My Monday Cosplay

The dress is from a yard sale. I'm having fun advertising the drag show. 

Pride Week is underway. Today was the flag raising. 

Children of a Troubled Time

     Fam, those of you who have stuck with this blog that long may recall that back in '19 we explored Margaret A. Hagerman's White Kids: Growing Up with Privilege in a Racially Divided America. I learned so much from it. So when I first learned of her Children of a Troubled Time: Growing Up with Racism in Trump's America I kept trying to borrow a copy by Minerva and MaineCAT to no avail. Finally I bought a copy because I believe you need to know about it. 

     Never let it be said I neglect you. 

     Hagerman calls bullshit where she sees it. She shreds the myth of childhood (or at least white childhood) as a time when kids are naive about grown up stuff (like politics) and need to be kept this way for as long as possible to keep them from experiencing negative emotions. Her interview subjects (10-13 year old kids growing up in Mississippi and Massachusetts) were very aware of current events and expressed quite strong opinions about them.

     Some of the white kids were quite troubled by Trump's 2016 win and the number of people who voted for him. They "had no idea the country was so racist". But they saw Trump as a disturbing aberration, a bad apple. Things would go back to normal when a good president was elected. 

     Some of the white kids were thrilled that Trump won and shared in his mission to make America great again. They felt that he was the only one willing to protect them against the bad people (such as Blacks, immigrants, and Muslims) who they perceived as out to hurt them, to take what was rightfully theirs. They made openly racist jokes, chanted "Build the wall. Build the wall." on the playground, and looked forward to enforcing Trumpian mandates as adults.

     For children of color the predominant feelings were fear and anxiety on two levels. Trump's win emboldened racists. The children experienced violence at the hands of their classmates and saw family members encounter violence in their communities. And they understood how Trump's policies have devastating consequences. Just try to imagine living with the daily fear of returning from school to an empty house because ICE has taken your parents. 

     Hagerman shows how encountering Trumpian influences in a time when the worst manifestations of white supremecy have gone mainstream can have devastating long term consequences for the children and our country if we don't do plenty to intervene. All of us that is. Because no less than the future of our nation is at stake. Fortunately she gives some well thought out ideas on what we can do.

     I recommend Children of a Troubled Time to everyone who gives a damn about raising kids who can resist racist thinking and actions, work to dismantle rather than reinforce racist systems, and participate meaningfully in a multicultural democracy. Remember it takes a village. 

On a purrrsonal note, at UMaine we're coming up on Pride Week. I'm looking forward to all the events. Of course the grand finale will be the drag show in which I'll be performing two numbers. All week I'll be rocking flamboyance, cos playing as my drag persona, Gotta Believe We're Magic, to publicize. Yes, I promise pictures. 

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

Jules Hathaway 

     

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When You Look Like Us

     Jay and his big sister Nic have been through a lot in their young lives. Their father is dead. Their mother is in prison. It's the two of them against the world. 

     They live with their grandmother, Mimi, a decidedly stabilizing influence. She's a devoutly religious church member and hard worker who will do what it takes to help them achieve a bright future and make sure they don't  jeopardize it. When Nic goes from honor student to frequently truant underachiever things get tense in the house.

     When Nic doesn't come home Jay covers for her, sure she's crashing at her  boyfriend's place. As the days go by he searches for her until he decides to do what he considers the unthinkable...

     ...only to find that the police aren't any help. The first person he talks to at the station accuses him of filling a false report and the officer who interviews him makes it clear that finding another missing Black girl won't be a high priority for him...

     ...Leaving Jay to get into increasingly perilous situations as he searches desperately for Nic. 

     When You Look Like Us is a real cliff hanger of a chiller. It's a vivid social justice narrative. It's a tale of family and community...

     ...oh, yeah, and a quite unlikely romance.

     Once you engage yourself in the book you'll have a hard time putting it down. 

On a purrrsonal note, Friday I had another amazing day. I got to the point in drag rehearsing where I've nailed one song and am making progress on the other. On campus I went to an excellent lunch and learn On Indigenous people with food from Harvest Moon. I visited Amber. I went to International Student Association coffee hour featuring Iranian food. It was so good. Then I went to Family Night featuring the original Shrek. Finally Catherine and I participated in karaoke. Everyone was so engaged and enthusiastic. I got to do Only The Good Die Young and I Hope You Dance. Living my best life.

A great big shout out goes out to all who made this day possible.

