Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

Yes, I’m a day late, but I did organizing kinds of things yesterday, not computer kinds of things. (Also laundry.) Three Trader Joe’s bags of clothes went with my daughter to her youth activity/clothing drive last night, several books went into my 10-year-old’s reading pile, the area in front of my closet is still crowded but at least stable–you get the idea. I also had a virtual meeting and made zucchini bread, which included finely grating a large zucchini, so it was a productive day.

Today, by contrast, is going to be part computer things, part Costco, and (possibly) part doing some work in my terrifying food room/spare bedroom. And to start off, I give you Frank Cammuso’s The Night Door (Edison Beaker, Creature Seeker), which is just fun to say. I enjoyed Cammuso’s ‘Salem Hyde’ books and thought his ‘Knights of the Lunch Table’ series was hilarious; ‘Edison Beaker’ was not quite as fun for me as either of those, but I suspect that’s mostly a genre preference thing. The Night Door isn’t long and it doesn’t hit impressive levels of emotional depth, but it’s a fun graphic novel about a family of ‘creature seekers’ and their night of dangerous/zany world-saving mishaps. Reluctant readers, adventure lovers, and graphic novel fans all ought to enjoy this Halloween-ish candy for the brain–and at 160 or so pages, it’s accessible for the majority of elementary schoolers. Not a bad way to kick off fall!

I decided to attempt a review tonight, even though it’s already almost 6:30. I’m not sure how well I’ll do, but I’ve been working hard today–minus a half hour afternoon slump–and I’ve got the momentum! Besides, my youngest is finally back in school–not 100% over the cold yet, but back–and I’m feeling relatively gung-ho for the week.

I finished Katherine Center’s The Rom-Commers less than a week after we got back from Idaho (at least it was our second Idaho trip, I guess?) and it’s the last–I think–of the summer reviews that I’ve been putting off. (Of course, it would have been more detailed a month or so ago, but what can I say?) Luckily, I enjoyed it as much as I usually enjoy Center’s books, even if Emma is overly hard on her sister (and then too slow to forgive her sister’s response) at one point. (Other readers–you agree, right? Not just me?) Emma’s discourse on rom-coms is delightful to read, and I love the way she calls Charlie out on genre expectations. Some of the bumps along their road to happiness are a stretch, but I didn’t really care. Emma’s professional path felt painfully believable, and Charlie’s arc worked nicely as well. The concept of a screenwriter who hates rom-coms working with a screenwriter who loves them makes for a solid story, and the conquering of their respective demons fleshes it out nicely. There is banter, there is healing, there is romance, and there is fun–who could ask for anything more?

In other news, Friday night’s wedding reception in Wallsburg, UT (no, I hadn’t heard of it until said reception–the 2020 census put its population at 290) had some iffy weather but was still lovely; so was Sunday night dinner in Clearfield. We met the woman my brother-in-law is dating as well as a niece’s boyfriend, and while fewer games were played than usual, it’s always nice to be with family. Multiple large bins have migrated upstairs from downstairs, and while organizing the clothes in them I found a few more things to donate (yay for more things leaving my house!). The girls and I watched “Hairspray” on Saturday night while the boys were at the BYU game, and since we won, good times were had by all. Here’s to a productive week to come!

Actual crickets, that is–Palmer was hungry, and they were out when I was running errands earlier in the week. The first Friday morning PTA meeting is done, though, and I’m desperately grateful. (I’m also grateful I decided not to submit a receipt for the food I brought, because I took too much of it home to feel good about that.) I came away with a reimbursement check for various purchases, more PTA copy paper, and a few questions I forgot to ask the office (because of course I did). And I did get a haircut yesterday, for which I’m grateful–it was overdue!

Anyway. On Wednesday night I showered extra early, which gave me time enough to finish listening to Cloche and Dagger, the first in one of the (many) cozy mystery series my friend Britt enjoys. I have to say, it was fun–American Scarlett Parker heads to London to stay with her cousin, who runs the hat shop (hence the title) they inherited from their grandmother, after an entertainingly described break-up disaster in Florida; her mercurial cousin, however, isn’t there to greet her, which doesn’t seem like a huge deal until a countess is found murdered wearing nothing but a hat designed by said cousin. Should Scarlett be concerned about her cousin’s disappearance? Why is someone breaking into the hat shop? And is their business still going to be there when the police find out what’s been going on? Enquiring readers want to know!

