Force of Nature

"In school we learned the earth 

was once covered in water. 

Imagine!

Ocean water covering 

everything--

our field, our woods, 

our orchard!

Someday, I want to visit 

the ocean and meet all

the wonderful creatures 

who live there!"

     Even in today's world there are kids who can peel their eyes from the ubiquitous devices to marvel at an eagle in flight, a shy yearling deer nibbling foliage, or a butterfly 🦋 emerging from its cocoon; who are more likely to Google reptile life cycles than trending fashions; who are saddened and angered by humankind's destruction of the natural world 🌎. Ann E. Berg's Force of Nature is a perfect read for them. 

    The book, narrated in free verse, vividly and eloquently celebrates Rachel Carson. Younger readers meet the child who early on was captivated by nature's wonders, who roamed the woods after school with her dog, who worried about pollution:

"The pungent smell

of smoke 

and rotten eggs 

mixes with the musky scent

of late summer 

and I worry about 

my feathered friends

and favorite creatures 

breathing this foul odor. 

Why must the progress of man 

interfere with the beauty of nature?"

Who grew into the college student who changed her major to biology in a time when there were few jobs for women in what was considered men's work and the woman who spoke out against powerful industries about the harm they were doing to nature. 

     Perhaps the best part of the book is Sophie Blackwell's simple but elegant drawings of the plants and animals that Carson studied scattered throughout the book. My favorites are the butterflies 🦋 and birds. 

     I am delighted by the rising number of younger naturalists who are rising up to fight powerful people and industries for the future of our beautiful planet and its non human denizens and, in doing so, carrying on Carson's mission. 

On a purrrsonal note, on the autumnal equinox we 🥳 🎉 🎊 🍾 my 73rd birthday 🎂. The UMaine International Student Association and my family threw me parties and my friend, Mazie, treated me to Sweet Frog 🐸 froyo 🍨. We were celebrating that the stroke didn't kill me or my ability to follow my dreams. And I've come so far!!!

Jules Hathaway 

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Any Way You Look

     Like many of us, Maleeha Siddiqui, author of Any Way You Look, was aware that our society lets boys and men get away with totally unacceptable behaviors and comments. Then she read Barbara Dee's Maybe He Just Likes You (Recall I reviewed it a few years ago.) and realized that sexual harassment narratives have a place in juvenile fiction. That was also when hijab wearing had become political. Some wanted to mandate it while others wanted to ban it. But nobody was consulting Muslim women. 

     "Ainy's story was born from these two ideas coming together: a story about a girl who must find a way to stand up for herself when she starts getting unwanted attention from a boy who doesn't know when to quit, as well as my attempt to remind people that hijab is a part of a very personal spiritual journey."

     Ainy is sure the summer after sixth grade will be awesome. She'll be hanging out with her best friend, Safiya, and working in her mother's new store, maybe even convincing her mom that she has what it takes to become a professional fashion designer. 

     There's one fly in the ointment. A classmate, Yasir, has been behaving increasingly inappropriately toward Ainy. She would like to tell him to get lost. But the situation is complicated. Her father is overseas taking care of her ill grandmother which makes her mother the sole support of the family. Yasir's mother is a vindictive woman who thinks her son can do no wrong. And her order for eight elaborate bridesmaids' dresses feels essential to the family's financial survival. 

     No matter how hard Ainy tries to stay away from Yasir, even sacrificing the summer fun she's been so looking forward to, he always finds her. She's heard that guys are less attracted to hijab wearing women. Although she's been waiting for the time that feels right, maybe making the transition will repulse Yasir enough that he will leave her alone. 

     In her author's note Siddiqui tells us "Though this is a work of fiction, many of the uncomfortable situations, conversations, and comments Ainy is subjected to throughout the book or either drawn from my own personal experience or the experiences of people I know." She hopes that Any Way You Look will help empower readers in similar situations to speak up and seek help.

On a purrrsonal note, the second day of the blood drive, back in mid September, was as good as the first. In all the Red Cross harvested 110 pints and nobody fainted. 

A great big shout out goes out to all who participated. 

Jules Hathaway 

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Calling the Moon

     When I was a teen women and girls didn't menstruate--at least in the books available in the Beverly Public Library juvenile section. Judy Blume's taboo busting Are You there, God? It's Me, Margaret. was still in the future when it's discussing a perfectly normal bodily function would enrage the censors. 

     Although the 60s are now considered a liberal, if not decadent, decade, some taboos, including the one on menstrual talk, were still alive and well. We didn't get our periods. Aunt Flo came to visit. We could get out of gym class just by asking because gym teachers did not want to know. Only female parents were considered capable of buying pads and tampons at the drug store. My freshman health class did a whole unit on the cycle that alluded to the sloughing off of the uterine lining and never mentioned the words menstruation and period. 

     Things are considerably better today. Dads can buy menstrual products. Menstruators are considered capable of running laps and shooting baskets while hosting Aunt Flo. The word menstruators indicates a beyond the binary awareness. And there are wonderful taboo busting books in the juvenile and YA sections of public libraries. 

