Missoula
Adult nonfiction
"Now, should we treat women as independent agents, responsible
for themselves? Of course. But being responsible has nothing to do
with being raped. Women don't get raped because they were drinking or
took drugs. Women do not get raped because they weren't careful
enough. Women get raped because someone raped them."
If you haven't been spending the summer up in the unincorporated
territories you've probably heard about the trial of a Stanford
student athlete. He raped an unconscious woman. There was no doubt;
he was caught in the act. The guy got a miniscule sentence for an act
of violence. His doting dad said Sonny Boy shouldn't be punished too
harshly for "twenty minutes of action." Sadly Stanford is not the only
place in America that did not get the memo that women are fully
sentient beings with the rights to respect and safety. Jon Krakauer's
Missoula: Rape And The Justice System In A College Town vividly
describes more of this kind of incident.
A much believed rape myth says that the villain is a stranger
lurking in a dark alley. Actually most rapists are well known to
their victims. Some are people they have every reason to trust. In
college this can translate to classmates, dates, and friends.
Another myth states that rape charges are often concocted by
women. Maybe there's morning after regret. Maybe the experience
didn't live up to expectations. Maybe there's a boyfriend who might
be bent out of shape by the thought she'd cheat on him. But oops, she
did it again...ruined the life of a fine young man. Unlike victims of
other violent crimes, women who are raped are often treated with more
suspicion than their assailants, denied justice by district attorneys
refusing to prosecute, and crucified in the court of public
opinion...especially when the perps are talented athletes.
In Missoula, Krakauer gives us very personal portraits of women
in a college town who were violated by football players and the legal
system. Their accounts were suspected in a way allegations of other
victims aren't. In fact fans of the college football team thought
they were the villains.
Krakauer started the research for Missoula after learning a
friend had suffered for years as a result of sexual assault. Then his
work became even more personal.
"As the scope of my research expanded, I was stunned to discover
that many of my acquaintances, and even several women in my own
family, had been sexually assaulted by men they trusted. The more I
listened to these women's accounts, the more disturbed I became. I
had no idea that rape was so prevalent, or could cause such deep and
intractable pain. My ignorance was inexcusable, and it made me
ashamed."
When it comes to rape, ignorance is a luxury we really can't
afford. Reading Missoula is a good first step to take in combatting
ignorance.
On a personal note, this book was very personal for me. I started
reading it right after my latest opinion piece was in the Bangor Daily
News. I wrote it as a response to the Stanford rapist's dad
describing the act as twenty minutes of action. I wrote about how I
had suffered for decades because of a similar twenty minutes of
action. The piece was very well received.
A great big shout out goes out to my very supportive editor, Matt, and
the readers who had so many kind things to say.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
A Big Fat Crisis
A Big Fat Crisis
Adult Nonfiction
"Like cholera and typhoid in the nineteenth century, obesity is
the twenty-first century's public health crisis. Our major approach
of exhorting individuals to be more responsible is just not working.
Ending obesity requires solutions that transcend human behavior."
If you're anything like me, this quote from Deborah A. Cohen's A
Big Fat Crisis will have you breathing a sigh of relief. We know all
the reasons we should make better food choices and exercise more.
Most of us have at least a basic idea of what good choices look like.
Most of us, maybe sometimes, maybe most of the time, find pretty big
gaps between what we know and what we do. We chalk it up to weakness
in the willpower department. When we frame the problem this way it
can cause a whole lot of guilt. It can cause us to unfairly judge
others.
Believe it or not, Cohen, a doctor who does diet and activity
research for a living, shares our struggle. Shopping, especially with
children, is confusing. Restaurants are loaded with traps. Work and
family claim time that is needed for regular exercise.
What's a person to do? Well to start with, let's stop blaming
ourselves. According to Cohen, our less than stellar eating habits
are dominated by two powerful factors. Our brains, wired in long ago
times of scarcity, urge us to feast on foods high in calorie density.
