Buckling Bookshelves

Updates + Some News!

2018-10-19T14:51:00.000-04:00

There are a whole lot of reasons I haven't been posting much these days, but one of my favorite distractions of late has been a bit of exciting news...

We are expecting a little girl at the end of January! I am so looking forward to reading all the baby books with her that my son has been outgrowing. And I will also admit, I won't mind one bit being the main decision-maker on storytime choices again -- at least for a little while!

My son has started 3-year old nursery school (and LOVES it), so those extra blocks of child-free time have been much appreciated. It is really incredible though how quickly school mornings fly by. Both my To-Do and Would-Like-To-Do lists always seem so much more doable at drop-off time than when pick-up time creeps closer and closer!

It has been harder to find the time to blog regularly, but I really do miss it. I've said this before, but I have tons of ideas swirling around for blog posts -- it's just the practicalities of getting them out of my brain and onto the screen! In case you missed it, I did start a bookish Instagram account (find me @bucklingbookshelves) and I've been a bit more consistent posting over there. I also update my Goodreads account very regularly if you're wondering what I've been reading lately -- if we haven't connected on Goodreads yet, let's be friends!

The thing is, I'm finding I usually prefer to spend my limited spare time actually READING than writing about reading -- which is somewhat unfortunate because I'd really like to do both! But I also need to remind myself that 1. I don't need to be spending hours on long blog posts and 2. meticulous editing is unnecessary (I blame the perfectionist in me!) in order to be more active here again. Come January, we will be onto a brand new phase and life will (happily) be turned a bit upside down again. Hopefully between now and then I'll figure out a rhythm that works better for me -- and then I'll get to figure it out all over again in the new year :)

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P.S. You may -- or may not! -- have noticed the blog has a new look. I previously had a background I really loved, but it was a freebie and one day I logged in to see it had simply vanished. I don't know exactly how all that works, but I certainly didn't want a completely blank background, so I quickly threw up a photo of my own bookshelves. I wasn't sure that was going to be permanent solution, but I've decided I rather like it!

September Caldecott Calendar: Start of School + Banned Books Week

2018-09-26T10:20:00.003-04:00

September means back to school time (at least where we live!) and the last week of September is always Banned Books Week. It truly fascinates me which titles make the frequently challenged lists the American Library Association releases every year, as well as all the other lists they’ve compiled with the data they’ve been collecting for nearly three decades now.

I’m a firm believer that not every book is for every reader and that parents do have a say in what their own (younger) children read, but one person’s preferences or objections shouldn’t dictate other people’s access (or lack thereof) to books. And believe it or not, quite a few Caldecott books have made the various frequently challenged lists I've read (see below for links/references.)

All of my posts for this project (including updates) can be found here or by clicking on 'Caldecott Calendar' in the header up top. My personal favorites will be marked with an asterisk (*). This post may be updated to correct errors, omissions, etc. as we go. Let me know in the comments if you notice anything that should be fixed or added!

Start of School

A Pocketful of Cricket, written by Rebecca Caudill & illustrated by Evaline Ness

1965 Caldecott Honor

Banned Books Week
(Last week of September; 23rd-29th in 2018)

This list was compiled with the help of the following resources:
Frequently Challenged Children's Books (ALA website)
Challenged Picture Books (Scholastic website)
Banned and Challenged Picture Books (Edmonton Public Library website)
Books Under Fire: A Hit List of Banned and Challenged Children's Books, book written by Pat R. Scales

*Strega Nona, written & illustrated by Tomie DePaola

1976 Caldecott Honor

Smoky Night, written by Eve Bunting & illustrated by David Diaz

1995 Caldecott Medal

Saint George and the Dragon: A Golden Legend, adapted by Margaret Hodges & illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman

1985 Caldecott Medal

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, written & illustrated by William Steig

1970 Caldecott Medal

*Where the Wild Things Are, written & illustrated by Maurice Sendak

1964 Caldecott Medal

Tar Beach, written & illustrated by Faith Ringgold

1992 Caldecott Honor

Little Red Riding Hood, retold & illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman

1984 Caldecott Honor

Outside Over There, written & illustrated by Maurice Sendak

1982 Caldecott Honor

The Amazing Bone, written & illustrated by William Steig

1977 Caldecott Honor

In the Night Kitchen, written & illustrated by Maurice Sendak

1971 Caldecott Honor

*The Snowy Day, written & illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats

1963 Caldecott Medal

Crow Boy, written & illustrated by Taro Yashima

1956 Caldecott Honor

If I Ran the Zoo, written & illustrated by Dr. Seuss

1951 Caldecott Honor

They Were Strong and Good, written & illustrated by Robert Lawson

1941 Caldecott Medal

Buckling Bookshelves is now on Instagram!

2018-09-23T21:32:00.000-04:00

So, I finally caved and started a dedicated bookstagram account separate from my personal account. I've been having fun playing around with it so far and I'd love if you'd come check out my feed if you use Instagram! You can find me @bucklingbookshelves and I'll embed a recent post below.

I've admittedly been posting more on Instagram recently than I have been here on the blog. But I do have a whole bunch of blog post ideas swirling around in my head I'm hoping to get out of my brain and onto the screen now that summer is over and my son and I are getting settled into his new nursery school routine. (Side note: HOW is he old enough for nursery school already?!?!?)

View this post on Instagram

My book and my tea mug match today! Isn’t @carrottoppapershop’s new Anne of Green Gables mug just beautiful! 😍😍😍 • Note to self: I need to pull out more book darts before I dive back into this wonderful story 📖 • Swipe to see all 3 Anne quotes! 📚📚📚 • Anne of Avonlea @tundrabooks edition with cover art by @elly.mackay ❤️ • • • • • #anneofgreengables #anneofavonlea #lmmontgomery #bookishmug #tea #teamug #carrottoppapershop #bookquotes #anneofgreengablesquote #lmmontgomeryquotes #classics #classicbooks #readingtheclassics #classicliterature #childrensclassics #theclassicsclub #ccwhatimreading #theunreadshelfproject2018 #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcovers

A post shared by Christine (@bucklingbookshelves) on Sep 19, 2018 at 6:06am PDT

(Side note #2: I actually finished this book last night and I'm just in love with Anne -- bring on the rest of the series!)

Earlier today I put up the first of what will be several IG posts for Banned Books Week, starting with banned/challenged classics I have on my shelves. There's more to come throughout the week on Instagram and I will also definitely be posting my next Caldecott Calendar entry here on the blog featuring all the Medal and Honor books that have been banned/challenged over the years.

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Are you on bookstagram? Leave me your handle in the comments so I can check out your feed, too!

June-September Caldecott Calendar: Father's Day + Summer

2018-06-13T09:32:00.000-04:00

Late again! I found very little specifically for June, July, or August so I'm combining those couple titles into this summer installment of my Caldecott Calendar.

Father's Day

Owl Moon, written by Jane Yolen & illustrated by John Schoenherr

1988 Caldecott Medal
A snowy, winter setting doesn't exactly fit with this time of year (in the Northern Hemisphere, anyway!) but it's the only Caldecott book focusing on a father and child that I've been able to find so far!

Summer

The Glorious Flight: Across the Channel with Louis Bleriot July 25, 1909, written & illustrated by Alice & Martin Provensen

1984 Caldecott Medal
This non-fiction picture book chronicles all the work leading up to a milestone flight over 100 years ago.

*A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever, written & illustrated by Marla Frazee

2009 Caldecott Honor

I just love Marla Frazee's illustrations -- and the contradictions between the text and the artwork are hilarious! A perfect, fun summer read.

Flotsam, illustrated by David Wiesner

2007 Caldecot Medal

A wordless summer beach adventure/mystery.

Blackout, written & illustrated by John Rocco

2012 Caldecott Honor
It isn't summer without at least one blackout, right?

This One Summer, written by Mariko Tamaki & illustrated by Jillian Tamaki

2015 Caldecott Honor

This is a YA graphic novel which is unusual for a Caldecott pick and definitely not for little kids. It also received a Printz Honor.

Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888, written by Ernest Lawrence Thayer & illustrated by Christopher H. Bing

2001 Caldecott Honor
Summer and baseball just go together, so it seems a good time of year to read this a classic poem.

McElligot's Pool, written & illustrated by Dr. Seuss
1948 Caldecott Honor
It's never been one of my own pastimes, but fishing still makes me think of summer!

*The Relatives Came, written by Cynthia Rylant & illustrated by Stephen Gammell

1986 Caldecott Honor

My son loves this book -- and it has a pretty stellar combination of author and illustrator, if you ask me!

*Blueberries for Sal, written & illustrated by Robert McCloskey

1949 Caldecott Honor
A classic for a reason!

Time of Wonder, written & illustrated by Robert McCloskey
1958 Caldecott Medal
A lengthy, gentle summertime book.

One Morning in Maine, written & illustrated by Robert McCloskey
1953 Caldecott Honor

A time of year isn't stated in the text, but I think of this as a summer book!

*The Storm Book, written by Charlotte Zolotow & illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham

1953 Caldecott Honor
As we are expecting a summer storm today, this one is feeling particularly seasonally appropriate!

Houses from the Sea, written by Alice E. Goudey & illustrated by Adrienne Adams

1960 Caldecott Honor
A day at the beach collecting seashells is classic summer.

The Moon Jumpers by Janice May Udry, Maurice Sendak
1960 Caldecott Honor
This lesser known Sendak book takes place on a moonlit summer night.

