy Training Shapes Police Violence Samantha J. Simon shares an interesting perspective based on months of intensive field research. Prospective police officers aren't selected for and trained in racism. They are carefully selected for and socialized into a almost cult like institution. 

     "I watched this socialization process unfold for cadets during the six to eight months that they spent training to be police officers. Importantly, this socialization emphasized, and indeed required, that cadets thought about and engaged in violence that sustained their institution."

     Those cadets chosen for traits such as passion for their chosen field, a strong sense of loyalty, willingness to use physical violence, conservative beliefs, values, and political views, comfort with hierarchy, willingness to follow commands, and a binary good guy/bad guy mind set are brought into a very insular society. They spend most of their time on and off the clock with other members of the force. Outsiders--especially media professionals, activists--are portrayed as dangerous beings who put them in constant peril. "If everyone is out to get you, in one form or another, it becomes easy to legitimize violent responses and dismiss any criticism."

     And they're taught to think of themselves as warriors preparing for battle against constantly threatening advisories.

     I believe that Before The Badge is an important read for anyone concerned about the state of law enforcement in today's America. 

On a purrrsonal note, I had a totally awesome Valentines Day. Eugene had been out plowing and came home in time for me to make him breakfast. He gave me beautiful flowers and candy. I participated in really fun activities at school. When I got home Eugene took me to Applebee's for supper. 

A great big shout out goes out to Eugene. 

Jules Hathaway 

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Under Shifting Stars

     Teen twins Clare and Audrey, narrators of Alexandra Latos's Under Shifting Stars, had been inseparable best friends until they started developing in very different directions. Now, ten months after the sudden death of their beloved older brother, Adam, a chasm has grown between them.

     Neurodivergent Audrey attends an alternative school. The name of the school is Peak. The students and their neurotypical peers call it Freak. Audrey is determined to leave it and regain her closeness with her sister.

     "Clare and I used to do this. We used to swing side by side until the sun set. 

     Beside me the swing is empty. 

     I'm going to get her back, I say out loud. I'm going to prove I can be like her."

     Clare is quite opposed to Audrey coming back to her school, and it isn't only because of her sister's embarrassing behavior. It's also due to the grief on Audrey's behalf she had felt when their peers had relentlessly teased her.

     "This is the first semester Audrey and I haven't been in school together. I want to keep it that way. I'm not going to let myself feel guilty about her anymore."

     And Clare is not the pretty, popular girl her family sees her as. Some days she wants to be just like Adam. She wears his clothes and uses his skateboard. Other days she feels more like a girl and dresses accordingly. She has no idea what she is or whether her family will accept this person. 

     And while all this is going the family members are having to deal with one of the hardest losses a family can sustain...

     ...and one of them feels that it's her fault Adam died.

On a purrrsonal note, the big storm that the meteorologists have been waxing eloquently about has arrived. The ❄️ is pretty heavy and the winds are kicking up, raising the possibility of a power outage. I sure hope we don't get one because it would interfere with getting homework done. And the house gets so cold. Eugene has gone out to plow.

A great big shout out goes out to Eugene and all the other blizzard battlers. 

Jules Hathaway 

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Two Tribes (juvenile graphic novel)

     Graphic novels where text and images are woven perfectly together prove the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words. Emily Bowen Cohen's Two Tribes is most definitely such a book.

     Mia misses her Muscogee father and community. But her divorced mother treats him as a taboo topic, a being no longer part of their life. She's married a Jewish man and is embracing and expecting Mia to share her enthusiasm for their new Jewish identity. 

     But the yearning to see her father and learn more about her community and herself won't go away. So Mia uses her bat mitzvah money to travel back to her dad...

     ...and stirs up much more trouble than she'd anticipated. 

On a purrrsonal note, all week the meteorologists and other news personalities had building major hype about the day long blizzard due the day before Valentines. Blizzard eve it was the BIG topic: would we have a snow day? We did and savored it. Now the next BIG STORM is due tomorrow. My church has canceled not only the in person service, but the zoom service. They're anticipating power outages. We'll just have to see what happens. 

A great big shout out goes out to Eugene and the other blizzard battlers and the power company people who are essential heroes when we get a big one.

Jules Hathaway 

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This is me with Skye (my new squishmallow) and a yummy cupcake. Cute, huh?

For Black Girls Like Me (juvenile fiction)

     First awareness of a parent's mental illness can be very confusing and scary. That's the plight of Keda, narrator of Mariana J. Lockington's For Black Girls Like Me. 

     When we meet Keda she, her parents, and her sister are driving from their Baltimore home to a new house in Albuquerque. She's left her best friend, Lena, the only other Black girl she knows adopted into an all white family. And now she's going to a place she'll face a fresh onslaught of ignorant questions. She alternately loves and hates the birth mother she never met. 