Jules Hathaway 

     

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These are the treasures I acquired yesterday. Aren't they purrrfect?

All the Blues in the Sky (YA fiction)

"They know death comes and is not always fair.

Sometimes, it comes in a brutal chokehold at the hands of someone who is supposed to protect and serve, serve and protect. 

Sometimes, it comes in mangled metal wrapped around a street sign because someone was too drunk to know they were too drunk. 

Sometimes no one sees death coming."

     Sage's thirteenth birthday was a very special day. She was waiting for her best friend to come celebrate with a sleep over. But on the way over her best friend was killed by a drunk driver. 

     "my best friend died

     and it's all my fault."

     Now it's a month later Sage is dealing with the absence of this very important person. A huge hole has been torn in her life. She's being constantly hit with intense, complex, and confusing emotions. 

" I turned thirteen. 

My best friend never did."

     Sage is in an after school grief group with four other girls who lost a significant other--a father, a grandmother, a twin sister, a brother. Together they work to live in the face of overwhelming heartbreak and loss and the expectations of others for them to get back to normal.

"I want the days to slow down.

The more time passes, the more I am afraid

that I will forget her."

     Sage is candid and vulnerable. All The Blues In The Sky can offer youngsters coping with similar losses validation and comfort. 

On a purrrsonal note, I had an awesome Thursday. When I got to school I saw a pop up thrift shop selling clothes to raise money for a cause. Right on the front table--I could not believe my eyes--was a pair of flowered Van's high tops JUST MY SIZE!!! SCORE! I put them and got so many compliments! (Picture post tomorrow) Then I went to a really good lunch and learn. Finally I went to a make your own street sign thing. Only it was more like book marks. Catherine gave me a ride home so I could tote all my new library books. Living my best life.

A great big shout out goes out to all the people who contributed to my blissful day.

Jules Hathaway 

     

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When The Vibe Is Right (YA fiction)

     A lot of people are joining me in crossing library age lines in the realization that the most authentic, relevant, diverse, and inclusive fiction volumes are on the YA side. This is particularly true for that genre we call romance. Sarah Dass's When the Vibe Is Right is a prime example of this. 

     Every year in Trinidad the Carnival festival, held on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, is a very big deal. Costumes, both traditional and modern, play a major role in the celebration. Tess's family's business, Grandeur, is about costume designing, manufacturing, and selling.

     "For most people, those days of Carnival passed and then it was over. But for those of us who dedicated our lives to the festival, Monday and Tuesday were just the culmination of the rest of the year. Making Carnival costumes was an artform that took months of work, time, and commitment, and the process began days after the last festival ended."

     For most of her life Tess has been fascinated with designing and manufacturing costumes. She spends as much time as she is allowed to at Grandeur. Her ambition is to ruin the family business when her Uncle Russell retires...

     ...but there's a major problem. The costume business is highly competitive. Grandeur's major rival, Royalty, is kicking their ass. They haven't turned a profit in years. In fact if things don't turn around this year Russell has decided that it will be their last.

     Tess isn't about to give up on her family business and her dream. She can see salvation being achieved by a more creative and strategic social media presence. Unfortunately this is not in her skill set...

     ...and the person who could help the most, Brandon, is the classmate she can't stand being in the same room with. 

On a purrrsonal note, I just picked up a sort of costume--my graduation regalia: gown, cap, and the grad school stuff. I'm especially proud because the stroke didn't stop me from pursuing my dream.

A great big shout out goes out to my fellow class of 25 grads.

Jules Hathaway 

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A Thousand Years (picture book)

     Ironically on the last day of winter we in central Maine were gifted with an almost summerish day. For me it was the long awaited first barefoot, tee shirt 👕 and shorts day. I read outside all afternoon. 

     Going up to my mailbox I saw a neighbor's baby girl--OMG! WALKING. Even for those of us who have raised children and know about child development there is something purely amazing about the infant to toddler transition. That child was making the most of her new mobility. And her mother was working on striking that fine balance of supporting her initiative while keeping her safe...

     ...Just as I'd done with my own children back in the day...

     ...I was instantly reminded of Christina Perri's A Thousand Years, a moving tribute to mother love. It follows a mother and daughter from birth to a day on the playground when the child steps away with a new friend on the playground. As the child takes joy in new found abilities...

     ...like my little neighbor...

     ...the mother provides encouragement and safety. Both are being brave.

