Have any of you had really crappy first days of school? My worst was my first day of high school. My family had just moved from the coastal city where I'd grown up to one of the biggest cities in the state so that my sister could go to a special education school. We had to give up all our companion animals including my beloved ocelot. So I was in this humungous school where I had no friends. Then in an opening assembly the girl sitting next to me said "Hey, runt (I was 4'3") don't go in the bathrooms." She explained that people got seriously beat up. By my afternoon classes I was so desperate to not have an accident I couldn't think of anything else.
But I've got nothing on Vivian, protagonist of Kathryn Ormsbee's Vivian Lantz's Second Chances. All her first days have been disasters. In fifth grade her appendix burst. In fourth grade she was stung by dozens of hornets. Second grade yielded a broken nose. So about to start eighth grade she wonders what will go wrong.
Plenty it seems. Her family's home/antique store floods at an ungodly hour of the morning. On her way into school she trips, spoiling her carefully chosen first day outfit. She discovers that her crush is dating a mean girl. She breaks the aquarium of a teacher's pet fish by mistake, And when she gets her first ever period the other students notice before a teacher tells her.
Her second day couldn't be as bad. Except when she wakes up it's the the first day again and again and again. She's on some kind of time loop—one she wonders if she'll ever escape from.
Middle school angst served up with a touch of magic makes for a purrrfect summer read for the middle grade set.
On a purrrsonal note, on Friday, the second day of demolishing Adam's old bed I almost finished the job. The room was not only much bigger and flooded with light. I was filled with joy and so proud of myself. Sawing required frequent breaks because I was using muscles that probably been hibernating.
A great big shout out goes out to me for solving a problem that's vexed me for years.
Jules Hathaway
Sunday, June 30, 2024
Saturday, June 29, 2024
Lasagna Means Love (juvenile Fiction)
Mo (Maureen), protagonist of Kate O'Shaughnessy's Lasagne Means Love You, is in quite a bind. The grandmother she's lived most of her life with has died. Her biological father is nowhere to be found. Her uncle whom her grandmother had counted on to take her if she no longer could is unwilling to sacrifice his military career to parent.
Children's Protective Services steps in. While continuing to search for biological kin, they're putting Mo in foster care. Her first placement is a disaster. Her second, to a well off professional couple, seems to be working out.
Mo's grandmother had urged her to get a hobby. She'd shrugged hat idea off, sure that she didn't need one. But when she stumbles on a family's recipe book with pictures and anecdotes it stirs something in her. Soon she's teaching herself how to cook (an oven disaster gets her kicked out of her first placement) and collecting people's family recipes and the stories behind them. Maybe if she searches diligently enough she'll be able to find a recipe from her own family.
Mo's story, narrated in a series of letters to her grandmother, tells of her struggle to find a place where she belongs. It's a poignant and powerful coming of age narrative. And it includes quite a few of the recipes which should delight budding chefs.
On a purrrsonal note, I have a quite meaningful story about family recipes. When Eugene and I were about to get married his mother asked me what I'd like for a wedding gift. There was something I wanted that she couldn't get at a mall. I asked her for the recipes for Eugene's favorite foods. That was so I could serve him the foods he grew up with, And here is the recipe I would have given Mo. It's richer that the traditional cookie recipe. And it's safe for people with egg allergies.
Arlene's Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking soda dissolved in 1 1/2 cups applesauce
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
I/2 cup shortening
Chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375. Dissolve the baking soda in the applesauce. Add all ingredients except chocolate chips and blend well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop rounded spoonfuls on greased cookie sheets. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown.
A great big shout out goes out to my mother-in-law, Arlene Hathaway of Winterport, Maine.
Jules Hathaway
Children's Protective Services steps in. While continuing to search for biological kin, they're putting Mo in foster care. Her first placement is a disaster. Her second, to a well off professional couple, seems to be working out.
Mo's grandmother had urged her to get a hobby. She'd shrugged hat idea off, sure that she didn't need one. But when she stumbles on a family's recipe book with pictures and anecdotes it stirs something in her. Soon she's teaching herself how to cook (an oven disaster gets her kicked out of her first placement) and collecting people's family recipes and the stories behind them. Maybe if she searches diligently enough she'll be able to find a recipe from her own family.
Mo's story, narrated in a series of letters to her grandmother, tells of her struggle to find a place where she belongs. It's a poignant and powerful coming of age narrative. And it includes quite a few of the recipes which should delight budding chefs.
On a purrrsonal note, I have a quite meaningful story about family recipes. When Eugene and I were about to get married his mother asked me what I'd like for a wedding gift. There was something I wanted that she couldn't get at a mall. I asked her for the recipes for Eugene's favorite foods. That was so I could serve him the foods he grew up with, And here is the recipe I would have given Mo. It's richer that the traditional cookie recipe. And it's safe for people with egg allergies.
Arlene's Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking soda dissolved in 1 1/2 cups applesauce
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
I/2 cup shortening
Chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375. Dissolve the baking soda in the applesauce. Add all ingredients except chocolate chips and blend well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop rounded spoonfuls on greased cookie sheets. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown.
A great big shout out goes out to my mother-in-law, Arlene Hathaway of Winterport, Maine.
Jules Hathaway
Friday, June 28, 2024
In The Orbit Of You
"But I want roots. I want hard fast plans and spreadsheets and rubrics and road maps that will take me from point A to point B in an orderly fashion. My entire life has been like a dandelion seed trapped in a gust of wind, blowing from one town to another school to a new hobby, and it seems silly that I don't have an answer for who I actually am at the age of seventeen."
Nova, co protagonist of Ashley Schumacher's In The Orbit Of You, leads a nomadic life. Her mother is a consultant, flying from place to place to help companies solve major problems. Every few months or so there's another move, another school, a new peer group. As a junior she's beginning to feel pressure to choose a college and a major—basically a vocation—when she doesn't know herself enough.
"Usually, I go work it off, lifting weights and running on the treadmill until I out-exercise the fear of disappointing them. Because no matter how much I might dislike football, it's nowhere as bad as what came before. Nothing could be."
When Sam was quite young he discovered that he was very good at football. The aunt and uncle with whom he lives have poured a lot of money into getting him the best equipment and training. As a high school seniors he feels locked into what he calls the plan: a top football school and then go pro. His real interests don't seem to have a place in it.
But long ago when they were young children Nova and Sam had been close neighbors until he'd been sent to live with his uncle and aunt. Back then he'd promised her to find when they were older…
…and there's still something. But how can a friendship or more rekindle when he has a plan he feels locked into and a popular cheerleader girlfriend and she'll be gone in a matter of months, if not weeks?
On a purrrsonal note, on day one I discovered that I can use a saw quite well without cutting off an arm or leg. I was able to remove the footboard the bed and halfway remove the headboard before Eugene got home.
A great big shout out goes out to my ministers as they start a well deserved vacation.
Jules Hathaway
Nova, co protagonist of Ashley Schumacher's In The Orbit Of You, leads a nomadic life. Her mother is a consultant, flying from place to place to help companies solve major problems. Every few months or so there's another move, another school, a new peer group. As a junior she's beginning to feel pressure to choose a college and a major—basically a vocation—when she doesn't know herself enough.
"Usually, I go work it off, lifting weights and running on the treadmill until I out-exercise the fear of disappointing them. Because no matter how much I might dislike football, it's nowhere as bad as what came before. Nothing could be."
When Sam was quite young he discovered that he was very good at football. The aunt and uncle with whom he lives have poured a lot of money into getting him the best equipment and training. As a high school seniors he feels locked into what he calls the plan: a top football school and then go pro. His real interests don't seem to have a place in it.
But long ago when they were young children Nova and Sam had been close neighbors until he'd been sent to live with his uncle and aunt. Back then he'd promised her to find when they were older…
…and there's still something. But how can a friendship or more rekindle when he has a plan he feels locked into and a popular cheerleader girlfriend and she'll be gone in a matter of months, if not weeks?
On a purrrsonal note, on day one I discovered that I can use a saw quite well without cutting off an arm or leg. I was able to remove the footboard the bed and halfway remove the headboard before Eugene got home.
A great big shout out goes out to my ministers as they start a well deserved vacation.
Jules Hathaway
Thursday, June 27, 2024
Girl Forgotten (YA mystery)
My younger daughter, Katie, and I are big fans of well written YA mysteries. We give each other tips on newly discovered titles and authors. If I'll like it shell'l like it and vice versa. So recently I texted her about April Henry. I'd just finished her Girl Forgotten and found it to be well written and totally engaging.
Piper (17) is starting a new high school. She's moved in with her father and his wife (he'd never married her mother) and their kids after her mother's death. Her first day there she learns about the requirement for every senior to do a passion project. That's a year long experiential project on a topic of interest.
Piper is a fan of true life unsolved crime podcasts. She decides to create one of her own. Seventeen years ago, Layla Trello, a 17-year-old student at her new school, went missing. A couple of weeks later her body was found. Her killer has never been found.
Piper wants to solve the cold case. She begins doing background research and interviewing people who were in town the night of the murder. It isn't long before she begins to get threatening messages. Someone doesn't want her discovering what happened. And if that person is the actual killer…
…he or she might be willing to kill again.
It turns out that Henry is quite a prolific author. I'm putting her other books on my to read list for when inter library loans are happening again.
