There Goes the Sun
Winter may not officially begin for another month, but in Chicago it’s essentially here. The dreaded “wintry mix” has snuck into the forecast, my mustache will soon have icicles of its own, and my cat expects dinner to be served promptly at 4:15 when nightfall arrives. Only another five months until Chicagoans emerge from hibernation . . .
And now, apropos of nothing, today’s smorgasbord:
THE SWEET
Last week I read two books to my son’s kindergarten class over Zoom. The kids were so attentive and engaged and well behaved. It got me excited about future school visits when my own picture books are published in whoknowshowmanyyears. I read:
Mama Don’t Allow (by Thacher Hurd). This is an oldie but a goodie. It was featured on Reading Rainbow long, long ago, where it was read in hilarious fashion by sound effects extraordinaire Fred Newman. It’s definitely worth watching (~7:00 of Reading Rainbow). And somehow LeVar Burton hasn’t aged in thirty-five years.
Swashby and the Sea (by Beth Ferry). Ferry is a brilliant contemporary author. Like all her picture books, Swashby has the perfect balance of humor, heart and emotional depth. And it allowed me to bust out my scratchy crotchety sea captain voice (which probably isn’t too far off from my actual voice). Hopefully I didn’t scare any children.
THE SERIOUS
I know I’m about twenty years late, but I finally read Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson this past week. This acclaimed middle-grade/young adult novel examines the trauma experienced by a teenage rape survivor and how that trauma affects her emotional, physical and social wellbeing over the course of a school year. As a survivor herself, Anderson captures the narrator’s voice so well and draws the reader deep inside her narrator’s pain.
The fact that this book is widely banned in schools across this country for its “mature content” and “glorification of sex and alcohol” is troubling on so many levels. Sheltering kids from this content does nothing but perpetuate the cycle of misogyny and violence toward women. And further discourage young (predominantly) women from reporting assaults. If anything, Speak should be required reading. It’s certainly more relevant than whatever “classics” high-schoolers are reading.
I also highly recommend Anderson’s recently published (and equally powerful) memoir, Shout.
THE SILLY
When my son was home attending “daddy school” during the pandemic, I created dozens and dozens of activities to keep him busy. Some of his favorites were my “spot the difference” creations.
Can YOU spot the ten differences?