Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy (YA graphic novel)

     Alix lives to play ice hockey. She's the star of her team and looking forward to the Canada National Women's U-18 Team's summer camp. 

     There's one major league problem. Alix's mean girl team captain, Lindsay, is constantly bullying her behind their coach's back. And her teammates are afraid to see something say something, not wanting to be Lindsay's next target. 

     So when Lindsay goes too far and Alix punches her the coach, not comprehending the history behind the punch, takes Alix off the ice and tells her she's reconsidering recommending her for the camp. Alix's mom is reconsidering her participation in such a violent sport.

     Alix knows she has to get a handle on her reactions to provocation. So she chooses Ezra, a classmate who deals calmly with bullying, to teach her how. 

     When Alix gets to know Ezra well she learns that his life is more complicated than she'd imagined. 

     Perhaps they can be there for each other. 

     The only thing I didn't like that throughout it is that nothing is done to hold the bullies accountable for the harm they do to their peers.

On a purrrsonal note, I'm in a state of shock from the election results. I have no clue how we'll survive a second Trump presidency. 

A great big shout out goes out to all who will be endangered by his executive decisions and actions. 

Jules Hathaway 

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The New Girl (juvenile graphic novel)

     Imagine that you and your family are leaving the country you've so far grown up in, moving away from extended family and friends, and crossing the ocean to a place where they speak a different language. As you're waiting for the plane you get your first period. And your mother shares the news with the family members who are seeing you off. 

     What would be a nightmare for just about any 12-year-old girl is the real life experience of Lia, narrator of Cassandra Calin's The New Girl. Canada 🇨🇦 is very different from Romania. School is super challenging because of language. The scribbles teachers speak in are like the bwa bwa bwa bwa of the adults in Charlie Brown holiday specials. And to make the first day of school even worse her pesky little brother had an awesome time and already has weekend plans with friends. 

     But then things start getting better. Lia starts making friends, begins to understand French, and gets the chance to use her art skills on the school magazine. 

     Middle grade readers, especially those who have experienced challenging moves, will find The New Girl, based on Calin's experiences, truly engaging. It's a perfect blend of text and graphics. The characters' body language and facial expressions are outstanding. 

On a purrrsonal note, the book brought back memories for me. When I was in high school I was signed up for a study abroad program where I'd stay with a family. At the last minute I was changed from England to Mexico despite not knowing a word of Spanish. If I live to 100 I'll never forget my first night experience of sitting in my family's living room, terrified of having an accident because I didn't know how to ask where the bathroom was. I solved the problem by drawing a picture of a toilet with a question Mark. And I ended up having a really good study abroad experience.

A great big shout out goes out to all who experience moves between nations. 

Jules Hathaway 

 

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Everything We Never Had (YA fiction)

     Randy Ribay's latest novel is by far his finest. Everything We Never Had is a rich and complex narrative built on the relationships of the four adolescent boys in a Filipino American family with their fathers and their historical circumstances. 

     In 1930 sixteen-year-old Francisco, newly arrived in California, is earning a living picking apples. He wants to send money home to help his family but can barely cover his own expenses. He misses his family and fears the mobs of whites that roam at night beating and sometimes killing Filipinos.

     In 1965 Emil (16) is going to school and working in his Aunt Carmen's cafe. He wants to be nothing like his father, Francisco, who has become a labor organizer. A fan of capitalism and rugged individualism, he's determined to climb the ladder to success.

     In 1983 Chris is at odds with his father, Emil, over football. He feels that it's the one thing he can do really well. But Emil sees it as a distraction from academics and pulls him off the team. 

     In 2020 as the pandemic is making itself known and Enzo is struggling to keep his anxiety under control Chris announces that Emil is coming to live with them. Enzo is not happy about giving up his room for an indefinite period of time. And, knowing about their adversarial relationship, he wonders if his father and grandfather can live under the same roof without one killing the other. 

     It's no wonder Ribay could create such engaging characters and relationships. In his thanks to his son he says, "Every day you make me think deeply about the kind of father and human I want to be, a process that was the driving force behind this narrative."

On a purrrsonal note, the Saturday after Halloween was super fun 😁. Catherine and went to Culturefest and the Union Take Over, both on campus. The latter was an alcohol 🍸 free Halloween celebration. The 2nd floor of the Union was decorated super spooky. There were so many fun activities! I volunteered helping Gwyn in the boo basket room by telling people the rules. I got to fill my own basket with Halloween cat socks, squishies, a cute little ghost, and, of course, candy. SO MUCH FUN!!!