On a purrrsonal note, I've been working on organizing my shed and home since mid May. The shed was a cinch. I'm the only one who goes in there. The trailer is a whole different story. My son's old room has been especially challenging. His old bed takes up way too much room. And it's too big to get out through the door. I can't remember how we got it in over 20 years ago. But now there's a glimmer of hope. I found where Eugene stashed one of his saws. A regular one, not a chainsaw.
A great big shout out goes out to my fabulous son, Adam.
Piper (17) is starting a new high school. She's moved in with her father and his wife (he'd never married her mother) and their kids after her mother's death. Her first day there she learns about the requirement for every senior to do a passion project. That's a year long experiential project on a topic of interest.
Piper is a fan of true life unsolved crime podcasts. She decides to create one of her own. Seventeen years ago, Layla Trello, a 17-year-old student at her new school, went missing. A couple of weeks later her body was found. Her killer has never been found.
Piper wants to solve the cold case. She begins doing background research and interviewing people who were in town the night of the murder. It isn't long before she begins to get threatening messages. Someone doesn't want her discovering what happened. And if that person is the actual killer…
…he or she might be willing to kill again.
It turns out that Henry is quite a prolific author. I'm putting her other books on my to read list for when inter library loans are happening again.
On a purrrsonal note, I've been working on organizing my shed and home since mid May. The shed was a cinch. I'm the only one who goes in there. The trailer is a whole different story. My son's old room has been especially challenging. His old bed takes up way too much room. And it's too big to get out through the door. I can't remember how we got it in over 20 years ago. But now there's a glimmer of hope. I found where Eugene stashed one of his saws. A regular one, not a chainsaw.
A great big shout out goes out to my fabulous son, Adam.
Tuesday, June 25, 2024
Ellie Haycock Is Totally Normal (YA fiction)
Ellie, protagonist of Ellie Haycock Is Totally Normal, lives in two worlds that she works very hard to keep separate.
There's the world most YA readers would recognize where she attends high school, competes on the speech team, goes to dances and parties, and does typical teen things with her friends, and has a boyfriend, Jack.
And then there's the hospital world where she has to spend a lot of time. Ellie was born with a condition called VACTERLs featuring missing and malformed bones and internal organ problems. She's had over forty surgeries, the first when she was only weeks old. She has a whole team of specialists. During her hospital times she stays at the Family Care House, a pay what you can afford place for long time patients and their families. There she has a set of friends who bond over shared experiences.
Her worlds weren't always separate. When she was younger when she was home she was defined by difference as "the girl always missing school for surgeries". Then when she was twelve her father got a new job and her family moved. "For the first time I was just…Ellie. I've worked hard to keep it that way, hide everything as much as I can so they can't poke and prod as much as the doctors."
But that's about to change. All of Ellie's life her mother has had a very revealing hospital experiences blog. Jack's mother has shown him. So he turns up at the Family Care House looking for answers she can't give him.
On a purrrsonal note, it looks like a purrrfect community garden day. And after yesterday's downpour we certainly won't have to water the veggies.
A great big shout out goes out to the community garden crew.
Jules Hathaway
There's the world most YA readers would recognize where she attends high school, competes on the speech team, goes to dances and parties, and does typical teen things with her friends, and has a boyfriend, Jack.
And then there's the hospital world where she has to spend a lot of time. Ellie was born with a condition called VACTERLs featuring missing and malformed bones and internal organ problems. She's had over forty surgeries, the first when she was only weeks old. She has a whole team of specialists. During her hospital times she stays at the Family Care House, a pay what you can afford place for long time patients and their families. There she has a set of friends who bond over shared experiences.
Her worlds weren't always separate. When she was younger when she was home she was defined by difference as "the girl always missing school for surgeries". Then when she was twelve her father got a new job and her family moved. "For the first time I was just…Ellie. I've worked hard to keep it that way, hide everything as much as I can so they can't poke and prod as much as the doctors."
But that's about to change. All of Ellie's life her mother has had a very revealing hospital experiences blog. Jack's mother has shown him. So he turns up at the Family Care House looking for answers she can't give him.
On a purrrsonal note, it looks like a purrrfect community garden day. And after yesterday's downpour we certainly won't have to water the veggies.
A great big shout out goes out to the community garden crew.
Jules Hathaway
Monday, June 24, 2024
Be a and the New Deal Horse (juvenile fiction)
"Somehow, seeing his angst, his desolation, in a moment all the other horses were sleeping blissfully—just like I had snuck out into the night, twitchy with disappointments and questions, while my sister and Mrs. Scott slumbered—made my heart ache. For him. For me. It's as if that horse embodied all the fury and fear and loneliness, the self-doubt and what's-coming-next anxiety I was feeling that morning. Heck—had felt every second since Daddy disappeared."
L. M. Elliott's is an educational book without the educational feel. It will introduce middle graders to one of the most troubling periods in American history, the Great Depression. It will appeal to younger readers, especially the many who own or yearn to own a horse.
Bea's father has lost his job like so many other's in the 1930's. Her mother is dead. And the family is homeless. In search of a job for her father the family has been sneaking on freight trains, hitch hiking, and walking, sleeping wherever they can finder fashion shelter, eating whatever they can find.
One morning Bea wakes up bedded down in hay in a barn loft. Little sister Vivian is sleeping beside her. But their father is gone. He's left his girls a note. The owner of the house is the mother of their late mother's college roommate. She or her daughter will surely take them in.
Only it's not as simple as that. Mrs. Scott is behind on her bills and in peril of losing her home. The corn crop is drying up in the fields.
Desperate not to lose her newly gained housing, Bea will do anything she can to help Mrs. Scott—including jumping a volatile and dangerous horse at a horse show to win the prize money that will buy them time.
On a purrrsonal note, last night a thunder storm started up right at bed time. Thunder and lightning really scare Tobago. So I stayed up with her until it cleared on out. It worked. When she curled up beside me in bed she fell asleep in an instant.
A great big shout out goes out to my best little cat in the world.
Jules Hathaway
L. M. Elliott's is an educational book without the educational feel. It will introduce middle graders to one of the most troubling periods in American history, the Great Depression. It will appeal to younger readers, especially the many who own or yearn to own a horse.
Bea's father has lost his job like so many other's in the 1930's. Her mother is dead. And the family is homeless. In search of a job for her father the family has been sneaking on freight trains, hitch hiking, and walking, sleeping wherever they can finder fashion shelter, eating whatever they can find.
One morning Bea wakes up bedded down in hay in a barn loft. Little sister Vivian is sleeping beside her. But their father is gone. He's left his girls a note. The owner of the house is the mother of their late mother's college roommate. She or her daughter will surely take them in.
Only it's not as simple as that. Mrs. Scott is behind on her bills and in peril of losing her home. The corn crop is drying up in the fields.
Desperate not to lose her newly gained housing, Bea will do anything she can to help Mrs. Scott—including jumping a volatile and dangerous horse at a horse show to win the prize money that will buy them time.
On a purrrsonal note, last night a thunder storm started up right at bed time. Thunder and lightning really scare Tobago. So I stayed up with her until it cleared on out. It worked. When she curled up beside me in bed she fell asleep in an instant.
A great big shout out goes out to my best little cat in the world.
Jules Hathaway
Shannon in the Spotlight
Shannon, protagonist of Kalena Miller's Shannon in the Spotlight, considers herself a level one theater kid. She sticks to behind the scenes, content to cheer her acting friends on. She considers her best friend, Fatima, who is major league into set building a level two and her other best friend, Elise, the only actor in the trio, a level three…
…But things are about to change. The director, who happens to hear Shannon singing, urges her to audition. She does so well she lands the lead Elise was going for. It's a mixed blessing. Shannon discovers a talent for and a love of acting. But Elise wants nothing to do with her. And Fatima won't help resolve the situation.
And this isn't the source of stress in Shannon's life. Her grandmother must temporarily move in with Shannon and her mother. The two women in Shannon's life have a very acrimonious relationship. They can't be in the same space without fighting…
…which is really triggering Shannon's obsessive-compulsive disorder which she is in therapy to bring under control.
This is another of those wonderful books featuring a character with a mental illness that is based on the author's own experiences, a very worthwhile summer read.
On a purrrsonal note, Amber and Brian had a family cookout. It was so wonderful to spend time with my children.
A great big shout out goes out to Amber, Katie, Adam, and their significant others.
Jules Hathaway
…But things are about to change. The director, who happens to hear Shannon singing, urges her to audition. She does so well she lands the lead Elise was going for. It's a mixed blessing. Shannon discovers a talent for and a love of acting. But Elise wants nothing to do with her. And Fatima won't help resolve the situation.
And this isn't the source of stress in Shannon's life. Her grandmother must temporarily move in with Shannon and her mother. The two women in Shannon's life have a very acrimonious relationship. They can't be in the same space without fighting…
…which is really triggering Shannon's obsessive-compulsive disorder which she is in therapy to bring under control.
This is another of those wonderful books featuring a character with a mental illness that is based on the author's own experiences, a very worthwhile summer read.
On a purrrsonal note, Amber and Brian had a family cookout. It was so wonderful to spend time with my children.
A great big shout out goes out to Amber, Katie, Adam, and their significant others.
Jules Hathaway
Thursday, June 20, 2024
Shark Teeth (juvenile fiction)
"I'd ache from not knowing what the rest of the day would bring. I hated the feeling of not knowing what would happen next. It felt like that ride at the carnival that went around and around, speeding up until it threw you up against the wall and the floor fell away.
Yeah, with Mama, I never knew when the floor would fall right out from under us."