Hide and Seek Fog, written by Alvin Tresselt & illustrated by Roger Duvoisin
1966 Caldecott Honor
A fog rolls into a village by the sea.

Updated: September 26, 2018

May Caldecott Calendar: Jewish-American Heritage Month & Mother's Day

2018-05-26T22:59:00.003-04:00

Goodness gracious I'm running late this month! I wasn't realizing I'd end up with three Caldecott posts for April and in the meantime, a certain small someone decided naps aren't really his thing anymore, so let's just say we've been in an adjustment period around here. Better late than never, right?

Jewish-American Heritage Month

Golem by David Wisniewski
1997 Caldecott Medal
Picture book re-telling of a Jewish legend.

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat written & illustrated by Simms Taback
2000 Caldecott Medal
Based on a Yiddish folk song.

Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins written by Eric A. Kimmel & illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
1990 Caldecott Honor
May is certainly not the right time of year for Hanukkah, but I'll include it here as well as the December list.

Mother's Day

A Chair for My Mother, written & illustrated by Vera B. Williams

1983 Caldecott Honor

Rosa helps save up money to buy her mother a comfortable chair after their home is destroyed in a fire.

The Boy of the Three-Year Nap, written by Dianne Snyder & illustrated by Allen Say

1989 Caldecott Honor
A clever mother outwits her lazy son.

Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present, written by Charlotte Zolotow & illustrated by Maurice Sendak

1963 Caldecott Honor

Mr. Rabbit helps a little girl figure out what to get her mother for her birthday.

My Mother is the Most Beautiful Woman in the World, written by Becky Reyher & illustrated by Ruth Chrisman Gannett
1946 Caldecott Honor
A sweet story based on a Russian proverb.

New-to-Me Blog: Kids Books Worth Reading

2018-05-03T19:49:00.001-04:00

I've been wanting to share some links to Kids Books Worth Reading in my last couple of Links I'm Loving Lately round-ups, but thought they really deserved their own post. I found this new-to-me blog via Everyday Reading's How to Make Using the Library Less Stressful series. For that series, Janssen tackled common library challenges with the help of a bunch of other book-loving parents, librarians, bloggers, and podcasters. Kids Books Worth Reading was on the list of contributors and piqued my interest because it's run by Janssen's mom!

From her blog description:

"Are you looking for Children and Young Adult books that are worth reading? You’ve come to the right place! I have a master list of over 700 titles to share. My purpose with this blog is to share book titles that most parents today have either forgotten about or never heard of in the first place."

Carole is a mom and grandma who homeschooled for 15 years and has a degree in English Literature. She has said her posts are recommendations rather than "reviews" and typically includes a description of the book and some thoughts on why she recommends it. She also lists reading level, number of pages, publication year, and any relevant awards. Posts tend to be short and I just love that! I like both the blog and Instagram account, but they do share roughly the same information, depending on where you might prefer to follow along.

There is a definite focus on older books and that might not be for everyone. I do not feel there is an intention to make any kind of judgement against newer books or books not featured on this site -- she's just sharing under-the-radar books from her extensive reading experience with her family she hopes others will love too. (And there are some newer titles, they just aren't as prevalent). I particularly love learning about older Newbery titles I haven't seen before as well as reading recommendations for books I own but haven't read yet -- seeing another vote in their favor gives those titles a little boost on the old TBR stack! This site has been a great addition to my children's book resources.

To give a feel for the site, I thought I'd share some links to a sampling of posts I've enjoyed:

Books I Bought After Seeing Them Featured:

*The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs by Betty G. Birney (2005)

*Profiles in Courage by John F. Kennedy (1955)

*Fog Magic by Julia L. Sauer (1943)

*Mary on Horseback: Three Mountain Stories by Rosemary Wells (1998)

Books I Already Own (and really should read)

*The Time Cat: The Remarkable Journeys of Jason and Gareth by Lloyd Alexander (1963)

*Tales from Dimwood Forest series by Avi (1995 – 2009)

*Shakespeare Stories & Shakespeare Stories II by Leon Garfield (1985 & 1994)

*Redwall Series (22 volumes!!) by Brian Jacques (1986 – 2011)

Books Added to My Wishlist

*The Year of Miss Agnes by Kirkpatrick Hill (2000)

*The Light at Tern Rock by Julia L. Sauer (1951)

Check out more:

Kids Books Worth Reading

@childrensbooksworthreading on Instagram

And, of course, I love Everyday Reading too!

April Caldecott Calendar: National Poetry Month & Jazz Appreciation Month

2018-04-23T14:34:00.002-04:00

This should be the final April installement of my Caldecott Calendar project. All of my posts for this project (including updates) can be found here or by clicking on 'Caldecott Calendar' in the header up top. My personal favorites will be marked with an asterisk (*). This post may be updated to correct errors, omissions, etc. as we go. Let me know in the comments if you notice anything that should be fixed or added!

National Poetry Month

To celebrate National Poetry Month, I've rounded up the books clearly marked as including poems or nursery rhymes, as well as any other titles that are particularly poetic/lyrical. I've tried no

*A Child's Calendar, poems by John Updike & illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman

2000 Caldecott Honor

Trina Schart Hyman is a favorite illustrator of mine!

Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors, written by Joyce Sidman & illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski
2010 Caldecott Honor

A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers written by Nancy Willard & illustrated by Alice & Martin Provensen

1982 Caldecott Honor

*Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems, written by Joyce Sidman & illustrated by Beckie Prange

2006 Caldecott Honor

I featured this title once already on the list for Earth Day and it works for spring as well -- it's doing triple duty as an April book!

Noah's Ark, written & illustrated by Peter Spier

1978 Caldecott Medal

This nearly wordless picture book includes the text of a translated poem 'The Flood' by Jacobus Revius on a single page near the beginning.

*All the World, written by Liz Garton Scanlon & illustratee by Marla Frazee

2010 Caldecott Honor

The brevity and careful word choice of picture books means many could be considered to have poetic text, but I'm going to be selective in making that determination -- and this one certainly qualifies!

The Rooster Crows: A Book of American Rhymes and Jingles, written & illustrated by Maud & Miska Petersham

1946 Caldecott Medal

Frog Went A-Courtin', retold by John Langstaff & illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky

1956 Caldecott Medal

An old Scottish ballad written in rhyming couplets.

Freedom in Congo Square, written by Carole Boston Weatherford & illustrated by R. Gregory Christie

2017 Caldecott Honor

This is a rhyming picture book, but really, all of Carole Boston Weatherford's books are poetry!

*Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement, written by Carole Boston Weatherford & illustrated by Ekua Holmes
2016 Caldecott Honor
A biography-in-poems of an incredible woman -- don't miss this one!

Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave, written by Laban Carrick Hill & illustrated by Bryan Collier
2011 Caldecott Honor

A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams, by Jen Bryant, Melissa Sweet
2009 Caldecott Honor
This biographical picture book introduces doctor and poet William Carlos Williams.

The Spider and the Fly, written by Mary Howitt & illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi
2003 Caldecott Honor
This classic cautionary poem is illustrated by the same man who illustrated The Spiderwick Chronicles! This one would be good to read for Halloween as well.

Harlem: A Poem, written by Walter Dean Myers & illustrated by Christopher Myers
1998 Caldecott Honor

Mother Goose: Seventy-seven Verses, illustrated by Tasha Tudor

1945 Caldecott Honor
Mother Goose books are a dime a dozen, but I do have a soft spot for Tasha Tudor's illustrations!

Book of Nursery and Mother Goose Rhymes, illustrated by Marguerite de Angeli

1955 Caldecott Honor
FYI: The cover at really doesn't do the interior artwork justice.

Four and Twenty Blackbirds: Nursery Rhymes of Yesterday Recalled for Children of Today, collected by Helen Dean Fish & illustrated by Robert Lawson

1938 Caldecott Honor

Song of Robin Hood, selected by Anne Malcolmson, music by Grace Castagnetta, designed & illustrated by Virginia Lee Burton

1948 Caldecott Honor

If All the Seas Were One, written & illustrated by Janina Domanska

1972 Caldecott Honor

Picture book of an old nursery rhyme.

The House That Jack Built/La Maison Que Jack A Batie, written & illustrated by Antonio Frasconi

1959 Caldecott Honor

A bi-lingual nursery rhyme picture book

Mother Goose and Nursery Rhymes, illustrated by Philip Reed

1964 Caldecott Honor

Sing Mother Goose, music by Opal Wheeler & illustrated by Marjorie Torrey

1946 Caldecott Honor

Jazz Appreciation Month

Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra, written by Andrea Davis Pinkney & illustrated by Brian Pinkney

1999 Caldecott Honor

Trombone Shorty, written by Troy Andrews; illustrated by Bryan Collier

2016 Caldecott Honor

*Ben's Trumpet, written & illustrated by Rachel Isadora

1980 Caldecott Honor

April Caldecott Calendar: The Week of the Young Child™ + Roget's Thesaurus

2018-04-15T20:42:00.001-04:00

Today I have another April installment of my Caldecott Calendar project. All of my posts for this project (including updates) can be found here or by clicking on 'Caldecott Calendar' in the header up top. My personal favorites will be marked with an asterisk (*). This post may be updated to correct errors, omissions, etc. as we go. Let me know in the comments if you notice anything that should be fixed or added!