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

Jules Hathaway 

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Re: Better Than We Left It

Jules,

It was entirely our privilege to hear you present. You are such a light and where you go there is light. I am deeply privileged to know you. 

Love, 

Anila 

On Fri, Oct 25, 2024 at 4:03 PM julia.hathaway <julia.hathaway@maine.edu> wrote:

     These days kids and teens are coming of age in a real life dystopia they can't wake up from. School has become a place where they could be mowed down by someone with a grudge and military grade weapons. For those who aren't white it could be a gateway to jail and a foreclosed future. Many of their families are just one disaster from homelessness. For many having the bare necessities is purely aspirational. Having a parent jailed could leave them trapped in the foster care system. And there's this climate change crisis.

     They're painfully aware of the precarious nature of life on Earth--certainly more aware than many, if not most adults. And they're trying desperately to turn things around only to be met with belittling disrespect from adults who believe they can't grasp and care about grown up issues--they must being used by adults with agendas.

     Is it any wonder that anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses are so on the rise in this demographic?

     With winter holidays on the way I have a perfect gift suggestion for any youth (including traditional college age) activists or potential youth activists in your life, especially those who are wondering how they can make a difference. Frederick and Porsche Joseph's Better Than We Found: Conversations to Help Save The  World. It analyzes sixteen of the world's dire crises. Unlike many supposedly similar books for adults it isn't an offering up of simple and superficial panaceas. The Josephs and their guest writers dig deep, blending cogent analysis with back story and truly stirring and engaging narratives. 

     And gifting the book could be only the beginning. You and you family (or youth group or Sunday school class etc.) Could pick an issue to discuss and do something about. And a copy of Better Than We Left It would be a most excellent gift for your local public or school library.

On a purrrsonal note, I had a truly peak experience yesterday. As a favor to a classmate, I led a lunch & learn: an interactive presentation on ageism. We had great attendance. People were deeply engaged and offering wonderful insights. We were learning together. And the lunch was delicious.

A great big shout out goes out to all who attended  and the UMaine diversity and inclusion people who hosted and publicized the event and provided the delicious food. They make me proud to be a UMaine Black Bear. 

Jules Hathaway 

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--

Anila Karunakar
My Pronouns: she, her, hers
| Empathy| Positivity| Developer| Individualization| Connectedness

Director of the Office for Diversity and Inclusion

Multicultural Student Center, Rainbow Resource Center, and 

the Intersectional Feminist Resource Center

5748 Memorial Union
Room 310

University of Maine
Orono, ME  04469
PH: 207.581.1437

Fax: 207.581.4215

anila.karunakar@maine.edu

https://umaine.edu/diversity-and-inclusion/

The path from dreams to success does exist. May you have the vision to find it, the courage to get on to it, and the perseverance to follow it.
Kalpana Chawla (First Indian American to fly into space and was on the Space Shuttle Columbia)

The University of Maine recognizes that it is located on Marsh Island in the homeland of Penobscot people, where issues of water and territorial rights, and encroachment upon sacred sites, are ongoing. Penobscot homeland is connected to the other Wabanaki Tribal Nations—the Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, and Micmac—through kinship, alliances, and diplomacy. The University also recognizes that the Penobscot Nation and the other Wabanaki Tribal Nations are distinct, sovereign, legal and political entities with their own powers of self-governance and self-determination. 

Jupiter Rising (YA fiction)

     When Jack's father has to put down their family's horse he says "Let's not lose anything else." Later Jack, protagonist of Gary D. Schmidt's Jupiter Rising, learns the heartbreaking meaning of that cryptic sentence. 

     Jack was devastated by the death of his foster brother, Joseph. When his parents were able to foster Joseph's toddler daughter, Jupiter, with an eye toward adopting her  he felt "Like there was a reason to breathe again, even if it still did hurt." And everything is looking promising for the adoption...

     ...until Jupiter's maternal grandparents, a couple with deep pockets for legal talent and an expectation of getting their way seek custody. Unfortunately they are blood relatives.

     Meanwhile Jack has been given a running partner even though he has no cross country ambitions. Coach thinks he has the talent to make jv and varsity when, not if, he develops it. When he's paired with adversary Jay Perkins neither of them is a happy camper. 

     But things gradually change, brokered by Jupiter's obvious love for both boys. So when the family has gone to court and are waiting for the judge's decision and Jack sees Jay in the hospital unconscious, the victim of a hit and run...

     ...How much loss can an eighth grade boy endure and keep on breathing?

     Schmidt has an excellent ability to wax eloquent with the most ordinary of words and enable the reader to see the world through his protagonist's eyes. I'm going to reread some of his earlier work, especially the prequel to this book, Orbiting Jupiter. 

