Let's take a look back...

Episode 12 - Revisiting Previous Themes

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If you happen to be an educator, you are probably drowning in responsibilities right about now. If the new year has already started for you, I hope everything went off without a hitch and you aren’t doubting your decision to take responsibility for guiding the next generation toward independence. No pressure right? The first day of school in my district is the Wednesday after Labor Day. Today is Tuesday. This means I have zero more days left to get the library ready for 700 kids. Anxiety starts to creep in if I spend more than a minute thinking about everything I need to get done by tomorrow morning and then inevitably I notice my giant stack of library books that are being neglected and the office bookshelf that’s crammed with untouched titles and the three bags full of books I agreed to read for a local librarian review group, some of which I’ve had since December, and my anxiety starts to grow.

Summer camp, here I come!

Episode 11 - Summer Camp

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Summer camp. Just hearing those words stirs up all kinds of wonderful memories of my days as a camper, whether it was day camp through the Boys and Girls Club or sleep away camp with my Girl Scout Troop. Early morning polar bear plunges, singing by the campfire, eating just the chocolate and graham crackers for my s’mores because marshmallows are gross, being covered in dirt from head to toe and not caring one bit, secret training sessions with Bill Murray so I could unexpectedly bring victory to my team in the color war competition - yep, those were some of the best summers of my life and, as an adult I'm still a tad smitten with the idea of kissing my regular life goodbye for a few weeks to commune with the great outdoors (providing there are real showers and toilets, of course). Since we are in the thick of summer vacation, I thought it only appropriate to spotlight some fantastic novels aimed at eight to twelve year olds that take place at camp.

Double Vision...

Episode 10 - Twins

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When I was in 3rd or 4th grade my father was backing our truck out of the driveway and almost hit a kid. That’s how I met Aron and Ryan, the two fraternal twins who had just moved into the house across the street. Now, I'm not sure if that was the catalyst for my mild childhood fascination with twins or if knowing those boys simply fanned the flames. Either way, I definitely consumed a lot of pop culture about multiples when I was a kid.

Sharing the MG lit love!

A few weeks ago I got to chat with Corrina Allen, host of Books Between, about middle grade books we love, classic titles that may disappoint us as adults, diversity in children's literature, and so much more. The episode was released today and can be found at the Books Between website and on iTunes. Enjoy!

What's wrong McFly? Chicken?

Episode 9 - Chickens

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I was scrolling through my Twitter feed the other day and there it was, the latest innovation for urban farmers who want to show off their feathered friends to their neighbors: a stroller for chickens. Yep, you heard me correctly. A stroller. For chickens. Apparently, the chicken crossed the road because he was being pushed. Seeing that picture of pampered poultry got me thinking about books starring the little squawkers and I knew I had to dedicate an episode to the topic.