     Not long after the move Keda's mother becomes listless, spending most of her time sleeping or watching TV, distancing herself from her family. The girls know enough to give her space until she snaps out of her sadness. Keda fears that this time she won't.

     Her mother's behavior becomes erratic. When she reads something private Keda wrote she pulls both girls out of school. 

     "She is making a scene. And the room is so full of her. I get lost. I can't breathe. I can't see straight through my tears. Why is she so angry? Is she crying too? Why is she crying?"

     When Keda's father, a professional musician, leaves his family for a summer long tour her mother is not in a good place. One morning she takes the girls to an isolated cabin in the woods where she's more and more out of control until the day when the girls return from a walk to a horrifying sight. 

     We live in a society where, although mental illness has become increasingly manageable, it's still highly stigmatized and a taboo topic. Books like For Black Girls Like Me can help people become more open, understanding, and compassionate.

     I could have used a book like that in my younger years. My father was undiagnosed probably bipolar. His mood swings were bewildering and scary and sometimes put my life in danger. Looking back I wish he could have been treated for his sake as well as mine.

On a purrrsonal note, I had a wonderful Monday. I took the huge Valentines 💝 card for the bus drivers dozens of commuter students signed to the bus depot where they'll get to see it on Friday. I think they'll really like it. Then I did a Goodwill run and found an adorable squishmallow. Then I went on campus where Catherine had cupcakes to frost and decorate. Eugene bought blueberry cheesecake 😋 😍 ice cream which we had for dessert. 

A great big shout out goes out to Catherine, Eugene, and the community connector bus drivers. 

Jules Hathaway 

     

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The Tenth Mistake Of Hank Hooperman (juvenile fiction)

     When our kids still attended the local K-8 school Eugene and I got new neighbors: a woman and her three granddaughters. Her life revolved around work and child raising. The middle child had spina bifida. When her daughter had left home she'd thought her parenting days were over. But when her daughter had been deemed an unfit parent and lost custody she stepped up.

     She wasn't alone, rather in the vanguard of a growing movement of grandparents raising grandchildren, usually due to substance abuse issues. 

     Many other kids aren't fortunate enough to have relatives who can take them in. They get sucked into the underfunded and often criminally negligent foster care system. Hank, narrator of Gennifer Choldenko's The Tenth Mistake Of Hank Hooperman, and his three-year-old sister, Boo, are in danger of being lost in it.

     When we meet Hank and Boo they're hiding from the landlord. Their family is six months behind on rent. If it's not paid in full by the next day they'll be evicted. Their mother has been  missing for a week. 

     Hank searches desperately for someone who can take two kids in on such short notice. Finally he finds the address of a stranger and takes Boo there on the bus. Lou Ann turns out to be an older woman who runs a day care. She takes them in and registers Hank for a new middle school. 

     Hank is worried about his mother. He knows that her decisions often put him and Boo in danger. "But other times Mom will drive to Mexico in the middle of the night or invite strange people to our apartment or not come home at all." No matter what she's done he still loves her. For all he knows she might be dead or in prison. And Lou Ann hasn't made a long term commitment. Everything he does seems to aggravate her. Where can he and Boo go if she kicks them out?

     The Tenth Mistake Of Hank Hooperman puts a very human face on the precarious lives too many American children lead. It can make them feel seen and help more secure classmates empathize.

On a purrrsonal note, Choldenko dedicated the book "to every kid who carries adult responsibilities on eleven-year-old shoulders." One such child was a next street over neighbor. She spent a lot of time in charge of her younger special needs siblings. She also had to periodically get her drug and alcohol addicted mother out of police custody. I went the see something, say something route. Years later I saw the girl who told me she was happy to only have to do homework and chores, to finally get the chance to be a kid. 

A great big shout out goes out to my readers. I want to share with you some words of wisdom from the book. At the end Hank says, "Mistakes burn brighter than the good things I do." This is so true of most of us. We torture ourselves over mistakes while brushing off our good decisions. If that describes you--good news--you have the power to change. Start slow--maybe thinking of one good choice you made every day--and work your way up. You'll be glad 😊 😃 you did. 

Jules Hathaway 

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Wilmington's Lie

     Sometimes groups of people do horrendous things to people they have viciously demeaned to point where they don't recognize their humanity. Think Hitler's Germany. Sometimes these acts of aggression are covered up so thoroughly they vanish from collective memory until determined researchers bring them to light. And we are horrified. A prime example is the Tulsa, Oklahoma Massacre, a night in which armed whites ruthlessly attacked a prosperous Black community--murdering, looting and burning. We've looked at that crime against humanity. A lesser known one is what went down in Wilmington, North Carolina in the election election year of 1898. David Zucchino brings it vividly to life in Wilmington's Lie: The Murderous Coup of 1898 And The Rise of White Supremecy. 

