"Mom says, 'Kids who are born and raised in New York City is one thing. Kids from Oregon visiting is another.' She keeps listing reasons why letting me visit New York is a bad idea. She says to Dad, 'We don't even let Amara walk to school alone. How is she going to navigate a big city?'"
This paragraph from Renee Watson's Some Places More Than Others tells a reader two things. Amara really wants to go to New York City. Her mother is dead set against it.
Amara desperately wants this trip. The family she knows is limited to her parents. Her mother's parents are only children who died. Her father has relatives in the Big Apple. She wants to meet the people she's only seen in photos, to hear the passed down stories, and to understand the significance of family treasures. She wants to know why her father hasn't talked to his father in twelve years.
On Amara's twelfth birthday her parents tell her she'll be going to New York with her father for a week, finally getting to meet her relatives, finding out what caused the rift between her dad and his dad, maybe even helping them reconcile...
...but the reality Amara steps into is hugely different from her expectations. Families can be quite complicated. And her newly met kin are no exception. But as she navigates the turf she learns a lot not only about her family, but about herself.
Older juvenile readers will enjoy this truly engaging coming of age narrative.
On a purrrsonal note, it's the first day of 2026--hopefully a year that will be better for humans, the non human creators we share the planet with, and the environment with than the dumpster fire that was 2025. Here in Penobscot County it's starting off predictably with crappy weather. Eugene was called out to plow (on his day off) at 5:00 a.m.
Oh, yeah, I promised the reveal of my resolutions. They are:
1) To get a student services job at UMaine. When I graduated last May I didn't have the stamina to hold down a full time job. Now I do.
2) To locate a publisher for my stroke manuscript and work on the sequel.
3) To continue learning all I can about maintaining good blood pressure--you know, diet, exercise, stress reduction)--and altering my practices accordingly).
4) To climb a small mountain. It's a continued resolution from last year. Since I don't drive my challenge is getting to a mountain.
5) The fun one. Get more tattoos. Cat 🐈 😻 tats of course.
Well I hope 2026 is starting off well for you. Of course I hope that in this new year you'll continue to read my blog and recommend it to your friends.
Jules Hathaway
Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone
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