Kita (Sharkita), 12, protagonist of Sherri Winston's Shark Teeth,has just been reunited with her mother, her special needs brother, Lamar, 8, and sister, Lilli, 5, after a period of the kids staying in separate foster homes. Their mother, Brittany, who had become a parent much too early, has a habit of often chasing after the fun she felt cheated out of, making terrible decisions, and leaving Kita in charge of the house and her siblings. When she had been absent and out of touch nine days Kita had to call 911 for a medical emergency.
"I should have been grateful. Our little family was whole again. We'd spent several weeks torn apart—the worst weeks of my life. Even so, in that moment standing beside Mama, I didn't feel grateful. I felt frightened."
It's not the family's first close encounter of the children's protective services kind. In fact this is a last chance to retain custody for Brittany. Kita has mixed loyalties. If Brittany doesn't screw up the family will stay together. But if she does the kids may get the stability that's been missing in their lives.
Due to factors such as the opiate addiction crisis many kids are forced to not only take on adult responsibilities before hitting puberty, but to protect parent(s)' from the consequences of their actions. Kita is her mother's ride or die. That's why Shark Teeth is so important. This engaging and evocative narrative can hopefully empower kids in similar situations to reach out for help.
On a purrrsonal note, quite awhile ago when my kids were very young we had an 11-year-old neighbor who often came up to chat with me. She had a single mom and two special needs younger siblings. She was fascinated by my kids, always wanting to know what they were up to, always telling me what a good mother I was. Then one night she told me the truth about her situation which was uncannily like Kita's. I didn't have to think long about what to do. She had told me what she had without once asking me not to tell anyone. I guess she'd been ready to get off the carnival ride. I saw her a couple of years later on the City Bus. She looked so healthy and happy. She told me that she could finally be a kid. Her sister and brother were also adopted into stable homes and doing well.
A great big shout goes out to this girl who is now a woman. Reading Shark Teeth made me realize how much courage it took for her to reach out to a neighbor and share her story. I hope she is living her best life.
Jules Hathaway
Yeah, with Mama, I never knew when the floor would fall right out from under us."
Kita (Sharkita), 12, protagonist of Sherri Winston's Shark Teeth,has just been reunited with her mother, her special needs brother, Lamar, 8, and sister, Lilli, 5, after a period of the kids staying in separate foster homes. Their mother, Brittany, who had become a parent much too early, has a habit of often chasing after the fun she felt cheated out of, making terrible decisions, and leaving Kita in charge of the house and her siblings. When she had been absent and out of touch nine days Kita had to call 911 for a medical emergency.
"I should have been grateful. Our little family was whole again. We'd spent several weeks torn apart—the worst weeks of my life. Even so, in that moment standing beside Mama, I didn't feel grateful. I felt frightened."
It's not the family's first close encounter of the children's protective services kind. In fact this is a last chance to retain custody for Brittany. Kita has mixed loyalties. If Brittany doesn't screw up the family will stay together. But if she does the kids may get the stability that's been missing in their lives.
Due to factors such as the opiate addiction crisis many kids are forced to not only take on adult responsibilities before hitting puberty, but to protect parent(s)' from the consequences of their actions. Kita is her mother's ride or die. That's why Shark Teeth is so important. This engaging and evocative narrative can hopefully empower kids in similar situations to reach out for help.
On a purrrsonal note, quite awhile ago when my kids were very young we had an 11-year-old neighbor who often came up to chat with me. She had a single mom and two special needs younger siblings. She was fascinated by my kids, always wanting to know what they were up to, always telling me what a good mother I was. Then one night she told me the truth about her situation which was uncannily like Kita's. I didn't have to think long about what to do. She had told me what she had without once asking me not to tell anyone. I guess she'd been ready to get off the carnival ride. I saw her a couple of years later on the City Bus. She looked so healthy and happy. She told me that she could finally be a kid. Her sister and brother were also adopted into stable homes and doing well.
A great big shout goes out to this girl who is now a woman. Reading Shark Teeth made me realize how much courage it took for her to reach out to a neighbor and share her story. I hope she is living her best life.
Jules Hathaway
Wednesday, June 19, 2024
Salt The Water
Candice Iloh started her third novel. Salt The Water, for fun. "This book was born of my desire to play again: to shake things up in a way that felt irreverent, defiant, exciting, and about something much bigger than me. I wanted to go back to before I began fearing consequences or whether my art could feed me. I wanted to love it the way I first did as a sophomore at Howard University, showing up at open mics every week, hungry to be moved and in deep connection."
Their choice of a shape shifting free verse rather than prose provides a very irreverent, defiant, and exciting framework for the the narrative. And protagonist Cerulean pulls no punches, describing their world with no filters getting between them and the reader.
Cerulean has free thinking parents who encourage them to live authentically and unabashedly. This probably makes it harder for them to navigate a crushingly routinized and restrictive public high school. It's also harder because much a younger brother, who came along when the family was better off financially, is enrolled in an Afrocentric Montessori school
"How he gets to learn about farming & art & community
from real-life situations & teachers who let them
explore & make mistakes & talk back
when something doesn't make sense to him
while I'm stuck in stiff-ass classrooms
facing the same direction every day
staring down out-of-touch white men
who don't care if i really learn
who measure what i know by how well i do on a test"
When things really blow up at school Cerulean stops going. The plans he and his besties have don't involve college or traditional jobs.
But then his dad is badly injured at work, leaving the family a lot more precarious.
I advise high school teachers and college professors to ditch one of the long dead white male writers and have their students analyze Salt The Water.
On a purrrsonal note, we're in the heat wave. I'm not going anywhere. When it gets hotter I'm going to stop working and spend the rest of the day reading and hydrating.
A great big shout out goes out to my readers who I hope are hydrating and taking other precautions to beat the heat.
Jules Hathaway
Their choice of a shape shifting free verse rather than prose provides a very irreverent, defiant, and exciting framework for the the narrative. And protagonist Cerulean pulls no punches, describing their world with no filters getting between them and the reader.
Cerulean has free thinking parents who encourage them to live authentically and unabashedly. This probably makes it harder for them to navigate a crushingly routinized and restrictive public high school. It's also harder because much a younger brother, who came along when the family was better off financially, is enrolled in an Afrocentric Montessori school
"How he gets to learn about farming & art & community
from real-life situations & teachers who let them
explore & make mistakes & talk back
when something doesn't make sense to him
while I'm stuck in stiff-ass classrooms
facing the same direction every day
staring down out-of-touch white men
who don't care if i really learn
who measure what i know by how well i do on a test"
When things really blow up at school Cerulean stops going. The plans he and his besties have don't involve college or traditional jobs.
But then his dad is badly injured at work, leaving the family a lot more precarious.
I advise high school teachers and college professors to ditch one of the long dead white male writers and have their students analyze Salt The Water.
On a purrrsonal note, we're in the heat wave. I'm not going anywhere. When it gets hotter I'm going to stop working and spend the rest of the day reading and hydrating.
A great big shout out goes out to my readers who I hope are hydrating and taking other precautions to beat the heat.
Jules Hathaway
Finally Heard
Author Kelly Yang had a very hard year. She was shocked both by the horrible things her children's peers said to them on social media and by the equally awful things they said in response.
"As a parent, there's no more terrifying feeling than lying there awake, wondering what is going on with your kid. Not knowing whether your child is suffering silently. Whether what they're seeing online is taking another invisible stab at their self-esteem. Not knowing how to help."
Yang tried the traditional recommendations: setting screen times, taking devices away at night, downloading monitoring apps (only to discover that her kids started using their neighbor's Wi-Fi). Nothing seemed to work until she began really talking to them. Her hard won knowledge lies at the heart of her Finally Heard.
When Lina's mother's bath bomb business is being undercut by businesses with slick social media presences she decides to fight fire with fire. Her video goes viral.
"'Our whole lives can change! With just a phone! Can you imagine?' Mom cries. 'We don't have to be left behind'"
Lina's mom has read that to grow her business she'll have to post all the time. Suddenly she's constantly busy posting videos, filling orders, and replying to online comments.
Lina feels that if she had a cell phone she'd have it made in the shade. But when her mother gives her one it's a whole different story. She becomes jealous of her classmates' bigger homes and fancier vacations. Her self image, which is shaky already due to an awkward early puberty, really takes a hit when she's bombarded with information on how to cure her problems. She becomes enmeshed in class online and offline drama.
Yang believes that parents can help their children achieve a healthy online presence. "I hope Lina's story serves as a jumping point to start talking to kids about digital health before they get a phone. I hope it inspires, enrages…and ultimately leaves us with hope. I'm not going to lie. I still lie awake sometimes. But I'm hopeful that by having these important conversations, all our kids will be better prepared for the digital world."
Finally Heard would be a great read for parent-child book clubs.
On a purrrsonal note, when my kids were in middle school I had that experience of lying awake. The emerging social media world with its perils and pitfalls for kids seemed truly terrifying. I think most of us were desperately searching for ways to protect our children.
But it's not only kids. Adults can be equally venomous, behaving in ways they would probably not offline. In my school board days I woke up the morning after a meeting I'd chaired to discover a nasty post about me and how I ran the meeting. That didn't bother me all that much. The comments on my opinion pieces in the local paper had inured me to all that. What bothered me was that my fellow board members were assuring me that they'd get her. When the superintendent asked me what I wanted them to do I said absolutely nothing. Fighting would have distracted everyone from the sensitive and controversial issues we were having to deal with.
A great big shout out goes out to all the people who are working diligently to discover and enlighten people about the perils, including the not so obvious one, of social media.
