Thoughts on Reading YA

Looking at my reading from the past couple years, I have read less than 10% Young Adult books. This isn’t so surprising, since I am not a teenager, in fact I’m married and in my mid-twenties. Young Adult books continue to be popular for a lot of adult readers; I continue to be recommended books in this genre, and I continue to occasionally read YA in an attempt to find ones I might enjoy. 

I have a lot of nostalgia for Young Adult books I loved when I was in middle and high school (anything by Meg Cabot, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Tamora Pierce), but these just aren’t the types of stories I want to be reading these days. Somehow I still find myself yearning to read books that remind me of my childhood, and I’ve come to realize what I’m missing are books that may have been written for children, but are enjoyed by all ages.

A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest.

-CS Lewis

Only two books from before I moved abroad remain on my bookshelf and they are both middle grade: From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and Awake and Dreaming. None of my YA books made the cut.

Reading diversely is very important to me, both in author and in genre. Only reading from genres I feel comfortable in does not challenge my reading life. I know I like contemporary fiction, I know I like memoirs and mysteries. It’s much more difficult to find YA and middle grade I truly enjoy, but it is important to try and expand my horizons. I know there are books out there that I would like, I just haven't taken the time yet to find them.

I’d like to make my way into both classic and modern classic children’s literature, starting with at least one book per month through 2017. The books can be both middle grade or YA, but I’m going to avoid picture books since I read a lot of those daily at work.

For my first book, I’m going to read one I’ve always heard about, never read, and is being adapted into a movie this year: A Wrinkle in Time.

Five Books I Want to Read This Spring

Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough

I got this from Book of the Month Club in February and have yet to read it. I chose it because I was in the mood for a thriller, and really don’t know anything about it except it has a twist at the end. I need to be in the mood to read a thriller, and am not always up for it, but this spring I’d like to get to this one and find out about #wtfthatending.

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

This one didn’t quite win as my March Book of the Month, but I’m still really interested in reading it. Exit West only came out last week, but already seems to be getting very popular. It is about a refugee couple experiencing war and fleeing violence, yet with fantastical elements woven into the story. I plan on picking it up from the library next week and diving straight in.

Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal

Here is another one that’s been on my shelf for a little while, even though I am dying to read it. It follows my favorite novel format, short stories that are woven together across time through common characters (like Before We Visit the Goddess and one of my all-time favorites, A Visit From the Goon Squad). 

A God In Ruins by Kate Atkinson

I read Life After Life a year or two ago and liked it, and have wanted to get to this, its companion novel. I started the audiobook earlier this year and for some reason couldn’t get through it, but I’d like to give the book a chance. It’s a hefty sized book, and not easily portable, which has been putting me off since I do a lot of my reading on the train while commuting, but I feel like this spring is when I’ll finally do this book justice.

The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel

I’m mostly a fiction person, but I do love a good narrative nonfiction story. I really enjoyed Finkel’s True Story, so I’m sure I’ll also like The Stranger in the Woods. The book is a lot smaller than I expected, and seems like a quick, though fascinating read.

How to Get Kids Involved in Cleaning the Home

One of the most popular activities in my classroom is a simple bucket with a small spray bottle full of water, a clean washcloth, a sponge with a handle, and a squeegee. This is in a room filled with games and art projects, friends to play with and books to read, and still kids love and return to the solitary act of spraying water and wiping down a window or the glass door. 

 Getting your own children involved in cleaning will form beneficial habits as they develop and mature, as well as get them invested in maintaining the household. Instead of seeing cleaning as something their parents or older siblings do, it becomes a project the whole family can participate in together.

 Cleaning is a fun and engaging activity for young children, particularly when they have their own gadgets to use in their pursuit. Here are some ideas to get you started.

• Place items kids will use often at a level they can access. This gives children autonomy and independence in their cleaning activities. As long as there are no dangerous aspects involved (sharp edges, chemicals, plugs) that can harm them, this will allow kids to be able to clean when the mood strikes. While such pursuits may not seem fun to many older children and adults, young ones can find joy in almost anything, so it is important to foster these explorations.
• Provide special items just for them. This is also key in getting kids to be involved in household cleaning, as it gives them purpose-built objects that they feel special using. Dust pans are the perfect size for young cleaners, and small brooms, mops, rakes and shovels are also available. Washcloths are a good size for small hands as well. Cut sponges in halves or quarters.
• Give water to use instead of cleaning products. When introducing cleaning, the process is much more important than the result. Water in spray bottles for cleaning surfaces is perfect for beginners, and soap can be added as children master the technique and graduate onto further projects.
• Play to their strengths and interests. If you have an outdoorsy child, focus on simple yard maintenance and other nature activities. If your child is interested in food, try practicing rinsing dishes with them, or even scrubbing dishes with a small sponge and a little soap. Cooking projects are also a great way to get them involved in the household.
• Remember to keep it fun and stress-free. Getting kids involved in cleaning is meant to be an enjoyable way to bond together and teach them about the world. Kids are never going to make something spotless, but they will enjoy feeling how cool and warm water feels to their hands, learning how to use a mop, making soap bubbles and the feeling of independence when they know where to find their child-sized broom to clean up a spill.

