What's in a name?

One of my colleagues is pregnant and we're all having a great time trying to guess the name she and her husband have selected for their baby. It's all in good fun since we know we can't break her and she seems pretty confident that we won't figure it out. I can't blame her for keeping this important information under wraps. She knows that once we meet the baby and learn her name, we'll all agree that it's the perfect fit. To disclose this valuable information prematurely unnecessarily opens the soon-to-be parents up to undesired comments and criticism. My own mom will read this blog and likely call or email soon thereafter to ask if this is about "Jonah" so before I go on - no Mom, I assure you I'm over it and I love you.

Implicit in the comments and criticism about baby name selection is the recognition that names are very important and people genuinely want to help you avoid a major potential blunder of parenthood.

Storytelling Magic

The magic of amazing storytelling is alive and well with the latest installment of Harry Potter films. Harry Potter and the Deathly Halllows, Part 1, is a fabulous movie that plays on every emotion. I laughed, I cried, I screamed in terror and I squealed with delight. It all began with an outstanding book that led to an unparalleled series that led to a brilliant movie franchise. Don't forget the theme park, the merchandise, the games, the Halloween costumes. The Harry Potter series is a reminder of the importance of quality and authenticity in storytelling. Each child is the author of his or her own story. We need to remind our children of the importance of quality and authenticity in their own storytelling.  These are necessary ingredients if you want to make magic!

What I'm Reading Now (and urge you to read too!)

As I begin to emerge from my Thanksgiving-induced coma, it occurs to me that I didn't blog yesterday and, as a result, have not yet written about the most amazing book I just finished. As my dad would say, I shall sum it up thus-ly: Daisy Whitney's The Mockingbirds should be required reading in high school. This story about date rape at a posh boarding school provides an important lesson on what constitutes date rape while, at the same time, deftly exploring the emotions of the victim that range from confusion to shame to empowerment and recovery.

The school is presented as an elite school where the administration believes that the student body is unflinching in their adherence to the Themis code of conduct (somehow this makes me think of the Winklevoss twin in the movie The Social Network who refused to hire a thug to maim Mark Zuckerberg or a lawyer to sue him because "We are men of Harvard"). Since the administration refuses to acknowledge that any wrongdoing could ever be wrought by a Themis student, there are no systems in place if a student misbehaves. It turns out that some Themis students are, in fact, so perfect that they developed a peer review tribunal of sorts to deal with the alleged behavioral transgressions to which the administration turns a blind eye. The teen protagonist, Alex, appeals to this tribunal, the Mockingbirds, whose perspective on justice channels both Atticus Finch and Boo Radley.

The book is clearly and beautifully inspired by To Kill a Mockingbird and evokes the classic novel elegantly (much the same way Rebecca Stead evoked A Wrinkle in Time in the 2009 hit/2010 Newbery Medal winner When You Reach Me).

Date rape is a serious offense that parents need to responsibly discuss with their kids, both from the perspective of teaching proper behavior and from the perspective of educating and empowering possible future victims. Daisy Whitney has written a readable road map that engages and grips the reader and gets to the heart of a critical matter.

On second thought, The Mockingbirds should be required reading in high school and required reading by parents of teens.

When Jeff and I moved to New York from Toronto many years ago B.C. ("before children"), Jeff's uncle's family, in Westfield, NJ and Nyack, NY, welcomed us into their homes and hearts and invited us to join them for Thanksgiving dinner. Both the invitation and the experience itself were, at least to us, straight out of a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie. The food was, of course, delicious, memorable and plentiful. The atmosphere was warm, welcoming, familial and festive. We were so thankful to be part of such a meaningful celebration with such extra special people. We were delighted to be invited back the next year. In the years that have followed, spending Thanksgiving with the Chernicks and Maleks has become one of our favorite annual traditions.

Yesterday, we finally had the opportunity to repay the kindness and host our adoptive family for Thanksgiving. There is an indescribable feeling that sets in when you are able to use this particular holiday as a way of genuinely saying thank you. Together we feasted and ate ourselves into oblivion. How, then, is it possible that I was hungry when I woke up this morning?! I must have a parasite or several! In any event, hosting Thanksgiving means you get the majority of the leftovers and sweet potatoes are delicious, hot or cold, the next morning, even if the kids have already scraped all the toasted marshmallows off the top. After re-tasting every dish we served last night and basking in the memory of our children goofing around unselfconsciously with their great uncle and our hostess from the last several years finally having the time to relax and enjoy the holiday, it was easy to conclude that our Thanksgiving celebration was a great success. Good food, good times!