     Nearing the end of the nineteenth century, just decades after the Civil War, North Carolina's largest city was prospering. But not all its citizens were happy campers. Some Black professionals and business owners were integrating white neighborhoods and enjoying middle class lifestyles. A lot of Blacks were voting. Some were even getting elected to positions in which they were in authority over whites.

     White supremacists considered this situation intolerable. They were striving to return their state to the idyllic (in their minds) days when whites ruled supreme and Blacks "knew their place." They chose the 1898 election as a time to take back the state legislature, disenfranchise the Blacks, and terrify them into total submission. Their weapons were carefully nurtured terror, false news, violence, and ballot tampering.  

     Leading up to the election Blacks were threatened with loss of jobs, homes, and life if they registered or voted. Red Shirts roamed Black neighborhoods at night whipping terrified residents. But white fears were played on too, most notably the images of Black men as sexual predators coming after their chaste wives and daughters. 

     And the election was just the beginning of the reign of terror. 

     Wilmington's Lie is thoroughly researched, but not boringly scholarly. Zucchino brings the events and characters vividly to life as complex and sometimes contradictory individuals. He incorporates primary sources such as diaries, letters, newspaper stories, and photographs. 

     And this isn't just a snapshot from the past. White supremecy is still alive and well as we saw in the most recent presidential election. 

On a purrrsonal note, this past week's blood drive was unlike any I've ever experienced. We had two handicaps. Lisa Morin who usually runs the show was out sick and I knew counting on me to step up. Simultaneously we were getting a lot of donors who were dizzy and even two who tried to stand up and collapsed. So the nurses needed me to step up. And I did. Lisa told the interim Dean that UMaine couldn't have pulled the blood drive off without me. It made me so proud and confident.

Jules Hathaway 

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The Braid Girls (juvenile fiction)

     Identity, family, and friends are increasingly important to middle grade readers. They're beginning to discover the talents,  interests, and passions that shape their self images. On the route to the teen years peers are becoming increasingly important as people to turn to for advice and validation. But parents and family roles are still quite important. Sheri Winston beautifully captures these themes in her poignant and highly engaging The Braid Girls, told in the alternating voices of its three narrators. 

     Daija's world is built around ballet. Not only does she love acquiring the skills learning and performing, she hopes that achieving in the art will get her father to finally pay attention to her. This will require expensive extra ballet classes that her mom can't afford. She and BFF Maggie have started a neighborhood braiding business. 

     Maggie is her perfect partner, an ultra organized math whiz and future entrepreneur. But this summer an unexpected discovery with huge implications.   Her father hasn't exactly been been faithful to her mother. She has a same age step sister who has come to live with her family. 

     Callie's mother has just recently died. Now she's living with a group of strangers. She has no clue if she'll fit in or why they even took her. Maybe it was only out of a sense of obligation.  And that's not the only relationship minefield she has to navigate. Daija, fearing being displaced as Maggie's best friend, keeps trying to drive a wedge between Maggie and Callie.

     As if that isn't enough drama another crisis has erupted. Some other girls have started a rival braiding business. And they don't play fair.

On a purrrsonal note, I gave my presentation in my capstone class. It went really well. I was quite confident and focused. Kathleen (professor) said I did a great job.

A great big shout out goes out to Kathleen and my capstone classmates. 

Jules Hathaway 

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I made this in SWell and I love it. It's an intentions board. Beginning with winter break I've been working on anxiety reduction and it will be a big help. 

Two April Henry Chillers

     Two words I would describe April Henry as a writer are prolific and consistent. Prolific as in she puts out the books. Consistent as in if you're looking for a roller coaster ride of a chiller she won't let you down. Luckily last week when I picked up my inter library loans at Orono Public I found two of her masterpieces were in the pile waiting for me.

     In a scene tailor made for a Hallmark movie a little girl goes into the woods with her parents looking for the perfect Christmas 🎄. Here all resemblance to Hallmark ends. The mom is found dead, stabbed nineteen times. Little Ariel has been dropped off at a nearby Walmart. And her dad is nowhere to be found. The concensus is that he's the killer, especially since police have been call to the family home to intervene in domestic fights. 

     Fourteen years later Ariel, now Olivia, protagonist of The Girl I Used To Be, opens her door to two police officers. A woman walking her dog discovered a human bone a mile from where her mother was killed. It was DNA identified as her father's. The murder investigation is being reopened on the basis of this new evidence. 

     The police aren't the only ones looking for answers. Returning to the small town where she first lived, Olivia rent her grandmother's old house, gets a job, and starts investigating...