Jules Hathaway
"As a parent, there's no more terrifying feeling than lying there awake, wondering what is going on with your kid. Not knowing whether your child is suffering silently. Whether what they're seeing online is taking another invisible stab at their self-esteem. Not knowing how to help."
Yang tried the traditional recommendations: setting screen times, taking devices away at night, downloading monitoring apps (only to discover that her kids started using their neighbor's Wi-Fi). Nothing seemed to work until she began really talking to them. Her hard won knowledge lies at the heart of her Finally Heard.
When Lina's mother's bath bomb business is being undercut by businesses with slick social media presences she decides to fight fire with fire. Her video goes viral.
"'Our whole lives can change! With just a phone! Can you imagine?' Mom cries. 'We don't have to be left behind'"
Lina's mom has read that to grow her business she'll have to post all the time. Suddenly she's constantly busy posting videos, filling orders, and replying to online comments.
Lina feels that if she had a cell phone she'd have it made in the shade. But when her mother gives her one it's a whole different story. She becomes jealous of her classmates' bigger homes and fancier vacations. Her self image, which is shaky already due to an awkward early puberty, really takes a hit when she's bombarded with information on how to cure her problems. She becomes enmeshed in class online and offline drama.
Yang believes that parents can help their children achieve a healthy online presence. "I hope Lina's story serves as a jumping point to start talking to kids about digital health before they get a phone. I hope it inspires, enrages…and ultimately leaves us with hope. I'm not going to lie. I still lie awake sometimes. But I'm hopeful that by having these important conversations, all our kids will be better prepared for the digital world."
Finally Heard would be a great read for parent-child book clubs.
On a purrrsonal note, when my kids were in middle school I had that experience of lying awake. The emerging social media world with its perils and pitfalls for kids seemed truly terrifying. I think most of us were desperately searching for ways to protect our children.
But it's not only kids. Adults can be equally venomous, behaving in ways they would probably not offline. In my school board days I woke up the morning after a meeting I'd chaired to discover a nasty post about me and how I ran the meeting. That didn't bother me all that much. The comments on my opinion pieces in the local paper had inured me to all that. What bothered me was that my fellow board members were assuring me that they'd get her. When the superintendent asked me what I wanted them to do I said absolutely nothing. Fighting would have distracted everyone from the sensitive and controversial issues we were having to deal with.
A great big shout out goes out to all the people who are working diligently to discover and enlighten people about the perils, including the not so obvious one, of social media.
Jules Hathaway
Monday, June 17, 2024
Falling Short (juvenile fiction)
Yesterday we celebrated Fathers' Day, an occasion of the many roles fathers can play in their children's lives: passing on knowledge and traditions, protecting and providing, supporting and encouraging, serving as role models, and just plain sharing good times. But not all father-child relations are crafted from the stuff of Hallmark cards. Some are sources of pain and confusion. This is the case with Marco and Isaac, narrators of Ernesto Cisneros' Falling Short.
Marcos is a well organized, self disciplined, gifted and talented academic whiz kid. Unfortunately he's also very short, uncoordinated, not into sports, and in touch with his feelings—all of which spell loser to his estranged dad. Try outs for the school's basketball team are coming up. Marcos thinks that if he makes the team his dad will begin to take an interest in him.
His best friend, Isaac, is a star athlete, but a very unsbtellar student. Starting sixth grade, he resolves to be more organized and keep up with his academics. Maybe then his estranged and separated parents won't fight as much. Maybe they can get back together, something his father's alcoholism and his mother's desire to protect him from it doesn't bode well for.
This engaging narrative is pitch perfect tor middle grade readers, especially those who have relationships with their own dads that are painful and problematic.
On a purrrsonal note, it looks like we've got some serious heat coming up as in temps in the 90s. At least we won't hit three digits like in some parts of the country.
A great big shout out goes out to my readers with hopes that you'll take the dangers posed by extreme heat seriously and stay cool and hydrated.
Jules Hathaway
Marcos is a well organized, self disciplined, gifted and talented academic whiz kid. Unfortunately he's also very short, uncoordinated, not into sports, and in touch with his feelings—all of which spell loser to his estranged dad. Try outs for the school's basketball team are coming up. Marcos thinks that if he makes the team his dad will begin to take an interest in him.
His best friend, Isaac, is a star athlete, but a very unsbtellar student. Starting sixth grade, he resolves to be more organized and keep up with his academics. Maybe then his estranged and separated parents won't fight as much. Maybe they can get back together, something his father's alcoholism and his mother's desire to protect him from it doesn't bode well for.
This engaging narrative is pitch perfect tor middle grade readers, especially those who have relationships with their own dads that are painful and problematic.
On a purrrsonal note, it looks like we've got some serious heat coming up as in temps in the 90s. At least we won't hit three digits like in some parts of the country.
A great big shout out goes out to my readers with hopes that you'll take the dangers posed by extreme heat seriously and stay cool and hydrated.
Jules Hathaway
Measuring Up (juvenile graphic novel)
Cici (12), protagonist of Lily LaMotte and Ann Xu's Measuring Up, is not a happy camper when she and her parents move from her native Taiwan to Seattle, leaving her beloved grandmother behind. She and her father try to get her A-ma to come for a visit on a special occasion—the Lunar New Year, the Moon Festival, the Lantern Festival—without success. Then A-ma's seventieth birthday is coming up. When Cici talks about how much her father misses his mother and how wonderful it would be to surprise him A-ma tells her the real reason she can't visit them. She can't afford to. Cici promises to figure that out…
…But how can a preteen come up with that kind of money? Maybe she can win Dare To Dream, a kids' cooking contest…
…But being eliminated from the competition is not her only worry. Cici's parents have made the move to America so that she will have more opportunities in life. They've sacrificed a lot. Their mantra for her is "good grades, good college, good job, good life." Nothing can stand in the way of those good grades.
Measuring up, told in a lively graphic novel format is the story of a girl trying to balance the demands of two cultures, a most engaging summer read.
On a purrrsonal note, Inter library loans are still not happening. But this may give me opportunity to do something I otherwise couldn't. Can you believe I've never read the Harry Potter series? I tend not to read more commercially popular books because I tend not to read what I won't review. I wonder how they'll compare to the movies, some of which I have seen.
A great big shout out goes out to my readers. I hope you've been finding some most excellent summer reads.
Jules Hathaway
…But how can a preteen come up with that kind of money? Maybe she can win Dare To Dream, a kids' cooking contest…
…But being eliminated from the competition is not her only worry. Cici's parents have made the move to America so that she will have more opportunities in life. They've sacrificed a lot. Their mantra for her is "good grades, good college, good job, good life." Nothing can stand in the way of those good grades.
Measuring up, told in a lively graphic novel format is the story of a girl trying to balance the demands of two cultures, a most engaging summer read.
On a purrrsonal note, Inter library loans are still not happening. But this may give me opportunity to do something I otherwise couldn't. Can you believe I've never read the Harry Potter series? I tend not to read more commercially popular books because I tend not to read what I won't review. I wonder how they'll compare to the movies, some of which I have seen.
A great big shout out goes out to my readers. I hope you've been finding some most excellent summer reads.
Jules Hathaway
Sunday, June 16, 2024
A Little Bit Super (juvenile)
When You think of powers you probably think of super powers: X ray vision, super human strength, the ability to fly, the cloak of invisibility… The kind that would come in pretty handy. We don't think of little and quirky powers. The authors who contributed to the anthology of short stories entitled A Little Bit Super did just that.
*Imara (Shift) can shape shift on Mondays and only shift part of her body.
*Welly (Rescue Day) can understand animals' speech on Tuesdays.
*Jamie (Roll On) can tell just by looking which avocados are the perfect degree of ripeness.
The fourteen school age protagonists of these stories have to find ways to cope with their new powers and sometimes the unfortunate reactions of their peers. They all manage. Some even harness them to create positive change.
The contributors are some of the big names in middle grade lit: Nikki Grimes, Linda Sue Park, Mitali Perkins, Pam Munoz Ryan…. They've proven their ability to capture the minds and hearts of middle grade readers.
This is an especially good summer reading choice for kids who would rather do almost anything else. The stories are short, self contained, and distinctively different from each other. Traditional prose short stories are interspersed with works done in free form verse and graphic formats.
On a purrrsonal note, I'm just back from a lovely weekend at camp with Eugene. The weather was perfect. We hit yard sales on the way up and found good bargains.
A great big shout out goes out to Eugene.
Jules Hathaway
*Imara (Shift) can shape shift on Mondays and only shift part of her body.
*Welly (Rescue Day) can understand animals' speech on Tuesdays.
*Jamie (Roll On) can tell just by looking which avocados are the perfect degree of ripeness.
The fourteen school age protagonists of these stories have to find ways to cope with their new powers and sometimes the unfortunate reactions of their peers. They all manage. Some even harness them to create positive change.
The contributors are some of the big names in middle grade lit: Nikki Grimes, Linda Sue Park, Mitali Perkins, Pam Munoz Ryan…. They've proven their ability to capture the minds and hearts of middle grade readers.
This is an especially good summer reading choice for kids who would rather do almost anything else. The stories are short, self contained, and distinctively different from each other. Traditional prose short stories are interspersed with works done in free form verse and graphic formats.
On a purrrsonal note, I'm just back from a lovely weekend at camp with Eugene. The weather was perfect. We hit yard sales on the way up and found good bargains.
A great big shout out goes out to Eugene.
