Notes from a Reluctant Researcher
I’ve never been a fan of research. I prefer to make stuff up, and even when my world-building demands facts, my first, lazy inclination is to fudge my way through. With this book, though, I had to knuckle down.
Friends
Friendship
“One of the most beautiful qualities of a true friendship is to understand and to be understood.” (Lucius Annaeus Seneca)
Growing up it was difficult for me to make friends. Some of the key phrases I was told included: “it is a natural process,” “the sky is full of many stars, but having one friend is larger than the universe,” and “smile to everyone you walk past.”
You Should (Not) Read These Books
I remember my neighborhood friends standing on opposite sides of a driveway, angry, yelling loudly at each other. I don’t recall why, but I can still feel those emotions. That’s how strong feelings are. Our children deal with a multitude of emotions every day.
You were probably remembering similar instances from your childhood. And what happened afterward? Most likely you were all friends again, because you needed to be.
Beethoven in Paradise
Fresh Lookology features books published several years ago that are too good to languish on the shelf.
Martin Pittman takes a reader’s heart and runs with it. He lives in a trailer park called Paradise, but his home life is anything but. Martin’s father is abusive, his mother completely cowed. He has no siblings. His grandma, Hazeline, who comes on Sundays to take him to the Howard Johnson Prince of Wales buffet, is quite a character — one the reader is unsure of at first.… more
Friends, Friends
Jackie: We two friends have been doing this blog since 2015. Yet, we’ve never done a column on books about friends. We know there are many, and many classics, such as the always-satisfying Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel, or William Steig’s Amos and Boris, or James Marshall’s George and Martha. But today we want to look at three, one by one of our favorite writers Lucille Clifton.… more
Leroy Ninker Saddles Up! Companion Booktalks
Let these help you get started on the Bookstorm™ books:
Actual Size, written and illustrated by Steve Jenkins
Animal parts or whole animals shown in actual size (a squid’s eye!)
Try to guess the animal by looking at just one part
Ideal for comparing and contrasting
Bill Picket: Rodeo-Ridin’ Cowboy, written by Andrea Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney True story of an African-American rodeo star You won’t believe his trick for quieting bulls and calves Biography of a true-life action superhero
Black Cowboy, Wild Horses, written by Julius Lester, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney True story about one of the many African-American cowboys Find all the camouflaged critters!… more
Bill Picket: Rodeo-Ridin’ Cowboy, written by Andrea Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney True story of an African-American rodeo star You won’t believe his trick for quieting bulls and calves Biography of a true-life action superhero
Black Cowboy, Wild Horses, written by Julius Lester, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney True story about one of the many African-American cowboys Find all the camouflaged critters!… more
