Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

I don’t have the brain power to review anything this week, friends. I spent 4 hours at the elementary school today, and if I never have to look at another penny–let alone count baggies and baggies of coins–I will not be sad about it. Tomorrow night is our fundraiser and I’m going to be at the school or shopping for the fundraiser for most of the day. Maybe I’ll manage a review on Friday?

Wish us luck!

I had a quietly productive morning, folks, and then worked on PTA stuff right after school; my littles, however, took turn having freakouts this afternoon/evening, so I’m feeling a little wrung out. On the other hand, I also got to finish reading Sara Shepard’s Penny Draws a Best Friend aloud to my youngest after dinner and scriptures, and that was lovely.

The premise for Penny Draws is a classic–Penny starts 5th grade only to find that her best friend, who’s been away at a special gymnastics camp all summer, is acting strangely. She’s suddenly all buddy-buddy with one of their class’s mean-ish girls, and many of the things she and Penny used to do together are now “babyish.” It’s a classic storyline for a reason, of course–friends do grow, change, or choose to swap friend groups–but Sara Shepard avoids dwelling on the miserable emotions involved and instead focuses on Penny herself. She finds a perfect balance between highlighting the inner life of a child with anxiety and finding the humor in that child’s day-to-day experiences; none of the awful bits (the ones that I, as a parent and an avid reader of middle grade fiction, could clearly see coming) were drawn out for too long, and the positives in Penny’s life were a relief. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this aloud with my own fifth grader, and we’re looking forward to the rest of the series!

In the meantime, I’m taking my hubby out ON A DATE tomorrow night, which is incredibly exciting, as we (quite literally) don’t get out much. Cross your fingers that the kiddos will be chill with each other while we’re gone!

I was actually going to title this post “This Might Be a Record”, but then I realized that there was a time–a time before children, of course–when finishing my second current Newbery winner for the year in March was not so unusual. Thanks to audiobooks and some short winners, I have managed it once again, and so you get my review of Daniel Nayeri’s The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story this morning.

Of course, if I wanted to be extra short and sweet, I could just say that ‘this was really good and a fascinating perspective and you should read it’; Nayeri’s latest book, however, deserves more detail than that, because do you know much about what it was like in Iran during WWII? I sure didn’t. (I know there are people out there who do, but I’m positive they’re in the minority.) Now I know that Iran was a neutral country invaded and occupied for its oil, with British and Soviet soldiers and the occasional Nazi spy roaming the streets. In the middle of this chaos we have Babak and Sana, who have just been orphaned by the invasion and are trying desperately not to be separated long term. (As I write this, I realize that there are echoes of Cynthia Voigt’s Homecoming in Nayeri’s story, different as the details most assuredly are.) Their search for a place to stay is complicated by Vulf, an unknown (but definitely threatening) quantity; the Jewish boy he’s looking for (most assuredly with nefarious intent); the need for food; and the sheer abundance of different languages spoken by almost everyone they meet. As a parent, I wanted to hug them both and take them in, while as a reader I cheered them on through both setbacks and successes. Please, please don’t miss this one.

I had those yesterday–honestly I did! And then a few things I hadn’t planned for popped onto my schedule for the day, and before I knew it, it was too late to be coherent. On the other hand, it wasn’t too late to finish listening to Gordon Korman’s Framed, the third book in his ‘Swindle’ series, and so you get that review today. (I was going to review the other book I’ve finished, but Framed is getting passed on to my son, so it comes first.)

If you remember, the ‘Swindle’ series follows Griffin Bing, the Man With a Plan, and his group of friends with convenient, specialized, and complementary skills. In Framed, their new principal is convinced that Griffin is a bad seed, and so when a valuable object disappears from the school, he has no doubt of Griffin’s guilt. Of course, Griffin is innocent, but the circumstances are incredibly damning; how is he going to clear his name? What follows is a whirlwind of planning that involves surveillance, a bag of frozen lima beans, Caesar, a fishing pole, and some nuisance wildlife, with hijinks aplenty before it all comes right in the end. Per Korman’s usual MO it’s over-the-top but entertaining, with plenty of adventure and likable (if a bit stock, so to speak) characters. I’m thinking my son with enjoy the ride.