     This sweet, tender message combined with Joy Hwang Ruiz's luminous illustrations makes A Thousand Years a wonderful bed time read aloud and a perfect baby shower gift.

Today, precisely 1 1/2 years after the stroke I'm still regaining abilities. Last weekend I was able to bounce a light up ball and actually catch it. And today I regained the ability to turn my head while walking without getting dizzy. Eugene and I were grocery shopping when this happened. I kept turning my head to one side then the other. Fortunately Eugene didn't notice my owl imitation. I tossed a bag of Peppermint Patties into the cart to celebrate 🥳 🎉 🎊. Neuroplasticity is awesome. 

A great big shout out goes out to the scientists who discovered Neuroplasticity. 

Jules Hathaway 

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Rhythm & Muse (YA fiction)

     Darren, protagonist of India Hill Brown's Rhythm & Muse, is one of these people who lives in his head. That's his happy place. Why risk rejection, criticism, embarrassment, and failure when you can enjoy perfectly scripted scenarios? Most of his feature Delia, a classmate who transferred into his school the previous year.

     Darren's best friend, Justin, is getting fed up with this approach. He wants Darren to make a move or move on. 

     Delia has a popular podcast: Dillie D in the Place to Be. When she has a contest for a theme song Darren creates a submission and, true to character doesn't send it in...

     ...Why risk rejection?..

     ...But someone else does. It wins the contest. Now as Delia seeks the identity of hejr mystery musician Darren must decide whether he has what it takes to leave his fantasies behind and step up to the real world. 

     Brown got the inspiration for the book in 2018. "During that time, I  wasn't seeing a lot of romance centered around a teenage,  Black, male protagonist, and I felt like they deserved to have their happily ever after, too." Between inspiration and publication she gave birth to two sons.

On a purrrsonal note, it's back to classes and homework and all the stuff I have to do to graduate. Unfortunately also a return to ❄️. After our lovely days last week. 

A great big shout out goes to Brown. I've seen through Amber's experiences how much work goes into a book from inspiration to publication. And I have the real life of birthing and caring for babies. I can't imagine combining the two. 

Jules Hathaway 

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False Starts

     In the first decades of the twenty-first century more children have been getting access to preschool. This is seen as an way for all kids to start kindergarten on a more or less equal footing, to compensate for deficiencies due to class, race, or both of the above. In False Starts: The Segregated Lives of Preschoolers Casey Stockstill shreds this myth, showing how these institutions may exacerbate rather than ameliorate inequities. 

     Stockstill's field work took place in two Madison, Wisconsin preschools: a Head Start affiliate that's 95% children of color and an independent institution that's 95% white. On the surface they would seem similar, having similar equipment and nearly identical schedules. But she digs well below the surface, showing the glaring inequities masked by surface similarities. 

     One was the relative frequency of disruptions and distractions. At Sunshine Head Start most of the kids came from extremely poor families and experienced traumas such as evictions, parental incarceration, and family reconfigurations as parents gained and lost partners. Often they came to school stressed, angry, anxious, and acting out. There was a great deal of student turnover. And the enormous amount of time teachers had to spend filling out paperwork and meeting other Head Start requirements detracted from the time they could actually spend with the children. At Great Beginnings with its middle and upper class clientele children didn't experience poverty-induced stressors, the roster was stable, and, being independent, teachers didn't have the huge amount of paperwork. Thus they could have an enrichment rather than putting out fires orientation. 

     Another difference is symbolized by toys 🧸 and other personal objects. At Sunshine Head Start children had to keep them what they brought from home in their cubbies. At Great Beginnings children's private possessions were not only seen but celebrated in three ways. There was a weekly show and tell. Children were encouraged to bring in books from home. And they could bring in a favorite stuffed animal for nap time. As Stockstill explains, the different personal property rules reinforce as well as reflect race and class inequalities.

     Another difference is the unequal surveillance of families based on the racist and classist beliefs that poor families of color would be prone to abuse and neglect their children while affluent white families would never. Sunshine families were far more likely too come in contact with an agency that prioritizes breaking up families over providing them with what they need to succeed. 

     And there are so many other ways in which children, families, and staff are impacted. False Starts is a must read for anyone involved in or going to school to study for working in early childhood education. 

On a purrrsonal note, today is the last day of spring break. It's been a most excellent one for me--the family event, the Goodwill and Sweet Frog 🐸 field trip, outside 📚 time, first signs of long awaited spring...And I've got more reviews stashed on my Smartphone to share with you in the upcoming weeks. 