On a purrrsonal note, I had a spectacular Halloween. I got to wear my dragon costume to school and got so many compliments. The temps got into the 70s which is rare in Maine so close to November. I got to study outside near my still beautiful flowers. The trick or treaters were delighted when I handed out candy in costume. 

A great big shout out goes out to all my fellow Halloween celebrants. 

Jules Hathaway 

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Stealing Little Moon (YA Nonfiction)

     It is only recently that Americans and Canadians have learned the truth about a dark chapter in their national histories. Whites had stolen Indigenous people's lands, often making them walk hundreds of miles to the reservations they were forced into. In the late 19th century they came up with a new way to destroy Indigenous culture: they would kill the Indian to save the man. 

     Very young children were stolen their families and tribes and taken to Indian boarding schools. Upon arrival they were stripped of their identities. Their hair was cut, their names were changed to white ones, and they had to wear white people clothes. And speak only English. They were punished severely if they spoke their native languages or practiced the customs and religions they'd been nurtured in. Life in these schools was brutal and too often short. Due to malnutrition, poor or nonexistent medical care, overwork, and torture many ended up in unmarked graves. Many of those who survived suffered from their trauma for the rest of their lives. 

     Dan Sasuweh Jones, author of Stealing Little Moon: The Legacy Of The American Indian Boarding Schools, tells their stories from a unique perspective. Beginning with his grandmother who was stolen when she was only four, three generations of his family were educated at Chilocco Indian Agricultural School. Through their experiences and those of their peers Jones illuminates how the school changed and failed to change over the decades. 

     While documenting how they were mistreated, Jones pays tribute to their strength and courage. And it's an important 📖 for younger readers who still don't learn about them in school. 

On a purrrsonal note, Sunday I went on a road trip with Eugene. It gave me a chance to enjoy the vivid Maine foliage. And Eugene bought me two new Squishmallows.

A great big shout out goes out to Eugene. 

Jules Hathaway 

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Cramm This Book (YA Nonfiction)

     You gotta read a book that starts with "I was twelve years old when I decided I needed to change the world."

     It was the 2016 presidential election that provided preteen Olivia Seltzer with this epiphany. Before, although she'd watched the news with her parents she'd never felt that what she saw directly impacted her. Overnight she lost this sense of safety and security. 

     Talking to her peers she realized that very few of them read or watched traditional news, probably because it wasn't written with younger people in mind. She saw this as a very real problem. 

     "Every day, something happens in the world that impacts countless lives. And if we don't know about these things, we're doing a serious disservice to the people who most need our help."

     She began writing newsletters translating current events into generationally friendly language. Pretty soon she was reaching millions of people from over one hundred countries, many of whom were getting involved in issues that matter. And then she recognized another problem. Traditional media, writing for older people, presumes a historic background that younger people lack. And you can't understand today's events without grasping their history.

     So Seltzer, then seventeen, wrote Cramm This Book: So You Know WTF Is Going On In The World Today, a book I totally recommend for its target demographic and those beyond who don't want to be bored. Frankly I love the way Seltzer talks and I think you will too.

     Cramm This Book is divided is divided into four sections: The Isms and The Phobias  (irrational fears and biases taken to the extreme), The Wars (World War II and the conflicts it set the stage for), The Movements (from women's suffrage to Me Too and Black Lives Matter), and The Disasters (like those out of control hurricanes and wildlifes). Each chapter combines a deep dig into a major  issue with rich historical background. And although issues have their own chapters they aren't siloed due to Seltzer's grasp of intersectionality. 

     Seltzer hopes her book "forces you (readers) to reckon with not only the state of the world today, but also how and why it came to be this way. I hope it empowers you and inspires you to take the future into your own hands. 

     And, above all, I hope it gives you the insight you need to ensure that history doesn't repeat itself--and to dismantle or improve the systems that have allowed so many of our worst prejudices to continue to thrive and to impact the  forces that have caused such devastation to occur."

     Amen to that!!!

On a purrrsonal note, Olivia Seltzer would have approved of what I did Saturday. I'm a member of Black Bear Mutual Aid Fund. We raise money to help UMaine students with expenses they can't afford. We did a yard/crafts sale that raised funds as well as awareness. It was a gorgeous autumn day. We had lots of people. I got a chance to hang out with my good friend Catherine. I got some great bargains. And one vendor who gave BBMAF 50% of her profits gave me a beautiful pair of 🐢 earrings. When I got 🏡 it was warm enough to read outside near my 🌼 🌸 🌻 🌹. 

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

Jules Hathaway 

     

     

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