     ...which is probably a BIG mistake. Medford is one of those creepily small towns where people are up in each other's business. The people are bound to discover her identity and intentions. If the killer is still around (which is very likely) the person who dropped her three-year-old self off to be found at a Walmart might find an entirely different way of disposing of her inconvenient teen self.

     Maybe in the woods.

     Are you a fan of those popular chillers in which a group of people are in a building which they can't get out of and a killer who could be any of them starts picking them off one by one? Two Truths And A Lie is an irresistible example of this genre.

     Only a little ❄️ has been predicted. Not enough to necessitate cancelations. So Nell and and her acting club peers are enroute to a competition. Only six hours into a trip that should have only taken four they're in the middle of a blizzard. They start looking for shelter. 

     The teens and their chaperone end up in a creepy and largely abandoned motel along with a robotics team from another school, also en route to a competition, and some pretty sketchy adults. They and the robotics team decide to make the best of the situation by entertaining themselves. When a game of two truths and a lie segues into a seance they get pretty creeped out.

     The electricity going out doesn't exactly help matters.

     In the morning 🌄 light things look brighter...

     ...until one of the robotics girls is found dead with a note pinned to her: THIS IS THE FIRST. A killer is among them. And first implies more to come. And they're still unable to make contact with the outside world or leave the motel...

     ...which decades ago was the scene of an unsolved mystery: a gruesome bloody double homicide. 

     A good blizzard read, wouldn't you say?

On a purrrsonal note, years ago at the beginning of a major blizzard that would leave thousands of households, including ours, without power Amber and I decided to reread The Shining. That was quite the experience. 

A great big shout out goes out to my very talented horror book writer daughter, Amber, who has a chiller coming out this summer. 

Jules Hathaway 

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We Want To Do More Than Survive (adult nonfiction)

     "This book is about mattering, surviving, resisting, thriving, healing, imagining, freedom, love, and joy: all elements of abolitionist work and teaching. Abolitionist teaching is the practice of working in solidarity with communities of color while drawing on the imagination, creativity, refusal, (re)membering, visionary thinking, healing, rebellious spirit, boldness, determination, and subversiveness of abolitionists to eradicate injustice in and outside of schools."

     No doubt about it. Bettina L. Love's We Want To Do More Than Survive is a scathing indictment of the racist way children of color are educated in America. She calls what they must endure being educated to merely survive when they deserve so much more. The fact that education is funded mostly by property taxes gives them so much fewer resources than white peers. The intersectional challenges of their lives are ignored. Discipline wise they're treated much more harshly. You know--that school to prison pipeline. 

     And educational "reforms"--No Child Left Behind, charter schools--often as racist as the institutions they're supposedly reforming, can never be enough. Children of color deserve welcoming, valuing, affirming schools in which they matter immensely. They deserve schools in which they're helped to handle the challenges of life with dignity and compassion. Schools in which their creativity, imagination, determination, and, yes, rebelliousness are nurtured and they're part of a community that doesn't stop at the school gates.

     In a direct and compelling narrative that blends research and history with her candid life experience Love tells us what's gone wrong and what needs to happen to transform education from survival to abolitionist. It's a must read for all who work in schools, plan to work in schools, or care about the damage they're inflicting on children of color. 

On a purrrsonal note, sometime tomorrow I have to cut ✂️ out 180 paper ❤️ s. The UMaine blood drive is Tuesday and Wednesday. I'm of course in charge of canteen. While people wait they'll be able to make Valentines cards. 

A great big shout out goes out to all who will participate. 

Jules Hathaway 

     

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Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution (juvenile fiction)

     Middle grade social warriors and potential warriors are in for real inspiration. Sheri Winston's Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution touches on super relevant issues in the context of an engaging contemporary narrative. 

     Lotus and best friend Rebel, are starting seventh grade. For the first time they're going to separate schools. Lotus, a violin 🎻 prodigy, is going to a new performing arts school. She feels bad that it's diverting funds from the already severely neglected --as in roaches in the classroom--neighborhood middle school. But she believes that Atlantis is the only path to achieving her dream. Rebel, whose name well suits her, is attending and fighting for the  neighborhood school.

     Shall we say this is putting a real strain on their friendship?

     But racist Atlantis is not exactly a bed of roses. Classmates throw paper airplanes into her Afro. The boy she pushed out of first 🎻 in the school orchastra nicknames her Buckwheat and posts some truly nasty memes on social media. But the administration refuses to intervene. In their mind her afro is too distracting. Unless she subdues her crowning glory she's on the path to expulsion. 

     The severe neglect of majority black public schools and racist dress codes are issues that activists of all ages should get plenty agitated about. 

On a purrrsonal note I am not stepping out of my home this weekend. It's ❄️ and cold. Staying in with Tobago and doing homework is a much more appealing prospect. 

A great big shout out goes out to educational social justice warriors.

Jules Hathaway 

     

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