     My favorite by far is Calling the Moon: 16 Period stories from BIPOC Authors, edited by Aida Salazar and Yamile Saied Mendez. Salazar was frustrated by a lack of diversity in the genre. "So not only did we have few fictional stories about menstruation, but we also have not heard from Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color on this topic almost at all. This inspired me to create a space for some of the most powerful and beloved middle grade authors writing today to share some previously untold stories from our diverse communities."

     It is a rich collection by authors who know how to touch the developing minds and hearts of younger readers. The characters are vulnerable and honest kids caught in situations that will resonate with and engage them. 

     As they enjoy some really good writing they will have the opportunity to learn and grow and bond. Mendez says, "I hope this collection of stories will soon become of many and that it will open the doors to allow for more information so that as a society, we can normalize this cycle in life that is natural and sacred. It can also be a challenging time in life, but if we have the tools to understand what is happening not only in our bodies but also in our minds and emotions we may have the opportunity to connect with others going through the same experiences."

     I learned so much about the variety of ways in which different cultures treat this coming of age experience. I was especially enthralled by those that see it as an occasion for celebration. 

On a purrrsonal note, when I was in junior high I was considered a tomboy. I actually was nonbinary in a binary world. My mother was pushing me to take more interest in grooming and acting more feminine. She even put me in modeling school. To me my first period would mean I could no longer be myself. I was a late menstruator. One day when I had not started I saw that she had written the date of my first period on a form. But she was big on honesty. When I pointed out the lie she said it was so people wouldn't know there was something wrong with me. It was our little secret.

A great big shout out goes out to Salazar, Mendez, and the talented writers who contributed to their anthology.

Jules Hathaway 

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Coming of Age in 2020

     I'm sure we all have distinct memories of 2020,  a year that ushered in a global pandemic just as we were on the verge of spring and looking forward to summer. Some of us lost family members and friends. Some of us lost jobs or, if deemed essential workers, had to work in increasing hazardous workplaces, at risk of carrying deadly contagion home to our loved ones. Some of us had to juggle work with the teaching of children who were learning on zoom instead of in the classroom. 

     When the initial optimism that things would be back to normal in weeks or at least months we were encouraged by historians to keep some kind of record of our experiences for posterity or at least kids and grandkids. Some people wondered what artifacts teenagers might be creating and provided them with a space to share in whatever format they felt most comfortable. They received over 5,500 submissions, from which they chose 161 ranging from from poetry, journal entries, photos and paintings to recipes and Lego sculptures.

     "The result is this book, in which every contribution, whether heartbreaking, hopeful, fierce, or funny, offers a glimpse into a different life. A girl in Alaska doodles 'raw emotions' in her diary. A boy in upstate New York photographs quarantine life on his family farm. Two friends in California have an awkward conversation in a Zoom breakout room. A boy in Minneapolis reflects on community after the murder of George Floyd. A girl in Brooklyn describes her terror as she and her family got sick."

    In this deeply authentic collection readers will find narratives of loneliness and despair, but also of hope and determination. It offers rare insight into the lives of teens struggling to survive and make meaning of a global catastrophe in a time of climate crises and political drama. I found it to be an amazing and insightful read. I think you will too. What I like most about it is that it shows that the stories of "average" people who aren't celebs or social media influencers are darn good reading and matter immensely. 

     I'd especially recommend Coming of Age in 2020 to higher education professionals, especially faculty and student services people. It gives real insight into the students we're serving now. 

On a purrrsonal note, I have a huge binder filled with pandemic poetry entitled Coronavirus Chronicles: What You Write When Your Muses Are A Pathogenic Microorganism and the Pandemic It Spawned.

A great big shout out goes out to the teens who contributed to this most excellent anthology. 

Jules Hathaway 

     

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That Librarian

     Fam, it's time to shelve that image too many of us have of librarians as cardigan wearing severely coiffed beings tiptoeing around their domains in sensible shoes to shush anyone speaking above a whisper. The truth is that in this century they're some of the most bad ass defenders of our access to diverse, inclusive books that reflect our diversity of identities, needs, and interests. Even when they're opposed by powerful people who use all kinds of nasty tactics to remove books that have BIPOC or LGBTQ+ authors or characters, question our nation's seriously whitewashed history, or provide factual sexual information for children and teens who might not encounter it at home or in school and who slander and harass their librarian defenders relentlessly. Even when it takes a terrible toll on them. Amanda Jones is one such librarian. Her That Librarian is a must read for anyone who underestimates what today's librarians are up against. 

     At the time that her life altering experience took place Jones was a well respected librarian working at the same middle school she attended as a child and meaningfully engaged with her community. She had received prestigious professional awards. In fact she'd been the 2021 School Library Journal National Librarian of the Year. She was President of the Louisiana Association of School Librarians. 

