Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

Well, dang.

I bought Dan Gemeinhart’s Some Kind of Courage at the library sale months ago; I started listening to it yesterday because it was immediately available on audio, it was under 5.5 hours long, and, well, it seemed like a good idea at the time. (Interestingly enough, the first few sentences threw me–I hadn’t looked closely enough at the description and was thinking, for some reason, that it was contemporary fiction instead of historical.) I finished listening to it tonight, playing Candy Crush while I listened after running out of dishes to do and laundry to fold. And I don’t know whether listening to it made ALL the difference–the narrator was spot on, and hearing it in an earnest boy voice definitely added to the book’s impact–but wow. Is it a bit of an improbable story? Absolutely–probably more than a bit. But Joseph Johnson’s quest for his horse–the only family he has left–grabbed hold of me over the first few chapters and didn’t let me go until the story was done. (And not just the climax, mind you. The falling action as well.) On his journey he meets a Chinese boy, a grizzly bear, a woman in labor, and an outlaw, among others; each encounter matters. This isn’t a perfect book, but it was an all-consuming read for me, and in a world where too many books for boys rely on bathroom humor or other crudities, I’m keeping this for my son to read in a year or three. (He’s only 7.) In many ways it feels like a 21st-century version of The Sign of the Beaver–yes, it takes place in the 19th century, but Gemeinhart’s writing style is not at all the style of Elizabeth George Speare in the 1980s. This is a book about a quest, about friendship, about survival, and about family, and at the end of the day, I’m incredibly glad I read it.

I didn’t particularly love the last Suzanne LaFleur book I read. In fact, I might never have gotten around to reading Eight Keys if I hadn’t already bought it, years ago, for a couple of bucks–AND if it hadn’t been available in audio. I did get to it, however, and I finished it last night, and I’m pleased to report that I liked it MUCH better than Listening for Lucca (although honestly, that wouldn’t have been terribly difficult). Elise (aka Cricket) is struggling with the transition to middle school; the work is more difficult (and just MORE) than she expected, her locker partner is bullying her, and her home life is changing up now that sort-of-cousin Annie and her 5-month-old, Ava, have come to live with them. Her best friend, Franklin, hasn’t changed, but suddenly Elise is worried about what other people think of her, and him, and the things they’re used to playing together. Elise is suddenly struggling with ALL THE THINGS, and she isn’t handling any of them very well.

In the midst of the turmoil, however, she discovers a key–a key that opens one of eight locked rooms upstairs in the barn–and opens the door to the first of a series of rooms that her dead father seems to have left for her to discover. As she discovers more keys and enters more rooms, she tries to understand what he was trying to tell her–and how it will help her get her suddenly messy life sorted out.

I liked this one. I liked it DESPITE having recently read at least two other books about middle school kids who are being bullied, and I think it had a lot to do with the balance. The bullying and the mystery of the keys were a combination that worked, and it was mostly because the combo was proportioned so well. Before I started it I assumed I’d be giving it away when I finished; now I’m anticipating that my 10-year-old will read and enjoy it. Elise’s family is fabulous, her friends are good friends, and she is understandable even when she isn’t being particularly likable. Bottom line? A solid choice for middle grade girls.

And some boys.

It’s December, and I missed my last post–and I’d probably be lying if I assured you that I wouldn’t do it again. Just plan on irregular posts between now and Christmas…

My search for a 2nd-Girlie-appropriate-Christmas-graphic-novel is over–Jen Wang’s Stargazing is the winner! Hallelujah!

So, here’s the thing about my second girlie–she OBSESSES over graphic novels. Once she owns one, she rereads and rereads and carries it around or keeps it in her bed, which means that if I’m going to give her a graphic novel to be her own, it’s got to be one that has messages and people I’m okay with her spending a LOT of time with. Trying to find something that fits that criteria–that she hasn’t already read–is a Herculean task; so many titles fall into the “I’ll check it out of the library for her instead” category. Stargazing, however, is a lovely graphic novel that focuses on friendships, familial and cultural expectations (and stereotypes), and individuality. I would have liked being friends with both straitlaced Christine and free-spirited Moon, and I suspect Girlie #2 will, too. Yay for one more Christmas gift off of the list!

Oh, and incidentally? This book would make a lovely graphic novel lead-in to reading Mustaches for Maddie. Teacher friends, do a unit on the two so that I can live vicariously…

Feeling overwhelmed by December? Mac Barnett and Jory John’s The Terrible Two is the perfect escape. It’s short, it’s illustrated, and it’s hilarious (because Mac Barnett and Jory John*). If you’ve ever daydreamed about pulling larger-than-life pranks in your school, this (intentionally) over-the-top tale of two pranksters–one the new kid in school who reigned supreme in his old town, one the school’s unknown but undisputed champ–who start by pranking each other before finally joining forces is a lighthearted, laugh-out-loud romp from beginning to end.

Also, there are some interesting facts about cows.

Seriously, though. Middle elementary boys ought to love this one, especially reluctant readers–and I’m expecting my 13- and 10-year-old girls to love it as well. I’ll keep you posted, but in the meantime–don’t miss this one!

