Another GOOD Little Thing

  

      I'm slicing with the Two Writing Teachers community today. It's always good to read what everyone shares.  Thank you Stacey, Tara, Anna, Betsy, Dana, Kathleen, Beth, and Deb









           I went to the post office today, had two packages to mail and knew I would have a big wait. And wait I did. I was number twenty-four when I entered the line, and there was one counter open. I was there for an hour and a half. So, first I checked all the possible e-mails I could read, then Facebook, then my post today for comments, then read a few posts from others. It's not easy commenting on the phone, so that didn't take much time. People were shuffling, sighing, looking a little grumpy. I nearly posted on FB, but thought "I will not gripe. Others in the world stand for hours for necessary things, like food and water and blankets and medicine. I will not gripe." 
           Instead of an inner whine, I decided to try something I read about once to see if I could change my own feelings and maybe a few others. I started smiling at whomever I could make eye contact with. I chose those a little closer to me so if they smiled back I could say something nice about the weather. (It's unusually warm again, sweater weather.) It didn't take very long, maybe about ten minutes when I felt the mood shift, and then I began talking with the two men I was in between. One said he liked being out and about, did not work on Monday so that was his errand day, and he enjoyed the movement because his work kept him at a desk all day. The other man and I were about the same 

Monday Reading AND a Giveaway

 

          Visit Jen at Teach MentorTexts and Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders to see what they've been reading, along with everyone else who link up. Sheila at Book Journeys began this sharing, and it's now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date..

        This book series of nine books is all about farms, beginning with A Year On The Farm, and now a just released Christmas story, Casey's Bright Red Christmas, all by Holly Dufek and illustrated by Paul E. Nunn. If you or your children or students are interested in farming, this is the series. It reminds me of the Cars movies, where each vehicle has a name and a personality, only this time the vehicles are farm machines: Fern the farmall, Big Red the magnum, Kellie the combine, and more. They take part in the business of farming, perform important jobs, all managed by a girl named Casey and a worm named Tillus, who is in charge of the weather report. My granddaughters six and four sat interested in both stories, asking more questions about how the farm machines worked. New information is always fun. 

        The Christmas story finds Casey working at her farm chores, becoming more and more tired. She doesn't feel good, and there are many chores to do in addition to all the Christmas decorating. Finally, taking a break, she lays her head on the kitchen table and falls asleep. The machines wait and wait, wondering how to decorate and find the perfect tree without her. And that's the surprise because they do manage, helping out because it's needed. The story shows the goodness of friendship, the illustrations are cheerful, and each book has added extras. For example,  A Year On The Farm gives added farm facts, and Casey's Bright Red Christmas gives a sugar cookie recipe.

        

        The publisher sent these books to me for reviewing, and also let me offer a giveaway. If you are interested in receiving Casey's Bright Red Christmas, please let me know in the comments. I'll announce the winner next Monday.

Glory O’Brien’s History of The Future - A.S. King

         This is another story that I’ve put off reading in spite of the love given it in many reviews. I’m glad I finally did read it. Glory has but one friend, Ellie, who lives across the road in a commune with her parents and others. We soon find that in the earliest days of her parents’ marriage, they came to this place with Ellie’s parents as hippie types, artists, against consuming, letting the children raise themselves. Somehow it didn’t work for Glory’s Mother, because she committed suicide when she was four. Glory tells the story of her life as she moves through the days surrounding her high school graduation. She discovers about the family’s past, her self and her future, a worry throughout her life as she’s often wondered if she would be like her mother, and end her life before it really got started. I loved it, enjoyed the strong, real voice of a teen figuring out tough stuff.

Celebrating Always

              Many celebrate each Saturday or Sunday with Ruth Ayres at Discover Play Build and the rest of the wonderful community that celebrates together.  

          In light of the terrible events that have happened in the past month, really year, I celebrate that I have joined in on several petitions to express my wishes that it is ENOUGH.  

         There are always good things that happen during the week. I am happy to find them, and hug them tight.

Hugging:

Another nice day at the bookstore, one lovely time shopping for a few gifts so I can wrap and mail them, receiving some beautiful created things ordered from a crafty friend on Etsy-excited to give these handmade things.

I wrote, for PiBoIdMo, and am ready to work more on several ideas. I had to stop this challenge last year because it's when I started with the class full time, so am so happy I wrote all through November from the posts.

Imogene now comes to spend Wednesdays after school through dinner with me. Most of the time she plays, then we read books, and more books. This time she helped me unpack some of the Christmas people, played with them, undressed and dressed them, and left them arranged for next time.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Poetry Helps Us Love Life

Buffy Silverman hosts at Buffy's Blog for Poetry Friday this time. She shares about her experience on a service learning trip to Guatemala, with a poem and special pictures of that time, too. It's great to read what everyone shares, poetry to lighten our day.

         I read this poem earlier in the week. I enjoyed it then, and I like it even better today. Now, after this past week, I am grateful for poems that make me smile, sometimes belly laugh. They also make me think and appreciate the way poets look at life with meaning, offering a lift to low spirits, a new path for minds to follow.  Sometimes there's a message that makes one say, "Agreed!", too.

         John Updike's poem, Tools begins:

Tell me, how do the manufacturers of tools
turn a profit? I have used the same clawed hammer
for forty years. The screwdriver misted with rust
once slipped into my young hand, a new householder’s.

         And the rest is here.

My grandfather's level and icepick, in my toolbox.

One Amazing Non-Fiction Picture Book

New Non-Fiction Plus Sibert Contenders

         Thanks to Alyson Beecher's Non-Fiction Picture Book Challenge at her blog, Kidlit Frenzy.   

         Come read to discover everyone's recent non-fiction picture books.

       Tweet - #NFPB15

  

             I also am listing some previous books read that are contenders for the Sibert award. Here is Alyson's post that explains the criteria. 

Why'd They Wear That: Fashion as the Mirror of History - Sarah Albee

       What would I choose for the Sibert Award? Maybe this latest book by a favorite author. I have loved Sarah Albee's books for a long time, and this seems to be filled even more than most of the straight information about clothing. Sarah glides smoothly from topic to topic, what's new because of some discovery, what's used because of a 'hidden' pest, like 'flea furs' where people draped a dead animal skin over their bodies to keep fleas away. It didn't work, unfortunately. Fleas like warm, living bodies! She shares how certain things became common, like underwear, because of thin material and cold weather created a need! Most clothing inventions/creations came from need, and from people tired of uncomfortable and heavy clothing, especially those who could afford change. Often the poorest continued to wear the same thing. Each chapter has an on-going narrative, with numerous pictures and sketching.  They also include "extra" informative pieces with interesting headlines like "Why did Napoleon always have his hand in his coat?" The book is published by National Geographic with a foreward by Tim Gunn, of Project Runway. It's a good resource for history all through the years.

I still have Swan and The Fantastic Ferris Wheel ready to read!

Additional possibles for the Sibert awards:

Click for the review!

Drowned City - Don Brown

Egg: Nature's Perfect Package - Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

You Nest Here With Me - Jane Yolen, Heidi Stemple and Melissa Sweet

The World In A Second - Isabel Minhós Martins and Bernardo Carvalho