Food is constantly present and big companies spend gazillions of
dollars making their usually unhealthy products irrisistable.
Cohen maintains that, considering the cost to individuals and
society of our current obesity epidemic, we need public policy to help
us eat healthy. Knowing many will scream about a nanny state, she
reminds us that restrictions on alcohol, smoking, and driving were
first widely opposed. At one point even public sanitation was
controversial.
"...At that time, prohibiting people from tossing garbage and human
waste out the window and mandating indoor plumbing seemed like an
invasion of privacy and an attack on individual rights. Prohibiting
butchers from dumping animal carcasses and their entrails on the
public streets was considered undue interference with private
business. Implementing regulatory controls required long, contentious
political battles..."
Whether or not you are overweight, chances are high that you
aren't eating as well as you could be. That surely holds true for
me. Don't be ashamed. Get on over to your favorite book store or
library and score a copy of A Big Fat Crisis. For the cost of taking
the family out for a less than wholesome restaurant meal make a solid
investment in your health and well being.
On a personal note, last week we had a night of seriously major
thunderstorms. The hubby and I were running errands. Much to my
surprise we stopped at Subway for supper. I'm not gonna lie. I was
delighted with the chance to not cook or do dishes.
A great big shout out goes out to Cohen for her enlightening book.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult Nonfiction
"Like cholera and typhoid in the nineteenth century, obesity is
the twenty-first century's public health crisis. Our major approach
of exhorting individuals to be more responsible is just not working.
Ending obesity requires solutions that transcend human behavior."
If you're anything like me, this quote from Deborah A. Cohen's A
Big Fat Crisis will have you breathing a sigh of relief. We know all
the reasons we should make better food choices and exercise more.
Most of us have at least a basic idea of what good choices look like.
Most of us, maybe sometimes, maybe most of the time, find pretty big
gaps between what we know and what we do. We chalk it up to weakness
in the willpower department. When we frame the problem this way it
can cause a whole lot of guilt. It can cause us to unfairly judge
others.
Believe it or not, Cohen, a doctor who does diet and activity
research for a living, shares our struggle. Shopping, especially with
children, is confusing. Restaurants are loaded with traps. Work and
family claim time that is needed for regular exercise.
What's a person to do? Well to start with, let's stop blaming
ourselves. According to Cohen, our less than stellar eating habits
are dominated by two powerful factors. Our brains, wired in long ago
times of scarcity, urge us to feast on foods high in calorie density.
Food is constantly present and big companies spend gazillions of
dollars making their usually unhealthy products irrisistable.
Cohen maintains that, considering the cost to individuals and
society of our current obesity epidemic, we need public policy to help
us eat healthy. Knowing many will scream about a nanny state, she
reminds us that restrictions on alcohol, smoking, and driving were
first widely opposed. At one point even public sanitation was
controversial.
"...At that time, prohibiting people from tossing garbage and human
waste out the window and mandating indoor plumbing seemed like an
invasion of privacy and an attack on individual rights. Prohibiting
butchers from dumping animal carcasses and their entrails on the
public streets was considered undue interference with private
business. Implementing regulatory controls required long, contentious
political battles..."
Whether or not you are overweight, chances are high that you
aren't eating as well as you could be. That surely holds true for
me. Don't be ashamed. Get on over to your favorite book store or
library and score a copy of A Big Fat Crisis. For the cost of taking
the family out for a less than wholesome restaurant meal make a solid
investment in your health and well being.
On a personal note, last week we had a night of seriously major
thunderstorms. The hubby and I were running errands. Much to my
surprise we stopped at Subway for supper. I'm not gonna lie. I was
delighted with the chance to not cook or do dishes.
A great big shout out goes out to Cohen for her enlightening book.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Monday, July 25, 2016
Masterminds & Wingmen
Masterminds & Wingmen
Parenting
"In this book, I'm going to describe and give suggestions for
the most common dynamics and challenges you'll probably face with
boys. How can you help your son when he's struggling? How can you
get a better understanding of how he sees the world and his place in
it? How can you reach out to him without his shutting you out?"