The Week of the Young Child™

(This year: April 16-20, 2018)
Hosted by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), The Week of the Young Child™ celebrates early learning, young children, their teachers, and families. I had never heard of it before I started digging around for more events in April beyond the more popular/obvious ones. While one could argue that any and all picture books would be good to read for this event, I thought it would be a good opportunity to round up the Caldecott titles that deal more specifically with childhood experiences.

Waiting, written & illustrated by Kevin Henkes

2016 Caldecott Honor

Waiting is a pretty universal human experience, but it's often particularly difficult for young children.

They All Saw a Cat, written & illustrated by Brendan Wenzel

2017 Caldecott Honor

Learning to see things from different perspectives.

The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend, written & illustrated by Dan Santat

2015 Caldecott Honor

Imaginary friends.

Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, written by Mac Barnett & illustrated by

Jon Klassen

2015 Caldecott Honor

Two boys, a dog, and an outdoor adventure.

Journey, illustrated by Aaron Becker

2014 Caldecott Honor
Boredom and imagination.

Flora and the Flamingo, illustrated by Molly Idle

2014 Caldecott Honor
Awkwardness, practice, and friendship.

Yo! Yes?, written & illustrated by Chris Raschka
1994 Caldecott Honor
Making a friend who seems different than you.

Ella Sarah Gets Dressed, written & illustrated by Margaret Chodos-Irvine

2004 Caldecott Honor
Expressing individuality, the beginning of independence, and making your own choices.

When Sophie Gets Angry -- Really, Really Angry, written & illustrated by Molly Bang

2000 Caldecott Honor

How to handle with big, scary feelings.

No, David!, written & illustrated by David Shannon

1999 Caldecott Honor
What child doesn't constantly hear the word "no"?

*Owen, written & illustrated by Kevin Henkes

1994 Caldecott Honor
Outgrowing a security blanket.

*Olivia, written & illustrated by Ian Falconer

2001 Caldecott Honor

For all the young children bursting with energy (and occasionally getting into mischief.)

*Where the Wild Things Are, written & illustrated by Maurice Sendak

1964 Caldecott Medal

Getting into mischief, wanting to run away, and coming back to those who "love you most of all."

*Frog and Toad Are Friends, written & illustrated by Arnold Lobel

1971 Caldecott Honor

Friendship and everyday adventures.

"More More More," Said the Baby: 3 Love Stories, written & illustrated by Vera B. Williams

1991 Caldecott Honor

Showcases three sweet, loving relationships between babies and parents/grandparents.

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Two about losing a favorite stuffed animal:

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, written & illustrated by Mo Willems

2008 Caldecott Honor

Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity, written & illustrated by Mo Willems

2005 Caldecott Honor

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Two simple counting books filled with childhood wonders and comforts:

Ten, Nine, Eight, written & illustrated by Molly Bang

1984 Caldecott Honor

*1 is One, written & illustrated by Tasha Tudor
1957 Caldecott Honor

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The final five books are stories, lullabies, and prayers specifically for bedtime -- an important (and often challenging!) transition time for young children.

*The House in the Night, written by Susan Marie Swanson & illustrated by Beth Krommes
2009 Caldecott Medal

Sleep Like a Tiger, written by Mary Logue & illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski

2013 Caldecott Honor

*Hush! A Thai Lullaby, written by Minfong Ho & illustrated by Holly Meade

1997 Caldecott Honor

A Child's Good Night Book, written by Margaret Wise Brown & illustrated by Jean Charlot

1944 Caldecott Honor

*Prayer for a Child, written by Rachel Field & illustrated by Elizabeth Orton Jones

1945 Caldecott Medal

Anniversary of the publication of Peter Mark Roget's 1st Thesaurus
(April 29, 1852)

The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus written by Jen Bryant & illustrated by Melissa Sweet

2015 Caldecott Honor

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Added since original posting:
The House in the Night

Last updated: April 16, 2018

Review: The Read-Aloud Family

2018-04-09T15:56:00.000-04:00

The Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with Your Kids by Sarah Mackenzie

Date: March 27, 2018

Format: Paperback + Audible audiobook

How did I get this book? Purchased

Goodreads | Publisher

It's no secret I'm a big fan of Sarah Mackenzie's Read-Aloud Revival podcast. I hardly ever pre-order books, but I pre-ordered this one so I could get her free bonus video class. (And so the book would land on my doorstep on publication day. Ahem.) The last time I started a book on release day was probably Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but The Read-Aloud Family now has that honor as well. Though to be honest, I didn't actually read that pre-ordered paperback copy yet... because it was the Audible edition I dove into as soon as I possibly could. So yes, I purchased the same book in two different formats and I don't regret it one bit. Sarah narrates the audiobook herself and it was a really great way to experience her book because she is so friendly and encouraging -- just like on her podcast! I can tell you right now that I will be re-reading/re-listening -- and probably more than once. I'm a little over the top, I know.

As you can probably already tell, I absolutely loved The Read-Aloud Family. I found it to be inspiring and encouraging as well as giving me a boost of confidence that all the time I spend reading with my toddler son really is time well spent. As with the podcast, it makes a solid case for the value of continuing to read aloud even beyond the time he will someday be able to read on his own. I really loved having the RAR "philosophy" in one coherent place. This book pretty much ties together all the ideas and concepts and approaches from the podcast -- with some new material as well. I think it's important to note that there IS a lot of overlap with the podcast. There were parts I had heard before -- sometimes verbatim -- from previous episodes, but I personally don't feel this diminished the book. First of all, I'm probably in the minority of podcast listeners when I say I've listened to my favorite episodes multiple times. So, 1. I clearly don't mind hearing some of the same stuff on repeat and 2. I probably have a better memory for those repeated bits simply because I have already heard them several times before.

So, yes, I really enjoyed the audiobook, but I'm also glad to have the paper copy as reference -- particularly for the Ask Compelling Questions chapter and the book lists. (However, the Audible edition does include instructions for accessing a printable booklist divided by age if that's the only thing holding you back from going the audio route.) The booklist chapters were done in a really interesting way I haven't personally seen before. Each age grouping has 20 (or so) favorite read-aloud titles, but embedded in the descriptions of those 20 main titles are additional ones to try. So, I'm loving how I can go to the entry for a title I already know I love and find a few others that are similar in some way or that might complement it.

As an avid RAR podcast fan, I was curious how the recommendations would break down in terms of what's already in our home "library," so I did a little tallying:

TOTAL titles: 389

Titles I've Already Read: 96

TBR titles (own, but haven't read): 97

That leaves 196 books I've neither read nor own. Of course, I have heard of many of those remaining titles, but there were more than a few brand-new-to-me as well. Between the TBR books already on our shelves and the other 196, I shouldn't run out of recommendations any time soon!

One final thing to note is that this book is published by Zondervan, a Christian publisher. The author is Catholic and the book is most certainly written from a Christian perspective, including recommendations for favorite Bibles to read aloud. I think there is a whole lot that any family can get out of this book, but if you are of a different faith, this may not be quite what you are looking for. I personally appreciate how Sarah has woven her faith into this particular topic and enjoyed reading her perspective. If you're on the fence, maybe try borrowing it from your library first :)

A New Way of Thinking About DNFs

2018-04-04T15:42:00.002-04:00

When I listen to Anne Bogel's What Should I Read Next? podcast, I typically enjoy the bookish banter and maybe come away with a recommendation or two. What I don't usually come away with is an idea that could majorly change my reading life. But I think that just may have happened with this week's episode.

Anne was interviewing Roxanne Coady, the owner of independent bookstore RJ Julia in Madison, Connecticut. As the pair chatted, they found common ground in frequently abandoning (or at least setting aside) books they start due to the nature of their work. Anne has talked about this many times before, but then Roxanne talked about a shift in her reading life since becoming a bookseller, saying: "I realized the number of books that I could read that were likely to be great was limitless and if I was struggling to get through a book, I owed it to the next book to drop the book that I'm not loving and go on to the next one." And it was one of those proverbial light-bulb moments for me. Her statement made so much sense, but I had never thought of it that way before.

While I'm not completely opposed to DNF'ing books, it's very much a rarity for me. I am absolutely one of those readers who often finds myself wondering, as Anne pointed out, "but what if it's about to get good?" And while I'm well aware books don't have actual feelings, I DO often find myself feeling it's not fair to judge a book I haven't finished. I often feel it's not fair to "give up" on a book I'm already part way through -- especially if it landed on my TBR by way of a trusted source for recommendations. I've already invested time and oftentimes money in that particular title. I chose to pick that book up for a reason and let's be honest, who really likes to admit they were wrong?

So while I doubt Roxanne's philosophy is going to make me a master DNF-er, I am going to reconsider which books I'm thinking about when I wonder whether or not quitting is "fair." It's not like I've never heard similar arguments before: "there are so many good books out there" and "life's too short," just to name two. I've heard them before -- and I even agree with them! But it's still hard to make a judgement against a book that's right in front of me sometimes. It's hard to think of that potential "next great book," particularly if I'm not even sure what I want to pick up next. Sticking with a so-so book until the end often just feels easier, even when it's a slog. But I love Roxanne's optimism about the limitlessness of great books out there, so I'm going to give it a try.

