Listen to the Girls (juvenile fiction)

     Way long ago before I even met Eugene a professor told me that he was sleeping with one of his graduate students. There were credible rumors that one of his colleagues had a way for females he considered attractive to earn As. Unfortunately it's still going on. Professors abuse the power differential. Graduate and undergraduate women very often don't report them. A lot of factors stand in the way: realistic fears of not being believed, possible retribution, and the are-you-sures people often present girls and women with when they claim harassment by people in power.

     It's bad enough when it happens in higher education. Unfortunately the predators are also in high school and even middle school. That's why Chrystal D. Giles' very aptly titled Listen to the Girls is so important. 

"The last day of seventh grade started with Jacob Parks' nose squirting blood all over Bus 1709 and ended with rumors swirling about Mr. Chavis harassing students."

     Toward the end of the day rumors start flying. A news story has claimed that Mr Chavis, a popular new teacher had been accused of inappropriate behavior by students at his former school. Calla, Giles' protagonist, is initially upset.

     "This has to be some kind of mean joke. Or some student who's mad about a bad grade. Right? He's literally the nicest teacher in the whole school."

     The accusations and comments spread quickly. Many people are defending the teacher--claiming that a good man's reputation is being attacked and accusing the girls of lying. Then the story and comments are taken off the internet. 

     Calla and her best friends, Charlee and Jacoby, create an online place where the girls can post their stories. They name it Listen to the Girls. Some of the stories bear an uncanny resemblance to her experiences with Mr. Chavis: assurances of her specialness, preferential treatment, requests to keep secrets. Could the teacher she respected and trusted be actually grooming her? Could his intentions be anything but good?

     Always do what you know is right to do. That's one of Calla's mother's favorite aphorisms...

     ...but what do you do if you don't know what the right thing is?

If my daughters were in middle school I'd gift them each with a copy of Listen to the Girls. It's an enlightening and empowering narrative that can give girls the knowledge and confidence to notice red flags in adult behavior and say something. It can help adults believe them and become allies. 

     Unfortunately it could become a target of banners and censors who don't want girls to be listened to and believed. 

On a purrrsonal note, when I was in high school back in the '60s I was molested by a married gym teacher who told me it was our little secret. Sure that secrecy would allow him to hurt other girls, I went right to the principal who called me a vicious little liar who was trying to destroy a good man. If I didn't stop I'd be in big trouble. So I was silenced. But I somehow knew that I was not to blame--that he had committed a sin and a crime. Just the knowing protected me from feeling guilt and shame. As a mother of daughters I feel that this knowing is essential in today's world. My next review on Tuesday will deal with predation by another trusted authority--a charismatic preacher. 

A great big shout out goes out to Giles for this very important and truth telling narrative. 

Jules Hathaway 

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My latest Squishmallow obsession

This is the micromallow I found at Goodwill in a bag of little critters. I looked on line and found that there are lots of these precious Squishmallows. They're only 2 1/2 inches tall and so adorable. Fortunately they sell them on Ebay. Well, I'm off to camp. I hope you have a good weekend.

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My garden yesterday

I'm having breakfast at Governors before heading off to camp. So I'm posting a couple of pictures while I can. This is my garden yesterday evening. I was reading a really good book and eating fresh raspberries. Total bliss. 

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Blue Beach (YA historical fiction)

     During my childhood (50s and early 60s) I lived close enough to the ocean to hear waves crashing in the quiet my house settled into at night. Needless to say, I spent a lot of summer time at the beach: swimming, floating on blow up rafts, shell hunting, sand castle building, tide pool exploring, and, of course, heeding the call of the ice cream man. I did not know then that in so much of the country this experience and others involving swimming were denied Black children. So when I got my hands on Karyn Parsons' Blue Beach before autumn arrived I was over the moon. It's got a truly engaging plot to hold the interest of the YA set and is seasonally spot on.

"It would be hours before they found her...She lay perfectly still on the shore of Blue Beach, her body moving only as the tide rushed up and nudged her gently before rushing away again. A sand crab traveled across her hand, then burrowed itself into the wet shoreline."

     Just that morning Dottie had been one of the stars of her town's annual Poseidon's Trident parade--riding a float dressed as a mermaid, smiling, waving, and throwing candy to children. Her outfit was a just for her creation. Now less than a day later she's caught in seaweed. 

     Blue, Parsons' protagonist, and her best friend, Ben, discover Dottie's body. There's a shock that comes from seeing someone who had been fully robustly alive just hours ago lying inert and vacant eyed. And there's also fear of what could happen if Dottie's body is found specifically on Blue Beach. They return her to the ocean closer to Breakers Beach.

     You see the year is 1929, only a decade after deadly racial conflict was triggered in Chicago when a Black teen strayed into the water of a white beach and was killed by a white man. Blue Beach is a a Black Beach bordered on two sides by white beaches. It's owned by Blue's family. Her mother runs a concessions stand, selling everything from sandwiches and sunscreen to bathing suits. Despite the segregation a lot of whites don't want to share the ocean with Blacks. They'd love to see Blue Beach shut down.

     When Ben becomes a suspect he has to go into hiding to stay out of the grasp of people who would make themselves judge, jury, and executioner. Blue resolves to save his life by finding the real killer. 

     One terrifying night Blue wakes up to see robed and hooded Klansmen on horses rally on the beach and burn the concessions stand. The adults insist that they were trouble makers from elsewhere. But Blue knows better. "I knew that the people who'd trespassed onto our beach in the night to terrorize and threaten us were people we knew. They were people we passed in the streets regularly. People we possibly traded polite smiles with at the market on Sundays." 

     Parsons as a child and teen spent lots of summer vacations at a nearby beach. It wasn't until much later that she learned about segregated beaches and the fight for recreational inclusion.

     "This book is for them--for the people who refused to be denied outdoor recreational spaces where their families and their communities could share joy and a sense of belonging. I thank them for helping to create a world where children don't have to wonder if the ocean is theirs, too."

On a purrrsonal note, yesterday was quite a day. I decided against my better judgment (being warned of extreme heat by the meteorologist the night before) to make a Goodwill/Hannaford run. I was able to make it there and back without collapsing. I did make some good finds at Goodwill and got a great deal on berries at Hannaford. At home I gave Tobago a Fancy Feast entree (tuna) to celebrate my $1,000 in sponsors. I went to the end of the readathon party in late afternoon. It was fun. Amber was there too and she won a really good prize. I was glad she was there. We found the grand total for the readathon. $1,300 which is pretty darn good. Today I am going to heed the extreme heat warning and stay home.

A great big shout out goes out to all who participated in the readathon by reading and sponsoring readers. 

Jules Hathaway 

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My littlest Squishmallows

They are the hardest of all to locate and acquire. 

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Today's Goodwill finds

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New flowers in the garden

See how well they fit in with the total aesthetic?

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