*Item: Until I heard the authors of this book announced, I was positive that it was John Jory, not Jory John. Please tell me I’m not the only one…

Sorry folks–I’ve only got so much writing in me on any given day in December, and I used it to write our Christmas letter tonight. Happy 9th of December!

I finished listening to The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl the other day, and I was struck by a few thematic similarities between that and You Go First. Unusually smart middle schooler with mental differences? Check. A girl having friend struggles with (an)other girl(s)? Check. Bullying? Check.

Here’s the thing. I actually feel guilty about this, having so very much enjoyed the other Erin Entrada Kelly books I’ve read, but I thought Stacy McAnulty did it better. Lucy is a different sort of character than Ben and Charlotte–she has more confidence in herself and lacks their domestic upheavals–but she does have challenges, and I loved McAnulty’s portrait of her struggles. Her interactions with her peers have their ups and downs, but the ups made the downs easier for me to read about (I spent a lot of time hurting for Charlotte and Ben). If you’ve ever wondered how a 12-year-old genius with an online high school diploma might handle middle school, Lucy’s story is definitely for you; it’s also for you, however, if you just want to read about a kid with strengths AND problems forging her way through 7th grade with imperfect determination and reluctant bravery. (Also if you’ve ever loved a dog. Which, admittedly, I haven’t. But still.) Bottom line? My 10-year-old and I both recommend The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl.

My 13-year-old is still awaiting her turn.

I really enjoyed the first two Erin Entrada Kelly books that I read–AND I have a passion for words in general–which means that my expectations for You Go First were pretty high. Two kids struggling with middle school pressures and home difficulties connect over online Scrabble? Sign me up! After reading it, however, I realized that I didn’t just want Charlotte’s and Ben’s lives to “intersect” (the word given on the back of the book). I wanted more of a relationship between them, which technically wasn’t at all promised in the description. Instead, there’s more of a series of brief touches there; the bulk of the book is made up of Charlotte’s story and Ben’s story, which are alternately told. Both of those stories were hard to hear at times, especially with my own memories of friend and social struggles at that age still lurking in the back of my mind. On the other hand, they were consummately told and kept me reading. Ultimately, this is both a hard book and a hopeful book–and a well-written one. Whether or not you should read it, well–that’s probably up to you.

Have I become a bit of a blogging bore? (Please tell me you appreciated my alliteration. And did you see what I did there?) Because it occurs to me that while I’m just trying to move through some of my mountain of books to read, the constant “now I can review THIS one and it can LEAVE MY BEDROOM” might get impressively dull for everybody else. I’m going to avoid being tedious today, however, and instead of reviewing one of the books waiting to be reviewed, I’m going to give you an easy, tasty, healthy slow cooker soup recipe. Because who doesn’t need one of those in December? Am I right?

I was looking for something to put into the crockpot on a Thursday, because Thursday nights are kind of awful–school pickup, home by 3:30, after school band pickup, 4:15, dance for one of my girlies, 5:15, and oh, yeah, people want to eat DINNER sometime in the midst of all that. Last Thursday I found and doubled this Slow Cooker Lentil Soup with Bacon to impressive effect; my son gave it two thumbs up and my oldest was a fan as well. (My second girlie will never love anything with legumes, and my last one is unpredictable. It is what it is.) I left out the red chili flakes mostly because I forgot them, although I only ever add a pinch of those because we’re wimps; the only conscious changes I made were to saute the onions and celery in the bacon fat before tossing them in (because WHY THE HECK NOT) and to toss in some cubed potatoes, which the recipe mentioned as a nice addition anyway. It was cheap, easy, tasty, and cooked nicely on high, folks. Who could ask for anything more? If you’re looking for a meal plan this week, then, you should absolutely let them eat soup!

My family LOVES Bartlett pears. (Well, except for the 4-year-old who has suddenly declared herself to be anti-pear.) Which means that when they’re a good price at Costco, I sometimes buy two boxes, hoping that if they’re different levels of ripe when I buy them, they won’t all be ready at the same time, right?

Wrong.

So. I had large quantities of pears to use up a week or so ago, which is why we had these Pear Muffins one night and these Spiced Roasted Pears + Sweet Potatoes (I had one of those to use up as well) another. The muffins were lovely–I used plain yogurt instead of sour cream and subbed in some whole wheat flour, and everyone except for that 4-year-old was a fan. I don’t know that I could really taste the cardamom, but they were good. (Possibly I might experiment with different spices next time? Or maybe cardamom loses flavor quickly when ground?) The Spiced Roasted Pears + Sweet Potatoes were also tasty, although some of my children liked the pears and not the sweet potatoes and some liked the sweet potatoes and not the pears (4-YEAR-OLD!). I left out the pecans, because I kind of like my children alive, and I used maple syrup instead of honey, because I prefer the flavor (and it fits very nicely with those spices). You definitely want your pears to be on the firm side of ripe and your sweet potatoes in relatively skinny pieces–the closer you can match their textures and levels of done-ness, the better–but oh, the flavor!

Bottom line? I would totally make both recipes again, and you should try them next time you have pears. Enjoy your Monday!