Did you ever encounter a book you wish had been written years
earlier. I surely did this when I read Rosalind Wiseman's Masterminds
& Wingmem. Wiseman, author of Queen Bees & Wannabees and Queen Bee
Moms & Kingpin Dads, has done for boys what she did for girls and
parents. I wish this book had come out when my college son was in
middle school. Don't get me wrong. Those were great years. I miss
them like crazy now with the hubby and Joey cat being the only male
presences in the household. I just wish I'd known then what I have
just learned.
Wiseman had written Queen Bees & Wannabees in collaboration with
many girls and young women. She'd wondered if boys would help her in
the same way. She need not have worried. Over 160 young men signed
up to edit, question, critique, and share their own deep personal
experiences. They are liberally quoted throughout the book. Here's
one example:
"In my AP classes, I was always one of five guys. The same five guys
in a classroom of girls. I had plenty of guy friends who could have
taken those classes, but they didn't want to do it. They'd rather be
the best among the mediocre. Really, my friends would rather look
stupid. They weren't secure enough to compete with the girls."
Wiseman and her collaborators introduce readers to the Act-Like-
A-Man Box: a widely agreed on collection of traits that define status
in Boyland. Not surprisingly, they contain attibutes like good with
girls, tough, confident, good at "right" sports,
And [in possession of] slacker attitude. The box determines a lot
more than social status. When the elite do things that are wrong it
can be quite daunting for lower status boys to speak up.
Another concept we're cued in on is the idea that each small
social group has certain designated roles such as the mastermind, the
associate, and the entertainer. Although each has advantages, even
the most prestigious carry restraints. Although the mastermind has
power and control, it can be difficult and lonely at the top.
After these frameworks are introduced they are used as lenses
through which to see the many situations in which boys get involved.
There are many practical suggestions for parents and teachers. Blocks
headlined LANDMINE! describe things you do not want to do or say.
I consider Masterminds & Wingmen to be a must read for anyone
parenting or working with boys and young men.
On a personal note, I miss even the biggest challenges of active
parenting. I miss those days of belonging and connection, of
dailiness, of doing stuff together and life holding excitement and
surprises. What I wouldn't give for a family trip to the fair or a
snow day or even people telling me what they'd like for supper.
Without kids, especially residing in a town where I've lost my only
connection with anyone in it, life feels like drifting on an ocean.
Randomly good and bad things (mostly good things) happen. But
drifting alone feels so precarious for someone whose prime need is
belonging. Wiseman describes four criteria for happiness:
"...meaningful relationships, the freedom to pursue what interests and
challenges them, a feeling of belonging and social connection to
others, and a sense that they're contributing to something larger than
themselves.". One out of four is...not good."
A great big shout out goes out to my wonderful children and their
significant others and four pawed children.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Parenting
"In this book, I'm going to describe and give suggestions for
the most common dynamics and challenges you'll probably face with
boys. How can you help your son when he's struggling? How can you
get a better understanding of how he sees the world and his place in
it? How can you reach out to him without his shutting you out?"
Did you ever encounter a book you wish had been written years
earlier. I surely did this when I read Rosalind Wiseman's Masterminds
& Wingmem. Wiseman, author of Queen Bees & Wannabees and Queen Bee
Moms & Kingpin Dads, has done for boys what she did for girls and
parents. I wish this book had come out when my college son was in
middle school. Don't get me wrong. Those were great years. I miss
them like crazy now with the hubby and Joey cat being the only male
presences in the household. I just wish I'd known then what I have
just learned.
Wiseman had written Queen Bees & Wannabees in collaboration with
many girls and young women. She'd wondered if boys would help her in
the same way. She need not have worried. Over 160 young men signed
up to edit, question, critique, and share their own deep personal
experiences. They are liberally quoted throughout the book. Here's
one example:
"In my AP classes, I was always one of five guys. The same five guys
in a classroom of girls. I had plenty of guy friends who could have
taken those classes, but they didn't want to do it. They'd rather be
the best among the mediocre. Really, my friends would rather look
stupid. They weren't secure enough to compete with the girls."