A great big shout out goes out to my fellow students as we prepare to return to Black Bear Nation.

Jules Hathaway 

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A most excellent day

Even though yesterday yesterday it rained until an unwelcome change over to snow happened Jules world was sunny. A friend and I had a girlz day out. We treasure hunted at Goodwill. This is just some of the loot I snagged. The metallic crayons and mechanical pencils are brand new. The cat shirt is purrrfectly on brand. Then we celebrated our thrifting finds by dropping in at Sweet Frog for some simply irresistible frozen yogurt. True quality time!!!

My Week With Him

     Just months before high school graduation Nikki, protagonist of Joya Goffney's My Week With Him, can't wait to get out of her home and her small Texas town. It looks like opportunity has come knocking. She's been invited to audition in California for the musical career she's worked so hard for. When her mother kicks her out of the house...

     ...well she'll just have to go to California a little early and not come back...

     ...but her long term best friend, Mal, has an alternate proposal. It's spring break and he wants her to stick it out.

     "By the end of the week, I'm going to figure out what it'll take for you to stay with me--then I'm going to make that shit happen."

     Things start off well. He even takes her on a spur of the moment trip to Colorado where she's always wanted to go...

      ...only to have that spoiled by mommy dearest who is panicking because Nikki's little sister, Vae, the innocent good girl of the family,  has gone missing. She needs Nikki to find her. 

     Vae's telling their mother about Nikki's planned trip to California is the reason she kicked Nikki out of the house. During the night Vae has texted Nikki several times:

     "I know that after what I did, I don't deserve to know if you're safe. I don't deserve to have you in my life. 

     You're the only person in my life worth fighting for. 

     I'm gonna make it up to you. Promise. 

     Unless you find me first."

On a purrrsonal note, it's a grey, rainy day. But AT LEAST IT ISN'T SNOW!!! And last night a friend texted me asking if I wanted to do a Goodwill run. Well hell yeah!!! So now as I wait for her, imagining the treasures I may find, my disposition is decidedly sunny 🌞. 

A great big shout out goes out to the Goodwill people who keep so many good items out of landfills, hire and train people with disabilities, and provide a wonderful shopping venue for those of us who don't have a lot of money, want to shop ethically, or both of the above. 

Jules Hathaway 

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Signs of spring

This was me yesterday. It was my first barefoot day of the year. I 📚 outside all afternoon in shorts and a 🐈 tee shirt. And look--NO SNOW!!! I'm loving it 😍 ❤️ 💕 🙌 💗 💓. 

Negative Cat (picture book)

     It was my first day shelf reading in the juvenile/YA wing of the Orono Public Library since before the stroke back in 2023. You betcha the librarians were happy to have me back. When I saw Sophie Blackall's Negative Cat I knew it had to come home with me.

     It's about a boy who wants a cat so much that he agrees not only to feed it and keep its litter box clean, but to keep his room tidy, write to his grandmother,  and read twenty minutes a day to get his parents to let him have one.

     Things don't start off well. Max is not excited with his food, scratching post, and litter box. He doesn't respond to play initiatives. He doesn't even purr. What he does do is hack up  hairballs, 💩 outside the litter box, and chomp on the flowers.

     The rest of the family gives up on Max. They call a man from the shelter to come get him. But our hero still loves his little friend...

     ...and cat lovers from 2 to 132 will love the happy ending. 

On a purrrsonal note, back in the day when they were shorter than me the kids asked me if they could PLEASE have a dog. Now I may love and get along with other people's canine companions. But waiting outside in the middle of a Maine blizzard for a dog to do its business--so not gonna happen. So I said they could if they agreed to feed it and walk it and scoop all the 💩 it produced. They decided cats were just fine.

A great big shout out goes out to my wonderful kids and our wonderful cats, both past and present.

Jules Hathaway 

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My Fairy God Somebody (YA fiction)

     Growing up Clae, narrator of Charlene Allen's My Fairy God Somebody, has been told that her father skipped out when she was just a baby. In their Gloucester, Massachusetts (just a few cities by train from where I grew up in Beverly) home it's been her and her mom for family. She's discovered that a mystery person in New York--someone she has come to call her Fairy God Somebody--has covertly been helping her mom out. Maybe if she can discover this person's identity she can find the larger family that she's always longed for.

