Love letter to Melina Marchetta

Dear Melina Marchetta

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Your girls and women: Francesca, Justine, Taylor, Hannah, Evanjalin, Phaedra, Lirah, Quintana. Your boys and men: Will, Thomas, Jimmy, Lucian, Gargarin, Froi.

They are flawed, but they persevere. They hope and dream despite horrendous challenges, and they grow. They develop backbones, morality, depth, and compassion . . . authentically. I remember reading The Piper's Son and feeling so proud of Frankie that she never gave up on Tom. Where did that feeling of pride come from? I had no hand in Frankie's creation. It's a novel, for goodness sake! And yet, there it was: because she feels so real, my heart was filled to bursting with affection and gratification that Frankie grew into such a loyal, loving and wise young woman.

Your novels stand testament to the ability of people to grow, heal and improve themselves, and make a difference in their worlds. Frankie finds her peeps and figures out that you save yourself. Those peeps? A necessary part of it; she couldn't have done it without Justine, Tara, Will, Thomas and Jimmy, but neither her mom nor her friends could do it for her. Your characters move beyond their tragic pasts to meet the future head-on.

Isaboe and Quintana do what must be done to save their people, despite pain, heartache and love. They do not give up; they do not accommodate; they act. Despite his curmudgeonly demeanor, Gargarin is never able to let go of hope. He designs irrigation canals for a king he despises and a people who have turned their backs on him. He despairs, but makes himself "lean to the side of wonder," day in day out.

I love your worlds: from contemporary Australia, both urban and rural, to fantasy island. I see the outback, the mountains, the gravina. I love that we can't lump the bad guys together. Yes, there are truly heinous individuals, but no nationality or ethnic group is all good or bad. In Finnikin of the Rock, we are shown the horrors of war, and we accept that Charynites are the enemy. But then in Froi of the Exiles, we meet some of the good people of Charyn and suddenly good and evil are not so simple. We are set up to hate the Townies and the Cadets in Jellicoe Road and slowly realize, with Taylor, that the whole war is a game, and that Chaz and Jonah are really great guys.

I love that you write realistic fiction based on what you know, whether your characters live with cellphones and Facebook or in some fantasy world. In the Lumetare Chronicles, I was reminded of the Khmer Rouge, Darfur, and Syria in 2013. I love that you remind us that "we have met the enemy and he is us": flawed, complex, amazing human beings worthy of love and compassion, in spite of everything.

A Cautionary Tale

Stop the presses! I'm actually reading a non-fiction book!

Yes, you read that right. Me, Lindi, who is a confirmed fiction lover and non-fiction hater, is reading Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation, by Joseph Ellis, and what's more? I'm enjoying it.

It all started innocently enough with watching Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney in John Adams, the HBO mini-series. They claim it's based on the biography by David McCullough, but it's not a documentary, so that's safe, right? They are big Hollywood names; it's HBO. (Of course, I know to beware PBS and the History Channel!) I thought it would be more like that old Kevin Kline/Tracey Ullman comedy, I Love You to Death, based on a real-life Pennsylvania couple's story; i.e., the skeleton of truth is there, but it's fleshed out so that it's actually fun to watch.

Which is how I found myself addicted to John Adams. Little did I know it was a gateway drug, leading me to late-night forays into Wikipedia to check facts and before I knew it, there I was skulking in 973.3 for something to take home for the summer. I'm so ashamed.

Young people, be forewarned: you too may find yourselves reading something you never imagined you'd read for pleasure!

All you need is love

Do you know the Casson family? Bill and Eve, the artists? Four kids? Kind of a chaotic household in the English countryside?

You don't? Well, we have to remedy that right away! Let me introduce you to Bill Casson, living and creating in London. He's loving and generous (when he remembers to be) and very protective of his art. Here's his wife Eve, raising their four children and working, when she can, in her own painting studio at the end of the garden.

Eve is brilliant at color, even Bill acknowledges that, and she has named her children for paint colors from the big chart on the kitchen wall: Cadmium Gold, Indigo, and Permanent Rose. Astute readers will notice that there are only three names, when didn't I say they have four kids? Ah yes. Saffron. Eve didn't get to name Saffron, but her name was added to the chart later. . . and there begins the tale.

If you like stories about affectionate and messy families where the children have all kinds of adventures while the parents stay out of the way until needed, you will love Hilary McKay's Casson family series:

• Saffy's Angel
• Indigo's Star
• Permanent Rose
• Caddy Ever After
• Forever Rose

and newest of the bunch, but set before Saffy's Angel -- Caddy's World, in which we first meet Rose, and Caddy learns that friendship and family require great bravery.

