For the WIN

I slept better last night but today my heart is racing. Is it because the reopening plans are due Friday and local ones are already going public? Is it the fact that every day in July is a day closer to August? It's time to remind myself of a couple of wins I had recently. These are what keep me going...

WIN 1

Late last week a former student emailed me. This rising freshman was going on vacation and wanted some book recommendations and thought I would be the perfect person to ask. I was honored and flattered.  She just finished Pride and Prejudice and The Great Gatsby ("classics of course so I had to read them"). It shouldn't surprise anyone that Darcy was one of my first crushes. Oh, and Ponyboy. And (I hate to admit this), Holden. And from there the list goes on and on and on...But I digress.

She could "literally read any genre."  I don't read that much YA, but quickly scoured a few of my recent book journals (you know I am not a Goodreads gal) and came up with this list. Please don't judge my continuous use of the word "good" and simplified five word reviews.  I was 14 again in this email and back to my Darcy loving days.

The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Septys (Historical fiction that takes place in Madrid. So good!)

The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas (Have you read this one yet?  If not, it's very relevant and then you can watch the movie)

The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert (Takes place on Election Day--a little romance)

Dry by Neal Schusterman (fantasy/science fiction that feels very much like realistic fiction.)

Anything by Julie Murphy= fun!

Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan (fun! realistic fiction)

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi (I have not read this one but anyone who does loves it so much.  Fantasy.)

The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee (historical fiction.  Haven't read it but it got great reviews and my friends all loved it)

Stamped by Jason Reynolds (History of racism in our country. So good and so important.  Nonfiction) Actually, anything by Jason Reynolds is so great.

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo (so good! It's verse from two points of view of two girls whose father was in an airplane crash) She has also written The Poet X which is really good.

If you like thrillers, I love Allegedly by Tiffany D Jackson (If you do read this you must talk to me afterward)

Another great thriller is Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen McManus (I think this is a series)

I wanted to make this list all on my own lol (i.e. no help from my HS library/Youth Services friends) to see if I could do it. I probably missed many but, as you already can guess, it ended up being a win after all. 

"I went through and looked up all the books and reviewed them all," she wrote.  

She chose these three to start:

"The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas - It seems very informational and reviews said it was very good.

Hot Dog Girl - I like the teen romance in it and reviews said it was very fresh and funny. Seems like a good read.

Allegedly by Tiffany Jackson - Looks very fun and mysterious. I love the crime solving aspect. I’ll definitely get back to you on this one when I finish reading!"

Kudos to her! I feel like she picked a well rounded trifecta! And I didn't even tell her that I'm convinced that the setting of Hot Dog Girl is an old, local amusement park here (Hoffman's Playland). Plus, I can't wait for her to get back to me about Allegedly. If you already read it, you know what I mean!

WIN 2

The summer school teacher emailed me for recommendations for a read aloud. Our special ed teacher recommended she reach out to me and see if I had any Newbery 2021 books that would give the rising fifth graders a leg up.  The first line of my email was: 

We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly. So, so good! It takes place in January 1986.  Three siblings in 7th grade and dysfunctional parents.  The Challenger is about to be launched. Just so good.

And that's the one she chose. Solid choice.

Tuesday, her TA, one of our 4th grade teachers, sent me this text:

The next thing he typed, "I’m going to “assign” it to all 4th grade parents this year to read before Thanksgiving." He likes it that much, huh?  I patted myself on the back.  Another win.

And the OT: WIN 3

Finally, earlier today a friend and colleague and I were out walking.  We passed a large front yard with the house set pretty far from the road.  On the porch, exponentially socially distant away, was a rising 6th grader who shouted our names with her arm waving through the wind. She got our attention for sure and we smiled. We agreed that she is a great kid and both had a little boost in our steps as we continued the miles. She made us so happy.

What wins have you had recently?  Jot them down. Commit them to memory. They could come in handy later this year...When you're feeling down or defeated, check back into your WIN folder for a little pick me up (with maybe a side of ice cream--something I could use right about now...)

Writing again?

I've held on to this graphic from the New York Times since July 12. 

It's not that I haven't wanted to write.  It's not like I didn't have many stories, ideas, reviews rolling around in my head.  I've been reading a lot. You may or may not know it.  The audio of Clap When You Land was so good.  I agree with my friend Alicia that the pub date for Punching the Air should be moved up. I finally read my first Ellen Hopkins, her middle grade, Closer to Nowhere. Jacqueline Woodson's unique Before Ever After has my family quizzing me on the offensive line and all of us talking about the future of football. I fell fast and hard for Cal and Leon from The Gravity of Us. I could go on and on. And, since this is a summer unlike any other, adult books have been on my bedside table. I finished one last week and almost immediately began a second.

Last week, Sera, a fourth grade teacher friend from a neighboring district wrote this and it went viral.  She really nailed feelings that so many of us could relate to.  This morning after seeing the sunrise yet again, I decided to show up.  Maybe by doing so, the lion will sleep tonight.

Good Morning?

I didn’t sleep well. Again.

I wake up and can literally feel the sweat drip out of the pores on my legs. My mind races.  My heart pounds. Surprisingly, I get enough REM time to dream.  Last night, my daughter handed me the keys to the car but I didn’t know how to drive. And, for the second time in the past week, Obama appeared.  The first time he was sitting cross legged and relaxed.  I casually introduced him to someone as “Barack.”  Not sure what he was doing in the wee hours of this morning.  Working hard to turn this nightmare we’re living into science fiction?

My friends and colleagues aren’t sleeping either. One takes Tylenol PM every night.  One swears by a special tea and bedtime ritual.  I tried the tea.  It worked one night. Maybe? Others commiserate.  Is anyone truly sleeping soundly?  The upside of all this?  The Great Believers is over 600 pages long. 

The fear of the unknown is taking over. What will my job as a school librarian look like? College is open for my incoming freshman. How will she make friends while smiling behind a mask? My High Schooler was disciplined during 14 weeks of spring virtual learning. Will he be as successful in another year of different learning? The only known factor in all of this is that we don’t know.

It’s almost August.  Pre-Covid, my daughter would be working all summer at sleep away camp.  She’d only be home for a few days before leaving for college to say goodbye to HS friends and to tirelessly shop for a comforter, towels, and mini-fridge. Since she is here, shouldn’t her room be overflowing with dorm supplies that we’ve had so much time to buy?  It’s not.  Target and Bed, Bath and Beyond have not taken a dime from me yet. I wonder how well she is sleeping.

Tonight I will brew some chamomile, do some deep breathing, read until the words get blurry and wish for the best. And Barack? If I see you again, may I request a soothing lullaby and your old promise of hope? Thanks in advance.