     Now she'll have her chance. She's been accepted for a prestigious journalism summer program in the Big Apple. When she arrives she bonds with two other Black girls in the program. It turns out they have challenges of their own. Nze is coping with the early onset glaucoma that is already stealing her vision and her parents' frantic search for a cure. Joelle is trying to arrange the perfect wedding that will bring her mother on board with her marriage. 

     As they provide support for each other it's a summer of discovery and learning set in one of this nation's most fabulous cities. 

On a purrrsonal note, I too was deprived of extended family as a child. I longed for cousins, aunts, uncles--especially at Thanksgiving and Christmas when it was only me, Harriet, and the parents. My Uncle Ken, whom I adored, and his family only visited once. My father looked down on him because Ken never went beyond high school and was a contractor. I was a young adult when I learned that my mother had a cousin with 4 kids close to me in age. When I finally met them we hit it off so well. I still mourn being deprived of extended family growing up. It's probably one reason why community is so important to me.

A great big shout out goes out to the professors and my peers in the higher education program who are very much an extended family.

Jules Hathaway 

     

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Little White Flowers

     People with the power to create and sustain the narratives that we live by tend to paint  Christianity in pastel shades of positivity. We see children eagerly awaiting Christmas, couples begining new lives, infants being welcomed into communities of faith who promise to nurture them. 

     Of course we all know that awful things have been done in the name of religion. Take that mess over in Salem, Massachusetts where supposedly possessed children named alleged witches.

     But that was then; we know much better now, you may be thinking. 

     Are you sure about that?

     In her chilling debut dystopia, Amber Hathaway introduces readers to a rural Maine town where daily life revolves around the conformity to rules and hierarchy, where the most vile acts masquerade as virtue, and parents must make the most heartbreaking sacrifices.

     After their grandmother's death siblings Alice and Andy are sent to the small town of Evanston, Maine to paint and clear out an ancestral property so their parents can sell it. They're expecting a week or two of mind numbing physical labor, rural boredom, and spotty, if not nonexistent, wifi. They have no warning of the evil that awaits them. 

     It becomes clear when they arrive in Evanston that its residents are different. They are dressed strangely, especially the girls and women who wear floor length dresses. Alice is given the unsolicited advice that "It would behoove you to cover up. Us ladies must maintain our modesty, so we don't tempt men to sin." And there not only is no wifi, but no landlines. A woman describes phones as "corrupting influences that corrode the moral fabric of society."

     And ominous evidence begins to appear. Alice finds a picture of her grandmother as a child with what appears to be three sisters. On her death bed her grandmother had mentioned three sisters who were murdered. When she visits a graveyard she discovers that the three girls and an alarming number of others had July first mentioned as their death date.

     Local teen Riley has been sent to help the siblings get the farmhouse sale ready. He and Alice have been discovering themselves to  unlikely kindred spirits. He's in with them when seemingly the town is hunting them down relentlessly. 

     What sets Little White Flowers apart from many other chillers is the masterful development of setting and characters. You really feel like you're in the gloomy woods, the creepy church with its bizarre symbols, and the locked dungeon. And you care whether Alice,  Andy, and Riley make it out alive.

     And it's the first volume in a truly suspenseful trilogy. 

On a purrrsonal note, it's been such a privilege to see Amber develop as a writer from her early days of scribbling stories in notebooks and scaring her neighborhood friends with really convincing stories set in Greystone to her debut novel. It's also been a privilege to see Little White Flowers evolve from first draft, getting more complex and spellbinding each step of the way.

A great big shout out goes out to Amber and to her partner, Brian, who couldn't possibly be more supportive of her work.

Jules Hathaway 

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Pritty

     Keith F. Miller Jr's Pritty is a love story,  a social justice story, a story of gangs and loyalties, a story about the importance of family and community... Told through two truly memorable narrators, Jay and Leroy, it's hard hard to think what territory it doesn't cover and cover beautifully. 

     Since their dad was sent to prison almost six years earlier Jay's older brother, Jacob, has been the self appointed man of the house, turning down a full-ride athletic scholarship to his dream school to raise Jay. Their mother has worked multiple jobs to keep a roof over their head and food on the table. Jay is keenly aware of their sacrifices. "I've had only one goal: to  make it up to Jacob (and Momma) by earning the highest grades, acing the SAT, and then getting a full-ride scholarship to the same university so Jacob no longer has to give up his dream."