Jules Hathaway
Thursday, June 13, 2024
We're Never Getting Home
Ride or die best friends are so important in high school, especially for teens whose family dynamics are less than ideal. When one of these relationships begins to implode it's seriously traumatic. That's why Tracy Badua's We're Never Getting Home is pitch perfect for YA readers.
Narrator Jana's mother is recovering from a serious car accident. Her having to cut down on work has serious implications for the family's finances. As if that isn't bad enough jana's big sister, Jackie, comes home from college in the middle of the first semester, urged by her counselor to take time off to reconsider her proprieties. Responsible Jana has a lot of pressure being put on her because of her sister's irresponsible choices. Maddy has to deal with a fat shaming mother.
The two of them have been there for each other through joys and tribulations. They've both been accepted at the same college where they plan to room together. In the meantime they've scored pricey tickets to a music festival where they'll see their long time favorite band perform in person. It will be a night to remember…
…Only not for the best reasons. You see the friendship has been unraveling especially since Maddy has acquired a very possessive boyfriend, Tyler. Right before the concert they have a big fight and decide not to go together.
Except the church friend, Nathan. who is now chauffeuring Jana is also giving Maddy and Tyler a ride. What else could go wrong?
How about Nathan losing his van keys?
If Jana doesn't get back on time she's going to be in a world of trouble.
On a purrrsonal note, Tuesday night was magical. The weather was purrrfect. The garden was beautiful. We harvested lettuce, spinach, and arugula. There was a concert behind the library next door. And the Darlings ice cream truck showed up. I had four ice creams: a chocolate eclair, A watermelon popsicle, and 2 strawberry shortcakes. HEAVENLY!!!!
A great big shout out goes out to the Darlings people who generously provide their truck to help groups fund raise for good causes.
Jules Hathaway
Narrator Jana's mother is recovering from a serious car accident. Her having to cut down on work has serious implications for the family's finances. As if that isn't bad enough jana's big sister, Jackie, comes home from college in the middle of the first semester, urged by her counselor to take time off to reconsider her proprieties. Responsible Jana has a lot of pressure being put on her because of her sister's irresponsible choices. Maddy has to deal with a fat shaming mother.
The two of them have been there for each other through joys and tribulations. They've both been accepted at the same college where they plan to room together. In the meantime they've scored pricey tickets to a music festival where they'll see their long time favorite band perform in person. It will be a night to remember…
…Only not for the best reasons. You see the friendship has been unraveling especially since Maddy has acquired a very possessive boyfriend, Tyler. Right before the concert they have a big fight and decide not to go together.
Except the church friend, Nathan. who is now chauffeuring Jana is also giving Maddy and Tyler a ride. What else could go wrong?
How about Nathan losing his van keys?
If Jana doesn't get back on time she's going to be in a world of trouble.
On a purrrsonal note, Tuesday night was magical. The weather was purrrfect. The garden was beautiful. We harvested lettuce, spinach, and arugula. There was a concert behind the library next door. And the Darlings ice cream truck showed up. I had four ice creams: a chocolate eclair, A watermelon popsicle, and 2 strawberry shortcakes. HEAVENLY!!!!
A great big shout out goes out to the Darlings people who generously provide their truck to help groups fund raise for good causes.
Jules Hathaway
Tuesday, June 11, 2024
Writers Retreat
Whenever my daughter, Amber, hands me a new anthology she has a story in I know I'm in for a spine chilling smorgasbord, a horror feast, a volume I can read only in the daytime because if I tried after darkness falls I'd have nightmares…if I could even get to sleep.
The latest is Writers Retreat: Tales of Writing and Madness. It's a volume in which horror writers give us a look at what about their craft keeps them awake in the shadowed wee hours before dawn. And it goes far beyond writer's block.
*How about the laptop on which you do your writing becoming taken over by a malevolent entity intent on destroying your work?
*How about the plight of a woman who bases her characters on her children and their friends when she tries to read her daughter's new electronic diary?
*How about a rural farmhouse billed as a writer's retreat that would make the Bates Motel of Psycho notoriety look like five star lodgings?
*How about the deranged stalker fan who won't wait to find out how the story ends?
and *What about the truly gruesome price a writer in a haunted cabin must pay for inspiration?
Those are just some of the truly terrifying scenarios served up the scary smorgasbord that is Writers Retreat. If you are a true hard core scary story fan you don't want to miss out. But you might want to do your reading in the daylight before darkness falls and creatures of the night slither and slink through your back yard, headlights of passing cars make scary shadows, and your house makes mystery sounds that send shivers down your spine.
Just saying.
On a purrrsonal note, it's a bright, sunny day here in Penobscot County, Maine. Soon I'll be heading off to do some work in Orono Community Garden and swap out books at the library.
A great big shout out goes out to my Amber and the other talented writers who contributed to the truly addictive horror fest.
Jules Hathaway
The latest is Writers Retreat: Tales of Writing and Madness. It's a volume in which horror writers give us a look at what about their craft keeps them awake in the shadowed wee hours before dawn. And it goes far beyond writer's block.
*How about the laptop on which you do your writing becoming taken over by a malevolent entity intent on destroying your work?
*How about the plight of a woman who bases her characters on her children and their friends when she tries to read her daughter's new electronic diary?
*How about a rural farmhouse billed as a writer's retreat that would make the Bates Motel of Psycho notoriety look like five star lodgings?
*How about the deranged stalker fan who won't wait to find out how the story ends?
and *What about the truly gruesome price a writer in a haunted cabin must pay for inspiration?
Those are just some of the truly terrifying scenarios served up the scary smorgasbord that is Writers Retreat. If you are a true hard core scary story fan you don't want to miss out. But you might want to do your reading in the daylight before darkness falls and creatures of the night slither and slink through your back yard, headlights of passing cars make scary shadows, and your house makes mystery sounds that send shivers down your spine.
Just saying.
On a purrrsonal note, it's a bright, sunny day here in Penobscot County, Maine. Soon I'll be heading off to do some work in Orono Community Garden and swap out books at the library.
A great big shout out goes out to my Amber and the other talented writers who contributed to the truly addictive horror fest.
Jules Hathaway
Monday, June 10, 2024
Ultraviolet
My son, Adam, who just earned his MBA and started a new managerial job, was once a thoughtful, intuitive middle schooler dealing with peers who seemed to be anything but. If there is one book I wish had been published back then it's Aida Salazar's Ultraviolet. Like Judy Blume's Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, it tackles the child to teen transition with candor and sensitivity.
Becoming a man has probably never been easy. Last night Eugene was watching a rather gruesome documentary about a time in which becoming a man required killing an enemy in battle. Today it's less gory, but probably much more confusing.
"Why does my voice sound like
gravel and glass being run over
by a street sweeper?
Why does my heart pound like
a punching bag being
hit over and over
whenever I'm with Camelia?"
Elio, Salazar's protagonist, is dealing with all the physical and psychological changes of puberty and the challenges of peer social dynamics. He gains and then heartbreakingly loses his first girlfriend and has no idea how to deal with the loss. Even at home things are confusing. His mother is raising him to be aware of the privileges society gives him for being a boy and fight for equality for girls and women. His father feels that he should toughen up to be a Solis man.
The inspiration for the book is a fascinating story in itself. Salazar had just published a book, The Moon Within about a Latina girl coming of age. Her son and his friend asked her to write a similar story with a male protagonist. Doing research, she realized that there were too few stories that could help boys, especially boys of color navigate the emotional terrain of the boy to man transition.
"Ultraviolet explores one boy's journey through the complicated landscape of falling in love and being heartbroken, through puberty and early adolescence as he tries to define his place in the world. But it is also about bigger topics like toxic masculinity, consent, and how we unconsciously or intentionally push patriarchal behavior. Because those in-between years (ages eleven to thirteen) are about exploration, it's important to have stories that help boys sort out complicated emotions and learn to respond in positive, loving, life affirming, and healing ways."
If there's a boy in your life embarking on this transition it would make such a wonderful gift!
On a purrrsonal note, you may see fewer reviews on this blog in the near future. I get most of the books I review through interlibrary loan. That's how I have access to what's hot off the press. ILL is temporarily shut down here in Maine while the truck company that does the actual deliveries is in some of negotiations. It's been a week so far. I'll do my best, but no guarantees.
A great shout goes out to you, my readers, for whom I will do my best to track down eminently reviewable books.
Jules Hathaway
Becoming a man has probably never been easy. Last night Eugene was watching a rather gruesome documentary about a time in which becoming a man required killing an enemy in battle. Today it's less gory, but probably much more confusing.
"Why does my voice sound like
gravel and glass being run over
by a street sweeper?
Why does my heart pound like
a punching bag being
hit over and over
whenever I'm with Camelia?"
Elio, Salazar's protagonist, is dealing with all the physical and psychological changes of puberty and the challenges of peer social dynamics. He gains and then heartbreakingly loses his first girlfriend and has no idea how to deal with the loss. Even at home things are confusing. His mother is raising him to be aware of the privileges society gives him for being a boy and fight for equality for girls and women. His father feels that he should toughen up to be a Solis man.
The inspiration for the book is a fascinating story in itself. Salazar had just published a book, The Moon Within about a Latina girl coming of age. Her son and his friend asked her to write a similar story with a male protagonist. Doing research, she realized that there were too few stories that could help boys, especially boys of color navigate the emotional terrain of the boy to man transition.