April Caldecott Calendar: April Fools' Day, Easter, Earth Day, & Arbor Day

2018-03-31T14:19:00.001-04:00

A week ago, I gave a little intro to this new Caldecott Calendar project I've started working on. I picked a pretty busy month to start with, so I'm cutting it pretty close here! I will do my best to post further in advance in the future to give some more lead time for anyone trying to read along with the various holidays and seasons.

Please be aware that my intention for this project is to create an informational and organizational resource, not to curate a list of recommendations. I will mark ones I've particularly enjoyed with an asterisk (*), but will include books whether I personally like them or not. And while I am planning to read through all of the Caldecott titles, there will be some included I have not yet been able to read for myself. I will be as comprehensive and accurate as I can, but I still may miss things and need to add/revise lists later on. I will have a permanent tab up top for this project so you can find the latest updates. Please let me know if you notice any errors or omissions as we go!

April Fool's Day
(April 1st)

To the best of my knowledge, there aren't any Caldecott titles about April Fools' Day itself, but I decided the occasion works well for some nonsensical and silly titles from the award list. I've never been much into April Fools', but it still strikes me as an odd overlap that Easter falls on April 1st this year -- that probably won't happen again for some time!

Du Iz Tak? written & illustrated by Carson Ellis

2017 Caldecott Medal

Rain Makes Applesauce, written by Julian Scheer & illustrated by Marvin Bileck

1965 Caldecott Honor

Pop Corn and Ma Goodness, written by Edna Mitchell Preston & illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker

1970 Caldecott Honor

King Bidgood's in the Bathtub written by Audrey Wood & illustrated by Don Wood

1986 Caldecott Honor

A Very Special House, written by Ruth Krauss & illustrated by Maurice Sendak

1954 Caldecott Honor

What Do You Say, Dear?, written by Sesyle Joslin & illustrated by Maurice Sendak
1959 Caldecott Honor

Easter
Easter can be on any date between March 22nd and April 25th, but since it most often falls in April, it has landed on the April list :)

Juanita, written & illustrated by Leo Politi

1949 Caldecott Honor

The Egg Tree, written & illustrated by Katherine Milhous

1951 Caldecott Medal

Earth Day
(April 22nd)

*Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems, written by Joyce Sidman & illustrated by Beckie Prange

2006 Caldecott Honor
This is such an interesting mix of the environment, science, and poetry with really beautiful illustrations.

Gone Wild: An Endangered Animal Alphabet written & illustrated by David McLimans

2007 Caldecott Honor
The subtitle pretty much explains it -- this alphabet book features an endangered or vulnerable species for each letter. The illustrations are so clever!

In the Small, Small Pond, written & illustrated by Denise Fleming

1994 Caldecott Honor
This is a simple nature story following the inhabitants of a pond through the seasons.

The Desert Is Theirs, written by Byrd Baylor & illustrated by Peter Parnell

1976 Caldecott Honor

This picture book is about the Papagos Native American tribe's deep respect for and relationship with the land and all creatures they share it with.

Green, written & illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
2013 Caldecott Honor
A simple story with intriguing cutouts perfect for the littlest of bookworms with a subtle environmental message.

Arbor Day
(Last Friday of April)

A Tree is Nice, written by Janice May Udry & illustrated by Marc Simont

1957 Caldecott Medal
This one certainly works for Earth Day too!

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Stay tuned for another April list including books for National Poetry Month and Jazz Appreciation Month as well as a list for Spring!

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Added since original posting:
Green
King Bidgood's in the Bathtub
A Very Special House
What Do You Say, Dear?

Last updated: April 15, 2018

Caldecott Calendar Project: An Introduction

2018-03-24T12:17:00.000-04:00

As many of you already know, I've re-discovered a of love picture books since my son was born -- almost 3 years ago now! In large part thanks to Julie's Newbery Challenges, I've been purposely seeking out Caldecott books and can hardly believe how many winner and honor titles there have been over the years. A great many of these books I'm actually just reading on my own, though I hope that more and more of them will capture my son's interest as he gets older. While he regularly surprises me with a longer attention span when he's really interested in a particular character or topic, a lot of the Caldecott titles aren't exactly toddler fare.

I love reading seasonally, especially when it comes to picture books, even if, ahem, my toddler isn't always on board (Christmas and Halloween books in March, anyone?) So I've been trying to figure out which Caldecott books fit various categories, holidays, seasons, etc. throughout the year. I've looked for lists of them online and been surprised by how little I've found. General lists that might include a Caldecott or two abound, but that wasn't really what I was looking for. So it seemed like one of those things I'd have to put together myself if I wanted to have it as a resource -- so here we are!

While it feels like I've read a TON of Caldecott books, I still have so many left to discover which is why I kept pushing off this idea. But if I keep pushing it off, I don't think it will ever happen! So please bear with me as I kick off this blog series in the next week or so with Caldecott Books for April. I will be as comprehensive as I can, but I still may miss things and need to add/revise lists later on. I will have a permanent tab up top for this project so you can find the latest updates. Please let me know if you notice any errors or omissions as we go!

I'll end now with just one Caldecott book for March to give you an idea of what I'm trying for with this project. Also, it is so perfect for this time of year (in northern New York, anyway!) that I don't want to wait a whole year to share it :)

First Sign of Spring

The Happy Day, written by Ruth Krauss & illustrated by Marc Simont

1950 Caldecott Honor

The world is still covered in snow when the animals start coming out of hibernation and find the first sign of spring. Perfect for those days when the calendar says spring is here, but it doesn't quite feel like it yet! This one has large illustrations and short, simple text, so it's one of the Caldecott titles that does work for the toddler set, at least in theory :)

When you finally read that book that's been on your shelf forever... and it's... fine...

2018-03-18T20:47:00.003-04:00

{This is my third TBR-themed post inspired by Caffeinated Reviewer's March Take Control of Your TBR Challenge}

You don't love it, but it's not a complete disappointment either. Maybe it's a mixed bag sort of book. Maybe it's a decent read, but it doesn't inspire any strong feelings -- a middle of the road 'I Liked It' 3-star read. You know the ones I mean. The book is good. It's fine. But it's not all that special. I've read a lot of 3-star books over the years and there's nothing wrong with that. But there's something about holding onto a book for SO LONG only to find out it was just *fine* or *OK* that's feels different than if it had been a library borrow or recent purchase.

Unless a book was a gift or a freebie, if it's on my shelves, it's safe to say I think I'm going to love it. If I expected a book to only be a 2- or 3-star read, it wouldn't have survived all the bookshelf culling I've done over the years. I would have donated it, sold it, traded it in, or sent it off to some book drive or other. I don't intend to acquire and hold onto books I think will just be *fine* or *OK.* Don't we want more than that from the books earning a spot on our shelves? I know I do! It's unrealistic to think every unread book will end up being a 4- or 5-star read, but a reader can dream, can't she?

A few recent titles that fit the bill are....

My Ideal Bookshelf, edited by Thessaly LaForce & illustrated by Jane Mount

I've had this book since 2012. It's one of those titles I kept noticing on my shelf and wondering why in the world I hadn't gotten to it yet. I love books about books and I've loved the Ideal Bookshelf concept ever since I first heard about it and yet... there it sat. I finally cracked this one open because I've been reading more collections of shorter works alongside whatever other *main* book I'm reading -- essays, short stories, that sort of thing. And I hate to say it, but it wasn't as fantastic as I thought it would be.

I love the illustrations, but I didn't know a lot of the contributors. My predominant feeling while reading was that I was woefully under-read to appreciate most of it. And many, many times when I recognized a title on someone's shelf, it wasn't one that was discussed in the accompanying essay! The vast majority of children's books scattered throughout were not elaborated on and those are the ones that intrigued me most. Why did Roseanne Cash put Little House in the Big Woods on her shelf? Why did an artist/urban planner choose a Richard Scarry book? What's the story behind the legal scholar/professor including The Phantom Tollbooth and Now We Are Six? Only one person chose a Harry Potter book (how?!?!), but there wasn't any story behind it. One shelf included A Wrinkle in Time, Harriet the Spy, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, but not a word about any of them. And the Childcraft encyclopedias! Does anyone else remember those?!? They were a throwback to my own childhood I had completely forgotten about until the moment I spotted them in these pages -- and I wanted to know more!

I still marked a lot of great quotes and there were a few essays that were real gems, but overall this averaged out to a 3-star book, rather than the 5-star home-run I expected it to be. I do understand that if each contributor elaborated on a dozen or more titles the book would have gotten unwieldy and my own areas of interest are not going to be the same as everyone else's. I just wanted more from this one!

Country Living Barefoot Summers: Reflections on Home, Family, and Simple Pleasures, by Faith Andrews Bedford

I can't even tell you how long I've had this one because I bought a used copy from the now defunct Half.com website. But it's been many, many years, I know that much. Summers came and went and for one reason or another I kept not picking this book up during those warmer months -- and it went completely off my radar for the rest of the year because I thought it was a "summer book." When I finally picked it up, I quickly discovered I was wrong! The essays are organized by season of life (Child, Mother, Grandmother) and include all different times of year, holidays, etc.