     Leroy goes to a different school--one in which he's always getting in trouble. "They call it a school, but Buford High aint nothin but a jail wit a different coat of paint--don't matta they aint got no cells or bars on the windows." As the story begins he seems to have gone too far. If he can get into a GED program he can at least earn a high school completion certificate. Like Jay, he doesn't have two parents at home. He's being raised by his slightly older brother, Taj.

     Before vanishing Leroy and Taj's father had created the Black Diamonds a coalition of gangs protecting the Black neighborhoods of Savannah. "To errbody who need em, the BDs an open secret, always there to help you get yo rent paid, family fed, legal support. And to those outside of the community--lyin politicians, crooked popos, and anybody doin our people dirty--the BDs are a black box you know exist but can't see inside of."

   The abrupt start of a series of violent incidents leaves the boys and their people with a lot to figure out.

    What's going on? Are the gang alliances fraying? Is a powerful gang from outside moving in? Or could it be something much more sinister?

     Can the incidents be stopped?

     What is the meaning of a cryptic symbol found near where each incident has happened?

     How can Jay and Leroy's budding relationship have a chance when Leroy decides that the only way he can protect Jay is to stay out of his life?

On a purrrsonal note, the family get together at Amber and Brian's was truly special. The best moments of my life are the ones I spend with my core family--Eugene, 💕 💛 💖 💓 ❤️, our kids, and their significant others. Amber gave me an advance (for reviewers) copy of her first solo book, Little White Flowers, the first volume of a trilogy. I've started reading it while doing my time on my exercise 🚴‍♀️. Fortunately it came into my hands at the beginning of spring break so I can read it straight through without braking for homework. And the minute I finish I'll let you know how awesome it is. 

A great big shout out goes out to my core family and our beloved 🐈 😻 🐈‍⬛️ 🐱 s.

Jules Hathaway 

     

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Original Sins

     In America we cherish or at least pay lip service to the notion that our public schools are the great equalizer, the reason why any little boy can become president. In Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism Eve L. Ewing eloquently calls bullshit. She shows how from the dawn of America to the 21st century, from nursery school to college they instead do a great job of maintaining the racial status quo. 

     At the beginning of the book Ewing asks readers what the purpose of schools is. Drawing on true depth and breadth of scholarship she shows the true intent of educating Indigenous children (erasure) and Black children (subordination to whites). Each chapter adds a strand to a truly horrifying tapestry. Among the topics covered are:

*The boarding schools Indigenous children were torn from their families at incredibly early ages to attend so whites could "kill the Indian to save the man",

*The role of standardized tests in bolstering the myth of white intellectual superiority and setting non whites on lower academic tracks,

*The school to jail pipeline which forecloses the future of so many non white children, 

*Why land grant colleges should be called land grab colleges, 

And so many more.

     But despite all the ugliness she uncovers Ewing is not without hope. And she offers suggestions for badly needed change. 

     Original Sins should be on the summer reading lists of parents, teachers, guidance counselors, school administrators, college professors in education departments and their students--basically anyone who cares about how we educate and miseducate this nation's children. 

On a purrrsonal note, I am so excited 😊 🤗 I just can't hide it. Today is the first day of spring break. And it's also the first time I'll see my kids in months!!!

A great big shout out goes out to Eugene and our amazing children and their significant others ❤️.

Jules Hathaway 

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Ghost Roast (YA graphic novel)

     Can you imagine, as a teenage girl, having a family secret that could mess up your friendship with the cool kids who rescued you from high school social oblivion? That's the plight of Chelsea, protagonist of Shawnelle and Shawnee Gibbs' Ghost Roast. Her father's business, Ghost Roast,  is all about removing paranormal entities from places they're not wanted. He has really obnoxious ads everywhere. Could things get worse?

     Well yeah. When she's caught by the police trespassing on an end of the school year prank her mother sentences her to spend the summer helping her father evict supernatural entities by blasting them into oblivion. 

     Only something quite unexpected happens, when Chelsea and her dad and his assistant arrive at a creepy mansion. She discovers that she has the ability to see and communicate with the deceased without out electronic devices. She befriends a cute boy ghost and his ghost 🐎 and adorable white, fluffy ghost 🐈 who she doesn't want killed a second time. 

     But how can she protect them from her father until she can find a way to keep them existing?

