The Skin I'm In by Sharon G Flake

I found The Skin I'm In by Sharon G Flake at a book sale at the library, ten cents for a book. I feel almost guilty about it, but at this point whatever feeds my book addiction and is legal, is good for  me. Finding sales like this helps to offset my $100 Barnes and Noble shopping sprees.

I enjoy reading books about cultures other than my own as I like to learn something new when I read. I didn't think I'd have anything in common with the characters of this story, but while this story is about Black Americans, anyone could relate to the themes in this story.

Every person on the planet has to learn to accept themselves and the skin they are in. Maleeka has very dark skin, like her father who has died. She is teased about being too dark. She gets a new teacher who has a white splotch across her face, probably vitiligo. Maleeka wants to fit in, she wants nice clothes, and she wants to be liked. All of these needs cause her to put herself in bad situations. Maleeka is a good person, though. She cares about her mother and wears the ill made clothing her mom makes for her because she feels like the act of sewing helps keep her mother sane. Maleeka is a good writer, and her writing gives her strength.

This book made me think about the skin I am in and how acceptance in most communities, black or white, often is hard to come by. I am white - pasty, Casper the Ghost colored white, so white that I was told I was a brunette albino. I used to look at Oprah Winfrey and covet her beautiful skin. And then the cult I was raised in, spread the rumor that my father was black because they were complete racists and wanted to hurt us. My mom was hurt by it, but my sisters and I didn't take it seriously and fortunately, we all made it out of that cult. Being the subject of that rumor helped keep us safe from those who normally would have wanted us for breeding purposes.

My oldest son has vitiligo, which isn't a horrible thing to have when you are the color of paste because the white spots are barely noticeable. He has to keep those spots protected from the sun, but otherwise he is not bothered by them. This made me think about how hard it must have been for Michael Jackson to have this skin condition and how people ridiculed him because of it.

The truth of the matter is that we all have to live in the skin we are in. We are born with the skin we have, and we have no control over the color of it or the skin conditions that may happen to it. All we can do is to value all people, no matter their skin color or condition, no matter their race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. May we see the good in those around us and understand that everyone is just trying to live in the skin they are in.

Read to a child today especially if that child is you. 

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

Although I probably should have read this years ago, The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom came into my life at exactly the right time.

You see, I've been questioning a lot of sad things in our world lately. There have been too many senseless deaths in my life, and I wonder why. . .why things are how they are. Why things can't be better. Why drug abuse takes so many, and why depression isn't cured yet.

Corrie Ten Boom was raised by remarkable people, people who embraced all. Their love of mankind was so deep that they risked their own lives to safe others during the Holocaust. Their love of God and Jesus Christ was so great that they were able to see others as good - even people who had done horrible things to them - and forgive, love, and help those people find the light.

Corrie's sister, Betsie was probably one of the best people who has ever lived. She gave thanks and appreciated everything, even thanking God for the fleas that tormented them in the concentration camp. I thought surely she had lost her mind, but those fleas played a role in her story. Her attitude has changed the way I think about things, and I can only hope that I can stay upbeat in times of stress.

Their love and study of the scriptures helped them know what God would have them do, gave them strength through time spent in concentration camps and prison, and gave them hope and vision of how they could change the world by helping others. I was impressed that they were willing to share the scriptures of other faiths and see those truths along with truths from their own scriptures.

I love this book. One of the stories Corrie tells is of how as a child she sees the word sexsin in a poem and asks her father what it means. He answers her with an object lesson. They are on a train and ready to disembark. He says to Corrie as he puts his heavy traveling case on the floor, "Will you carry it off the train, Corrie?"

"I stood up and tugged at it. It was crammed with the watches and spare parts he had purchased that morning."

"It's too heavy," I said.

"Yes," he said. "And it would be a pretty poor father who would ask his little girl to carry such a load. It's the same way, Corrie, with knowledge. Some knowledge is too heavy for children. When you are older and stronger you can bear it. For now you must trust me to carry it for you" (26, 27).

Later in the story, Corrie is asked, "What kind of God would let that old man die here in Scheveningen?" (a prison).