Overall, it’s a fun story with a relatable main character; my main critique is the pacing, and I rather suspect that’s mostly due to its being first in a series. The first half of the book seemed more to be setting up the characters and the setting than dealing with the mystery; I was interested, but not necessarily gripped until over halfway through. Since that seems unlikely to happen with subsequent titles in the series, I’m okay to overlook it in this one. I’m not a big mystery reader, really, but I’ll likely keep on with these!

In the meantime, we’ve got a wedding reception to attend tonight, and I was thinking about cadging a nap before we leave. Have a good weekend, everybody!

That’s how I felt about Shannon Hale’s Best Friends, folks. I can often enjoy books about latter elementary/middle school struggles, but sometimes they strike too much of a nerve. Shannon’s misery and fear over ‘if-I-stand-up-for-the-kid-being-picked-on-will-they-turn-on-me is not an emotional place I wanted to return to, and as my 16-year-old pointed out, it’s hard to read a book about someone whose friends aren’t terribly nice. Is it poignant, realistic, and an important book to help a great many kids realize that they aren’t alone in their experiences? Absolutely. My favorite part, however, was the depictions of Lagoon. (Except that then Shannon’s Lagoon experience was also hard to read.) I am so grateful for the mental health resources available for children now–and while Best Friends is definitely quality literature, I am grateful enough to be decades away from that age that I cannot see myself reading it again.

In the meantime, my 5th grader is home from school because she threw up last night. Was it digestion rather than illness, combined with congestion from her cold? Very possibly, but it’s not like I can send her to school with half a piece of bread in her stomach.

Sigh.

Summer cold gone bad

Sinus infection strikes

Antibiotics

Germs sweep through the house

So many Kleenexes used

Medicines run low

Holiday weekend

Plans constantly fluctuate

Who knows what will come?

On Wednesday I promised my 10-year-old that we’d read together Thursday, since Wednesday got crazy. She reminded me while she was working on dinner–everyone else was already done, because she’s that child in our house–and so we read; I would have stopped sooner, since my throat was trending toward sore, except that we were so close to the end it wasn’t worth it. And so we finished Renee Watson’s (pretend there’s an accent on that middle “e”!) Ways to Share Joy, the third of her ‘Ryan Hart’ books.

My daughter loves them.

For those of you unfamiliar, Ryan is a latter elementary schooler who loves to bake, has an older brother and a baby sister, and who moved into a new (old) house relatively recently because her dad’s job situation changed. Thankfully, she has a loving grandma close by and some solid friends, but life still isn’t smooth sailing; money is tight, there’s a kid who teases her at school, and she and her brother sometimes clash. In other words? She’s eminently relatable. She’s also accessible for 1st or 2nd graders on, depending on their reading ability; the books are easy for my 5th grader, but there’s plenty of emotional depth for her to absorb, and that’s a nice thing. (It’s also lovely that church is a significant part of Ryan’s family’s life–you see that in fewer books nowadays, but it’s something else my girlie can relate to.) If you’ve got a girl in elementary school who’s up for books of 150 pages or more, don’t miss this series.

In the meantime, our membership drive officially ends today, and we have more than 150 PTA members, which is nice. Have a great Labor Day weekend, folks!

Welp–I put in a load of laundry, went for my exercise walk, did my Duolingo, rinsed myself some grapes since I’m feeling snackish, and here I am again. Did I mention that after today, there are only two more days of our PTA membership drive? I’m SO looking forward to not having to be ready for the day by the time I take my youngest to school. It isn’t that I’ll be getting up later–I’m just happier to leave the bathroom to my hubby to get ready for work in while I do some chores first thing. Being up and doing and being presentable to go out in public are two very different things!

Anyway. I actually finished listening to Gordon Korman’s Zoobreak on our first day in Idaho in August–that’s how behind I am! It was a good time, though, and I’m hoping my son will enjoy it. Zoobreak brings us back into the world of Swindle, only this time, Griffin (the Man With a Plan) is helping his animal-loving friend Savannah rescue her stolen monkey. Of course, Cleo (the monkey in question) has been sold to a floating zoo, and since none of the animals in the zoo are being treated well, Griffin’s plan needs to expand.

A lot.