As with almost all essay collections, I enjoyed some better than others. These are all personal and obviously come from the author’s own specific experiences, family, and memories. As such, I found some more relatable than others. There were some outstanding stories that brought tears to my eyes and plenty of other interesting ones even if they didn’t speak to me in quite the same way. I originally rated this book 4-stars, but then knocked it down to 3. Maybe it really should be 3.5? The stories I loved I really, really loved, but the rest were just OK for me. And in retrospect, I can't shake the feeling that the book is almost too idyllic. I don't wish drama and dysfunction on anyone's family and I'm not saying the author was being dishonest either, but we all look back with rose-colored glasses sometimes, don't we?

Greenglass House, by Kate Milford

I bought this at my local indie and it sat on my shelf for about a year. When I was reminded it has a snowy/winter/Christmas setting, I went so far as to buy the sequel with the idea that I'd then read them both during the 2017 Christmas season. Anyone else ever buy a sequel for a book they haven't read yet, because you just know you're going to love them? Please say it's not just me! And oh, how I thought I would love this book! And it ended up being... just... fine. It was good, but it wasn't great (for me). For a middle grade novel with a mystery/suspense element, it took me a really long time to finish. And by the time I did, I didn't jump into the sequel because I needed a break from Greenglass House and I had too many other books I wanted to get to. A month and a half later, I actually just picked it up today during my son's nap, but wasn't sure if I was actually going to commit to reading it. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the shorter chapters and how engaged I was feeling early on, so I'm sticking with it. I'm starting to feel like winter's days are actually dwindling, so I'm glad I gave this series another chance this season after all!

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What is a book you had on your TBR for a long time that didn't blow you away as much as you had expected? I'd love to know!

When you finally read that book that's been on your shelf forever... and you love it!

2018-03-11T08:10:00.001-04:00

{This is my second TBR-themed post inspired by Caffeinated Reviewer's March Take Control of Your TBR Challenge}

When I finally dig into books that have been sitting on my shelf forever, thankfully it's not all DNFs and disappointment. Sometimes it feels like a treasure hunt. Like I've uncovered a diamond in the rough and I just can't believe I didn't pick that book up sooner. What was I thinking?!

I'm going to use a loose definition of "forever" for the purposes of this post, but let's call it at least a year, though I'm sure I'm not the only bookworm who has unread books hanging around a lot longer than that! Here are a few I've read since December that fit the bill:

A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L'Engle

According to Goodreads, I put this on my "Have a Copy" shelf in February 2013 -- that's 5 years ago! I had found a matching set of books #2-5 of the Time Quintet at my local used bookstore and felt I should remedy the fact that I missed out on them as a kid. Whether because the person who traded them in held onto Wrinkle or because another reader snapped it up before me doesn't really matter, but I wasn't surprised to see the most popular first book was not there. And it certainly didn't deter me from scooping them up and then tracking down the missing title elsewhere. And even though I did that rather promptly, the entire series still sat unread on my shelves for 5 long years. My mom even borrowed, read, and returned most of the series before I ever cracked the first one open! (Side note: She started feeling lost in book #5 and gave it up. I've since learned there is apparently some controversy over whether or not books #4-5 are *really* part of the series as it was originally a trilogy? I don't know enough about it to comment, but if you have any insight, please share!)

When I finally picked up Wrinkle for two different read-alongs, it only took a couple of pages to know it was going to be a really special book. The writing is excellent and I found it so very engaging -- the kind of book I just want to get lost in. I almost want to compare it to how it felt reading Harry Potter for the first time, though that might be a slight exaggeration. I did get a tad bit lost with some of the science-y stuff later on and I struggled a little bit with concentrating on book #2, but overall, I've been so glad to finally be experiencing this new-to-me series.

Christmas Days: 12 Stories and 12 Feasts for 12 Days, by Jeanette Winterson

The Snow Sister, by Emma Carroll

I bought both of these in December 2016, thinking I'd read them during that Christmas season... and I didn't. Womp, womp. I brought Winterson's short story collection with me to my grandmother's house for the holiday, but never made it past the introduction which I didn't find all that inspiring. I tried again for Christmas 2017 and I'm so glad I finally did! Not every story was a hit for me, but I really appreciated the variety and breadth of the stories as well as the excellent writing. Even with a few meh stories, I book dart-ed a TON of memorable quotes and passages. I even loved the little anecdotes that accompanied the recipes -- which I originally thought I would skim or skip in favor of the *real* stories. Lesson learned.

As for the Emma Carroll book, I can't say I'm surprised I loved this slim heartwarming Christmas novel (novella?) My love of middle grade has only grown in the past year though, so maybe I was better off waiting? But still, its short page length really left me kicking myself for not picking it up sooner. I find that seasonal books have an even higher likelihood of languishing on the shelves because if I don't get to them the first time, that typically means a whole year will pass before I even consider picking them up again. Those seasonal/holiday reading windows always feel so short! And if I miss the boat a second time, we're talking another whole year, and so on and so forth. I'm trying to establish a habit of pulling out all the seasonal books well ahead of time so I can see what my options are at certain times of year. It's a work in progress, but it definitely helps focus my reading choices and if I do skip a book, it's more likely to be a conscious decision rather than me just forgetting I had it until the season has come and gone.

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Do you have a book you ended up loving after it sat around for awhile? I'd love to hear about it!

When you finally read that book that's been on your shelf forever... and it stinks!

2018-03-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

{Inspired by Caffeinated Reviewer's March Take Control of Your TBR Challenge I recently joined, I thought I'd do a series of TBR-themed posts. Keep an eye out for at least two more coming up soon!}

Has this ever happened to you? It just happened to me last weekend with The Books They Gave Me, edited by Jen Adams.

It might be a bit overkill to say it stinks, but it sure was a letdown. I didn't rate it on Goodreads because I didn't finish it, but I was hovering between 1- and 2-stars when I DNF'ed it instead. A few stories were good, but there were far too many others I just did not care for.

Reading an underwhelming book isn't exactly breaking news -- it happens to all of us at times. The thing about this particular book is that I know it has been sitting on my shelf for over 5 years. It's a book about books I thought I would absolutely love. AND it's basically just a collection of short snippets, so it doesn't make a whole lot of sense that I didn't at least dip into when I first bought it. But nope. I didn't read a single story (that I can recall) until last weekend. After putting it aside and picking it back up a few times thinking maybe I should just power through since it's so short, I finally DNF'ed it. I'm not a big DNF-er, but I'm trying to be better about admitting defeat and cutting my losses in terms of time invested in books I don't really care for. Because with all the great books out there, why not move onto something better?

I really am fine with having a DNF, but couldn't help thinking: I can't believe that book has been taking up shelf space for 5+ years! Forget the (minimal) time I spent trying to enjoy the book, it took up bookshelf real estate for sooooo long. I don't know about you, but when that happens, I can't wait to get that book out of my house and on its way to a used book shop or donation bin. Just because I don't like it doesn't mean no one else will like it. But it is making me wonder just how many other duds are lurking on my shelves that I should be clearing out. Thankfully picking up those lingering books doesn't mean all DNFs and disappointment -- there have also been hidden gems lurking on my shelves, but that's a post for another day :)

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What book did you end up not liking after it sat on your shelf awhile? I'd love to know!

That Time I Accidentally Organized My Bookshelves

2018-02-11T21:34:00.004-05:00

Last weekend, I was looking at my shelves and realizing how many of them were precariously doubled up to such an extent that I couldn't see half of the books on many of them. I remembered I had a small, lightweight bookcase I hid away in a closet after I got tired of constantly re-shelving it. For some reason, my son was particularly attracted to tearing everything off those particular shelves. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. He still loves to pull his own books down, but for the most part, the "adult" books don't hold as much appeal. Nor does the simple act of pulling everything down just because he can (for the most part).

So this small bookcase was a $5 garage sale find many years ago. Instead of flat shelves, each level has two wooden slats that hold the books on a backward slant (hard to explain, but bear with me). It is the perfect setup for small books like mass market paperbacks. So I was indeed using it for my mass markets which meant it held a mishmash of genres. Sorting books by size doesn't exactly result in an efficient or logical organizational system. But there was one benefit of this system: it actually wasn't full -- in fact, it was only about half full. So I figured that just by using that bookcase again, I should be able to declutter my main shelves a bit, as long as I figured out what to put on it so I would be utilizing the whole thing.

I started thinking about how many Newbery books I have in my collection, how I want to read more of them, and how disorganized and hard they are to find and it hit me -- this could be my Newbery shelf! So I told my son we were doing a "project" and he helped me carry all those shiny medal-ed books from all the places they were haphazardly occupying all over the house. After I saw approximately how many there were, I made the decision to keep series and sequels together even if all the individual books were not Newberys.

Don't mind the makeshift quilt/blackout curtain.

Hardcovers and over-sized paperbacks fit as long as I put them on the top shelf. From the left, I started with stand-alone Medalists, followed by stand-alone Honors, then filled in the rest with series/sequels that include either Medal and/or Honor books. Boy, do I have a lot of Newbery reading to look forward to!

So once I had this Newbery bookcase all set, the rest of our books were even messier than before I started. The only other spot in the house with extra room was my nightstand bookcase. It had been housing a completely random assortment of old ARCs (::hangs head in shame::) and newly acquired books with no where else to go. I pulled those all off and decided I wanted to do another themed bookcase: poetry and novels-in-verse.

