#Poetry Friday - By the Light of the Moon

          This full-moon Friday of September, Laura Purdie Salas hosts this Poetry Friday at her blog, Writing The World for Kids. Thanks to Laura, there is a wonderful moon book ready to excite children about this particular Friday because of the full moon and If You Were the Moon. This 'early' harvest moon, on Friday, the 13th, is the first one connecting these two things since 2000 and will not happen again until 2049! 
        Today, she's also getting us ready by sharing her newest book, Snack, Snooze, Skedaddle-How Animals Get Ready for Winter which I reviewed here. We might take some hints from this book as we head toward October! Laura's also asking what things we do to prepare and hosting a giveaway, too!

      I love the moon, have moon journaled with my students, written more than one poem about it, feel more energy when the moon is waxing. Yes, I do! This time I am sharing a poem I discovered in an old anthology that was donated at the used bookstore where I volunteer. If you didn't know, it is non-profit and run entirely by volunteers, a special place! Here's the book, and the poem.

         

                                                             The Moon-Sheep

The moon seems like a docile sheep, She pastures while all people sleep; But sometimes, when she goes astray, She wanders all alone by day. Up in the clear blue morning air We are surprised to see her there, Grazing in her woolly white, Waiting the return of night. When dusk lets down the meadow bars She greets again her lambs, the stars!

     When I researched the poem, I discovered this lovely book by Christopher Morley full of other poems by him on Project Gutenberg. You can read more about him here at The Poetry Foundation where it reads that these words were added to his obituary by Morley himself. “Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to continually be part of unanimity.”

#MustReadin2019 Fall Update

   Thanks to Carrie Gelson of There's A Book for That for hosting a #MustRead group each year for those who continue to create a list of lonely books on shelves or lists that we are excited about when bought or listed, then ignore, or find others that call more loudly.  See the above link to Carrie's blog to find out more!

       I still haven't read them all, but three more since the last update, shown in red. Here's what has happened thus far--ten out of thirteen! Of those recent three, don't miss any! Of course it depends on the genre you love or the age you want to read for. They are all terrific with their own unique stories.

        

Earlier books read are in blue, with links to my reviews on Goodreads.

Mary's Monster - Lita Judge

The Poet X  - Elizabeth Acevedo

Illegal - Eoin Colfer & Andrew Donkin

Blood Water Paint - Joy McCullough

I Am Still Alive - Kate Alice Marshall

Front Desk - Kelly Yang

Children of Blood and Bone - Toni Adeyemi

Dry - Neal Shusterman

Me And Marvin Gardens - A.S. King

Solo & Swing - Kwame Alexander

Educated: A Memoir - Tara Westover

Becoming - Michelle Obama

Non-Fiction Wednesday - Women's Early Rules

Visit Alyson Beecher on Wednesdays for Non-Fiction Picture Books at Kidlit Frenzy.  Thanks to her hosting and sharing and those who add their posts, you can discover and celebrate terrific nonfiction picture books!  I always learn from these books, am happy that they are more and more available today for children, for everyone!

           This is not a non-fiction story, but a story for younger children to help them begin to understand the rules made for girls and women long ago of things they could not do. It will inspire good conversations and a desire to learn more! Backmatter added will help that journey. We've heard about those things allowed only for men and boys, still sadly happening today. This time, it's bicycle riding and the terrible things that could happen when girls (or women) rode this new, wonderful invention. 
          In the story, Louisa Belinda Bellflower, a young girl wants badly to ride her brother's bicycle, no matter that she might get "bicycle face". The story shares that is because "girls aren't strong enough to balance, that your eyes will bulge, and your jaw will close up from the strain of trying--maybe FOREVER." Belinda flings off her skirt, puts on her brother's pants and asks him to teach her to ride! One other great thing about the book is the never-give-up attitude shown by Belinda. She falls, then falls again, but keeps getting back on until she is riding! Her eyes did bulge, her mouth did widen, into a "gigantic, joyous smile"!
         Larissa Theule adds extra information at the back, "About Bicycle Face" and the warnings about women riding along with the dangers of not only "bicycle face", but "bicycle leg" and "bicycle hump". Nevertheless, women and girls rode, called Wheelwomen and new fashions were devised as well. There is also a page explaining the bicycle influence on the women's right-to-vote movement.
        This quote by Susan B. Anthony is found at the beginning: "Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman riding by on a wheel."     

        Kelsey Garrity-Riley's colorful illustrations not only show Belinda's story and joy in her riding but tell a second story of the historical background with her mother working with other suffragettes in the right-to-vote movement. It ends with the mother sewing herself a pair of bloomers and both she and her daughter ready to ride! 

        In a personal family story, I was told that my grandmother caused quite a stir when she rode her horse through the little town where she had gone to live with her new husband. She rode astride wearing riding pants! I'm glad times have changed, am sorry women are still fighting for power to make their own decisions.