"Ultraviolet explores one boy's journey through the complicated landscape of falling in love and being heartbroken, through puberty and early adolescence as he tries to define his place in the world. But it is also about bigger topics like toxic masculinity, consent, and how we unconsciously or intentionally push patriarchal behavior. Because those in-between years (ages eleven to thirteen) are about exploration, it's important to have stories that help boys sort out complicated emotions and learn to respond in positive, loving, life affirming, and healing ways."
If there's a boy in your life embarking on this transition it would make such a wonderful gift!
On a purrrsonal note, you may see fewer reviews on this blog in the near future. I get most of the books I review through interlibrary loan. That's how I have access to what's hot off the press. ILL is temporarily shut down here in Maine while the truck company that does the actual deliveries is in some of negotiations. It's been a week so far. I'll do my best, but no guarantees.
A great shout goes out to you, my readers, for whom I will do my best to track down eminently reviewable books.
Jules Hathaway
Sunday, June 9, 2024
How to Build a Heart
"He doesn't understand. Well-to-do, white, educated, well-meaning Mr. Lyle…who has never had to remove items from his grocery cart because he doesn't have enough money, has never been stopped by some random kid who fingers the zipper on his jacket and says hey-that's-my-old-one-Mom-dropped-off-at-goodwill, has never watched his mother give him and his brother everything in the pot and say she's not hungry tonight because she had a big lunch…He doesn't understand."
Izzy, narrator of Maria Padian's How to Build a Heart, has not had it easy since her Marine father was killed in Iraq. Her mother, struggling to raise her and her little brother, Jack, as a single parent, has had to move her family just about every year. They've become cut off from extended family on both sides. Currently they're residing in a run down trailer park. Izzy is a scholarship kid at a pricey private school.
"I'm not supposed to be driving around with Roz. I'm not supposed to be hanging out alone with Roz. There are actually a whole bunch of Mama-imposed Roz Rules, and while this scenario has never been specially forbidden, cruising the back roads where Clayton's millionaires live is probably a violation."
Most likely. Roz is Izzy's trailer park neighbor and best friend. They're basically stalking and spying on "hot Sam", a rich boy Roz has an impossible crush on. It's an act that could get them arrested or even shot.
Well guess whose little sister is in Izzy's school and trying out for Veronican Convergence, a very popular and hard to get into a cappella group Izzy is a member of. When Izzy, sensing how socially awkward Aubrey (who makes the group) is, she befriends her. This friendship gets her into Aubrey's social world where big bro, sam, takes quite an interest in her…
…which means she suddenly has to be keeping a whole lot of secrets from Roz.
And then there's yet another complication. Izzy's family has been approved for a Habitat for Humanity house. She has no problem with the sweat equity part—being involved in the construction process. It's the publicity that torments her. They're going to share her story with donors and prospective donors. And Sam's parents are on the HFH board.
Izzy is a complex, evolving girl peers will really relate to centering an engaging and thought provoking narrative. It can help the many kids growing up in trailer parks feel seen (It's amazing how little fiction is set in this milieu) and more fininancially privileged peers gain insights.
On a purrrsonal note, the hardest thing about raising kids in a trailer park was having the prejudice directed toward them.
A great big shout goes out to Padian and other authors who use engaging narratives to combat trailer park trash prejudice.
Jules Hathaway
Izzy, narrator of Maria Padian's How to Build a Heart, has not had it easy since her Marine father was killed in Iraq. Her mother, struggling to raise her and her little brother, Jack, as a single parent, has had to move her family just about every year. They've become cut off from extended family on both sides. Currently they're residing in a run down trailer park. Izzy is a scholarship kid at a pricey private school.
"I'm not supposed to be driving around with Roz. I'm not supposed to be hanging out alone with Roz. There are actually a whole bunch of Mama-imposed Roz Rules, and while this scenario has never been specially forbidden, cruising the back roads where Clayton's millionaires live is probably a violation."
Most likely. Roz is Izzy's trailer park neighbor and best friend. They're basically stalking and spying on "hot Sam", a rich boy Roz has an impossible crush on. It's an act that could get them arrested or even shot.
Well guess whose little sister is in Izzy's school and trying out for Veronican Convergence, a very popular and hard to get into a cappella group Izzy is a member of. When Izzy, sensing how socially awkward Aubrey (who makes the group) is, she befriends her. This friendship gets her into Aubrey's social world where big bro, sam, takes quite an interest in her…
…which means she suddenly has to be keeping a whole lot of secrets from Roz.
And then there's yet another complication. Izzy's family has been approved for a Habitat for Humanity house. She has no problem with the sweat equity part—being involved in the construction process. It's the publicity that torments her. They're going to share her story with donors and prospective donors. And Sam's parents are on the HFH board.
Izzy is a complex, evolving girl peers will really relate to centering an engaging and thought provoking narrative. It can help the many kids growing up in trailer parks feel seen (It's amazing how little fiction is set in this milieu) and more fininancially privileged peers gain insights.
On a purrrsonal note, the hardest thing about raising kids in a trailer park was having the prejudice directed toward them.
A great big shout goes out to Padian and other authors who use engaging narratives to combat trailer park trash prejudice.
Jules Hathaway
Thursday, June 6, 2024
Sometime in Summer
With summer vacation looming on the horizon I have a Perfect beach read for the YA and more mature juvenile readers in your life, the ones who enjoy realism with just a touch of magic thrown in: Katrina Leno's Sometime in Summer.
Anna, Leno's protagonist, is sure she's having a major streak of bad luck. Her parents are separated. Although they haven't signed divorce papers she has heard a strange woman's voice in the background when she's called her father on the phone. Her mother will have to sell the family bookstore she's grown up in. And she misses the formerly best friend she had a falling out with. So she greets her mother's news that they'll be taking a long summer vacation all the way across the country in Rockport, Massachusetts in the cottage where her mom had spent her growing up summers with anxiety and sadness.
She falls in love with Rockport and the cottage. Her first night there after her jet lagged mother goes to sleep she goes out to explore and meets a boy and a girl her age who become her friends. But there's something a little off about them and at the same time they remind her of two people she knows.
What if she's somehow mastered the art of time travel? What if she can keep two people she loves from making a big mistake by nipping their romance in the bud?
For an engaging narrative that violated the laws of physics younger readers can't do better than Sometime in Summer.
On a purrrsonal note, my parents (or at least my mother) would have been much happier if they'd never married. But there's NO WAY I'd have gone back in time and stopped their marriage because then I'd never have been born and I love my life.
A great big shout out goes out to all the kids counting the days til summer vacation.
Jules Hathaway
Anna, Leno's protagonist, is sure she's having a major streak of bad luck. Her parents are separated. Although they haven't signed divorce papers she has heard a strange woman's voice in the background when she's called her father on the phone. Her mother will have to sell the family bookstore she's grown up in. And she misses the formerly best friend she had a falling out with. So she greets her mother's news that they'll be taking a long summer vacation all the way across the country in Rockport, Massachusetts in the cottage where her mom had spent her growing up summers with anxiety and sadness.
She falls in love with Rockport and the cottage. Her first night there after her jet lagged mother goes to sleep she goes out to explore and meets a boy and a girl her age who become her friends. But there's something a little off about them and at the same time they remind her of two people she knows.
What if she's somehow mastered the art of time travel? What if she can keep two people she loves from making a big mistake by nipping their romance in the bud?
For an engaging narrative that violated the laws of physics younger readers can't do better than Sometime in Summer.
On a purrrsonal note, my parents (or at least my mother) would have been much happier if they'd never married. But there's NO WAY I'd have gone back in time and stopped their marriage because then I'd never have been born and I love my life.
A great big shout out goes out to all the kids counting the days til summer vacation.
Jules Hathaway
Tuesday, June 4, 2024
We Got The Beat
I'm still not sure what a beach read is. I'm thinking something feel good and vacation worthy as opposed to a dystopia or textbook. If YA rom coms fill the bill for you, make sure to pack Jenna Miller's We Got The Beat next time you head out to your favorite beach or other happy place.
Jordan is beginning her junior year with high hopes. She and her besties are about to learn the school newspaper assignments. They're all gunning for editor positions even though they usually go to seniors. Audrey gets opinion editor. Isaac gets photography editor. Jordan not only is not an editor, but she is assigned to cover the volleyball team. Sports!!! SHE'S ALREADY PAID HER DUES COVERING TRACK AND CROSS COUNTRY FRESHMAN YEAR! Now she wants the more substantial stories that will help a Columbia worthy portfolio.
But that's not the only reason Jordan isn't a happy camper. She has history with the team captain. She'd befriended Mackenzie when she'd arrived in town the summer before their freshperson year. They'd become very close. So it came as a major betrayal to Jordan when at the start of the school year Mackenzie, befriended by a popular crowd, not only dropped, but humiliated her. Covering the team means she'll have to spend lots of time with, but write a feature story about her nemesis.
Jenna goes into her assignment understandably wary. But it doesn't seem as bad as she expected. The team is warm and welcoming. And Jenna seems to be not so bad. In fact they seem to be slipping back into their friendship…
…or perhaps even more…
…Until Jordan makes a mistake that endangers not only their relationship, but her future career in journalism.
So next time you're headed for the beach or somewhere equally vaca worthy pack a copy of We Got The Beat. And don't forget the sunscreen.
On a purrrsonal note, My shoulder is finally better since I stopped just about everything else (except reading) to ice, elevate, and heat it. Today I actually caught up with the dishes. I'm heading to community garden this afternoon. Not that I'm up for probably even weeding. But Sunday Eugene took out my baby sweet alyssum seedlings in our little garden he forgot I planted and mistook for weed. It made my heart sad. And I can't stand the thought of waiting a week to replant.