Wiseman and her collaborators introduce readers to the Act-Like-
A-Man Box: a widely agreed on collection of traits that define status
in Boyland. Not surprisingly, they contain attibutes like good with
girls, tough, confident, good at "right" sports,
And [in possession of] slacker attitude. The box determines a lot
more than social status. When the elite do things that are wrong it
can be quite daunting for lower status boys to speak up.
Another concept we're cued in on is the idea that each small
social group has certain designated roles such as the mastermind, the
associate, and the entertainer. Although each has advantages, even
the most prestigious carry restraints. Although the mastermind has
power and control, it can be difficult and lonely at the top.
After these frameworks are introduced they are used as lenses
through which to see the many situations in which boys get involved.
There are many practical suggestions for parents and teachers. Blocks
headlined LANDMINE! describe things you do not want to do or say.
I consider Masterminds & Wingmen to be a must read for anyone
parenting or working with boys and young men.
On a personal note, I miss even the biggest challenges of active
parenting. I miss those days of belonging and connection, of
dailiness, of doing stuff together and life holding excitement and
surprises. What I wouldn't give for a family trip to the fair or a
snow day or even people telling me what they'd like for supper.
Without kids, especially residing in a town where I've lost my only
connection with anyone in it, life feels like drifting on an ocean.
Randomly good and bad things (mostly good things) happen. But
drifting alone feels so precarious for someone whose prime need is
belonging. Wiseman describes four criteria for happiness:
"...meaningful relationships, the freedom to pursue what interests and
challenges them, a feeling of belonging and social connection to
others, and a sense that they're contributing to something larger than
themselves.". One out of four is...not good."
A great big shout out goes out to my wonderful children and their
significant others and four pawed children.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Moving Diversity Forward
Moving Diversity Forward
Adult nonfiction
Verna A. Myers' Moving Diversity Forward: How To Go From Well-
Meaning To Well-Being certainly reinforced my habit of giving a book a
chance. The size and title looked suspiciously like those of volumes
that take cook book formula approaches to solving complex problems.
The American Bar Association logo on the bottom said this has nothing
to do with me. But when I flipped through the book at the Orono
Public Library and saw how wrong I was, I checked it out and started
reading as soon as I got home.
What I like the most about the book is that Myers perceives and
addresses her readers as complex human beings with multi faceted
identities. Politicians, media, and a lot of others peg us by only
one facet: blacks, whites, men, women, the rich, the poor, the
elderly, and, the one we'll hear too often in the coming months,
Republicans and Democrats. Myers gets that any one of us is a mix of
those and so many more.
Myers urges readers to dig beyond what we think we know to look
at concepts and practices embedded deeply enough to become invisible
to us. White privilege is a prime example. Even if we aren't racist
white people will accrue unasked for advantages from birth on. I was
very aware of this when I had a high school age son. Other perfectly
wonderful boys ran the risk of being shot by police officers just for
going to the store for a snack.
Myers sees any individual as somewhere on a journey in regard to
"racial and cultural awareness and skills." No one gets it perfect;
most people are not beyond hope. Wherever you are, reading Moving
Diversity Forward can give you insights and strategies to keep you
moving in the right direction.
On a personal note, one of the best things about living near UMaine is
the cultural diversity. The Multicultural Center and International
Students Association have great events, discussions about racial and
cultural issues, and spaces to hang out with people from other
places. Right now the Young African Leaders are Here for three
weeks. I have been able to make friends with Ema who will keep in
touch when she goes back to Nigeria. I so look forward to getting to
know her better and learning more about her culture.