"I got up from the chair and held my hands out to the squat little stove. I did not understand either why Father had died in such a place. I did not understand a great deal. And suddenly I was thinking of Father's own answer to hard questions: "Some knowledge is too heavy . . . you cannot bear it . . . Your Father will carry it until you are able" (163).

This really hit me. I need to trust in the Lord. I also need to study his words more thoroughly as peace, comfort, and answers are found there.

Read today as the book you read may be just what you need. 

To Market, To Market by Anne Miranda Illustrated by Janet Stevens

I'll admit that I bought this book for the wonderful illustrations but was glad I did because the story is fun.

To Market, To Market by Anne Miranda Illustrated by Janet Stevens was published in 1997. The story begins with "To market, to market to buy a fat pig. Home again, home again jiggity jig!"

The settings are done in black and white but the items the woman buys are in vivid color. Each time she goes to the market, the animals she has left at home have gotten into some type of trouble. Your child (and yourself) will wonder just what she is going to do with all these animals.

I like this book because there are plenty of opportunities for predicting what will happen next. Each page is full of different types of food and animals, which makes for fun observing and discussing.

Spend some time in a book with a child today even if it's just you and your inner child. 

Small Pig by Arnold Lobel

Small Pig by Arnold Lobel was a big hit with Angie's kids. Small pig has a happy life until the farmer's wife get a little carried away with her cleaning and vacuums up his mud puddle. He runs away from home and gets into all sorts of scary situations trying to find a restful mud puddle.

At last he finds a mud puddle, but the children listening to or reading the story can see that the mud puddle is really wet cement. Will small pig be rescued? Will he be stuck in the concrete forever? The farmer and his wife are looking everywhere for their small pig. Will they save the day?

Arnold Lobel is a good storyteller and his cute pictures are just right for this story.

Read to a child today even if that child is you. 

Eyelike Numbers by Play Bac Publishing

I have a daughter who loves numbers. When she was little, she counted everything including holes in ceiling tile. She knows who she is. She would have loved this book as a child as it explains numbers and how they work with beautiful photographs. Eyelike Numbers 

Here is a peak inside: Think of the number word power your child will have after reading this book.

 A pair, twins, a couple:

 A lot, plenty, a few, zero:

Counting and multiplying by ten:

 Smaller than, bigger than:

 Even and odd numbers:

 Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division all get a shout out:

Your child gets fifty-five beautiful pages of numbers and math vocabulary. If you have a numbers aficionado at your house, they will love this book. My two-year-old granddaughter, Aria, enjoyed reading this with me and identifying number and colors. She also enjoyed counting the items on each page.

Read to a child today because with reading, your child can learn everything.

A is for Zebra: A Happy Ending on Every Page by Mark Shulman

A is for Zebra: A Happy Ending on Every Page by Mark Shulman and illustrated by Tamara Petrosino is the newest addition to my collection of alphabet books. I collect alphabet books that I find delightful (I collect a lot of books for that very same reason).
What do you mean, A is for Zebra? How can that be? Take a look at the first three pages and see if you can figure it out.

The pictures are fun and this book will help your reader think - to really look at words and see why they fit or why they don't. Children's books are wonderful, with them you can find ways to teach any concept.

Read to a child today even if that child is you. 

Comfort Reading: Clementine and the Family Meeting by Sara Pennypacker

Lately in my circle of friends and family, there have been several deaths - only one of which was expected. I find that when life gets hard, I need books that are comforting, books that don't make me think too hard, books that are not sad or too deep.

I reached for the fifth book in the Clementine Series by Sara Pennypacker. I knew that Clementine would delight me because she reminds me of my youngest daughter (who also delights me). I knew that I could finish the book in an hour or two. I knew that I would come away from the reading feeling a little better as I read about the love Clementine has for everyone and read about how good parents parent.

I was not disappointed. In Clementine's family; when they have something they need to discuss, they call a family meeting, and now that the family meeting sign is up, Clementine is worried sick that she's done something wrong because that is usually why family meetings are held. Instead, she is told that their family situation is going to change and she is uncertain if she likes the new changes.

I enjoy seeing Clementine conquer her fears and grow in each installment of this series. This is a perfect series for younger readers because it tackles issues that matter to them - things that adults may deem unimportant but to a child are pretty big deals.

This series would also make a great read-aloud.