A great big shout goes out to you, my readers.
Jules Hathaway
Jordan is beginning her junior year with high hopes. She and her besties are about to learn the school newspaper assignments. They're all gunning for editor positions even though they usually go to seniors. Audrey gets opinion editor. Isaac gets photography editor. Jordan not only is not an editor, but she is assigned to cover the volleyball team. Sports!!! SHE'S ALREADY PAID HER DUES COVERING TRACK AND CROSS COUNTRY FRESHMAN YEAR! Now she wants the more substantial stories that will help a Columbia worthy portfolio.
But that's not the only reason Jordan isn't a happy camper. She has history with the team captain. She'd befriended Mackenzie when she'd arrived in town the summer before their freshperson year. They'd become very close. So it came as a major betrayal to Jordan when at the start of the school year Mackenzie, befriended by a popular crowd, not only dropped, but humiliated her. Covering the team means she'll have to spend lots of time with, but write a feature story about her nemesis.
Jenna goes into her assignment understandably wary. But it doesn't seem as bad as she expected. The team is warm and welcoming. And Jenna seems to be not so bad. In fact they seem to be slipping back into their friendship…
…or perhaps even more…
…Until Jordan makes a mistake that endangers not only their relationship, but her future career in journalism.
So next time you're headed for the beach or somewhere equally vaca worthy pack a copy of We Got The Beat. And don't forget the sunscreen.
On a purrrsonal note, My shoulder is finally better since I stopped just about everything else (except reading) to ice, elevate, and heat it. Today I actually caught up with the dishes. I'm heading to community garden this afternoon. Not that I'm up for probably even weeding. But Sunday Eugene took out my baby sweet alyssum seedlings in our little garden he forgot I planted and mistook for weed. It made my heart sad. And I can't stand the thought of waiting a week to replant.
A great big shout goes out to you, my readers.
Jules Hathaway
Monday, June 3, 2024
The Year My Life Went Down The Toilet
"Some 'scientists' claim that everybody poops.
Which might be true, but I have a hard time believing it.
I'm not saying I want to see some proof, because that would be disgusting. But if everybody poops…how come no one talks about it?"
Middle schooler Al, protagonist of Jake Maia Arlow's The Year My Life Went Down The Toilet, has to spend a lot of time thinking about a very embarrassing topic. Her stomach is nearly almost always queasy, She spends a lot more time pooping than anyone else she knows. And at least once she doesn't make it on time. But she doesn't share her mother's fear that she has a real problem. "I'll go to this special doctor and she'll fix me up and I'll never have a port potty emergency ever again."
Unfortunately it turns out that her mother's right. A colonoscopy, in itself a nightmare for a seventh grader, reveals that she has Chrohn's. It's a chronic condition that she'll have to manage for the rest of her life, not something that "can go away with a bit of medicine".
"Even if medication can help, it won't solve anything. This can't be fixed, it can only be managed. I don't want to be managed. I want to be normal." When her doctor suggests that she join an IBD support group at the hospital the idea repulses her.
But then her best, actually only, friend, Leo, previously constantly available (except on weekend visits to his father), tries out for a part in a school play and gets a lead. Suddenly Al has a lot more free time to get through. When Leo suggests that she join the stage crew she remembers that she has an alternative.
"So it's settled. I'm going to go to sick kid support group because my best friend's abandoning me and I don't want to be stuck at home with my mom.
This should be fun."
In her acknowledgements Arlow thanks her gastroenterological care team. It's so wonderful that these days adults who were diagnosed with chronic conditions as children and teens are reaching out to juvenile and YA readers with their stories, letting them know that they're not alone
On a purrrsonal note, you may have noticed that I've been writing and posting a lot of reviews lately. I pulled or bruised something in my shoulder right before the long weekend. I've had to take it easy—ice, heat, elevate—and reading is about all I can do under those circumstances. Hopefully I can start getting more active tomorrow.
A great big shout out goes out to Allow for her honesty and truth telling.
Jules Hathaway
Which might be true, but I have a hard time believing it.
I'm not saying I want to see some proof, because that would be disgusting. But if everybody poops…how come no one talks about it?"
Middle schooler Al, protagonist of Jake Maia Arlow's The Year My Life Went Down The Toilet, has to spend a lot of time thinking about a very embarrassing topic. Her stomach is nearly almost always queasy, She spends a lot more time pooping than anyone else she knows. And at least once she doesn't make it on time. But she doesn't share her mother's fear that she has a real problem. "I'll go to this special doctor and she'll fix me up and I'll never have a port potty emergency ever again."
Unfortunately it turns out that her mother's right. A colonoscopy, in itself a nightmare for a seventh grader, reveals that she has Chrohn's. It's a chronic condition that she'll have to manage for the rest of her life, not something that "can go away with a bit of medicine".
"Even if medication can help, it won't solve anything. This can't be fixed, it can only be managed. I don't want to be managed. I want to be normal." When her doctor suggests that she join an IBD support group at the hospital the idea repulses her.
But then her best, actually only, friend, Leo, previously constantly available (except on weekend visits to his father), tries out for a part in a school play and gets a lead. Suddenly Al has a lot more free time to get through. When Leo suggests that she join the stage crew she remembers that she has an alternative.
"So it's settled. I'm going to go to sick kid support group because my best friend's abandoning me and I don't want to be stuck at home with my mom.
This should be fun."
In her acknowledgements Arlow thanks her gastroenterological care team. It's so wonderful that these days adults who were diagnosed with chronic conditions as children and teens are reaching out to juvenile and YA readers with their stories, letting them know that they're not alone
On a purrrsonal note, you may have noticed that I've been writing and posting a lot of reviews lately. I pulled or bruised something in my shoulder right before the long weekend. I've had to take it easy—ice, heat, elevate—and reading is about all I can do under those circumstances. Hopefully I can start getting more active tomorrow.
A great big shout out goes out to Allow for her honesty and truth telling.
Jules Hathaway
Louder Than Words
"I don't have
Enough energy
to tell her to
GO AWAY!
to leave me alone.
I wish everyone
Would leave me alone—
forever."
Jake, protagonist of John Schu's Louder Than Words, is in a bad place. He's not getting along with his parents. His beloved grandmother with whom he spends weekends, the only times he's actually happy, suddenly is tiring. Since seventh grade school has been made torture by bullying peers.
But there's a voice in his head that helps him feel in control. It tells him it's his only friend. But with "friends" like that he doesn't need enemies. It constantly says things likeYOU—ARE—REPULSIVE! (It's voice is always all capitals.). It commands him to exercise and diet way too much…
…Until he ends up in Whispering Pines where he's diagnosed with anorexia and begins a slow, difficult, confusing, frightening road to recovery.
If Jake's story feels really authentic it's because it's based on Schu's own life experiences.
"I spent more than two years in and out of multiple inpatient and outpatient treatment programs and facilities for anorexia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, and depression. I struggled day after day. I felt unworthy of taking up space. I hated myself for many years. I was stuck.
On a very personal note, I found it a struggle to stay with the book to the very end even though its extremely well written. Maybe because it's so well written. Ever since the stroke it's been a struggle to stay over 100 pounds. I'm really afraid of losing too much. I'm trying to learn how to maintain a healthy weight on nutritious foods. But in the meantime I sweets binge when I get too low. Little Debbie is my new secret BFF. I didn't ditch it after the first few chapters because it is so important for the many younger people who have eating disorders.
A great big shout out goes out to all ho struggle with weight.
Jules Hathaway
Enough energy
to tell her to
GO AWAY!
to leave me alone.
I wish everyone
Would leave me alone—
forever."
Jake, protagonist of John Schu's Louder Than Words, is in a bad place. He's not getting along with his parents. His beloved grandmother with whom he spends weekends, the only times he's actually happy, suddenly is tiring. Since seventh grade school has been made torture by bullying peers.
But there's a voice in his head that helps him feel in control. It tells him it's his only friend. But with "friends" like that he doesn't need enemies. It constantly says things likeYOU—ARE—REPULSIVE! (It's voice is always all capitals.). It commands him to exercise and diet way too much…
…Until he ends up in Whispering Pines where he's diagnosed with anorexia and begins a slow, difficult, confusing, frightening road to recovery.
If Jake's story feels really authentic it's because it's based on Schu's own life experiences.
"I spent more than two years in and out of multiple inpatient and outpatient treatment programs and facilities for anorexia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, and depression. I struggled day after day. I felt unworthy of taking up space. I hated myself for many years. I was stuck.
On a very personal note, I found it a struggle to stay with the book to the very end even though its extremely well written. Maybe because it's so well written. Ever since the stroke it's been a struggle to stay over 100 pounds. I'm really afraid of losing too much. I'm trying to learn how to maintain a healthy weight on nutritious foods. But in the meantime I sweets binge when I get too low. Little Debbie is my new secret BFF. I didn't ditch it after the first few chapters because it is so important for the many younger people who have eating disorders.
A great big shout out goes out to all ho struggle with weight.
Jules Hathaway
Sunday, June 2, 2024
Six Truths and a Lie
It'a a Fourth of July celebration at a popular California Beach. Although the official fireworks show hasn't started random people in the crowd have started shooting off their own fireworks. The crowd is in a festive mood until an off shore oil rig and a pier explode, creating chaos as the injured seek help and everyone tries to flee the nightmarish scene.