     So what did she do to incur the hatred of her her local censors? She spoke in the part of a library board meeting reserved for public comment. And she didn't say anything inflammatory--just explained the need for public libraries to serve the book needs of the entire community and the already in place official book challenge process. 

     A few days later she found herself in the middle of a shitsttorm. She discovered a vicious social media campaign to ruin her reputation. She even got death threats:

"Amanda, you are indoctrinating our children with perversion + pedophilia grooming. Your evil agenda is getting print + national coverage. Congrats. Continue with your LGBT agenda on our children cause we gunna put ur fat evil commie PEDO azz in the dirt very soon bitch."

     And the cyberbullying became increasingly cruel and the threats more credible (we know where where you live) as time went on. Jones became increasingly terrified that she, a family member, a colleague, or one of the children she loved teaching would be harmed or worse by the unbalanced individuals making the threats. This fear took a huge toll on her physical and mental health. And the legal system took the side of her tormentors. 

     Jones didn't give up. She knew that legions of fellow librarians were being similarly persecuted by the book banners. She heroically persisted in any way she could in combating book censorship. She gives lots of good advice on how regular citizens can give much needed aid and support.

     So who should read That Librarian? Everyone who believes in the importance of the freedom to read diverse, inclusive, and truth telling books. 

On a purrrsonal note, in my early childhood when I was rewarded for grocery shopping good behavior with a trip to the Beverly (Massachusetts) Public Library where I could check out the maximum number of books the characters in nearly all the books on the shelves in the juvenile/teen section were white, middle class, hetero, CIS, male if they were doing anything adventurous. Presumably authors were too. There were rumors of a collection of "bad" books being locked up behind the main check out desk. I believe that this is the period of library "greatness" the censors want to return us to. We can't let that happen!!!

A great big shout out goes out to Amanda Jones and the other librarians who are our champions in the fight for freedom to read. 

Jules Hathaway 

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Sweeping Up The Heart (juvenile fiction)

     Amelia, protagonist of Kevin Henkes' Sweeping Up The Heart, lost her mother when she was so young that she has no memories of her. Since she has no siblings it's just her and her father.

     "It was the beginning of spring break. She should have been happy, excited to be free of the curse of seventh grade for a week, but she felt a nagging disappointment in general, and sharp pinpricks of anger specifically directed toward her father."

     This was one of the rare years that Amelia's spring break coincides with her father's. All her classmates are going somewhere fun. But her father doesn't like to travel, so she's stuck at home. And her best (actually only) friend is living in Paris for a year. 

     But when Amelia goes to the clay studio that she considers a second home she meets a boy her age, Casey, the owner's nephew. Despite her initial trepidation she begins to really like him. He has his struggles too, desperately trying to keep his parents from divorcing. 

     Amelia and Casey have been making up stories about the strangers they see. One day he tells her a woman is her mother somehow come back to life. 

     The characters of Amelia and Casey will be quite appealing to kids, especially those who face similar challenges. 

On a purrrsonal note, yesterday was the first day of the UMaine Red Cross blood drive. Of course I ran canteen. There were a few hours we had no volunteers. Lisa, who runs the whole thing, came down and helped me. Having this time with her, given our busy schedules, was wonderful. And our undergrad donors were very impressed that we're long term best friends. 

A great big shout out goes out to my incomparable bestie, the one and only Lisa Morin. 

Jules Hathaway 

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The Things We Miss (juvenile fiction)

      What if you could skip the bad days in your life--go through them on autopilot with no memories left--and just experience and remember the good days? I imagine that could be tempting for even a reasonably happy, self confident adult. For an anxious, self conscious preteen for whom seventh grade is shaping up to be the worst year ever? Simply irresistible. 

     J.P., protagonist of Leah Stecher's The Things We Miss, feels like a real misfit at school. She's socially awkward. And she's taller and heavier than the other girls in her class, several of whom never let her forget it. After a bullying incident she reflects:

     "When I opened my eyes, however, nothing had changed. I was still me, and Miranda was still Miranda, and middle school still sucked. And as much as I wished I could escape it and just jump ahead to some future time when I was less awkward and more confident...I was stuck here."

     That is until she finds an unexpected door in a neighbor's tree house. She comes out on the other side three days in the future with no memory of those days. When things get worse--her beloved grandfather has a recurrence of cancer--the door becomes her default response to stress.

     But it's not long until her grades are suffering and her relationship with her best friend is becoming very strained.

     Is J.P.'s method of escape as harmless as she thinks it is? Can she even stop?

On a purrrsonal note, in May 2019 I received heart breaking news. My beloved Joey Cat had incurable cancer. Fortunately an appetite boosting drug and baby food let him have three good months and when he died I was the last thing he saw, my voice was the last thing he heard, and my touch was the last thing he felt. I am glad I was fully present for him during those months when he needed me most. And I have some precious memories from that time. 

A great big shout out goes out to Joseph Jacob Hathaway, my best little cat in the world for sixteen wonderful years.

Jules Hathaway 

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