How Do You Live?, the timeless Japanese classic translates effortlessly

After reading How Do You Live? you understand the book’s title on a much deeper level. On the surface one could surmise that How Do You Live? is a reflective book encouraging readers to take stock in their lives. It does have elements of that, but it’s not a personality Rorschach Test. Instead, How Do You Live? is one of the most popular Japanese books ever and has been a children’s book staple for generations. It’s scheduled to be the final anime film from Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli and was initially published in Japan in 1937. It’s also a very intelligent book that encourages thinking, introspection, and observations on various aspects of world culture. From an American teacher’s perspective, How Do You Live? is the book that you want your middle and high school students to read, but you know that less than 5% of them dig into the book for leisure reading, but more on that in a moment.

How Do You Live?, wow-it’s mglit that’s smart, timeless, inspiring and makes you a better person for reading it. It’s also challenging to describe and potentially frustrating for middle school readers.
For the smart kids, or those that want to be

Outside Nowhere is something great for mglit readers

The adage, “Don’t judge a book by its cover” exists for a reason. Outside Nowhere is another book that exemplifies why it’s important not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Now that I’ve got two potentially outdated metaphors out of my system, let’s get on with the process of talking about a book that grades six and up will love, if they give it a chance. The book’s cover throws up a potential roadblock to mglit readers in that it shows a teenage kid, wearing a suit, with his back to the reader, looking at a farm. Every young reader knows that nothing fun ever happens on a farm so what’s the point in reading Outside Nowhere anyway? But gird your loins mglit readers, hold on because once you dig into Outside Nowhere you’ll discover a novel that brims with comedy, has snappy dialogue with jokes and one-liners that you wish you could say in real time, and a surprising science-fiction twist that reveals the heart of the book.

Outside Nowhere uses snappy, funny dialogue, a sense of wonder, mystery and ultimately redemption in this mglit home run.
don’t judge a something by its something something…..

Six Flags Over Georgia parking tips and a culinary trick

The current rage in our area for kids aged 14 and up is to go on roller coasters. I feel as if I’m 85 years old when I write that statement. Roller coasters and thrill rides are a constant and when I was 14 years old, much to the bewilderment of my parents, I wanted to go on them too. The bewilderment is still a constant, but this time it’s our 14-year-old who was slightly bemused (or secretly pleased), that I wanted to go on the rides now. Parents of thrill ride kids have it coming when they have to the chaperone and when it was my turn to visit Six Flags Over Georgia I did my homework.

We went to Six Flags Over Georgia and found the best, most affordable way to park. It was also a chance for us to utilize our go-to theme park eating strategy.
I love theme parks….and saving money

Tell Me About Space is proof that a board book can extend where you think it is

One of my favorite family photos is of our oldest son, who was approximately 18 months old at the time, lying on his stomach while reading a board book. In that case it was one of the classic Eric Carle books in board book form, but it was the format of the book and not necessarily its content that captivated our child. The only constant about board books are their thick pages, which is just a defense mechanism against teething small creatures. Tell Me About Space is a board book, but it has more in common with the STEM-based books that we’ve previously talked about than the Carle book that our child was gnawing on.

Tell Me About Space is the smart, STEM board book that wanted read to you when you were two-years old.
Smart board books are great for us all

The Tale of Despereaux has a reason to celebrate its 20th Anniversary        

Why should books celebrate their anniversary? Every book is not worthy of celebrating its initial publishing date. The mere passage of time doesn’t make most books better; however, in some cases, it can celebrate their timelessness. Originally published in 2003 The Tale of Despereaux has a newly available Deluxe Anniversary Edition available now. There’s nothing magical that makes twenty years special, it’s the fact that The Tale of Despereaux crackles as kidlit. Moreover, it’s written and presented in a manner that makes those mid-elementary school students want to read it.

The Tale of Despereaux turns 20 and celebrates with a new short story and a chance to introduce this modern classic to kids who didn’t know.
Don’t call it a comeback, this book has always been a classic

The Real Story is a very funny illustrated book on intentional tall tales

You can tell the children’s authors or illustrators that can inhabit the soul of their books. It’s those books or characters that ooze effortless charm. They can jump into the psyche of their young audience and create a book they, themselves, would want to read if they could travel back in time. They are the books that all but read themselves to young audiences. Sergio Ruzzier creates children’s illustrated books that saddle up to emerging readers in the most charming of ways. Initially, his illustrations might seem like a rip-off because you’ll feel as if you’ve seen them before. However, such is the nature of a timeless creation that’s so utterly comfortable with its audience. The Real Story is one of those examples in that its characters; even from looking at them on the book’s cover feel like they’re having a conversation that a three through eight-year-old might be having.  

The Real Story is a sublime illustrated book that uses its intelligence and creativity to be funny, really laugh-out-loud funny for ages three and up.
This book is an instant classic yo

There’s Something in the Barn, horror fare that serves two masters

The line between peanut butter and chocolate mixture is a fine one, isn’t it? I try to make chocolate, and peanut butter pretzels every December, and while edible, they always fall short of how perfect they should taste. Christmas horror films are like my erstwhile Reese’s concoction too; if there’s too much horror and gore then it will limit its audience, but if it aims for the funnier route then the jokes have to hit. There’s Something in the Barn has a great premise and nails the first hour; but then, akin to the cake that’s risen well up until the end, it falls just a bit flat.

There’s Something in the Barn has a great premise and will satiate holiday horror fans at a base level, but leave them wanting more.

It’s enjoyable, but we wanted more

Merry and Hark: A Christmas Story, ‘non-fiction’ seasonal “who” dunnit

The rub about a children’s non-fiction illustrated book that’s “inspired by” a real-life happening is that it helps to have some bearing on how much of the story is true. That’s because the audience that you’re reading it to is more than likely to have questions about the characters or a tangential story that they want to share. I was unaware of the true story behind Merry and Hark: A Christmas Story, yet when I finished reading it my first thought was that this seems like it could be a true story. However, thinking like any good attorney does, I’m not prepared to ask a question unless I already know the answer.

Merry and Hark: A Christmas Story is ‘inspired by the true story’ of a tree, its original inhabitant, and what happened when it moved.
Kids will find it cute, but beware the questions…..
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