Making Stuff!

Somehow the school year is over and we never composed our summer reading list! Oh dear! Instead, we are going to use our blog to occasionally post suggestions, so check in now and again to see what we are reading and recommending this summer.

In honor of the Seattle Mini Maker Faire this weekend, here are my favorite crafting books:

Quilting with Style: Principles for Great Pattern Design, published in 1993. Every time I pick it up, authors Gwen Marston and Joe Cunningham remind me that quilting (and indeed any craft) is about process. It is not a race and it's not about shopping for the newest gadget.

Improv Sewing by Nicole Blum (2012), also encourages the process of creativity. Yes, there are some patterns and directions, but the underlying theme is empowerment -- figure out what you want to do and I'll bet that if sewing is involved Blum's book will have at least one project that you can adapt to make it happen.

Two great magazines supporting the maker community are Make: Magazine and Cloth Paper Scissors. Look here for inspiration as well as techniques. There are scores more periodicals, not to mention all the blogs and YouTube videos out there teaching everything from making a wallet out of keyboard circuit sheets to cross-stitch samplers.

Cooking is making too. Do you know Edna Lewis? She was the grande dame of Southern cuisine, writing several cookbooks. Tonight I made a rustic rhubarb pie from The Art of Southern Cooking, co-authored by Scott Peacock, and all I can say is delicious. There's also a charming picture book about Miss Lewis called Bring Me Some Apples and I'll Make You a Pie. It's by Robbin Gourley, and is available from your public library. While you're there, sign up for their summer reading program.

Lindi

How to Raise a Reader, Part 2

Okay, so little Chumleigh or Dot can read, but he/she doesn't love it. How can you make your child (or student) love books?

You can't. Can you make me love football? No. We are all different and, theoretically at least, we appreciate that, right? Richness and variety and all that jazz (which I'm not so fond of. I prefer pop, to be honest). Yeah, well, we love the diversity of life until someone we love doesn't love what we love. Did you follow that? I love romance novels, therefore my daughter must love romance novels. I keep giving them to her, but she just won't give them a chance. I know as soon as she does, she'll love them, just like I do. Right? Meanwhile she wastes her time on short stories. What's up with that? You get no time to fall into the story and it's over. Ick.

Do you understand how ridiculous my position is? You can't make your child love reading just because you do, or even worse, just because you think they "should."

Stories on the other hand -- well, I believe story is one of the strategies humans use to make sense of the world. Luckily there are plenty of places to get stories outside of books: music, movies, theater, tv, jokes, video games, art, play, storytelling. The list goes on and on. Encourage telling stories with your children -- tell stories to them, help them tell their own, talk about the stories in songs or games, talk through what's going on with LEGO and building blocks and cooking and dress-up and . . . and . . . and.

It's true that in our culture reading fluently is crucial. I'll admit that. The way to become fluent is to practice. So the way I interpret that first question -- how do I make my kids love reading -- is to ask how do I get my kids to read more, to read fluently? Choice. See "How to Raise a Reader, part 1."

Thanks to J.K. Rowling, fantasy reigns right now in the publishing world. That's okay. So what if little Chumleigh won't read anything else? Who's he hurting? If you want him to try a little historical fiction, read it out loud to him. Invest your own time, if it's that important to you. Don't ask him to give up what little choice and free time he has just because you want to expose him to historical fiction.

What if little Dot doesn't read in her spare time at all? Is she a fluent reader? If so, then who's she hurting? If she isn't, you making her read a whole book isn't going to help. Meet her where she is -- soccer rules, iPad user guide, song lyrics, blogs, even -- gasp -- gaming cheat codes. Talk about what you are reading; share recommendations and listen to hers. Share your stories with your kids and ask them to share theirs with you.

In short, relax. Enjoy your children and students. Talk about and share stories, encourage them and trust them to find out for themselves what they love and why.

How to Raise a Reader, Part 1

As school librarians, we are often asked how to make kids read more. Here's my answer based on years in a school library as well as having raised three grown children who all love to read. The most important thing is choice. Let them read what they want. I'm going to say that again.

Let. Them. Read. What. They. Want.

Got it? That means if they love to read comic books, let them read comic books. If they will only read horse stories, let them read horse stories.

If you are concerned that your child won't try anything new, remember that reading is a hard skill to learn and  practice makes perfect. They are practicing. Familiarity with the plot or format means at least one less thing to worry about as they read. Have some faith that your child's reading tastes will progress. Honestly, do you know any adults who still read the Hardy Boys for their own pleasure?