February 2017 Reading Recap

Here are some quick takes of some of the best (and not) books I read last month. It was a busy month of moving, and not to mention a short month, but I did pretty well here even though there were more flops than I normally read. 

Best

 Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
This was a reread for my bookclub this month, as I read this when it first came out in the fall. It is one of my favorite books of 2016, and was even better the second time around. Ann Patchett is one of my top authors, and I’m trying to make my way through all her books, but this is probably my favorite of hers along with The Patron Saint of Liars.

 Where Am I Now? by Mara Wilson
Matilda = life, so this has been on my library waitlist for so long, and I was so happy to finally get my hands on it. I tore through it in just a couple days and really enjoyed it. Mara Wilson is fairly close to me in age, and I related a lot to her teenage and post-college experiences, and delighted in learning more about my favorite childhood film and life as a child actor. There were so many unexpected revelations about what Mara was going through in her childhood (illness and death of her mother, OCD), and it made me want to hear more stories about her past and present.

 A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny
I’ve been slowly making my way through the Inspector Gamache series over the last year, but since I discovered the audio versions of these, they have been my go-to for audiobooks. This wasn’t my favorite in the series, but since I started listening to these, I’ve enjoyed each book that much more. The French accents and narration are superb.

 The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell
Reading nonfiction about happiness and improving one’s life is always enjoyable, and this is another great one, especially if you have an interest in Europe and Scandinavia. This book goes into incredible detail about life in Denmark, at times almost too much detail, but it was inspiring to learn about the systems the Danes have created and the factors that play into such a happy society. By the end I was so jealous of the many positive attributes of Denmark, but also left feeling unsure if I would like living permanently in such an insular country, since diversity of culture, race and thought is one of the most wonderful things about living in the United States.

 Worst

 Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple
I picked up this book because I loved Where’d You Go Bernadette, and was pretty disappointed. Toward the beginning it was okay, I really liked the parts with the graphic novel pages and descriptions of New Orleans (I just visited last month), but by the end I was done. The book just felt like such a random collection of events and characters, and had no conclusion, nor did it make me wonder what happened the the characters at all after it was over. I was so excited for this one, and so disappointed.

 The Fall Guy by James Lasdun
I was hoping to a page turning triller in this novel, but I was disappointed sorely by the end. Not much to say other than was turned off by every single character, even the one that I guess you were supposed to be sympathizing with. It started very slowly, continued slowly and ended suddenly, though I was thankful to be done. I should have stopped reading midway through, but I assumed it would have a clever ending, which it sort of did, but not enough to redeem the whole slog.

Tips for Doing Cooking Projects with Students

Cooking projects are one of my favorite things to do with small groups of students. It’s a fun way to bond while practicing new skills and doing something a bit out of the ordinary. When I first started working with prekindergarten students, I assumed that most of the prep for these projects (chopping, measuring, mixing) needed to be done by the adults. Not true.

When covering for an infant teacher, I saw a small group of under 2 year olds preparing muffin batter in the classroom, which inspired me to adapt recipes for my slightly older students. As long as you take the time to prepare your project ahead of time and have the kitchen equipment at your school, kids will delight in putting together (and later consuming) their own snacks.

 I can get specific with recipes in another post, but here are some basic tips for organizing your own cooking project for young children.

1.  Assess what you are working with. This seems obvious, but checking what your school has in the way of baking sheets, muffin tins, large bowls and measuring cups, as well as kitchen basics like eggs, oil, salt and other spices, is vital. If you’re working with a toaster oven, make sure baking items can fit inside. Simple stuff, but these things need to be done the first time you prepare food with kids to eliminate nasty surprises later on in the process.
2. Premeasure all dry ingredients. This is a personal preference, and mostly specific for under-6’s, but it does save a lot of clean-up later. I like to put all the flour we will need in one (closable) plastic container, all the salt into another, along with baking powder, sugar, etc. Having closable containers makes it easy to transport ingredients, especially if you’re bringing them from home or across the school. More advanced junior chefs can easily do this part themselves.
3. Think about how many bowls and stirring utensils you will need. For baking projects this is often one large bowl for dry ingredients, another for wet. Perhaps you will want another clean bowl to store eggshells or one for scraps (if chopping produce).
4. Gather wet ingredients and measuring cup(s). I like to have students pour the wet ingredients themselves since the job can be spread amongst several students if you use a ¼ cup at a time, and it’s a lot of fun. You could pre-pour milk, water or oil into a small pitcher to make things easier, but I like to have students practice keeping a half-gallon carton steady.
5. Take turns doing small tasks like mixing. With groups of 5-10, I make sure everyone gets a chance to have a go at mixing the dry and wet ingredients, as well as pouring batter into tins or arranging food on the baking sheet, depending on what we are making. This gives each kid a chance to feel like they are contributing and stops them from feeling bored or left out. I also give myself a turn, giving the ingredients a good mix in case they haven’t been fully mixed yet.

 Additionally, make sure to preheat the oven if necessary, and let everything fully cool before serving. I always cut portions pretty small, as many students enjoy the process of cooking more than eating the final result. This saves additional servings for those that really are keen on the food they made.

Enjoy your cooking!