Pass it on . . .

A friend and colleague invited me to attend the Association of Marquette University Women annual Leadership Luncheon. Being with a group of successful women--whose scholarship and networking efforts have paved the way for four generations of women--was INSPIRATIONAL. 

Bonus? Hearing HarperCollins Children's Books editor Molly O'Neill share her love of children's literature. 

Molly O'Neill

10blockwalk.blogspot.com

@molly_oneill

Think the big publishers are all in it for the buck? After hearing Molly, I heartily disagree. Molly ADVOCATES for the reader. Certainly she wants a blockbuster publication, but she looks for the books that help children ask questions and find their place in the world. In no particular order--and paraphrased--here are a few of Molly's comments:

What if someone had not put the right book in her hands as a child?

When selecting books for children, it's important to retain 
honesty and validate how it feels to grow up.

Good children's literature is open ended 
in that it allows children to find answers for themselves.

Children's literature has a core of hope.

What age is your inner reader?

So, I put books in the hands of children. I'm a Gatekeeper. (Okay, trying to shake the "Ghostbusters" images. This might take a moment or two.)

Ahem. Mostly it's an process that has become instinct. I build a relationship with a student, figure him out, and match him to (I pray) the ONE BOOK that changes everything. Sometimes the process is habit. I don't much care for those moments. I'm not proud of them. Don't you think I should be ATTENTIVELY putting the ONE BOOK into her hands? Yeah, me too.

Here's the thing about hearing another passionate Gatekeeper: it jump starts my battery. The end of a school year leaves me with a battered, broken down attitude. Man, I'm tired. It's not that I'm dispassionate, I'm depleted. Thanks to Molly, I am able to get my engine running and store up energy. GALVANIZED.

That's energy I'm going to put into matching the ONE BOOK to each student.

It's a good day, Friends, and I have a dream job.

First lines . . . the second

"Troy knew IT WAS WRONG."

Football Genius by Tim Green

Image from TitlePeek

Making a Difference

The world is so big and humans are so small. I am frequently overwhelmed by the need in my community, state, country, and the world. How to make a difference when I am but one? Well, as Desmond Tutu says, "Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good together that overwhelm the world."

In honor of doing a little bit of good, take a look at the following books:

One Hen by Katie Smith Milway

Image from Novelist

Through a community loan program, Kojo is able to purchase one chicken which helps lift him, his family, and his community out of poverty.

Wangari's Trees of Peace by Jeanette Winter

Image from LibraryThing

Wangari Maathai left her forested homeland to pursue education. Upon her return she realized that thousands of acres had been cut down. This book shares the story of her efforts to replant these trees with the help of women's groups. 

More Christmas Stories

Christmas stories for the middle grades that reach beyond the basic to a deeper message can be hard to find. Here are my two picks for the season:

The Christmas Rat by Avi

Image from TitlePeek

Eric meets Anjela Gabrail while stuck at home alone. Anje, as he's called, is a large man with white-blond hair who wears wing emblems on his ball cap.  (An allusion to the Angel Gabriel, found in Christian, Jewish, and Islamic stories.) 

As a building exterminator, Anje recruits Eric to help him kill the lone rat living in the basement. In this suspenseful story, Eric struggles with good vs. evil and comes to a surprising conclusion about the "Christmas Rat."

The Last Holiday Concert by Andrew Clements

Image from TitlePeek

Evan Hart, tasked with running the school holiday concert after an unfortunate rubber band incident, learns that being popular is not the same as being a leader. Who knew getting kids to sing could be so tough? And who knew that Evan's efforts would become so earnest?

I can't resist including the quote below from Andrew Clements. Happy Reading!

"Sometimes kids ask how I've been able to write so many books. The answer is simple: one word at a time. Which is a good lesson, I think. You don't have to do everything at once. You don't have to know how every story is going to end. You just have to take that next step, look for that next idea, write that next word. And growing up, it's the same way. We just have to go to that next class, read that next chapter, help that next person. You simply have to do that next good thing, and before you know it, you're living a good life."