Absolutely introduce new stuff. Make variety available by borrowing library materials on your own account. You must be willing to invest your own time and resources in this endeavor, or your child will wonder just how valuable it is. Read new books or genres out loud to them. Miss Manners had a brilliant strategy to get kids to read: read out loud to them until you get to a cliff hanger, then perkily say, "Okay. Lights out." Of course you have to make sure they have a working flashlight first.

I'm a big advocate of reading aloud, but it's important that it is pleasurable for both parties. Years ago, I had read three Redwall books by Brian Jacques out loud to my then 9-, 10- and 12-year-old children. It was great; I did the voices and we relished every feast day menu, going so far as to plan our own, until they realized Deeper-n-Ever Pie was made out of vegetables. By the end of number four, the fun had worn off for me and I told them it was time to read them themselves. "But," whined my 9-year-old, "I can't read that well." "You're going to want to practice then," I said without pity. There were just so many great stories to share with my kids, I didn't want to spend any time on books that weren't fun for me too.

Read aloud with your kids as long as they will let you and schedules permit. I'm pretty sure that we read our last novel together the summer my oldest son got his driver's license, but 15 years later we still take turns reading aloud picture books on Christmas Eve.

If you need strategies for opening up a non-reader's mind to new stories, try making bargains -- "I'll read Knuffle-Bunny (even if it's for the umpteenth time), if I also get to read one chapter of The Children of Noisy Village." The bargain must be reasonable (i.e. one chapter, not the whole book) and you must have read Knuffle-Bunny or whatever so often that you both have it memorized. Trust that their tastes will change, and that all too soon you'll be wishing you had even one more snuggle with a contented, sleepy preschooler and Mo Willems.

The point is that when reading is pleasurable, they do it and they'll keep doing it. Kids stop reading because it becomes work: textbooks and class reading and beautiful passages analyzed to within an inch of their lives. Of course there are things that we have to read, but that's not what makes us fluent. Being fluent is what allows us to read the necessary stuff. Encourage reading fluency in your children by honoring their choices.

Comfort Reading

What do you turn to when you need comforting? I'm partial to re-reading a familiar book. A book that will delight, but not surprise me. It can have a bittersweet ending (84, Charing Cross Road, by Helen Hanff) or be unabashedly romantic (Beauty, by Robin McKinley). It can be heartbreakingly sad (Refuge, by Terry Tempest Williams) or laugh-out-loud funny (Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott). I'm going to choose the book depending on whether I need tears or laughter, and I'm going to get what I need. Predictability is key with comfort reading.

I have to love the main character, and I do mean LOVE. I have to know who that person is and that this ending is right for them at this point in their life. In Izzy, Willy Nilly, by Cynthia Voigt, the protagonist is a 15-year-old cheerleader squarely on her way to becoming one of the popular kids. A single date with a senior changes everything and propels her development from shallow Izzy who chooses to go out with a boy for the status to Isobel, a young woman learning who she is apart from friends and family. She doesn't "get the guy" in the end. No, she gets something more; she gets what she needs -- herself.

Humor is good. It can alleviate whatever it is I'm distressed about, and even my saddest comfort reads have moments with laughter, for example Carol Shields's Unless. Reta Winters is a successful translator and author whose oldest daughter disappears. As Reta tries to make sense of her daughter's choices she views them through the lens of her own experience and blames the patriarchy. Peppered throughout the story are the scathing letters Reta has written but not sent, hilariously pointing out the idiocy of our blatantly sexist culture.

A couple movies have sneaked onto my comfort list -- I adore Jane Austen. I've read her novels several times each, but when I'm depressed she's little too much work. So then I pull out Persuasion with Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds. Anne Eliot's transformation from worn spinster to vital and desirable woman is subtly and masterfully portrayed by Root. It's not that Anne changes; no, she is steadfast. It is that the people around her (and the viewer) begin to recognize her depth. Closeups of hands and shifting focal points heighten tensions, felt but unspoken. I know everyone thinks Colin Firth is THE quintessential Austen hero, but I'll take Hinds as Captain Wentworth any day. All action and certainty only barely concealing devastating heartache.

I've experienced every one of these stories -- watched, read or listened to -- too many times to count. And every time they help me through whatever emotional wreckage I'm mired in. It's the familiarity, the absolute rightness of the ending, the humor that helps me through . . . and it's allowed me to stop sucking my thumb.