Visited Montolieu today which is known as the town of #books. Sadly I don’t read or speak French (sorry @monsieurraccoon ) otherwise this would be my dream. Maybe it’s a good thing because I probably would’ve bought everything. We did get some beautiful French children’s books for the little one though.
The family house we are located in Southern France is old, like really old, centuries old. Upstairs there is a bookshelf filled with what I think are world encyclopedias dating to the 1800s. We had to move them today because they weigh over 3,000 pounds and the floor beneath them is about to give way. You can’t tell from this picture, but the floor underneath this book case slants, big time. The floor is completely warped. We moved them downstairs today. #Bookstagram related? Maybe?
Photo dump. Hanging in the middle of nowhere Southern France for the next three weeks with family. Ready to reset and hug loved ones we haven’t seen in far too long. Did I pack far too many books? Well, this is #bookstagram so I’ll let you answer that…..Hope y’all get a summer slowdown these next few months.
Well, I made it. I’m ready for this summer to heal and collect my thoughts. I am ready to reflect and most importantly rest. My therapist asked me this year what is the biggest way you changed as a teacher, and I’d say I have become infinitely more compassionate and much more vocal when I don’t think things are right for the kids. There are so many chasms in our public education system as it stands, and if I sit and think about it for too long it fills me with a rage so deep that I can find it hard to breathe. I don’t know how much longer I will be a teacher, but I don’t think I am done yet. There is still so much I want to accomplish in the classroom, and there is still no greater feeling for me than filling a kid’s heart with joy. At the end of the day it is the small moments that have sustained me and although this year was total crap we truly made the most of it. Kids have so much to offer and teach us, if only more were willing to open their hearts and listen. But to all my teachers leaving the profession, I see you, I love you and I hope you are so proud of yourself. I know I will take the time and space I need to refill my soul this summer and continue learning, because next year it is f****ing on.
#TeachersofInstagram #TeachersofBookstagram #MiddleGradeLit #summer
Palimpsest (noun): 1. Writing material (such as parchment or tablet) used one or more times after earlier writing has been erased. 2. Something having usually diverse layers or aspects apparent beneath the surface.
Lisa Wool-Rim Sjöblom is one of thousands of adopted children from South Korea around the world between the 1970s and 1980s. Adopted by Swedish parents when she was two years old, she goes to South Korea to try to find her birth mother and father. Throughout her investigation she uncovers some horrifying truths that definitely left me aghast. She is consistently subverted and lied to. The injustice of it all was heartbreaking and felt intimate. With each documentation she finds there are only more questions and less answers.
Graphic memoirs are truly a special genre, and this one is a standout. The pages emanate a certain warmth although there is nothing comfortable about her journey to discover this part of her past. But it melts your heart to know the people who fought for her to find the truth, understanding that everyone has a right to know their past.
I recently saw something on teacher twitter, someone asked what is something every child should know and study when they go to school and another educator said, “the space and knowledge to be able to research at least three generations back into their family tree.” And I don’t know I felt like there was something powerful in that. Would some of us feel more grounded if we had more knowledge of our ancestral history? What if we were given the space, freedom, and most importantly the safety to research that? I do think it is within everyone’s right to be able to know where they came from, and whether they take the opportunity or not is up to them and it is nobody else’s business. Thank you to Lisa Wool-Rim Sjöblom for sharing your journey with us.
[ID: The graphic novel Palimpsest resting on a bed of green shrubs]
#palimpsest #graphicnovels #graphicmemoir #bookstagram #alwaysreading #bookstagrammer #losangelesreaders
I was feeling pretty unmotivated to read this month. So when I cracked open Amari and the Night Brothers it was the perfect time. A comfortable, fast paced read filled with magic and mystery, Amari must navigate several trials in order to become a Junior Agent at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. It’s the only way she can find out what happened to her brother, Quinton, who disappeared.
Readers of all ages will enjoy this wild ride, especially those who have a particular love for science fiction and fantasy. As a teacher I loved this because it was so readable and I thought of my readers that sometimes have difficulty reading being able to pick this one up and get sucked in. I know some other series featuring magic can sometimes feel too complicated and the language hard to follow. It can be discouraging. I can’t wait to put this book into my class library (now I apologize to my current class because they’ve been waiting for me to finish, hehe, don’t worry y’all I’ll get a few more copies).
If you know a young reader in your life definitely get this for them, if you’re looking to rediscover some magic from your childhood, I hope you pick this up too. It deserves all the attention. Also can we talk about this cover? Because holy moly it is beautiful.
[ID: The book AMARI AND THE NIGHT BROTHERS resting on a cream colored blanket]
#MiddleGradeLit #ITeachFourth #AmariandtheNightBrothers #WeLoveMGLit #bookstagram #teachergram #fantasybooks