In other news, the big girls and I attended one niece’s bridal shower on Saturday while all of us attended another niece’s mission farewell on Sunday. My oldest could be getting her mission call today, the PTA Fundraiser looms, and I’m working on paperwork for my youngest’s appointment tomorrow. I am going to be SO ready for spring break when it comes…

I absolutely love having my computer in my kitchen (or rather, in between my kitchen and dining room), because I can pull up recipes on it AND because I can be doing things on it while still in touch with what’s going on in the rest of the house. The only significant downside is that my “desk” is also my kitchen counter, and that wasn’t actually huge to begin with. Papers, mail, bills, and books waiting to be reviewed pile up, especially when I’m got something bigger on my mind (like our PTA fundraiser), and even though I paid bills and went through some of the mail yesterday, there is still MUCH to be done.

Today, however, I also have multiple errands on my docket, and so this book review may be the sum total of what I manage to clean off my desk area. (Or rather, the book I’m about to review. You knew what I meant.) Last Saturday night my hubby and son went to BYU’s last home basketball game and were out late; I tucked my youngest in and showered early. (My older girls watched a few episodes of ‘Psych’ before heading to bed.) While cooling off from my shower and winding down for bed, I finished reading Silenced Voices: Reclaiming Memories from the Guatemalan Genocide, which won more than one ALA Youth Media Award in January. (Graphic novels are trickier before bed, since I need more light for them than just my bed lamp, but since I was alone and it was early, I could keep the overhead on as long as I needed to.) It wasn’t an easy read, as I’m sure you’ve surmised by the title, but it was both compelling and heartwrenching.

I was not at all interested in world events when I was a child, and thus I was completely unaware that Guatemala’s civil war began long before I was born and didn’t end until the year I graduated from high school. More embarrassingly, I was also unaware that within the last 10 years or so, multiple Guatemalan leaders from the 80s were tried for various crimes in connection with that civil war, including genocide against the indigenous Mayan population. Silenced Voices is fiction based on real events and witnesses’ accounts, as well as the author’s own experiences, and features a mother and her two sons’ reactions to living in the US while those trials were occurring and in the news, as well as flashbacks to the mother’s and her family’s experiences years ago in Guatemala. Not all of the art was my favorite, but that matters far less than what I learned about a time and a place of which I was previously unaware. The subject matter and language makes Silenced Voices a definitively older read–I’d say latter junior high or high school, depending on the kid–but it’s an important book.

Don’t skip this one.

After all, one book review isn’t a huge deal, right? On the other hand, it’s officially after 7:30–after a day of the regional history fair, PTA texts, and cleaning–and my level of coherence is questionable at best. Unfortunately, given that my 11-year-old actually saw Besties: Prank War sitting by my computer, waiting to be reviewed, she might die if I don’t get that done posthaste.

Or something.

Anyway. The history fair was pretty chill for me, honestly–I chatted with other parents from my daughter’s class and she hung with friends, once we managed to park and find the exhibit room–and my oldest picked up the board and paper on her way home (so to speak) from work, which was a definite relief. I had time to clean up my living room considerably, which was overdue, and my fabulous hubby took our youngest to dance, which meant I still got in my walk before it got dark. As for Prank War…

Here’s the thing. Trent and Sawyer (the focus of this ‘From the world of Click‘ novel) have a solid, we-wrangle-but-we’re-tight friendship that’s nice to see, and Nat stayed true to character. I just hated that she got away with more than she should have, while Trent and Sawyer got stuck with more consequences than they deserved. The fact that she rallied so many people to her at one point was a stretch for me–Trent and Sawyer are considerably more likeable than she is–but I believe her creator mentioned that she’s based on someone from her own school years, so there’s that. I’m curious to see what my youngest thinks of it, but it isn’t my favorite of the series.

