a private property landscape after beaver-proofing saplings with A Rocha
This is How it Always Is by Laurie Frankel - This was the book I chose to lead with my book club, because I knew it would be a great conversation starter. This book is about a boy who transitions into becoming a girl at a very young age, and about the family as a whole with how to deal with that situation, along with the aftermath of friends 'finding out' after years of knowing the child as a girl. I will say, I found some of this book was trite and unappealing, but the general theme of the story was a fast way to have a controversial conversation-something I love!
A Man with a Rake by Ted Kooser - Although I love Ted Kooser, this is the only time I've been a bit miffed at the high price tag for the (very few) poems. Of course, they're typical Kooser fashion (which I highly enjoy) but the con unfortunately outweighs the pros on this one. I'll always read Ted Kooser, but I might be more selective with purchasing his books.
A Man with a Rake by Ted Kooser - Although I love Ted Kooser, this is the only time I've been a bit miffed at the high price tag for the (very few) poems. Of course, they're typical Kooser fashion (which I highly enjoy) but the con unfortunately outweighs the pros on this one. I'll always read Ted Kooser, but I might be more selective with purchasing his books.
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro - This book was so weird and wonderful! I followed along on Joy Clarkson's online book club and podcast, because it's a book I'd heard about and wanted to read anyway. It was good accountability. It's about a girl and an AI 'friend', Klara, and what her purpose ultimately is, what the culture is doing to their children, and what should be done next. I would label this under sci-fi or futurism, along with a good dose of ethics.
Seen: Rachel Carson by Bridie Willis - This was a comic book that I read along with Ani (back and forth) about scientist and primary ecologist Rachel Carson. Anikka loved it, and I thought it told her biography in a beautiful way. It was informative, well-written, and concise. This is my year of comic books because I've read (and am currently reading) quite a few!
Seen: Rachel Carson by Bridie Willis - This was a comic book that I read along with Ani (back and forth) about scientist and primary ecologist Rachel Carson. Anikka loved it, and I thought it told her biography in a beautiful way. It was informative, well-written, and concise. This is my year of comic books because I've read (and am currently reading) quite a few!
Read Alouds:
Ship by David MacCaulay - This is a large fictional picture-book, but written in that typical MacCaulay style where all the historical, architectural, and scientific data is included in the story but woven in so carefully you think you're just absorbing facts by way of an interesting story. The kids studied a ship (from 1400-1600s) of their choice for a Socials project earlier this year. Highly recommend anything by this author.
The Prince & The Pauper by Mark Twain - I had never read any Mark Twain aside from abridged versions of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, but boy is he funny! This was one of the kids' first books of the year, and is a novel set with the Prince Edward IV of England (fathered by King Henry VIII), and a poor boy named Tom Canty, and the lookalike tykes change places for fun before things get out of hand for weeks on end. It's hilarious, fast-paced, and gives a great perspective on Tudor England, hierarchy of nobility, and the city of London.
Ship by David MacCaulay - This is a large fictional picture-book, but written in that typical MacCaulay style where all the historical, architectural, and scientific data is included in the story but woven in so carefully you think you're just absorbing facts by way of an interesting story. The kids studied a ship (from 1400-1600s) of their choice for a Socials project earlier this year. Highly recommend anything by this author.
The Prince & The Pauper by Mark Twain - I had never read any Mark Twain aside from abridged versions of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, but boy is he funny! This was one of the kids' first books of the year, and is a novel set with the Prince Edward IV of England (fathered by King Henry VIII), and a poor boy named Tom Canty, and the lookalike tykes change places for fun before things get out of hand for weeks on end. It's hilarious, fast-paced, and gives a great perspective on Tudor England, hierarchy of nobility, and the city of London.
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