     A lively plot and vibrant illustrations bring Ghost Roast beautifully to life--making it a sweet treat for younger graphic novel affecianados. 

On a purrrsonal note yesterday for the first day I realized that, barring an unexpected catastrophe, I am graduating this year. There's a lot of pride, but also a sense of loss. For all these years I've known I'm a grad student. What will I say during the time between 🎓 and my first higher education job. Who will I even be?

A great big shout out goes out to the other UMaine students who will be walking with me.

Jules Hathaway 

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The Blackwoods (YA fiction)

     They're THE BLACKWOODS, an ultra famous Black Hollywood dynasty. Everyone seems to know the intimate details of their lives, fed by the insatiable and unscrupulous paparazzi. From matriarch Blossom who managed to attain star status at a time when Blacks were mostly excluded from show biz to great grands Hollis, Ardith, and Prentice who all live in the spotlight even though only Ardith has gone into the family business they've been able to keep very few secrets...

     ...But one is a biggie. Blossom, a dedicated professional, has raised her only son, Abraham, with the help of her mother and younger sister. She has never revealed the name of his biological father...

     ...until Abraham and the fam find out in a letter she'd left orders to be delivered after her death. By then the father, Michael, is dead. But there's a whole living clan for the Blackwoods to try to merge with. And it's not gonna be easy...

     ...especially since it's not the only drama the family is having to deal with.

    Brandy Colbert's The Blackwoods gives readers an up close and personal look at a family defined by both power and vulnerability in the age of social media. 

     While The Blackwoods is a work of fiction, Colbert has done her due diligence, thoroughly researching the lives of the Black entertainment pioneers.

     "It was an immense joy to write The Blackwoods. I don't know if I'll ever be able to summarize all the ways in which I am moved by the power of visual storytelling, but I believe this book is a start. It is my ode to Black Hollywood, and I am honored to share it with you."

On a purrrsonal note, I attended the Women's March in Orono on Saturday. Despite the frigid weather with a biting wind chill there were hundreds of people and a few canine companions. Most of the time we stood on both sides of a bridge holding signs, chanting, and waving at the drivers who honked their horns in solidarity. I was proud to be surrounded by so much enthusiasm and determination. It's going to be a long haul.

A great big shout out goes out to all who participated and the organizers who gave us the chance to make a statement. 

Jules Hathaway 

     

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Most of the time we were lining both sides of the bridge between UMaine and downtown Orono. As I said details with my next review, probably tomorrow. 

This picture is from a women's day march I participated in today in Orono. Get the glorious details in my next review.

My super cute super comfy 💕 💗 💖 pajamas I got at Goodwill

This Town Is On Fire (YA fiction)

     If you're in the mood for a fast paced narrative with a very believable protagonist trying to cope with volatile situations both off and online, triggered by a post that went viral on social media, you can't do better than Pamela N. Harris's This Town Is On Fire. The story line flips between a pretty grim now full otf EMTs and ambulances and police and people in handcuffs and the debris from a bombed building and the events leading up to it.

     Naomi and the twins, Kylie and Connor, are starting their senior year of high school. Naomi and Kylie are best friends who feel more like sisters, probably because Naomi's mother took care of the twins until she started her own business. They both are trying out to keep their cheerleader spots. Naomi may be crushing on Connor. 

     One day Kylie, Naomi's ride, texts last minute that she might not be going to school. But it's not for being sick. There's a video online of Kylie calling the police on two Black teens outside Target. 

     Oh, yeah, Kylie is white.

     And the video is spreading. People have dubbed Kylie Parking Lot Becky.

     Naomi is put in an awful position. While Kylie and her rich family are expecting Naomi to bail her out--whatever it takes--the other Black students are questioning whose side Naomi is actually on and Naomi is starting to see some inconvenient and downright ugly truths. 

     And things have only have just started to heat up.

     Here we have a plot practically torn from today's headlines pulling in a lot of inconvenient issues and providing much food for thought. It's the kind of book you hate to reach the last page of. This Town Is On Fire is Harris's sophomore novel and you'd better believe that as soon as my laptop regains internet access I'm gonna seek out her first on inter library loan. 

On a purrrsonal note, I sure did have a fine time Tuesday. My friend Mazie were stepping out. First we went to Sweet Frog for their fabulous fro yo. I got the biggest size--raspberry pomegranate and blue cotton candy with toppings. Heavenly! Then we hit Goodwill where we made out like two bandits. 