Hey Julie, that top shelf is starting to smile! :)

I just love how both of these turned out! I can now so easily navigate two categories of books I'm actively interested in reading more of. I can actually see what all my choices are when I want to pick up my next Newbery or novel-in-verse, or I'm looking for my next poetry collection to dip into.

So the "accidentally" part of this blog post title comes into play because I really thought I was just going to fill up one bookcase (which turned into two!) that had some extra space so I could de-clutter the main shelves a bit. But once I was underway, everything just got messier and messier and I ended up pulling down almost all of the YA, Middle Grade, and Children's books from my main shelves, so I could do a revamp. I finally figured out where to stash away the rest of the Christmas books because as much as I'd love to keep them out, I just don't have room for all the seasonal stuff year-round. (A privileged problem to have, I know.) My shelves are not alphabetical, but they are back to being grouped roughly by type rather than like an archaeological site where you had to dig around for various piles grouped based on when they were added to the collection. There is still a lot of doubling up, but not so much that I can't see what's in the back layer anymore.

Once I had most of the books back on the main shelves, I realized there was still a bit of overflow if I wanted to keep the doubling-up in check. So I moved a few classic middle grade series (Paddington Bear, The Borrowers, The Moomins, and Enid Blyton), a random anthology that didn't fit anywhere else, and my short stack of library/read-soon books to this little shelf in the guest room.

Of course, everything now fits with basically no wiggle room, so I now need to: 1. keep myself in check with the book buying (hello, budget!) and 2. do a real clean out. I know the best way to organize any kind of stuff is to first get rid of some of it, but I did not have the brain power to make culling decisions that day, so I didn't even try. But a student at my church is running a book drive at the end of the month, so I'm thinking by then I will make a better attempt to see what books should move onto a new home.

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How do you organize your bookshelves? I'd love to know!

Also, I'm so excited to see if any of my middle grade books need to migrate to the Newbery shelf when the winners are announced tomorrow (Monday, Feb 12th)! There will be a live webcast of the ALA Youth Media Awards, including Newbery, Caldecott, Printz, and more starting at 8AM Mountain time. Are there any books you're rooting for?

My Little Bookworm

2018-01-31T16:17:00.003-05:00

My son won't turn 3 until April, so he is still pretty little. Logically my brain knows this, but man, looking at pictures of when he was really little are getting me all nostalgic already. I've hardly shared any photos of him here on the blog, but realized looking through my phone recently that I have some bookish ones I really love. So I'm indulging myself in a little walk down memory lane (and a bunch of recent shots) mini-bookworm style :)

Quite pleased with himself for pulling out my bookmark!

The beginnings of actual interest in looking at the pictures.

This shelf should be empty, right? I'm working on it, Ma.

Dump!

2nd Christmas card photo.

And now I must investigate Daddy's shelves.

I'm chillin' with some of your books Ma, OK?

Wheels on the Bus + Pete the Cat are a winning combination.

That book's bigger than you kid!

Right before he got REALLY mad he couldn't sit on that book stack and read the bottom one at the same time.

Books and buddies on summer vacation.

He was absorbed in that book for an unheard of amount of time at the used bookstore. Needless to say, we bought it.

A rare shot of me reading to him!

Daddy's turn!

At the library.

Book break before the Halloween parade at the library.

A book to fall asleep by, just like Mom.

Yup, this has been a pretty regular occurrence lately.

And again.

Or sometimes he's just NOT napping and tearing the shelves apart instead. I know we have a lot of books, but it never seems like THAT many books until they are all on the floor.

Reading Pooh to Pooh.

I love this expression!

Award & Book Lists for my Reading Log

2018-01-17T14:57:00.001-05:00

Last week, I shared my new reading log and the printable pages I'm using to track my reading in 2018. I really enjoy sitting down with paper and pen to do this, so I'm quite happy with how it's working out so far. I still log some basics on my Goodreads account, but there's a lot more I can keep track of this way without spending extra time on my phone or computer -- so that's a win for me.

I already covered my book budget, book clubs, reading challenges, and tracking categories (book type, source, format, recommendations, etc.) in that last post, so today I just want to focus on my final two sections. I've made one section for awards lists and another for recommendation and "best of" lists that have caught my eye. I had a ton of links cluttering up my browser's bookmark folders -- and let's be honest, I hardly ever looked at them! So I did a big clean out, deleted a whole bunch, and just printed the ones I'm most interested in.

Each person will have their own taste in book lists and awards, but below are a few of the ones I put in my binder if you want to check any of them out. Whatever type of list you like, I highly recommend printing them out if you are able. I think it's much more likely we will read more from these lists if we can actually see them, refer to them, and mark them up than to have them hidden away in a digital folder -- or maybe that's just me :)

Recommendation Lists:

Gretchin Rubin's 81 Favorite Children’s & Young-Adult Books (PDF available)

Scholastic Parent & Child 100 Greatest Books for Kids (PDF available)

Read-Aloud Revival's Booklists
(free registration to access PDF lists of lots of great categories!)

NPR's Top 100 Teen Books

NPR's 100 Must-Reads For Kids 9-14

Brightly's Best 50 for 11- and 12-Year-Olds

Brightly's Best 50 for 9- and 10-Year-Olds
Brightly's Best 50 for 7- and 8-Year-Olds
Brightly's Best 50 for 5- and 6-Year-Olds

NCTE Notable Poetry Book and Verse Novels Lists

Award Lists:
Note: Most award links are to Wikipedia since they're the most streamlined for printing purposes

E.B. White Read Aloud Award + 2017 winners

National Book Award for Young People's Literature

Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction
(full-length novels by female authors, written in English, & published in the UK)

Jane Addams Children's Book Award
(children's books advance the causes of peace and social equality)

The 2018 winners for the following ALA awards will be announced soon, so I'm holding off on printing them for now!

Michael L. Printz Award
(YA book of literary merit)

Odyssey Award
(children's & YA audiobooks)

Alex Award
(adult books with appeal to YA audience)

Coretta Scott King Award
(outstanding African American authors & illustrators; books about the African-American experience)

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Do you have any favorite awards or recommendations lists? Please share in the comments! I just might need to add a few more pages :)

A Poem for Every Night of the Year

2018-01-07T09:39:00.001-05:00

I can hardly believe it, but I actually finished this doorstop of a poetry collection I started last January!

I was really terrible about keeping up with it daily and often would play catch-up a few weeks at a time. At least once, I had more than a month of poems backlogged! And while I'm glad I did finish the whole thing and I enjoyed a majority of the poems, it definitely was not the ideal reading experience the way I did it. By not sticking to one poem each day, I often found myself reading too hurriedly, impatient to catch-up to the current date. I'm sure I would have understood some of the poems much better if I took the time for multiple readings -- and while I did sometimes re-read, other times I just moved on. I was more likely to re-read poems that really resonated with me, but others that didn't strike me right away or that I had trouble following I didn't always give a second chance to sink in.

The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction and (parts of) Slow Reading in a Hurried Age have inspired me to slow down and savor my reading more. For someone who is a fairly slow reader of novels, it's ironic that I have a tendency to speed through poetry and other shorter works -- the very pieces that generally benefit from more time, attention, and contemplation. But lucky for me, I can try again in 2018 with this lovely new companion collection :)

I know life happens and the likelihood of never falling behind is slim, but I'm going to make sure this volume stays on my nightstand this year. I had gotten into the unfortunate habit of catching up, getting a few days ahead, and then sticking the volume back on the shelf -- where I promptly forgot about it until I was behind again! So in 2018, I'm going to make a sincere effort at a establishing a daily(-ish) poetry habit. I'm not going to beat myself up if I miss a few days, but hopefully I won't get a month behind this time around!

P.S. I wasn't planning on reading through the "Every Night" collection again in 2018, but picked it back up around January 3rd -- I shall have to see if I stick with both or revert to just the new collection -- either way is OK by me :)

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Have you ever tried to keep up with any kind of specified daily reading? Do you have any tips or tricks? I'd love to know!

Review: Slow Reading in a Hurried Age

2017-11-15T19:15:00.001-05:00

Slow Reading in a Hurried Age, by David Mikics
Date: October 2013
Format: Hardcover
How did I get this book? Borrowed from the Library
Goodreads | Publisher

I don't write many book review posts these days, so it's a bit ironic that I'm reviewing a title I didn't even finish! I didn't finish it on purpose though and when I started writing this up on Goodreads, I got a lot more long-winded than I expected. So here we are.

The idea of slow reading appeals to me -- partially because I am a slow reader by default and always have been. The idea of speeding up the "movie in my head" has really not ever appealed to me, despite the fact that I would be able to read more books in the same amount of time if I did. So I guess when I spotted this title, I was really just curious about the benefits of slow reading since I felt like it was something I was already doing. In truth, Mikics' "slow reading" means much more than just a literal slow pace and it was interesting to see what "rules" he has come up with. He very clearly states these are really only guidelines and that he has no intention of ruining the reading experience with mandates -- he feels the "rules" should help readers enjoy books more, not less, and that each reader should only take what he or she can use -- which I feel is important to point out because I have seen other reviews criticize the very idea of reading "rules."