And don't forget the good books! For the Pre-K through 3rd grade set, I have always been particularly fond of the Franklin books and, not surprisingly, there's one befitting the holiday. Stepping outside of the box, though, given that food is a major component of the holiday, it's nice to consider some great food-related books that don't necessarily have a Thanksgiving theme. Here's an interesting hodge-podge:

Keith Baker's awesome picture book is a great take on the alphabet with a little help from some beloved veggies.

Judi Barrett's legendary tale from the land of Chewandswallow never gets old!

Rozanne Gold's tantalizing new cookbook is already an award winner in our home. Her Creamy Potato Gratin  (p.278) made it to our Thanksgiving buffet and is a great representative sample from a book that boasts "Brilliant Flavors with Breathtaking Ease"

 

 

 

I'm not one to shy away from controversy. While Thanksgiving and excessive eating conjure up good feelings in most of us, this has to be an excruciatingly difficult time for the many people out there suffering from eating disorders. Laurie Halse Anderson's Wintergirls is an emotionally wrenching, important book for the 12 and up crowd. Anorexia and bulimia are serious illnesses that kids need to understand and Halse writes in a style that speaks to them.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Wishing you and your loved ones a joyous holiday.

Be sure to look out for the Diary of a Wimpy Kid's Greg Heffley balloon during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade tomorrow.

And look for my next post on Friday, November 26.

Kiss my math! Get it?

A friend recently asked if I'd consider blogging about math because her daughter hates math and she's feeling desperate for ideas. At some point kids begin to understand that math plays a role in our everyday lives - from shopping to adding up the check in a restaurant to following scores, stats and standings. But when you're in the middle of a math meltdown, none of this seems to matter.

My family is a very pro-Tylenol family. We concluded long ago that there's a Tylenol for virtually every ailment and once you match the ailment with the specialized Tylenol capsule, you're off to the races. Yes, regardless of what's ailing you, there's a Tylenol for that. Since books became such a big part of my professional life a little over four years ago, my new refrain is - say it with me - there's a BOOK for that. Believe it or not, books can even make math fun. Here are a few favorites:

Maybe we should start saying, "There's a Scieszka for that". This one's a brilliant Jon Scieszka/Lane Smith collaboration that's a winner for 4-8 year olds (and still a fun read for 8-12 year olds). 

Greg Tang's book is perfect for 7-11 year olds. Tang has a solid list of fun math titles,
including Math-terpieces and  Math for All Seasons

The Sir Cumference series by Cindy Neuschwander comprises great stories that just happen to have math lessons built in. A great choice for 8-11 year olds


Finally, once kids head into middle school, they might enjoy any of the several books written by Danica McKellar. You may know this math whiz best as Winnie from The Wonder years but this young woman loves math and she can write and your kids may enjoy the fact that she was once a famous TV star.

Her titles, Kiss My Math, Math Doesn't Suck and Hot X: Algebra Exposed just may turn your middle schooler on to the cooler side of math.

Giving Thanks

There is nothing quite like American Thanksgiving. I grew up in Canada and, though there is a Canadian Thanksgiving, which falls on or around Columbus Day, it's simply not the same thing. I don't believe there is a single Canadian holiday that is celebrated by everyone, regardless of religion, race, culture or creed. But in America, Thanksgiving is celebrated by everyone and, as a result, it's the happiest day of the year. At least that's my experience. I quite like the ideal of everyone across the country contemplating their circumstance and giving thanks. I give thanks for my family, my friends, my work, my colleagues, my dog - but most, of all, for my husband and our daughters. For this reason's, President Barack Obama's recently released children's book, Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters, illustrated by the immensely talented Loren Long, speaks to my heart. The book is a "tribute to thirteen groundbreaking Americans and the ideals that have shaped our nation". I am touched by the President's decision to tell the stories of great Americans in the form of a loving letter to his daughters, in whom he recognizes and appreciates the traits of the heroes whose stories he tells, and also by the fact that proceeds from the book will be donated to a scholarship fund for the children of fallen and disabled soldiers serving our nation. What's more - I love this book - it's a beautiful and meaningful tribute that should probably reside in every American home next to a copy of Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out.