Read to a child today, especially if that child needs some tender nurturing and comfort. 

NICU Delivery

We delivered 17 packets of books to the NICU last week. That means eighty-five more books are blessing the lives of our littlest new babies.

Michelle brought more books over because she is awesome like that, and one of our teacher friends is going to donate some of her Scholastic bookclub points for books for the babies.

One of the best gifts you can give your young child is a love of reading. Reading to your child builds your relationship as they snuggle on your lap and learn, laugh, and bond with you. Your child will be a better student and have a better attention span if you read to them.

Contact me if you'd like to donate books to the NICU babies.

Read to a child today even if that child is you. 

ish by Peter H Reynolds

ish is a sweet book about Ramon who loves to draw. He draws all the time until one day his older brother laughs at Ramon's art. Ramon is heartsick and now feels he isn't a good artist. He keeps working on his art, but at the end of each attempt, he crumples his drawing and throws it across the room.

He tries for months to become a better artist, but he gives up and decides to quit drawing until an encounter with his little sister shows him an appreciation for his art that he didn't previously have.

I like this story because Peter Reynolds shows children with his art and words to not allow someone's unkind words to sink us. He also shows how kinds words build us and allow us to be our best selves.

If you have a budding artist in your life, they may love this sweet storybook.

Read to a child toady even if that child is you.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

LibriVox and our home remodel is getting me through more of my classic to-read pile. In listening to The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, I was reminded of the television series House, with Gregory House as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. James Wilson as Dr. Watson.

Both House and Holmes are addicted to drugs and both are incredibly observant and smart, which shows they are functioning drug addicts, for now. Neither likes to take a case unless they find it interesting. Both are arrogant. I didn't think I'd enjoy Sherlock Holmes, but I found each case interesting just like watching each episode of House interests me.

Although this book is not the first in the series, I didn't have any trouble following along. Doyle paints his characters well, and the reader on LibriVox's version four, David Clarke, did an excellent job on the narration.

If you like reading things that make you think, you may enjoy this book.

Read to child today or allow LibriVox to read you a story.

Maus I and Maus II: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman

Maus I and Maus II have been on my reading list for a while, and I enjoyed reading both. I found Art Spiegelman's artistic true account of his father's life in Poland during WWII and his time in Auschwitz interesting, saddening, and realistic.

Realistic in the sense that Spiegelman doesn't make his dad out to be this perfect man who survived the Holocaust but a man complete with many flaws - and maybe more flawed because of his experiences.

Spiegelman depicts his father and all Jews as mice. The Germans as cats and the Poles as pigs. The Swedish are some kind of deer or elk, and the Americans are dogs. Often times the mice wear the mask of another nationality.

Spiegelman's series is a good one to share with teens who are interested in the Holocaust as they are graphic novels. They contain some language and adult situations. In Maus II, Spiegelman delves into his own mental health issues from being born to parents who survived the death camps and lost their first son in the Holocaust. These are quick reads, but pay attention to the pictures as much is depicted there.

Read to a child today, so that they might know why our world needs love and understanding.

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

Not a lot of reading of books is happening at my house lately, but I am listening to classics on LibriVox while I paint. This week, I listened to David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Dickens said this was his favorite work.

In David Copperfield we get to see Dickens' sense of humor shine - of course the story has heartache and death, but I found myself laughing out loud at times. I listened to Version 2, and the narrator, Tadhg, was excellent, so excellent that if I met him in person, I might fall in love with him just for his accent and voice. Okay, I may be a little bit in love with him now.. :)

This novel tells what life was like in Dickens' day. Life could be very hard if you didn't have money. Snobbery, even in our main character was real and different classes of people didn't mix well. Again as in Bleak House, Dickens is not didactic in this telling, he trusts his reader's intelligence and allows them to figure it out for themselves.

Dickens' characters are well rounded and come off the page. I love David's Aunt Betsy. Everyone needs an aunt like her - one who calls it like she see it - and isn't afraid to throw your sister's behavior in your face - even though said sister doesn't exist. I laughed almost every time she was in a scene.

Tommy Traddles is David's friend and from Dickens' description of him, I can see him with his hair sticking up and him sitting drawing skeletons.

