Library Love
Libraries! We want to look at books about these magical places, portals to our world, our selves, and other worlds and selves we might become.
Jeanette Winter
Banned Books as Speaking Truth to Power
There is a difference between keeping peace and making peace. It is not about avoiding discomfort and trying to keep everybody happy, but bravely joining in the work of justice.
Perseverance
Patience and perseverance are among the hardest things for children to learn. How can we make pressing on in the face of discouragement interesting to kids? By reading them amazing stories of creativity and resilience!
Picture Books Minus the Age Stereotypes and Ageism
Modern day children’s books riddled with negative stereotypes of age? Sadly yes, they are all too easy to find.
Picture Books Minus the Age Stereotypes and Ageism
Modern day children’s books riddled with negative stereotypes of age? Sadly yes, they are all too easy to find.
Tree Talk
We have been thinking of trees — green, leafy, blooming, buzzing trees. It’s not that we’re tired of winter. We love winter. Phyllis even has snowshoes — and uses them! Jackie loves walking in the snowy quiet and the nearly monochromatic landscape. We both love candles, sweaters, and hot soup. But every now and then we think of green.… more
My Word for the New Year
As in past years, in lieu of a New Year’s resolution, I’ve chosen a single word to frame the year ahead. There are numerous websites and blogs that celebrate this idea. This is my favorite. The following sentiment from the site really sums it up beautifully; My One Word replaces broken promises with a vision for real change.… more
Books about Trees
With hats off to our friends at the tree-festooned Iowa Arboretum, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chicago Botanic Gardens, and Omaha’s Lauritzen Gardens, this list is dedicated to arborists everywhere, professional and amateur … you take care of an essential part of our ecosystem. Thank you. Here’s a list of books for younger and older children, fiction and nonfiction.
… more Two for the Show: How Does Your Garden Grow?
by Phyllis Root and Jacqueline Briggs Martin
It’s high summer in the garden, with an abundance of vegetables to harvest and flowers abuzz with pollinators. Crunchy carrots, leafy kale, sun-warm tomatoes, garlic bulbs, green beans, zucchini (some gigantic) all offer themselves to the gardener. But more grows in a garden than plants. People grow, too, and connections between people take root and blossom.… more