All that said, I really enjoyed and got a lot out of the Introduction, The Problem, and The Answer chapters. After that I skimmed and skipped (which is rather the opposite of what the author is advocating!) because the examples were mostly classics I have not read. I was honestly not interested in another person's analysis of books based on the advice given, just the advice itself. I think a lot of the ideas here can apply to any kind of book, it was just way beyond me to have so many points of reference I was unfamiliar with. At some point, I'd like to discover some of the books discussed for myself rather than read Mikics' analysis of various snippets.

I think the strongest part of this book was the discussion in those first few chapters of reading in the digital age. I don't want to be alarmist, over-dramatic, or demonize technology, but I could completely relate to many of the descriptions of distraction and discontent related to too much screen time. It is making me rethink my relationship with screens and validating the feeling that I really need a break from it all sometimes -- and that break is well spent if I take the time to read instead.

I'm glad I borrowed this from the library instead of purchasing it because the book as a whole didn't work for me. But I'm very glad for the parts that did resonate with me and I copied a TON of quotes into my reading journal. Those first chapters are definitely worth a read if slow reading appeals to you in any way -- or if the distractions of technology are leaving you feeling a little frazzled or sapping your concentration. But if you'd like to take a peek at the "Rules," check out this Huffington Post article which abbreviates those 130 pages very nicely.

Reading Journal #1 Complete!

2017-11-05T21:14:00.000-05:00

It's been almost two years since I first mentioned starting a journal of quotations from books I read and I've finally filled it up!

Scribble courtesy of a certain small someone :)

Last pages -- it's full!

To the best of my memory, I had only started using this first book journal a few months (at most) prior to that blog post in January 2016. In the beginning, I only used it sparingly. I wasn't very consistent about marking passages as I read or copying them over after finishing a book. Even though I wanted to record memorable quotes, I wasn't in the habit of doing it, so it didn't always happen. I would be reading as usual and then something would really stand out and I would remember: "Oh yea, that's the kind of thing I want to record in my journal!" And then I would immediately get this feeling that I had surely missed other lines I should have recorded from my recent reading. I didn't want to turn my reading into homework, but I just knew this was a record I would love to have and look back on in years to come, if only I could figure out a good way to do it.

So this is pretty much how it went -- in fits and starts -- until quite recently. I had tried various things including marking down page numbers on a note pad (digital and paper) and snapping a photo of a page on my phone to return to later. Theoretically these methods should have worked just fine, but I still had a hard time following through. I also went through a big audiobook phase and while I love that format, it's not well suited to noting and marking quotes. Sure, it can be done, but it's certainly more complicated without a printed text in front of me and audio bookmarking proved to be a real pain for this purpose.

Book darts!

But over the last few months I finally started using my journal more consistently and the vast majority of this first one is filled with quotes from 2017 (which isn't even over yet!) And during the past two months I really hit my stride thanks to book darts -- which I have Modern Mrs. Darcy and the Read Aloud Revival to thank for. Book darts are exactly what I didn't know I needed to make this whole reading journal thing a success. They are easy to use, don't interfere with or interrupt my reading experience, and make it super simple to return to marked passages later on. Book darts are sort of like fancy paperclips that don't damage my pages and allow me to bookmark a specific line so I don't have to go scanning and searching for what exactly I wanted to remember on a particular page. They're great! If you have any desire to keep a reading journal, I can't recommend book darts highly enough.

The secret to successful book dart use -- thank you RAR!

Since I have a toddler, I was a little worried about having tins of small metal bits around the house. But one final tip from Sarah Mackenzie in her recent masterclass solved that problem too -- putting a bunch of book darts on my book's title page before I start reading. Eureka! Now I don't have to tote the tin from room to room, it's not just sitting around waiting for my toddler to crack open, AND it's easier than ever to grab a dart when I come across a line I want to mark. Now, I don't delude myself into thinking my son couldn't figure out how to pull them off the pages if he really wanted to, but they are a lot less enticing while attached to the pages of a closed book than sitting in a tin that makes a really cool noise when you shake it.

I used so many book darts in this one!

I don't want to overthink this whole process as I am reading, so I often mark more passages than I actually end up using. But that is the beauty of it -- when I am done reading, I can simply go through dart by dart and decide what I really want to remember from that particular book. If I decide not to copy a particular quote, I just remove the book dart and move on. And what I like best now that I have a "system" in place is that I have built in some time to reflect on and think about what I have read as I decide what I most want to remember and what has really resonated with me. Of course, I always want to dive into a new book, but this new little ritual has helped me slow down just a bit which is definitely a good thing for me.

New journal!

So, now I'm onto a brand spanking new book journal which is so exciting to me! It's kind of like that new-school-supplies-in September feeling when I was a kid (or was that just me?) Now that I've been doing this a while, I've figured out what works best and am making some minimal changes for this second journal. This time around I'm including page numbers and creating a heading for each book instead of noting title and author after every single quote -- which can get really tedious if I have a lot of quotes from a single book.

Slightly new format!

I never imagined I would need more than the 50 darts that come in the cute What Should I Read Next? tin, but I often have a couple different books going at the same time and I used nearly all 50 when I read The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction! So I figured it would be nice to have an extra and ordered a tin of 125 on Amazon. The Modern Mrs Darcy ones are adorable, but the Amazon tin was definitely more economical. And truthfully, if I had bought a tin with 125 the first time, I probably wouldn't have bothered with a second!

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Have you ever kept a book/reading/quote journal of any kind? Have you tried book darts? Do you have any other tips or tricks? I'd love to know!

The Stories We Shared: A Family Book Journal (Review + How I'm Using It)

2017-10-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

I got a peek at this family reading journal while watching a free master class by Sarah Mackenzie of the Read-Aloud Revival. It was only mentioned briefly because endorsing a specific product was not the point of the class at all -- a commenter brought it up, so Sarah held hers up to show viewers what it looked like. Boy, am I glad I caught that brief glimpse! This is basically the family reading journal for my son I never knew I needed. So I bought four. (Yes, really!) One is for us, two were gifts for the kids of friends from book club, and the last one is still TBD. It's definitely going to become a future go-to gift for anyone I know who likes to read aloud. There is also a distinct possibility I'm going to fill ours in sooner rather than later -- even with room for nearly 400 entries! -- and move onto a second one.

So what's in this thing and why is it so great?

109 pages for Journal Entries

Most pages have 4 entries, with some drawings and quotes interspersed to reduce some pages to 3 entries. Each entry has a line for title, author, illustrator, # of pages, date finished, who shared the story, star rating, and an empty spot for notes, doodles, etc.

A Feature Lists section to record...

New Words We Like! (86 entries)

Our Favorite Quotes (71 entries)

Most Memorable Characters (51 entries)

Most Surprising Story Twists (38 entries)

Books That Made Us Laugh (41 entries)

Books That Made Us Cry (41 entries)

Books That Changed Us (37 entries)

Our Very Favorite Books! (38 entries)

10 Adventure Quests to complete

Each of these include a Quest, a Sub-Quest, and an Arch-Adventurer Quest depending on how challenging or in-depth you would like to go with each topic. A few of them also have an additional Bonus Quest.

World Explorers

Time Travelers

Genre Hoppers

The Serial Bookworm

The Literary Zookeeper

High Adventure

Myths & Legends

Brainstormers

Newbery Quest

Caldecott Quest

You guys, this thing is gorgeous and if you have any desire to keep a reading record for your family, I can't think of anything more perfect.

Even though it has a very specific set up, there were still quite a few decisions for me to make regarding how exactly I want to use this journal. First of all, since I discovered it when my son was nearly two and a half (and it's only been published since November 2016 anyway), the biggest question has been how to handle all those books from the last 2.5 years. Thanks to Goodreads, I do have a record of them all (barring any accidental omissions), but there were just way too many. So I decided I would only record books I loosely call "favorites" -- basically anything that's been on repeat that my son, myself, my husband, or any combination of us has really loved. So basically that eliminated: 1. books we read but didn't keep because none of us loved them, 2. books we read only once or twice and returned to the library, and 3. books still in our collection that have not yet stood the test of time or that the jury is still out on because they're still too advanced, out of season, etc.

I also made the decision to print out book covers to paste onto the entry squares. I know this is going to add bulk to the journal and the more we use it, the more it will start bulging with the extra thickness they add, but at least for the picture books, I really wanted to include that visual element. The artwork is such a vital part of picture books, I wanted some representation of it in our journal. Also, at this point, I don't have a whole lot of notes for most of these books. I've placed the covers in such a way that I still have a little room to write and have only just started adding in a few notations. I've been working in stages and this has been a really fun project, even if I'm a little impatient to have it all caught up to our current reading!

For the time being, I decided to leave the "story shared by" line blank. I know my son and I have shared every single one of these books. My husband has also read the vast majority of them aloud or has been in the room with us when I read them aloud at bedtime. A lot of them have also been read with his grandparents and various other relatives. I don't want to box us in by trying to figure out who did or didn't share a particular picture book one of the many, many times it has been read aloud. Someday when we move on to novels that won't get re-read a zillion times, I will definitely use this line. I feel much the same about the "date finished" line -- I also decided to leave that blank because picture books are never really finished if we keep reading them over and over again!

I'm still not 100% sure what I'm going to do about the Quests and Feature Lists. On the one hand, if I start them now, they would really be more for me than for my son. I think these sections will really shine once he is old enough to listen to chapter books and novels, have more input and opinions about the books we read, and can help find the various books needed to complete the quests. On the other hand, since I'm fairly certain I'm going to be filling in more than one of these journals, I still may go ahead and start working on them with books from these early years anyway.

