Back to Poetry Friday - August Arrives

     Poetry Friday is hosted by Laura Purdie Salas here! She's sharing a laugh in a poem, some advice and support for all. Thanks for hosting, Laura, this first Friday in August.

     I took the month of July off from posting, busy with the bookstore where I work and planning for our family's beach trip in the final two weeks. I am well, but the Covid virus made me change my plan. I've managed to stay mostly home for all these months, and sadly, it just didn't feel safe to go. 
     Like others who are sharing, I've been rather scattered, seemed to be stuck, but also moving from task to task, sometimes without finishing one before I move to the other. I was reading less, and writing so little.

     Thus, this post is one of gratitude to Heidi Mordhorst at My Juicy Little Universe, but truthfully, Heidi on twitter (@HeidiMordhorst). Seeing her ideas of #makesomething and the wonderfully creative #magazineticpoetry inspired way to do something. I've done it a bit differently, creating journal pages with magazine words sketching and pairing, what I called #everydaythings with the small poems. It gives me joy to get back into #wordplay and it's simply #fun. I'm not the greatest artist, but I find that quite a joy, nevertheless. Thanks very much, Heidi!

It's Monday - July Reading

              Visit Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts to see what they've been reading, along with others who post their favorites.  Your TBR lists will grow! Happy Reading!
          Share with the hashtag #IMWAYR     

      It's my first post since June. As I wrote last, I hope everyone is doing beautifully despite the tough news day by day. I took the month off planning to get to the beach as I have every summer for a long time. Sadly, I felt I had to cancel, too wary of the virus. I have been busy reading, wondered how I would share all of it. I'm going to list the books with brief descriptions and links to my reviews on Goodreads. I haven't read as much as I thought I would but had some special times with reading mixed with seeing my family here in Denver, spending time at the bookstore, walking in several favorite parks or the neighborhood. 

Thanks to Candlewick Press for the following books:

At Goodreads

It's a new mystery series for young middle grades, a story of a strong friendship and kids taking risks for each other that will make you smile! Even the bully has a hint of nice! 

At Goodreads

Published a couple of years ago by Walker Books in Australia, now in the US this year. It has a creepy undertone, is quite mysterious, and an interesting strong young female protagonist. 

At Goodreads

It's simply a fun and a rather fantastical story. Can you imagine a young girl managing to sneak a pony up to her apartment? Yes, she did, and managed quite a few other capers, too. 

At Goodreads

A poignant World War II story, a town on the beach and two friends and a couple of siblings who may or may not figure in this "wonder-how-it-will-end" story. Amy Hest managed to keep me guessing for a while in this multi-layered story of the anxious times during a war. 

At Goodreads

 A young granddaughter snapped this up fast, very intrigued with the "odd, but necessary" jobs shared with just enough information to pique one's interest and maybe wanting to know more.

Monday Reading - New Inviting Books

              Visit Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts to see what they've been reading, along with others who post their favorites.  Your TBR lists will grow! Happy Reading!
          Share with the hashtag #IMWAYR


           I hope all of you are doing well and doing the best you can during this time. I'm taking a July break, will keep track of my reading, hope each of you enjoy this middle summer month wherever you are.

Thanks to Candlewick Press for this advanced copy, out in May.

         With lessons to learn from the past, Marcella Pixley has written a poignant story from the summer of '83, a Boston suburb centering on one street, Trowbridge Road. Here is a seemingly quiet and friendly street, neighbors gather to barbeque together, children ride bikes up and down, up and down. Some are friendly; others peek out of windows, like June Bug Jordan's mother. She is living a lie with her mother since her father died of AIDS. Her mother is mentally ill and June Bug keeps all the secrets, but she does venture into the neighborhood, watching families from up in a tree, wishing some were her own. A boy named Ziggy has moved in with his grandmother because of his own family troubles and together, they find solace in their imaginations and support for each other. June Bug reaches a moment where she must choose to tell, for her own and for her mother's survival. The writing that shows the imagination of children trying to survive takes one's breath away. Also to be admired is the sympathy for those touched by mental illness and grief. It's full of heartbreak and a wish that life didn't happen this way for children, but also hope for better as adults step forward to help.

And thanks again to Candlewick Press for the following picture books, published in recent months!

           There's a whole lot of different kids and a whole lot of different animals that you will see from the cover and inside. It's sometimes an opposite book, "I am big. You are small. I am short. You are tall.", but Karl Newson adds delightful surprises on some of the pages. I spent the whole time grinning from page to page, reading the words like "I am playful. You are too. I can't hide as well as you." looking at kids being silly with a turtle and a zebra standing by a black and white striped wall while a young girl peeks behind a houseplant. Its spare text all in rhyme brought to colorfully creative life by Kate Hindley is fabulous.