I read I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman completely backwards. Or completely out of order, at least. Have you ever done that? Skipped ahead to get to the crux of the matter? Or because there's a scene you want to spoil for yourself?
I skipped around and then read the last third and then went back to the parts I skipped.
Our plans to avoid the 'summer slide' are to do a little math each week and to do a little reading and writing each week. To be honest, it's only the math that Mr. Bookworm and I have to enforce. The reading and writing are automatic.
Come see my tips on making summer reading fun for your little one!
We've heard the phrase WE NEED DIVERSE BOOKS over and over again. And it's true. No matter how many times you hear it, or if you're sick of hearing the same things in conferences. When I was growing up, I NEVER saw myself in the books I read. Ever.
I was so excited that Erin Entrada Kelly won the Newbery that I did this read-along a little differently: I distributed ten copies of Hello, Universe to my fellow bibliophiles and colleagues who love to read.
“Once when I was six years old I saw a magnificent picture in a book, called True Stories from Nature, about the primeval forest. It was a picture of a boa constrictor in the act of swallowing an animal. Here is a copy of the drawing.
In the book it said: “Boa constrictors swallow their prey whole, without chewin it. After that they are not able to move, and they sleep through the six months that they need for digestion.”
~First Lines of The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Just like last year, I’ve followed the #Mermay phenomenon on Instagram, which was originally started by Tom Bancroft, a Disney animator veteran. This year’s favorites include many crossover mash-ups and though there were too many I admired to post in one spot, I’ve wrangled up a few of the ones that inspired me the most.
Mini Me had an extra credit school assignment to abstain from all social media for one week. She signed a contract of intent, and parents' participation was optional.
It was tougher than I thought it would be….
Pug Pals: Two's a Crowd by Flora Ahn is a real stand-out in the early chapter book genre. Pug Pals starts out with a look at the day-to-day in a pug's life (Sunny) as she navigates snacking, playing with her prized bunny toy, and watching her favorite detective show. Throw in a newly adopted sibling and we've got ourselves the perfect book conflict.
I have this huge affinity for snails that started when I was little. There's a great video of my cousins, sisters, and me playing in the backyard with snails. I think theoretically we are rescuing and clearing the garden from them. I also remember putting them in jars and watching them kiss.
Earlier this week I was putting together a last minute query. That’s NEVER good idea.
The Crossover centers around Josh and his twin, Jordan AKA JB, who are two middle schoolers who play basketball, just like their dad. The family dynamics are spelled out easily, and the interaction between (mainly) the three of them is heartfelt and wonderful. At its heart, this novel is about a family. But, yes, it's about basketball too, and relationships, and coming of age.
This is a work in progress. I was inspired to write a picture book based on these famous Star Wars lines. But it ended up being an ode to my bookworm girls. So, in honor of Mother's Day, here it is. I love you, Mini Me and Little Lion. Seven and a half plump-tillion pieces.
i need to listen more
Period.
As a doctor, and definitely as a mom, I need to listen more.
Dr. Bookworm recounts the Bookworm family adventures at the 2018 L.A. Times Festival of Books. Plus, there’s Leslie Odom, Jr. involved. :D
“Once upon a time, sixty years ago, a little girl lived in the Big Woods of Wisconsin, in a little gray house made of logs.
The great, dark trees of the Big Woods stood all around th ehouse, and beyond them were other trees and beyond them were more trees. As far as man could go to the north in a day, or a week, or a whole month, there was nothing but woods. There were no houses. There were no roads. There were no people. There were only trees and the wild animals who had their homes among them.”
~ Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
There was some point in my life when I couldn't stand musicals, didn't understand why the actors would burst out into song, seemingly out of nowhere.
Much like my eventual love of Shakespeare though I had been skeptical (and I saw ALL the RSC Shakespeare production shows the summer of 1994), I grew back to love musical theater.
Earlier this month, the world lost an amazing doctor. The thing is that it's not only a loss for the children's hospital that he tirelessly advocated for and for the patients and families he took care of, it's a huge loss for the doctors he was training.
In Kat Writes a Song by Greg Foley, Kat works hard to create a song, and then she second-guesses herself. We've all been there. Thinking we're creating something fantastic, especially as a writer, and then we start to let the doubts creep in. What I admire about Foley's story is that he shows Kat persevering through the creative process, and then sharing her joy.
What's your go-to book? When I have nothing to read and no access to the internet (and fan fiction), there are a handful of books that I can always count on. Where She Went by Gayle Forman is one of them.
In Seb and the Sun, we follow Seb and Walrus through their very specific coastal town and community. And as we follow this close-knit community, Seb realizes that something is missing and he knows exactly how to go find it. Gigot contrasts the brightness and darkness in her illustrations, creating a beautiful reflection of each other.
The first book that caught my eye when I saw the display for Women In History at the local library last month was Eleanor, Quiet No More: The Life of Eleanor Roosevelt written by Doreen Rappaport and illustrated by Gary Kelley. The cover is a gorgeous painting of Eleanor Roosevelt, that looks like a photograph. What's more, it looks like Eleanor is looking at the reader right in the eyes.