A great big shout out goes out to Myers for this thought provoking
book. I hope someday she makes it to Penobscot County, Maine. I
would surely like to converse with her.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Adult nonfiction
Verna A. Myers' Moving Diversity Forward: How To Go From Well-
Meaning To Well-Being certainly reinforced my habit of giving a book a
chance. The size and title looked suspiciously like those of volumes
that take cook book formula approaches to solving complex problems.
The American Bar Association logo on the bottom said this has nothing
to do with me. But when I flipped through the book at the Orono
Public Library and saw how wrong I was, I checked it out and started
reading as soon as I got home.
What I like the most about the book is that Myers perceives and
addresses her readers as complex human beings with multi faceted
identities. Politicians, media, and a lot of others peg us by only
one facet: blacks, whites, men, women, the rich, the poor, the
elderly, and, the one we'll hear too often in the coming months,
Republicans and Democrats. Myers gets that any one of us is a mix of
those and so many more.
Myers urges readers to dig beyond what we think we know to look
at concepts and practices embedded deeply enough to become invisible
to us. White privilege is a prime example. Even if we aren't racist
white people will accrue unasked for advantages from birth on. I was
very aware of this when I had a high school age son. Other perfectly
wonderful boys ran the risk of being shot by police officers just for
going to the store for a snack.
Myers sees any individual as somewhere on a journey in regard to
"racial and cultural awareness and skills." No one gets it perfect;
most people are not beyond hope. Wherever you are, reading Moving
Diversity Forward can give you insights and strategies to keep you
moving in the right direction.
On a personal note, one of the best things about living near UMaine is
the cultural diversity. The Multicultural Center and International
Students Association have great events, discussions about racial and
cultural issues, and spaces to hang out with people from other
places. Right now the Young African Leaders are Here for three
weeks. I have been able to make friends with Ema who will keep in
touch when she goes back to Nigeria. I so look forward to getting to
know her better and learning more about her culture.
A great big shout out goes out to Myers for this thought provoking
book. I hope someday she makes it to Penobscot County, Maine. I
would surely like to converse with her.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Thursday, July 21, 2016
Lincoln's Spymaster
Lincoln's Spymaster
Juvenile biography
"I have in my Force from sixteen to eighteen persons on whose
courage, skill, and devotion to their country I can rely. If they,
with myself at the head, can be at service in any way of obtaining
information of the movements of traitors, or safely conveying your
letters or dispatches, or that class of Secret Service, which is most
dangerous, I am at your command."
In an election year we hear the Secret Service alluded to quite
often. Very few of us know how this agency started out. Its
beginning is portrayed quite vividly in Samantha Seiple's biography of
Allan Pinkerton: Lincoln's Spymaster.
Lincoln's election was highly controversial. Plenty of people
didn't want him to get to DC for his inauguration. A group of
Confederate sympathizers, the Palmetto Guards, was planning to take
lethal means to prevent this event. It was up to detective Allan
Pinkerton and his operatives to infiltrate them, learn the details of
their plot, and find a way to thwart it. After they succeeded in
their mission Pinkerton made Lincoln an offer he couldn't refuse.
Even apart from his colorful and highly dangerous work in the
service of his country and later in the wild, wild West, Pinkerton is
a fascinating character. He was a highly unlikely government spy. He
had to flee his native Scotland to avoid arrest with a price on his
head. Arriving in the United States he established himself as a
cooper (barrel maker).
Pinkerton was way ahead of his time in his views on women.
Notice in the quote above he uses the word persons where most folks
would have used men. He hired women as operatives and included them
in his A Team. That was radical in a time when women were considered
the property of husbands.
Lincoln's Spymaster is a great asset for convincing action
loving students that history has a lot going for it. I feel it's a
must acquire for school and public libraries.
On a personal note, last Saturday night there was a cook out a street
over. I had put a box of rescued toys and books on my lawn. I went
over to tell the kids there about my free box. They and their parents
were so happy with the goodies. I was invited to stay. After the
eating there was a bonfire. I impressed people with my rendition of
You Took A Bad Time To Leave Me Lucille. After my second wine cooler
when the sun had set I excused myself to rest up for church.
