This upcoming election is probably the most contentious, ugly, obscenely high financed, truth lite, dangerously high stakes one in the 75 years I've been alive. I wouldn't be surprised if you too feel trepidation. What will we wake up to the morning after? Recently in the juvenile wing of the Orono Public Library's juvenile wing I found three nonfiction books that were a breath of fresh air.
Although Emily Easton and Ziyue Chen's Enough! 20 Protesters Who Changed America was published in 2018, it is even more relevant and needed today.
The concept is deceptively simple. It combines portraits of individuals who protested through history with sentences describing what they did. (Longer bios are in the back.) Readers learn that Rachel (Carson) wrote a book; Muhammad (Ali) refused to fight; Jazz (Jennings) wore a dress; Colin (Kaepernick) took a knee...
Inspired by the courageous response to the Parkland shootings, Easton wrote Enough! as a reminder of America's history of protest. "I especially wanted to show the many ways protesters have stood, marched, or knelt for change in simple enough language for young readers to understand and feel inspired...My hope is that their actions will inspire young people to find their own way to make America better."
We can't put it all on younger people though, given today's urgency. When peaceful acts of protest are increasingly criminalized, when unarmed protesters are facing military grade weapons, when the President is working to selectively disenfranchise large numbers of citizens, when books are banned and curricula whitewashed, when the President bypasses Congress to start an illegal war...
...It's gonna take all of us working together!
We tend to think of the discovery of the principles of climate change as 20th and 21st century. I was surprised when I learned that the first principle had been discovered in the 1950s when I read Rebecca Donnelly's Change Is in the Air: The Hidden Discoveries of Eunice Newton Foote, the First Climate Scientist.
Eunice was born in 1819, a time when expectations for girls and women were tragically limited. Her education at the just founded Troy Female Seminary gave her an excellent knowledge of science and math. Sadly no university would allow her to continue her formal education.
As a wife and mother Eunice didn't shrink into a traditional limited role. She kept up with scientific discoveries by reading magazines and newspapers...
...which inspired her to carry out experiments of her own.
Girls fascinated by science's unsolved mysteries will love Change Is in the Air. It will inspire some to make important future discoveries.
I think that we can all agree that these days fake news is a very real problem. There is so much misinformation out there. How do we know what to believe and act on.
If it's a challenge for adults it most definitely is for kids and preteens. Gregor Craigie's Sticking To The Facts: 10 Ways to Fight Misinformation gives them strategies this important distinction. Each is thoroughlhy explained with real life examples. Terms that younger readers might not be familiar with are defined.
Bithi Sutradhar's colorful illustrations really help bring the content to life. Sticking To The Facts is a most excellent investment for school, public, and home libraries.
On a purrrsonal note, I had a most excellent day yesterday. I visited my friend Eunice in her office. We had fun catching up. I explained some of the intricacies of American elections. (She's from Ghana). She gave me a lovely birthday 🎂 present 🎁: a necklace and earrings in a light up box.
Eunice asked me if I wanted to see Elizabeth Allan, the head of UMaine's higher education program. That was a most wonderful unexpected opportunity. I got a chance to talk to her about the things I'm doing fine on like volunteering, social life, writing, and keeping up this blog and things I need to do better on like finding an agent for my manuscript and job hunting-‐both of which terrify me. Elizabeth is always so supportive and encouraging. She sponsored me for $250 in the Orono Public Library readathon. I'm really looking forward to her Christmas party.
Then I had a wonderful hangout with my Black Bear Mutual Aid Fund crew. Aurelia shared her chicken and fries with me.
A great big shout out goes out to Eunice, Elizabeth, and the Black Bear Mutual Aid Fund crew.
Jules Hathaway
Sent from my Galaxy
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