Are we ready?

For school...

Yes and no. I'm excited to see all my student's faces even if behind a mask, I will be happy to hear their voices, and read with them. I am anxious though about teachers and staff getting sick, and the busy crazy schedule for classes. So many regulations and I plan to follow but during our week day on Friday I walked out of the library twice without a mask bc I was busy and thinking about next steps not Covid-19. I've been careful this summer.  I've worn a mask, limited my friend circle, had fun outdoor adventures, and I don't want all that careful time to change. I need to come to grips with staying safe inside school with lots of little bodies. It's going to be a year; unique and filled with joy. Plus my Groovy Girl will be gone having her own school adventure, also trying to stay safe and finding joy on her college campus. 

I recently finished two fantastic fiction books and as usually I still have stacks and stacks to read still. I never get all the books read that I bring home.  My stack this year took a hit because after George Floyd's murder I swerved off my regular reading and picked up lots of current books that had BLM as a theme which means I've read a lot of powerful books this summer and these two are no exception.

From the Desk of Zoe Washington (2020) by Janae Marks: Zoe finds a letter from her birth father on her 12th birthday and she opens it.  She's never met him and she has a stepdad and her mom who love her very much yet something is missing-so she opens the letter, reads it, and hides it. Inside the letter her dad sounds so nice and she didn't think a criminal, a murderer in fact, would sound so good. Zoe decides to investigate with her next door neighbor - friend  Trevor and the two set off on a quest to help her dad prove his case. This book brings up the idea that not everyone in prison is guilty and that sometimes people are convicted because it's easy. I hope Janae Marks writes a continuation because I would love to read more about Zoe and her adventures.

Prairie Lotus (2020) by Linda Sue Park: Wow! This historical fiction book blew my mind a little and I appreciate Park's writing and research. Park's was enamored with Laura Ingalls Wilder series Little House on the Prairie, reading them over and over.  It wasn't until later that she realized the racism that existed in the stories. Inspired to write her own version she sets her story in the Dakota Territories in 1800.  Hanna and her father are running away from her mother's memory in San Fransisco and end up in small town LaForge City. Hanna is half Chinese and knows how people feel about her. Everything from her father's attempt to open up a small dress shop to her ability to go to school with other children from the prairie are hindered by how people feel about her. The racist aggression she feels from townspeople is softened by the simple fact that some people do accept her and she makes a few friends and changes a few minds. 

My mantra this year will be Focus on the positive.  Keep reading, keep smiling.  

BLM book list #2

 I started a list on this post - Books give insight- and I have more to add after another few weeks of reading plus a stack that I look forward to reading soon. While protests are still happening across the country our own community has hosted a few community events and peace walks where people are allowed to share their stories. It's good to listen as a person and as an educator yet I feel like the real people that need to hear the message are in our city councils, police departments,  and other government positions. Our Black mayor was at the last organized Peace Walk. I'm sure he has his own stories from before he took office and during as I know just from reading the paper he has a few foes that stand in his way. 

We have two sister sisters close together and while I happily have my feet in both communities the one I live and teach in does not seem as pro-change and I'm personally trying to figure out how to create good trouble for our new and so far ineffective Mayor Green.  

But let's segue back to books! For people interested in BLM stories this list gives you a great place to start. Some of my book choices come from The Brown Bookcase an independent bookstore run by 9-yo Rylei and check out The Brown Bookshelf for more inspiration.

1. Dear Martin by Nic Stone (2017) : This YA novel recounts Justyce's story as he tries to be like his hero Dr. King and finds himself in several unnecessary situations with police including one off-duty officer when the music volume is in question. "Stand your ground" is a terrible law because it gives credence to any average G.I. Joe wannabe who carries a gun.  If you have this mentality that someone is infringing on your own well-being and claim you feel unsafe or just simply anger for being disrespected. Ugh. This book! Too real. Justyce is pre-judged as gangster instead of the good student that he is. We see this happen all the time when we are shown "thug" photos instead of high school grad photos. I'm a new fan of Nic Stone and look forward to reading the next book in this series. 

2. Clean Getaway by Nic Stone (2020) : After reading Dear Martin I quickly put this one on hold at our local library.  This story, more for elementary/middle school, shares Scoob's journey with his grandmother as she retraces her steps through a few Southern locations using Scoob's grandfather's Green Book. His G-ma picks Scoob up for an impromptu road trip leaving Scoob's dad in the dark. This would make a great read-aloud to help students understand Jim Crow laws and other not-so-subtle rules to keep Black people segregated. 

3. Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes (2020) : Donte, a mixed-race middle schooler, is getting used to a new prep school filled with mostly white students and staff. The first chapter has Donte in the principal's office defending himself against a teacher who sees him as trouble. His sibling Trey presents as white and has a much easier time at school. This book is not my favorite JPR chapter book but I appreciated the issues raised. It's maddening as an educator to hear how Donte is treated by people who should be supporting him. This would make a great read-aloud for 5th-7th grade to discuss the inequality of experiences. 