So, have I convinced you yet? This journal is awesome, really. If you need a Christmas, holiday, birthday, or baby shower gift (any kind of gift really!) for a bookish friend or family, I can't recommend it highly enough!

Goodreads
Amazon

The Rabbit Room
(I got our first on Amazon, then ordered the others through my local indie)

Podcast Love: Read-Aloud Revival

2017-10-22T10:40:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone! If you have kids in your life, I am recommending a favorite podcast today I hope you will check out, the Read-Aloud Revival. The show is all about "building a family culture around books" and "making meaningful and lasting connections with kids through books." The show focuses on stories, reading, and literacy with a special focus on the value of reading aloud with older kids who have already learned to read to themselves. The host Sarah Mackenzie talks a lot about how it's second nature to a lot of parents to read to little kids, but that practice tends to fall off once those little kids can read on their own. My toddler clearly still falls into the "little kid" category, but I still find this podcast very inspiring and it is downright dangerous for my own TBR with all the awesome middle grade titles that get recommended.

For the current season (#11), it has become a more frequent weekly show rather than biweekly as it was in the past. And let me tell you, those "extra" mini-episodes that have been airing in between longer interview episodes are some of my absolute favorites and I've listened to all of them more than once. I also think they give a really good idea of what the show is all about without a huge time commitment which is what inspired this post! If you like any of these, I think you'll find the Read-Aloud Revival a worthwhile addition to your podcast listening.

RAR #66: Do Audio Books Count as Read-Alouds?
RAR #70: How to Find Time to Read as a Busy Mom

RAR #72: How to Save a Bad Day

RAR # 74: One thing you won’t regret ← my #1, if I had to choose!

RAR #76: How to make reading aloud the best part of the day

And here are 7 of my favorite full-length episodes if you'd like to check out the archives and don't know where to start!

RAR #12: The Reading Promise

RAR #43: Raising Kids Who Read, Daniel Willingham ← I want to read his books!

RAR #49: Why We Should All Be Reading Aloud to Children

RAR Bonus Episode: The Most Important Part of Teaching Kids to Read

RAR #53: Can a Children’s Book Change the World? Linda Sue Park

RAR #56: What’s at Stake and Why Stories Matter, Jonathan Auxier

RAR Bonus Episode: Some of the Best Books by Living Authors ← ← TBR beware!

One thing worth noting, especially if you do a deep dive into the podcast archives, is that Sarah and many of her guests are homeschoolers. There is a ton of great information and inspiration even if you don't homeschool, I just think it's good to be aware that some of the advice and discussion comes from that perspective. Also, I really hate to admit this, but I personally am not a huge fan of the short final segment of each episode where kids call in to recommend a favorite book -- I feel like a horrible parent for admitting this, but I usually skip those!

Reading by Award List

2017-08-27T15:54:00.001-04:00

Reader friends, I have a question for you today. Have you ever finished a really great book, realized it was the recipient of an award, and then felt the sudden desire to go read ALL THE BOOKS that have ever won that award? Most recently this happened when I read and loved A Northern Light which was my pick for our August book club meeting and it has won: a Printz Honor, a Carnegie Medal, and a Young Adult Literature Los Angeles Times Book Prize as well as several other lesser known awards. I must admit, it took a good bit of willpower to not promptly dump a truckload of new titles onto my TBR from the archives of those prizes.

So now I have a second question for you. Has anyone ever actually read (or attempted to read) through a prize list?! I am currently making my way through the Caldecott Medal and Honor books, and let me tell you, it is taking a LOT longer than I thought it would considering these are *just* picture books (with the odd graphic novel and longer illustrated work thrown in). The Caldecott stretches back to 1938, so we are talking a rather large quantity of books, even if the page count for each is relatively low.

First, I started with all the featured titles in Reading the Art in Caldecott Award Books. Then, I made a point of finding winning titles based on season and holidays throughout the year, as well as reading some of the newer winners once they were announced. For many months now, I've been browsing through the library stacks and tucking any books with a shiny Caldecott medal into my checkout pile whenever I spot them. And while it feels like I've read a TON of Caldecott books, there are still so many more remaining to be read! It is getting harder to locate those remaining ones, so I'm making a point to consult the master list and seek out (or place on hold) books that will fill in the gaps. As tempted as I am to try reading from other lists, I can hardly imagine doing this with novels -- especially with a well-established award. Still, one can dream, right?

Some other lists I have considered reading through:

CHILDREN

Newbery Medal/Honors

Most distinguished contribution to American literature for children (ALSC)

E.B. White Read Aloud Award

Picture books and books for older readers excellent for reading aloud (The Association of Booksellers for Children)

Charlotte Zolotow Award

Outstanding writing in a picture book published in the United States (Cooperative Children's Book Center)

Massachusetts Children's Book Award (MCBA)

4th, 5th, & 6th graders vote for their favorite books (found this one thanks to Top Shelf Text!)

Jane Addams Children's Book Award

Children's books of literary and aesthetic excellence that effectively engage children in thinking about peace, social justice, global community, and equity for all people.

Lee Bennett Hopkins Award for Poetry for Children

Honors an American poet or anthologist for the most outstanding new book of children's poetry (Pennsylvania Center for the Book)

NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children

Honors a living poet + curates lists of notable poetry books and verse novels

YOUNG ADULT

Alex Award

Books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults (YALSA)

Odyssey Award

Best audiobooks for children/young adults (YALSA)

Printz Award

Literary excellence in young adult literature (YALSA)

ADULT

Bailey's Women's Prize for Fiction

Celebrates excellence, originality and accessibility in writing in fiction written by women. Previously named the Orange Prize for Fiction

There is certainly no dearth of award-winning books if you go looking for them! I am well aware a more rational approach is to use these lists as inspiration rather than a checklist, but don't we always want to read ALL THE BOOKS? Yes, yes we do.

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Are there any other book awards you like to keep tabs on? Have you ever read from an award list yourself? Do you have a favorite award-winning title? Or a title you don't think deserved an award? I'd love to hear about it!

Building a Library or Losing My Mind?

2017-08-08T14:42:00.000-04:00

So. I went to another community garage sale at a local church the weekend before last. And I also took a nice long walk through a neighborhood yard sale. The deals were great -- $0.50-$1 per book (and one that was even free!) The church sale had an even better deal -- fill a bag for $5. Did I fill a bag? Of course, I filled a bag. I was there towards the end and even though the books were likely pretty well picked over, I still found some great stuff. And since my bag wasn't quite full, I even threw in a few extras we already had because I know a local literacy organization those titles would be perfect to donate to. I can't say for sure that any leftovers from the sale would end up in a dumpster or recycling bin (hopefully not!) but I didn't want to leave those few behind knowing I could pass them on somewhere they will be used and appreciated.

As fun as it was to go treasure hunting and find great titles to add to our home library, I do sometimes wonder if I've gone overboard with the whole thing. My philosophy has always been that a book never has to be wasted. If I change my mind or decide I don't want to keep something, there are so many places to pass books onto. A large percentage of my books are bought used, as overstock, and/or inexpensively. My biggest book splurges are when I buy at my local indie bookstore, but I very much like supporting a local business I want to stick around for years to come, so I call it money well spent. And I love lending out books to friends and family -- so I always like to think they are not just for me, even if they are mostly for me (and my son). I'd like to think that someday I'll be that mom who'll recommend/lend books to my kid's friends. If my kid won't take my suggestions by then, I hope there will be another trusted mom (or dad!) he will take recommendations from. Because, you know, it's cooler when it's not your mom (or so Anne Bogel tells me!)

But I'm out of shelf space. Again.

I did a pretty big culling a while back and it felt great to have space on my shelves again. But I only went on to fill that space with books that are a better fit for my family right now and in the foreseeable future -- namely, picture books, children's novels, and middle grade. And they're awesome! But I enjoy and connect with so many book/reading/literacy blogs, sites, and podcasts -- that I get all jazzed up about new-to-me titles on a regular basis. The excitement of the teachers, educators, and parents who run these things is truly infectious. This is absolutely a good thing, but I do sometimes wonder if I've gone overboard. I know that when I'm tired and can't concentrate very well, a browse at a bookstore or on Book Outlet's website is such a fun thing to do. It certainly takes less brain power than, you know, actually reading. I stock up on all those great books I've been hearing about, but then realize I've potentially squandered some of the time I could have spent reading them.

So what's a bookworm to do? Reading and literacy are so very important, so I know the answer is not to quit listening to inspiring podcasts or to cut back on reading time (the horror!). But for now, I'm trying to use my limited options approach to help guide me -- if it's not a book I want to add to that small stack, I'm trying to pass on the purchase. The community garage sales ($5 a bag!) throw a bit of a monkey wrench in that plan, but I'm not sure I can bring myself to feel guilty about used books -- whether they are fill-a-bag-cheap, or even more typically priced at a used bookstore. But I do know that I need to spend less time overall browsing, researching, and shopping -- both online and offline. In fact, this was one of my 2017 Bookish Goals and I think now is a good time to recommit to that. In fact, with almost five months left in the year, I think I should re-evaluate and check-in on all those goals (post soon!).

So, to make a long story short: Read more, browse/shop less. It's not really that hard, right?