Even before all the dust has cleared the police have six Muslim high school students in custody, claiming that since the incident was a terrorist attack and poses a threat to national security they are not eligible for bail. Nasreem is the only Muslim student in a private Catholic school with a high acceptance rate at the Ivies her parents are determined to see her in. Quays is a handsome and popular golden boy athlete. Muzhda is a peer he tutored in language arts. Although her parents are undocumented, her sibling are born in the USA. Samia is a hijab wearing social media influencer. Zamzam carries too much responsibility in a family which has lost its father and oldest sibling. Abdullahi gives his older sister's name to the police because he doesn't want his parents involved.
As they struggle to come to terms with all that has happened people are working to wrap the event in a narrative that most Americans have come to expect. They are connected with each other and with an International terrorist organization. So sending them to prison for life will mean the rest of us are once again safe. This is the narrative that federal agent Kandi Favreau is determined that they and eventually the jury buy into. "If we need to be a little bit flexible with the law, so be it."
The lawyers the six get seem willing to throw the others under the bus if doing so will exonerate their clients. Their strategies seem based on one of these kids is not like the others. One deserves to be found not guilty.
But the teens know they're all innocent. And some of them are willing to take great risks to uncover the truths that will set them all free.
Ream Shukairy's Six Truths and a Lie is a very worthy follow up to her debut novel, The Next New Syrian Girl. The plot is suspenseful and engaging. The characters are complex and nuanced. The narrative is very thought provoking. I'd recommend it for diversity programs and book clubs. It's meant to be discussed. Fans of Angie Thomas and Samira Ahmed are in for a real treat.
But the best reason to read the book lies in this quote from the author's note.
"Like my characters, my life has been shaped by marginalized identities. I grew up in a visibly Muslim family, and I've always lived in an America that views me as different. I've navigated a world that doesn't accept Muslims as we are. I've had to learn how to exist as myself every day without prejudice dictating what I do and how I do it."
On a purrrsonal note, I hate the way so many Americans stereotype Muslims as terrorists. The people who commit the most mass murders are white males who are Christian if anything. But we don't hold their affiliations against them. We didn't get all panicked about evangelical Christians after Timothy killed 168 people in his Oklahoma City bombing.
A great big shout out goes out to Ream Shukairy for her most enlightening narratives. Hopefully she is working on another as I write this.
Jules Hathaway
Even before all the dust has cleared the police have six Muslim high school students in custody, claiming that since the incident was a terrorist attack and poses a threat to national security they are not eligible for bail. Nasreem is the only Muslim student in a private Catholic school with a high acceptance rate at the Ivies her parents are determined to see her in. Quays is a handsome and popular golden boy athlete. Muzhda is a peer he tutored in language arts. Although her parents are undocumented, her sibling are born in the USA. Samia is a hijab wearing social media influencer. Zamzam carries too much responsibility in a family which has lost its father and oldest sibling. Abdullahi gives his older sister's name to the police because he doesn't want his parents involved.
As they struggle to come to terms with all that has happened people are working to wrap the event in a narrative that most Americans have come to expect. They are connected with each other and with an International terrorist organization. So sending them to prison for life will mean the rest of us are once again safe. This is the narrative that federal agent Kandi Favreau is determined that they and eventually the jury buy into. "If we need to be a little bit flexible with the law, so be it."
The lawyers the six get seem willing to throw the others under the bus if doing so will exonerate their clients. Their strategies seem based on one of these kids is not like the others. One deserves to be found not guilty.
But the teens know they're all innocent. And some of them are willing to take great risks to uncover the truths that will set them all free.
Ream Shukairy's Six Truths and a Lie is a very worthy follow up to her debut novel, The Next New Syrian Girl. The plot is suspenseful and engaging. The characters are complex and nuanced. The narrative is very thought provoking. I'd recommend it for diversity programs and book clubs. It's meant to be discussed. Fans of Angie Thomas and Samira Ahmed are in for a real treat.
But the best reason to read the book lies in this quote from the author's note.
"Like my characters, my life has been shaped by marginalized identities. I grew up in a visibly Muslim family, and I've always lived in an America that views me as different. I've navigated a world that doesn't accept Muslims as we are. I've had to learn how to exist as myself every day without prejudice dictating what I do and how I do it."
On a purrrsonal note, I hate the way so many Americans stereotype Muslims as terrorists. The people who commit the most mass murders are white males who are Christian if anything. But we don't hold their affiliations against them. We didn't get all panicked about evangelical Christians after Timothy killed 168 people in his Oklahoma City bombing.
A great big shout out goes out to Ream Shukairy for her most enlightening narratives. Hopefully she is working on another as I write this.
Jules Hathaway
Saturday, June 1, 2024
Next Stop
Juvenile graphic novels, carefully melding words and images, lighting up more center's of a younger reader's brain, can be ideal for introducing complex situations and relationships. Debbie Fong's Next Stop.
Pia, Fong's protagonist, is a kind of quiet kid. She's on a week long desert tour. Her dad was supposed to come but he broke his leg. Most of the attractions at the stops—a cactus petting zoo, the world's biggest melon—seem meh, even for adults. The passengers seem to be on the trip for the final stop, a magical underground lake with the ability to make even impossible wishes come true.
Pia certainly has those wishes. Her tour experiences are interspersed with flashbacks going further and further back to the tragedy that hurt her family so deeply that they had to move…
…a guilt and grief that run so deep she's hoping the lake will in some unimaginable way help.
On a purrrsonal note, I planted a bunch of sweet alyssum seeds in Eugene's garden. They're doing great. Some of the plants are an inch tall. They'll have such lovely white flowers.
A great big shout out goes out to Diane who gave me the seeds.
Jules Hathaway
Pia, Fong's protagonist, is a kind of quiet kid. She's on a week long desert tour. Her dad was supposed to come but he broke his leg. Most of the attractions at the stops—a cactus petting zoo, the world's biggest melon—seem meh, even for adults. The passengers seem to be on the trip for the final stop, a magical underground lake with the ability to make even impossible wishes come true.
Pia certainly has those wishes. Her tour experiences are interspersed with flashbacks going further and further back to the tragedy that hurt her family so deeply that they had to move…
…a guilt and grief that run so deep she's hoping the lake will in some unimaginable way help.
On a purrrsonal note, I planted a bunch of sweet alyssum seeds in Eugene's garden. They're doing great. Some of the plants are an inch tall. They'll have such lovely white flowers.
A great big shout out goes out to Diane who gave me the seeds.
Jules Hathaway
Deep in Providence
Despite my considerable skills in researching books to acquire by inter library loan, some of my best reads are gifts from my older daughter Amber. For Mothers Day this year she gave me Riss M. Neilson's Deep In Providence. From the first succinct, dramatic line, "This isn't the fist time I've touched a dead body", to the unexpected ending, it is nothing less than spell binding.
For Neilson's teen protagonists—Miliani, Natalie, and Inez—magic introduced by Miliani's now deceased Filipino grandfather has been an integral part of their lives. They've grown up practicing spells and potions, utilizing the mystical ambiances of their hometown. But now they have a much harder challenge to tackle. The fourth member of their close knit friendship group, Jasmine, has just been killed by a drunk driver. The girls, especially Miliani, are determined to, with the help of Miliani's Aunt Lindy, bring her back to life. Of course this is way beyond anything they've ever attempted. So they have to work up to it, which involves some risky business.
And there's also plenty of earthly drama to complicate things. Natalie's drug addict mother takes off frequently, leaving her in charge of herself and her younger brother. How can she possibly go to college with such heavy responsibilities? Inez's mother is a strict practicing Catholic who is very much against the practice of magic and premarital sex, not exactly someone Inez can confide in when she discovers she's pregnant. Miliani's mother is estranged from her sister and suffers from a mysterious debilitating illness.
The drama stems from the intersectionality of the earthly and the anything but. That gives it an immersive richness and complexity neither strand could create on its own. If you want a lot more than stomach churning special effects from your chillers, Deep in Providence is a must read for your summer list?
On a purrrsonal note, Eugene and I are going to Amber and Brian's for a cook out. His parents are coming too. I'm really looking forward to that.
A great big shout out goes out to you, my readers, with best wishes for a safe and happy weekend.
Jules Hathaway
'
For Neilson's teen protagonists—Miliani, Natalie, and Inez—magic introduced by Miliani's now deceased Filipino grandfather has been an integral part of their lives. They've grown up practicing spells and potions, utilizing the mystical ambiances of their hometown. But now they have a much harder challenge to tackle. The fourth member of their close knit friendship group, Jasmine, has just been killed by a drunk driver. The girls, especially Miliani, are determined to, with the help of Miliani's Aunt Lindy, bring her back to life. Of course this is way beyond anything they've ever attempted. So they have to work up to it, which involves some risky business.
And there's also plenty of earthly drama to complicate things. Natalie's drug addict mother takes off frequently, leaving her in charge of herself and her younger brother. How can she possibly go to college with such heavy responsibilities? Inez's mother is a strict practicing Catholic who is very much against the practice of magic and premarital sex, not exactly someone Inez can confide in when she discovers she's pregnant. Miliani's mother is estranged from her sister and suffers from a mysterious debilitating illness.
The drama stems from the intersectionality of the earthly and the anything but. That gives it an immersive richness and complexity neither strand could create on its own. If you want a lot more than stomach churning special effects from your chillers, Deep in Providence is a must read for your summer list?
On a purrrsonal note, Eugene and I are going to Amber and Brian's for a cook out. His parents are coming too. I'm really looking forward to that.
A great big shout out goes out to you, my readers, with best wishes for a safe and happy weekend.
Jules Hathaway
'
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