A reflection on friendship in books from 2016

Friends for 34 years, way before the "selfie" was invented!

My favorite part of the New York Times Style Magazine is the back page.  That's where they ask someone famous to draw the answers to everyday questions.  Every once in awhile I have a minute to scan through it to see if anything else draws my attention.  Today, as I was just about to recycle the November magazine, I happened upon an article that touched me so deeply, about the old friends we can't let go of, whether they are gone from our lives or not:  http://nyti.ms/2glYGoV

There are many that I think about that have left:

• After third grade, one of my very best friends, Allison Zeith, moved to Staten Island from our haven in Briarwood, Queens.  We saw each other a few times after that and then never again.  I always wonder what happened to her.  I have vivid memories of hanging out in her apartment, and watching old, black and white King Kong movies together.

• Thanks to FaceBook, I am "friends" with dozens of my early childhood friends (ie, PS 117,  JHS 217), so many of whom I haven't seen face to face in 30+ years and would love to meet for coffee some day to catch up. If you are reading this, can we make it happen in 2017?  I don't make resolutions, but if I did this could certainly qualify.

• There are many from Cardozo HS, Bayside, Queens I would love to see, too.  Our 30th HS reunion is this year (oh my!) so if something is organized, maybe I will actually have the opportunity to do this.  A lot has happened since big hair and Reaganomics.

• What about my orchestra mates at SUNY-Binghamton.  Would I even recognize you 25 years later?

• I had a couple of housemates in graduate school that would be fun to connect with.  It's a problem because I can't remember how to spell Matt K's last name so there is no way I can look him up.  He owned the house but goodness knows those checkbooks with his name in it are long gone.  Rick Mitchell, with a common enough name, makes him challenging to look up on social media.

But, I do have one true friend who I met at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires in 1982 and who has not left my side since.  Back then Queens to New Jersey felt like an eternity apart.  We counted long distant minutes on our rotary phones and mailed each other long tomes of who we liked but who didn't like us back (mostly me) and what crushes crushed us that week (again me).  Today, in spite of the now 3000 miles separating us, we still remain very close. This post is dedicated to my BFF, Beth.

But because this is a library blog, I'm not just writing about my friends, but tying it all together by giving you a taste of five books published this year that I love, with a strong friendship theme:

Booked by Kwame Alexander

Two friends, Nick and Coby.  They play some serious soccer.  Throw some family issues in there and a girl, and this book touches it all--perfect for anyone from 9-99.

Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart

Screenshot from Overdrive

Two eighth graders you would never imagine to become friends, do, in a backdrop of Dunkin Donuts, plastic pink flamingoes, a special tree and family members you want to hug one day and shake up the next.  A must read for every middle schooler.

Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo

The Three Rancheros meet at baton twirling lessons.  All have a different reason for wanting to win the "Little Miss Central Florida Tire Contest."  When the friendship becomes solidified, you can't help but feel happy.  People are wondering if boys will like this book.  I can attest that they do as I had several in my book group who, not only liked it, but who were quite engaged in our discussions at our group meetings.

Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan

A giant book cover from our MOST event

From the alternating point of view Joe and Ravi, two fifth graders, this is their story of how they became friends after a week of school lunches. A must read for every upper elementary school class, even as young as third grade.  

Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Three kids, three different stories, coming together in fifth grade while learning about 9/11 during the 2016-17 school year on the fifteenth anniversary and beyond.

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

If you doubt that a book about a robot getting stranded on an island could have such strong themes about friendship, family and the environment, then you need to get a copy of The Wild Robot today. We are all surprised at how much we like the book, but the truth is, we do!

My "Wild Robot" book group with arcs thanks to Little, Brown

We Found a Hat by Jon Klassen

Yes, it's a picture book but that doesn't mean it can't belong here. I can't get enough of it--Two turtles, one hat.  It could end up badly but the bond of friendship keeps it from going that way.  Simple illustrations with a short but meaningful story.

Just a few where old friends were left behind when family came first...

Counting Thyme by Melanie Conklin

Thyme moves across the country for her brother's health and struggles with missing her old friends and making new ones in the city.

Ghosts by Raina Telgeimer

Similar to Counting Thyme, in Ghosts, Cat and her family move down the coast of California to protect her sister's health.  Little do they know that the new friends they make could be harmful.

Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eager

Boy is it hard to be away for the summer, discover things about your family and roots that you never knew and then go back home and start middle school with friends you haven't seen all summer. 

