Two Weeks of Great Reads

22. Happiness in a Troubled World by Howard Cutler

Benefits of diversity: Groups of people are better at making decisions than even the best experts under the right circumstances. The conditions necessary for the crowd to be wise are diversity and decentralization of decision making power.

When living in more homogeneous communities, people feel happier and get more accomplished.

So how can we relate to others in a more inclusive way?

23. Tap Dancing on the Roof by Linda Sue Park
A new kind of poetry (to me). Sijo. It’s from Korea (like author Park’s family). Not rhymes or syllables, but stresses. Different. Each line of sijo has two halves, with three stresses in one and four in the other. Sijo is about relationships and small moments. In English, sijo is formed into three long lines or six short ones. The last line (or lines for six short ones) contains a twist or pun or wit.

Here’s my favorite:

“Wish

For someone to read a poem
again, again, and then,

having lifted it from page
to brain—the easy part—

cradle it on the longer trek
from brain all the way to heart.”

24. Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage by Elizabeth Gilbert

Eat, Pray, Love was a great read. In Twitter-format: Gilbert gets dumped and sets off around the world to feel better.

In the process, Gilbert met another love. Now, she must decide: Shall she dare to marry again?

And she spends nine months traveling around the world getting a second opinion. What is romantic love? What does it mean to marry? How can marriage be a happy experience?

25. Oso pardo, oso pardo, que ves ahi by Bill Martin

Libro classico.

26. Book Fiesta! Celebrate Children’s Day/Book Day by Pat Mora

Ordering this for my school library.

27. Red Sings from Treetops by Joyce Sidman

I like it. It’s pretty. The words are lovely. But, hey, did anyone ask the kids what they think?

28. Diego: Bigger Than Life by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand

Are we supposed to admire Diego Rivera? Or is this a cautionary tale?

29. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

I’ve heard lots of happy buzz about this book. I liked it, but I didn’t love it and I wanted to love it. Fun puzzle of a plot that fits together perfectly. Characters that intrigued me. I don’t know why I didn’t love it. Probably just an off day.

30. Umbrella Summer by Lisa Graff

Our main character is trying to forge ahead but it’s hard when your brother dies unexpectedly. She meets the new neighbor across the street who helps her with her situation by using an analogy to carrying an open umbrella long after the rain has stopped. The neighbor and our main character work together to close their umbrellas and to help others close theirs.

31. Easier than You Think by Richard Carlson

Lots of short ideas on how to be happier. Audiotape.

32. The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney

This year’s Caldecott winner. Deserved.

33. Margaret Wise Brown: Author of Goodnight Moon by Carole Greene

Short bio for children about Margaret Wise Brown. She wrote a lot of kids’ books though she died at 42. (Her cause of death is a little unclear: “While she was in France, she became very ill. She had to have an operation. It went well. Each day, Margaret felt better. She wrote funny letters to her friends. But on the morning of November 13, 1952, something went wrong. Margaret blacked out. A minute later, she died.”

34. My Abuelita by Tony Johnston

Great story about a boy and his grandmother. The pictures are so strange that they are beautiful.

35. Dear Zoo: A Pop-Up Book by Rod Campbell

One of the 1001 Children’s Books You Must Read. Kids love popups.

36. Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill

Another 1001 CBYMR for the youngest of readers.

37. Avocado Baby by John Burningham

Yet another 1001 CBYMR. I knew the author, but I’d never heard of the book. I easily found a copy at the public library. The Hargraves were quite worried their new baby would not be strong, just like the rest of them. But the baby got hold of some avocadoes and, next thing you know, this little guy is taking care of bullies and fighting off robbers.

38. U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton

This is the Sue Grafton I remember loving way back at the middle letters of the alphabet. Kinsey is back working on an old mystery. I like how Grafton moves backward and forward in time.

39. All Stations! Distress! by Don Brown

Bluebonnet 2010-11. Titanic goes down. Nice text makes this book accessible for even early chapter book readers.

40. Gracias/Thanks by Pat Mora

Wouldn’t this make a good introduction to thankfulness at writing workshop at school? Got to order it.

41. The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence

I never dreamed that this book would blow me away. Hagar Shipley is ninety-ish and at the end of her life. The book tells both stories of her last days as well as stories Hagar remembers about her life. What a tough bird she is, hard on her older son, indifferent to her husband. This is a book that feels very, very true. I recommend it highly and I’m adding it to my list of best reads ever. One question that nags at me: Is Hagar a relative? Can I blame it on her (and my) Scotch blood?

42. Noah’s Compass by Anne Tyler

The day will come one day when there will be no more new Anne Tyler and the world will be a sadder place for it. But for now, we have Noah’s Compass, Tyler’s latest. Noah’s Compass tells the story of Liam Pennywell, a man who has been asked to retire from teaching, divorced, widowed, somewhat estranged from his children, a man who goes through the motions and can’t figure out any other way to live.

43. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba

There is hope in the world. This is the story of hope. William Kamkwamba tells the story of his life growing up in a tiny African country where most people struggle, now and then, with obtaining enough to eat. No electricity, no water, no amenities. Kamkwamba’s family hasn’t enough money during the famine to send him to school so he hangs out at the small library and there he learns how to use wind power to make electricity. Amazing story.

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