A great big shout out goes out to the family who held the cook out to
raise money to fight Alzheimers.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Juvenile biography
"I have in my Force from sixteen to eighteen persons on whose
courage, skill, and devotion to their country I can rely. If they,
with myself at the head, can be at service in any way of obtaining
information of the movements of traitors, or safely conveying your
letters or dispatches, or that class of Secret Service, which is most
dangerous, I am at your command."
In an election year we hear the Secret Service alluded to quite
often. Very few of us know how this agency started out. Its
beginning is portrayed quite vividly in Samantha Seiple's biography of
Allan Pinkerton: Lincoln's Spymaster.
Lincoln's election was highly controversial. Plenty of people
didn't want him to get to DC for his inauguration. A group of
Confederate sympathizers, the Palmetto Guards, was planning to take
lethal means to prevent this event. It was up to detective Allan
Pinkerton and his operatives to infiltrate them, learn the details of
their plot, and find a way to thwart it. After they succeeded in
their mission Pinkerton made Lincoln an offer he couldn't refuse.
Even apart from his colorful and highly dangerous work in the
service of his country and later in the wild, wild West, Pinkerton is
a fascinating character. He was a highly unlikely government spy. He
had to flee his native Scotland to avoid arrest with a price on his
head. Arriving in the United States he established himself as a
cooper (barrel maker).
Pinkerton was way ahead of his time in his views on women.
Notice in the quote above he uses the word persons where most folks
would have used men. He hired women as operatives and included them
in his A Team. That was radical in a time when women were considered
the property of husbands.
Lincoln's Spymaster is a great asset for convincing action
loving students that history has a lot going for it. I feel it's a
must acquire for school and public libraries.
On a personal note, last Saturday night there was a cook out a street
over. I had put a box of rescued toys and books on my lawn. I went
over to tell the kids there about my free box. They and their parents
were so happy with the goodies. I was invited to stay. After the
eating there was a bonfire. I impressed people with my rendition of
You Took A Bad Time To Leave Me Lucille. After my second wine cooler
when the sun had set I excused myself to rest up for church.
A great big shout out goes out to the family who held the cook out to
raise money to fight Alzheimers.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Symptoms Of Being Human
Symptoms Of Being Human
YA fiction
Can you imagine what it would be like to be the child of a
congressman running for reelection: being expected to look perfect,
poised, and put together at fundraisers and other huge events and
knowing that every aspect of your life is under the scrutiny of a
scandal hungry press? As an adult with an open book of a life, I'd be
terrified. Riley, teenage protagonist of Jeff Garvin's Symptoms Of
Being Human, has a huge secret and is still learning all its nuances
and implications.
Riley is gender fluid. There's the not knowing whether one
will wake up feeling more masculine or more feminine every day. How
does one dress at a stage in life when peers have expectations of
gender consistency? How does one deal with the bullies who torment
anyone who is in the least bit different? How does one decide whether
to stay in the closet when coming out may be the end of a parent's
career and maybe even the end of that parent's unconditional love?
Symptoms Of Being Human is one of the most authentic and gutsy
coming of age stories I've ever read. I'd highly recommend it not
only to its target audience, but to all parents and the professionals
who work with young people.
On a personal note, I wish they had the term gender fluid in the
popular lexicon when I was growing up. When I insisted on being the
knight rescuer and preferred tree climbing to dressing and undressing
Barbie dolls I was a tomboy. When I was more interested in peace and
justice and camping and mountain climbing than in primping and
simpering to catch the male gaze I was weird. Now I can go with my
ever shifting identity. I have a wardrobe ranging from dresses and
jewelery to button down shirts and ties. Hmm. Maybe this is one
reason I lost that last election. I doubt Veazie is ready for gender
fluid. Too bad, so sad.