Speaking of friends, here's a text from one after she read "Hour of the Bees."

Here's hoping you have a wonderful holiday season filled with lots of time with family and FRIENDS and maybe even a connection or two with ones that may be gone from your life but never forgotten.

We got close to Raina!

It was standing room only on Friday night when hundreds of kids in the 9-10 year old set piled into a church in Saratoga to see and hear Raina Telgemeier speak.  What a great presentation!

A pre-Raina selfie

Even when she was little she wrote in comics and not prose.  I love how she described exactly what a comic is:

"Pictures in sequence that tell a story."

Right.  She makes it sound so simple.  I watched my son, who at one time was a budding graphic novelist, listen to her so intently.  Yes, Jarrett. Raina. Jenni and Matt.  These are all his idols.  At least they used to be but I'm sure there is always a special place in his heart for them.  I know there is in mine.

We learned many interesting tidbits from Raina, as she patiently answered questions from a long line of fans.

When asked what she wanted to do when she grew up, she shared that in her first grade journal it said, "farmer, trapeze artist and then artist."  We're all glad the artist came true!

She highly recommends everyone read Calvin and Hobbes.  I'll have to remember that.  I think I even have a couple of books in my library that I can start recommending.

I loved this question:  Do you ever want to give up?  And Raina's answer:  "800 times a day I want to give up.  Well, maybe 759.  Then I go out and refresh my spirit...It's difficult but I still love it." Thank you, Raina, for reminding these young people (and me) about how important it is to persevere but that even when you have a job you love and it gets overwhelming and challenging and you just want to give up sometimes, that's perfectly normal.  I should take her advice and refresh more than I do....

What's your favorite book for kids?  "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh.  That's my favorite book of all time."  As for books for adults, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingslover.

Sadly, we didn't get a chance to leap together.  I can imagine it might have produced a bit of an uprising from the long line of fans. Can't you just see the headline now? "Crazy Librarian Stops Everything to Leap."  I know. I know.  But what I did realize is that I would have paid a good amount of money to go to an adult event with Raina.  Maybe that is something worth looking into as a fundraiser.  Just a thought.

Our friend, CC, getting her book signed.

Agh! I wish this wasn't blurry but it is cool that they are both looking at me!

Thank you Northshire Bookstore for hosting Raina, making the event accessible for us on a Friday evening and well worth our trip up to Saratoga!  We look forward to supporting you, one of our favorite independent bookstores, again soon!

xo

And afterwards we got ice cream and made sure not to get any on our books!

Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier

Break out the tamales, the Fanta (that's orange soda, right?), concha (yum--"sorta like a donut"), a bag of your favorite Halloween candy, a bouquet of marigolds, a couple of tissues and take an escape to the Northern California coast for awhile.  The most talented, incredibly imaginative, I-just-want-to-meet-and-leap-with-you Raina Telgemeier has unsurprisingly done it once again.

6th grader Cat and her family just moved to Bahia de la luna from Southern California.  And although Cat isn't impressed with the scenery, I certainly am from Raina's illustrations.  Cat's sister, Maya, has had cystic fibrosis since birth.  The family's move North is with hopes that she will feel and breathe better. Interestingly, this is at least the second book this year which includes a significant move for a younger sibling's health (see Counting Thyme).

The thing about Baha de la luna is that it is home to many ghosts.  Cat and Maya's introduction is neighbor, Carlos's ghost tour.  Want to see more?  Be sure and be around on the Day of the Dead. But after the ghosts they meet with Carlos inhale some of fragile Maya's breath, Cat is on her own to explore their new surroundings, and make friends (both alive and dead).  This is not a fearless gig for her, especially on the eve of Halloween and the midnight Day of the Dead party, and is not something Cat jumps into enthusiastically.

I cried tears of joy when I met Jenni Holm at ALA in 2015 and then riled up the courage to ask her to leap with me.  I imagine the same will happen with Raina, if I ever get face time with Raina.  How people can be so talented literally "blows" me away, something like Cat did with Carlos and Jose.  Raina's heart warming and thought provoking text paired with her unique style and detailed images of a diverse family and new friends make this one I couldn't put down and can't wait to talk about with students.

Right now my Smile, Sisters, and Drama are all pretty tattered, always checked out, quite loved and well read.  As soon as I get a copy of Ghosts, I'm sure it won't take long to join that club.