Korman’s Swindle series is shaping up to be formulaic, certainly–a groups of kids, each with his or her own special skill, executing a heist under Griffin’s leadership–but for kids who don’t dive exuberantly into books, that’s not a bad thing. My youngest is likely to enjoy this one, yes, but so is my son, and finding books he’s actually excited about isn’t easy. (Although he did just devour James Ponti’s Framed! trilogy.) The animals’ antics are a standout in this one, and Griffin’s realization about kids and grown-ups at the end is valuable; give the Swindle series to your latter elementary or middle schooler with confidence!

In the meantime, I’m off to do a few more chores. We’ll see if I manage another review today!

I am sick.

This is mostly why I didn’t manage to post until today–I am miserably congested and thus sleeping badly. Unfortunately, I’m not the only one under the weather. My hubby has had an iffy tummy since Thursday or Friday, making him miss our ward (local church group) day trip to Bear Lake. My youngest got fried on the trip (everybody thought someone else had helped her reapply her sunscreen, meaning I’m ultimately to blame) and then threw up when we got home; whether it was a canyon hangover (so! many! canyons!), too much sun, or whatever her daddy’s got, her tummy’s been iffy ever since, and she stayed home from church on Sunday and school on Monday. (At least she’s moving normally again!) My 16-year-old hasn’t been feeling terrific, and my son’s back was really hurting him yesterday. Good times for the whole household!

Still–I told myself that besides going to Ream’s and doing a bit of laundry, I would prioritize book reviews today, because I’m just plain sick of being so far behind. To that end, then, I’m starting with Elana K. Arnold’s Just Harriet, which I listened to before passing it on to my youngest to read. Arnold isn’t difficult reading, but her characters deal with big emotions, and that’s something my youngest girlie consistently struggles with. Whether she’ll relate to Harriet–who’s staying with her grandmother for the summer while her mother is on bedrest–or not, I’m hoping some ideas about how Harriet deals with things might linger. Either way, she’s bound to love Harriet’s cat, Matzo Ball, and I think she’ll enjoy Harriet’s emotional journey. If you have an elementary schooler who will be gaining a sibling or is struggling with the occasional bad habit, this is an excellent read.

I had a productive PTA morning, went to Walmart, and then (with my oldest) was privileged to attend an absolutely beautiful temple sealing this afternoon, so book reviews are going to have to wait; on the other hand, I did grab Brachs ‘Mellowcreme Autumn Leaves’ pack, and I was excited enough that I tried each flavor myself without waiting for my family.

Meh.

The butterscotch was definitely butterscotch-y, but the maple wasn’t very maple-y, and the pumpkin spice was barely there; the caramel apple wasn’t bad, but the spiced cider tasted exactly like potpourri (with the consistency of candy corn). So–I probably wouldn’t bother. And there’s my PSA!

That would be my second girlie who turned sixteen on Sunday, and I’m really not sure how I’m going to live through two more 16th birthdays in the future–I hate teaching kids to drive. I’m scared I won’t do it well, I’m scared they’ll make the mistakes I made, and I’m embarrassed that teaching a necessary life skill is so hard for me to do. On the other hand, she had a few friends over to celebrate the night before and had a blast, so there’s that. (She also invited friends over after lunch to celebrate reaching her temple goal–she wanted to show appreciation for their support–but that ended up feeling more awkward than chill, she said. At least it was the second gathering that went well, so the day ended on a high note! And I’m SO proud of her for reaching that temple goal.)

Anyway. Her birthday meals got pushed back a week because half the family had meetings on Sunday morning and we went to my in-laws’ for dinner Sunday evening, since my sister-in-law and her youngest were in town from Hawaii. She did open presents, however, and because she had friends over Saturday night, I decided (at the last minute or so) to take the chance to preview the graphic novel I hoped would make a good birthday book. I managed to read the whole thing Saturday night without falling asleep, which is impressive, and thus today’s review is of Christina Soontornvat’s The Squad, which turned out to be a lovely choice for a birthday gift. Like its predecessor, The Tryout, it’s more of a graphic memoir than a straight graphic novel, and knowing that makes all the feels about Christina’s not feeling like she quite belongs anywhere that much more poignant. She and her two non-art friends are once again trying out for the cheerleading squad. Will they make it this time–all of them? What happens if only some of them do? And how might being on the cheer squad change their school experiences? You’ll have to read to find out!

Okay, maybe that was cheesy, but it does feel like the sort of book where giving away too much, too early, is a bad idea. All I can say is that my girlie gave it 4 stars and I’ll likely do the same thing. Graphic novel fans, don’t miss this one!