A great big shout out goes out to Mazie, a good friend with whom to celebrate 🥳 🎉 🎊 good times!

Jules Hathaway 

     

     

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What She Missed

 "My parents are liars. They told me anything was possible. They said if I worked hard enough that I could create the life I wanted for myself. They said all I had to do was paint the sky with my dreams and reach and reach and reach. And I was stupid enough to believe them."

     Ebony, protagonist of Liara Tamani's What She Missed, feels like her life is over. Her parents have lost their jobs. Unable to afford the cost of living in Houston, the family had to move to a small rural town. She's lost her home, her community, and her friends. Enroute to their new house, she gets a group text.

     "Just leave it alone, I responded. Jealous they'd get to stay together. Mad they'd get to hang out all summer and go back to Houston's Academy of the Arts in the fall while I was stuck in the boonies."

     Ya see she isn't just leaving any old urban school. It's the school that she's dreamed of graduating from since she was eleven, the school she worked so hard to get into, the school where she'd come into her own as an artist. There's no way her new school can live up to it.

     The new home isn't really new to Ebony. It used to be her deceased artist grandmother's. Until six years ago she'd spent happy summers there. But things and the proverbial boy next door (and her feelings for him) have changed. Spiraling into despair, unable to communicate her feelings, and blind to many clues (the things she missed) she's acting impulsively and making serious mistakes. Maybe ones she can't come back from. 

On a purrrsonal note I had a move that felt like the end of the world. It was so that my severely brain damaged sister could be closer to her special education school. I was losing my home, my community, and my friends. I was starting high school at a place where I knew nobody. We'd moved away from my beloved ocean and into a no pets allowed apartment. My growing up home had been full of animals: cats, raccoons, red foxes, flying squirrels...I even had an ocelot, my beloved Sheba. After Harriet's life altering illness when I increasingly felt like I didn't matter in my family it was so 💔 to lose this source of unconditional love. 

A great big shout out goes out to all the kids who lose so much in moves they have no say in.

Jules Hathaway 

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Here are my good friends Bailey and Catherine running their table on Black Bears Care Day. We're going to have so much fun this summer ☀️ when school is out and no snow. 

How To Live Without You (YA fiction)

   When he was a young adult my cousin shot himself. He left behind three very young children, parents, three sisters and friends and extended kin with many questions, no answers. 

     If you've lost a loved one to suicide you know that it's not like any other kind of death. We don't have language to talk about it. It's a topic we tiptoe around, if mention at all. We especially don't talk about it with our teens and young adults out of fears we'll put ideas in their head...

     ...but for too many the ideas are already there until living gets too hard and they pull the trigger or swallow the pills and leave grieving relatives and friends with many questions, no answers.

     Silence enables a vicious cycle that we as a society need to break. In this context Sarah Everett's How To Live Without You is a much needed breath of fresh air. 

     Emmy and her older sister are inseparable Even after they were split up in their parents' divorce, Rose staying in her home with their father and Emmy moving thousands of miles away with their mother, they did their best to keep the relationship up. They made a list of exotic places that they plan to explore together. Rose is never going to leave Emmy...

     ...until she does. And it isn't like previous times when she's disappeared for a few days. Emmy goes back to her hometown to talk to the people in Rose's circle and search for clues. 

     The more Emmy learns the more she's tormented by painful maybes. Maybe she wasn't as close to Rose as she believed. Maybe Rose wasn't as happy and confident as she appeared.

     Maybe Rose is somewhere Emmy can't join her.

     I would highly recommend this book for high school juniors and seniors and college students. It distills solid timely non judgmental information within the context of a gripping plot. I would also recommend it way beyond its target demographic to parents, teachers, professors, guidance counselors, mental health professionals, and anyone else who works with and cares about teens and young adults. 

On a purrrsonal note, today at UMaine it was Black Bears Care Day. Tables lined the sunny Union atrium while music from a live band filled the air. Students engaged in fun activities--I think bracelet making was the most popular--while learning important self care, mental health, and suicide prevention information. People who got their passports stamped at six tables were eligible for a lottery with super prizes. There was good food. Attendance was quite high and students were highly engaged. 

A great big shout out goes out to all who made Black Bears Care Day truly engaging and memorable. 

Jules Hathaway 

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My new friend, Bailey

Isn't she gorgeous. And such a good girl--so sweet natured and friendly. The Orono Public Library is a favorite place for both of us.