Speaking of my youngest, it’s 7:54 and she’s still not home from dance. Wish us luck tomorrow…

On Saturday I finished reading Planet Omar: Epic Hero Flop aloud with my 11-year-old, and it didn’t disappoint. If you’re not familiar with this heavily illustrated (younger) middle grade series, you’re missing out–Omar is a delightful kid with solid friends, and his Pakistani/Muslim heritage is simply another detail about him. (Yay for normalizing different cultural backgrounds!) In Epic Hero Flop, Omar takes the blame for something to spare his reformed friend Daniel a return to the principal’s office, only to find out that even a well-intentioned lie is a step onto a slippery slope. Can he get everything straightened back out again? (Of course he can–and does–but my daughter and I read a goodly portion of the book on Saturday in order to see it happen. You can’t just leave a good kid hanging, right?)

One of the best things about the ‘Planet Omar’ books is that while they’ve got widespread appeal, they’re about boys and boys’ experiences without too much bathroom humor. (Flatulence does happen, yes, but then again–flatulence does happen.) I only wish my son had been a few years younger when the first one came out.

In the meantime, we’ve all survived the time change and stress planning for our fundraiser goes on. Wish us luck!

First–I survived Friday’s PTA Meeting, and progress was made on our fundraiser. I also got more sleep last night than the night before. (Although that isn’t saying much.)

Next–Today was a little rough, so I don’t have much in me.

Last–I made this White Chicken Chili Recipe with Cream Cheese on Thursday, and it was a hit. (Even if it wasn’t as hot as it should have been, due to an accidental unplugging. Luckily, the chicken did get fully cooked.) I added two cups of chicken broth (boiling, because of the aforementioned unplugging), but one would have been sufficient. (Adding none would make it less soup-like and more of a casserole, so make your own call there.) Topped with tortilla chips it made a lovely dinner–I recommend!

My youngest and I finished reading Elana K. Arnold’s Harriet Tells the Truth together on Monday, and it was definitely my favorite book in the trilogy. Harriet has mostly kicked her lying habit, although she does learn a thing or two about personal vs. universal truths, and while she’s looking forward to Mabel Marble’s centennial birthday party, she’s also dreading it; it means her time on Marble Island is drawing to a close, and she likes living on Marble Island. Distractions come, however, in the form of a group of poets staying at the B&B (one of whom decides NOT to stay there after meeting the resident pets) and a possible poisoner on the island. Will everything come out all right?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one aloud; it’s always a good time when you’re laughing while you read! And while I’m sad that no more Harriet books are likely to be forthcoming, I couldn’t have asked for a more satisfying conclusion to Harriet’s story. Elementary schoolers should definitely give Harriet a try.

In the meantime, my son has a concert tonight and I’m taking my friend out to brunch, if she’s feeling up to it. My youngest survived Maturation yesterday, and my niece may or may not still be in labor. We’ll see how today goes!

Seriously, though. I smelled this Melt-in-Your-Mouth Crispy Pork Shoulder cooking for hours, and while it smelled quite tasty, it got strong enough that (it being a mild day) I cracked the window for a while. That level of olfactory stimulation is death when you’re pregnant, as a rule. Still, it made for quite a nice dinner–it did melt in your mouth, the outer skin was absolutely crispy, and the spice rub’s flavor was quite enjoyable. My one beef (so to speak) is that you didn’t get a ton of the flavor inside the roast; on the other hand, my youngest was thrilled at how tender it was. I have exciting plans for the leftovers, but in the meantime, the next time pork butt is on sale, you might consider giving this recipe a try.

In other news, my youngest daughter’s team won the 5th grade Battle of the Books competition today,(there was some seriously cool stuff in the prize bag), the maturation kits are ready to go for tomorrow, and my 11-year-old and I finished our latest together-read. Wahoo for a successful day!