A great big shout goes out to gender fluid people and allies.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
YA fiction
Can you imagine what it would be like to be the child of a
congressman running for reelection: being expected to look perfect,
poised, and put together at fundraisers and other huge events and
knowing that every aspect of your life is under the scrutiny of a
scandal hungry press? As an adult with an open book of a life, I'd be
terrified. Riley, teenage protagonist of Jeff Garvin's Symptoms Of
Being Human, has a huge secret and is still learning all its nuances
and implications.
Riley is gender fluid. There's the not knowing whether one
will wake up feeling more masculine or more feminine every day. How
does one dress at a stage in life when peers have expectations of
gender consistency? How does one deal with the bullies who torment
anyone who is in the least bit different? How does one decide whether
to stay in the closet when coming out may be the end of a parent's
career and maybe even the end of that parent's unconditional love?
Symptoms Of Being Human is one of the most authentic and gutsy
coming of age stories I've ever read. I'd highly recommend it not
only to its target audience, but to all parents and the professionals
who work with young people.
On a personal note, I wish they had the term gender fluid in the
popular lexicon when I was growing up. When I insisted on being the
knight rescuer and preferred tree climbing to dressing and undressing
Barbie dolls I was a tomboy. When I was more interested in peace and
justice and camping and mountain climbing than in primping and
simpering to catch the male gaze I was weird. Now I can go with my
ever shifting identity. I have a wardrobe ranging from dresses and
jewelery to button down shirts and ties. Hmm. Maybe this is one
reason I lost that last election. I doubt Veazie is ready for gender
fluid. Too bad, so sad.
A great big shout goes out to gender fluid people and allies.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
A Beetle Is Shy
A Beetle Is Shy
Picture book
One of the most beautiful nature books I have ever seen is
Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long's A Beetle Is Shy. The authors get
readers up close and personal with some of the fascinating members of
a type of critter we tend to literally overlook.
Did you know that beetles arrived or evolved on this terrestial
orb nearly 300 million years ago--quite a bit before other insects
made an appearance? Do you know how we know this? Do you know the
ways in which beetles are useful to our species? Do you know some of
the ways in which they travel, communicate, and protect themselves?
If there are youngsters in your life or you harbor curiosity
about the world of nature A Beetle Is Shy is a great read.
I will be checking out other fascinating looking books the
authors have collaborated on.
On a personal note, I am dismayed to the extent at which people tune
out the natural world, often in frenzied focus on electronics. A few
nights ago I was at a cookout turned campfire. In Penobscot County
out sunsets tend to be rather modest affairs. That evening one of the
most vivid I have ever seen burst across the firmament. The sky was
an explosion of purples and pinks with an apricot undertone. I was
delighted with the show. I was saddened that I was the only one in
the group who noticed.
A great big shout out goes out to people who still notice the world of
nature.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
Picture book
One of the most beautiful nature books I have ever seen is
Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long's A Beetle Is Shy. The authors get
readers up close and personal with some of the fascinating members of
a type of critter we tend to literally overlook.
Did you know that beetles arrived or evolved on this terrestial
orb nearly 300 million years ago--quite a bit before other insects
made an appearance? Do you know how we know this? Do you know the
ways in which beetles are useful to our species? Do you know some of
the ways in which they travel, communicate, and protect themselves?
If there are youngsters in your life or you harbor curiosity
about the world of nature A Beetle Is Shy is a great read.
I will be checking out other fascinating looking books the
authors have collaborated on.
On a personal note, I am dismayed to the extent at which people tune
out the natural world, often in frenzied focus on electronics. A few
nights ago I was at a cookout turned campfire. In Penobscot County
out sunsets tend to be rather modest affairs. That evening one of the
most vivid I have ever seen burst across the firmament. The sky was
an explosion of purples and pinks with an apricot undertone. I was
delighted with the show. I was saddened that I was the only one in
the group who noticed.
A great big shout out goes out to people who still notice the world of
nature.
jules hathaway
Sent from my iPod
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