4. Ways to make sunshine by Renee Watson (2020) : I'm in love with Renee Watson's writing. What I love about this particular story is that while it is realistic fiction; it isn't a "problem" story.  The biggest "crisis" that happens is that the family has had to move to a new/old rental house because her dad's postal job was eliminated. So relatable at this time. Ryan has fun with her friends, she goes to a pool party, her grandmother spends hours straightening her hair, she gets into trouble yet she loves her brother, her parents, and her extended family. This is the beginning of a series and I am so excited to read more about Ryan!

and one adult book-

5. A Good Neighborhood by Theresa Anne Fowler (2020) : Valerie Alston-Holt, a professor of forestry and ecology, lives in a beautiful older neighborhood where she raises her mixed race son. While her son, Xavier, was very young he husband died in a tragic accident. Enter in the Whitman family who've built a new home and pool and perhaps avoided a few property line codes along the way. Brad Whitman is new money and he's not concerned about the environment like his neighbor. He only wants to make the three women in his life happy. His downfall is that he has a crush on his teenage stepdaughter Juniper. When Brad and Valerie collide major problems abound. I really couldn't put this book down. I felt for Valerie as she stands up for what she believes in yet those decisions come with a price. 

Books I'm looking forward to reading soon:

1. Take the mic: fictional stories of everyday resistance edited by Bethany C. Morrow (2019) : A compilation  of major authors contributed stories to this book and I'm excited to see what they have to say. 

2. Count me in by Marsha Bajaj (2019) : This one is about finding an unexpected friendship and how to deal with a hate crime when it happens to you and your beloved grandfather. 

3. Love like Sky by Leslie C. Youngblood (2018) : Another teacher read this and offered it to me. This is a realistic fiction story set in Atlanta. 

And two adult books: 

4. I'm still here: Black dignity in a world made for whiteness by Austin Channing Brown (2018) : This is one I ordered early in April and it took until end of May to arrive. I heard Reese talk about it on her book club website and had to read it. Hopefully I will get to it soon. 

5. Behold the dreamers by Imbolo Mbue (2016) : A friend passed this on and the story which takes place right before and during the Lehman Brothers collapse is about a Cameroonian immigrant living in Harlem.  

Ahhh, so many good books, never enough time. School schedules are starting up. Groovy Girl heads off to college on the 20th. We are all hoping Covid-19 doesn't affect schools but really I'm just worried. WORRIED MAMA.

**None of these books are linked to a store. I cannot promote Amazon and hope that you can find any of these at a local bookstore, bookshop, or simply from your local library. Have you read any of these on my lists or have other suggestions for me? Let me know via email or a comment. 

Gratitude for what is

 

My people: friends and family are vital to a good life; you have to have a strong crew to support you through life. Old friends, new friends, young friends, and older all lend me support in innumerable ways every day. I'm a glass half full generally happy hippie-spirited person and we all need our own crew. Thank you to those of you who support me every day. This past weekend I was able to reconnect with an old friend from 30 years ago-wow-it was amazing to talk with him even though we haven't spent physical time together; there's a certain cool connection you have with people from your past. It filled my heart to be in person and not on Zoom or FaceTime. The top photos is me 20 years ago and the one with two of my brothers is 30 years ago. To be honest I love looking at those young faces. I appreciate all my experiences through the years but that fresh face and wide smile....not going to lie, I miss that. The photo below shows my Pete family and I miss them. Hanging around young people united in a common and vibrant cause is uplifting as hell.  Same for the 2008 family photo after Obama was elected. Same elation.

My health: I'm quite a lucky person to have experienced two open heart surgeries before the age of 18 and still be in really good health. Yes, I struggle with baby bulge/ menopausal belly and I'm not muscle bound but my heart is strong and I walk, get my yoga on, and am trying to add weight lifting to my routine. Meditation and yoga keep me focused which helps me deal with the highs and lows of my family. And I've been fortunate enough to birth to beautiful babies that I love very much. Plus I was gifted an amazing step-daughter who loves to read and write like I do. Below photo shows part of our back yard and some of our garden flowers in bloom right now. 

My house: I love my brick Tudor-style home with it's wild garden spaces. I love my girls who live in the backyard squawking and laying eggs for us. I love their personalities and don't know how I lived without them. We love showing them off and talking chickens with other flock families. We jumped into gardening this year with all our extra time and have red cabbages, broccoli, cucumbers, and eventually pumpkins growing in our backyard. We took out a pond that was not functioning and added a birdbath instead and we have birds fluttering back and forth. When we head back to school I will miss watching all the birds but especially the gorgeous cardinal family. There is a certain spiritual thing that happens in the outdoors, in nature and I’ve purposefully added more time enjoying state parks and nature centers during this unique summer. I made a little movie of recent hikes and adventures just from July.

This year an old friend of mine from my Colorado days died in a tragic accident in California. This broke my heart and reminded me how important it is to stay in touch with people we care about. I hadn't talked to him for a few years and that caused me a lot of grief and anxiety. Why hadn't I called him? He showed up in a series of dreams and that should have been the catalyst to pick up the phone, say hi on FB, something.  In the world we live in today every day is a new day with joy and horrors, embarrassments, and lessons to learn. Keep moving, keep loving, keep growing...hold hands and hug (even virtually). United together.