Copperfield has a tender heart, which at times gets him into trouble. The villains are vile and the noble characters, while flawed, are likeable.

Read to a child today or allow LibriVox to read to the child in you.

Bleak House by Charles Dickens

If it wasn't for LibriVox, I wouldn't be getting through any of my books during painting time. I listened to Bleak House by Charles Dickens this week and for now, it is my second favorite Dickens - A Christmas Carol being my favorite.

I listened to version three with Mil Nicholson as the narrator, and this narrator made the story come alive changing voice to match each character even getting their characteristics correctly.

This is Esther's story mostly, but interwoven with her story is the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce court case, a sailor, a lost son, a lost mother, orphans, sickness, friendships, and many other people.

I loved Esther's guardian, and how he put others first. He was a treasure of a man. I love how Dickens shows class issues and social issues without being didactic about it. The reader can see how things were and make a judgement for themselves. I also loved Dickens sense of humor in this story and found myself chuckling at times.

Dickens, as many writers from his time period, goes on a bit too much at times and could certainly pare down the story, but this was first published as a weekly series, so he had room to be a bit verbose.

The friendships in this story are realistic. The people are realistic - flaws and all, which makes me like them all the more. Some consider this Dickens' masterpiece and it is indeed a masterpiece of storytelling.

Read to a child today, or allow LibriVox to read to you. 

A Shout Out

I am lucky to live next door to and across the street from two amazing ladies. They are kind to my NICU book project - a project that honors the lost lives of my twins who were born too soon and honors the parents and babies fighting for life in the NICU.

Alysen brought me five board books. I put one board book in every single package for each baby. Babies need books they can handle, chew on, and not rip to pieces. She brought a book with cat ears - so cute. Alysen loves animals especially cats.

Michelle found this collection of board books at Costco. These are only $2 each and so sturdy for little hands. 

She also brought me a huge collection of paperbacks and hardbacks. She found quite a few Spanish books.

I appreciate help with this project because if I were Queen of the World, every baby would have a library of fun books to help them on their reading journey. Although we are unable to provide a whole library, the babies at McKayDee NICU get a taste of books with our packets of five books for each baby.

If you'd like to contribute to our book drive for NICU babies, here is how you can help:

1. You can order books for your own children (of all ages) from our online Usborne book party and the proceeds will go to purchase books for the NICU. I've received over $350.00 in free books for the NICU from people buying books for their own families through this web link. Usborne is really good to their hostesses, and they have great board books for babies. Click on the link: Usborne book sale to benefit NICU The books you order will be shipped directly to your home. You can then give them to your children, grandchildren, nieces, or nephews. The free books from the hostess benefits go to the NICU. 

2. We have set up a baby registry at Amazon.com with many books listed for the NICU babies. Some of these books only cost $2.50. Many of these are classics that all children should have. Click on this link if you'd like to help provide books for the NICU: Catherine Crosby Building Lifelong Readers Book Registry. If you order books for us, they will be shipped to me, and I will package and send them to the NICU. 

Read to a child today even if that child is you.

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Remodeling a home along with LibriVox is helping me get through my stack of classic literature as I listen to my books instead of read them.

I listened to Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. This delightful tale pokes fun at a lot of things - parents thinking they can't afford their children, using a dog as a nanny instead of a person, putting dad in the kennel as penance.

The story is not politically correct by today's standards, but I enjoyed the tale for the most part. I struggled with how inept Mr. Darling is because it makes for a book without any positive male role models and our children need those. The women and animals are strong which is nice for girls, but I don't care to make one gender better at the expense of the other gender.

When the Darling children learn to fly, it is  most magical, and I think most children have wished for the power of flight, which is one reason they love swings. Swinging as high as we can, jumping out, and for one brief moment before we hit the ground, we fly.

The problem with Peter Pan is that he allows Wendy to grow up too soon while he only plays at being dad for the lost boys. If all the women grow up and the men don't, we are left with chaos and incredibly annoyed women. If you leave out the deeper meanings of this story, it is a fun tale of adventure with pirates, crocodiles, mermaids, fairies, lost boys dressed as wild animals, flying, and returning home to a mother's love.

Read to a child today even if that child is you, or allow LibriVox to do your reading for you.