I’ve been having some summer fun shining the spotlight on “notable women.” To me, notable women are women who have made a difference in this world due to their actions or talents. Last week I had fun sharing some American History with notable woman, Sybil Ludington thanks to my “head elf,” Becky.

This week I want to focus on the wonderful works of one of our favorite authors, Pam Munoz Ryan.

Pam Muñoz Ryan is the author of more that thirty books for young readers, including four beloved novels, Riding Freedom, Esperanza Rising, Becoming Naomi León, and Paint the Wind, which collectively have garnered, among countless accolades, the Pura Belpré Medal, the Jane Addams Award, and the Schneider Family Award. She lives in Southern California with her family. You can visit her at www.PamMunozRyan.com.

And according to myintern Hannah, one of Pam’s books Esperanza Rising is one of her all time favorite books which she goes to again and again. I think we can say that Esperanza Rising is a close and dear friend to Hannah. So here is a closer look at one of the many wonderful books written by Pam Muñoz Ryan.

 

From Hannah……

Esperanza Ortega lives a live of privilege in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Her father owns El Rancho de las Rosas where he grows rows of roses and grapes. Esperanza is treated like a princess, with beautiful gifts, loving parents, loyal servants, and wonderful friends.

When bandits kill her father, her mother and her lives are uprooted. Her evil uncles wish to take over the ranch and her eldest uncle to marry her mother, Esperanza, Ramona, and their loyal servants are forced to flee Mexico, leaving an ill Abuelita to heal with her sisters at the convent. With all their papers in order, they sneak out of Aguascalientes by cover of darkness to travel into the United States for work.

Here, Esperanza discovers the hardships of life, responsibility, and so many other experiences that her life of privilege had shielded her from.

She, along with 5 other people, live in a two room cabin with no warm water in California. They work unreasonable hours, but they must work, or there will be no food on the table. Being only thirteen, Esperance lucks out of having real work, instead being charged with watching the babies and sweeping. That is, until her mother falls ill with Valley Fever.

Five months, Esperanza prays for her mother as she heals in the hospital. In less than a year, Esperanza has lost her father, had to leave her abuelita, watched her mother grow weaker, and begin to work with the rest of the women. To her, hope does not exist. Will the valleys, as abuelita says, ever turn into mountain tops?

Esperanza Rising has a special place in my heart. As a child, I read this book several times, and at the time, I was not sure why I was so connected to this novel, with a lifestyle that I could not relate to. It doesn’t matter that I cannot empathize with the situation because I love these characters. Esperanza is  alive—her temper, her kindness, her selfishness, her newly learned wisdom. All the characters are so alive, that I believe they are real. And that is what makes this story so amazing. Ms. Ryan based this story off of the life of her grandmother. To her, these are real people, and because of this truth of them, this idol to hold them up to, they are made all the more real for us. I love this book, because I am an only child, because I love my mother and my grandmother who smells like peppermint.

Ms. Ryan also offers interesting insight into the Mexican Repatriation in her Author’s note. This is one note that you don’t want to ignore.

Other stellar books from Pam Muñoz Ryan:

Echo

The Dreamer

Riding Freedom

Amelia And Eleanor Go For A Ride

 

Something To Do Book-Inspired Activities:
Rosehip Tea recipe (like Hortensia makes). Rose hips produce a mild, tangy, fruity tea. Use them solo or combined with a hint of fresh spearmint or peppermint leaves. Chilled and sweetened with stevia, the tea is a vitamin-rich, sugar-free alternative to fruit juices or Kool-Aid that is appealing to kids and adults alike. Grab the full process HERE.

Crochet a Shawl (like Abuelita). Hopeful Honey has great tips on Crochet for Beginners.

Yarn Dolls (for all of Isabel’s friends). Yarns are fun and easy to make (great project for kids!) Get the full tutorial at Little House Living.

**some of these links are affiliate links

I was given a copy of this book for this for review. The opinions expressed are purely my own.

***

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Grab your copy HERE: The Waldorf Homeschool Handbook: The Simple Step-by-Step guide to creating a Waldorf-inspired homeschool.

The post Notable Women- Author Pam Muñoz Ryan appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

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The Heir. (Selection #4) Kiera Cass. 2015. HarperCollins. 346 pages. [Source: Library]

I have very mixed feelings on The Heir by Kiera Cass. That isn't a huge surprise. I had mixed feelings about the first three books as well. The first three books in the series focused on Princess Eadlyn's parents--America and Maxon. I found the books both silly and irresistible at the same time. If I found the books on the silly, ridiculous, predictable side, why did I care so much about what happened and who ended up together?! That was the question then, and, to some extent that remains the question. The difference being I am less attached to Princess Eadlyn than I was to her father, Prince (now King) Maxon.

So. America and Maxon have four children together: twins Eadlyn and Ahren, and two younger boys that barely enter into the story, or, perhaps are completely forgettable no matter how many times their names are dropped. Eadlyn being born seven minutes before her brother is the heir to the crown. She's about eighteen or so when the story opens. And readers are led to believe that she may become Queen much sooner than anyone thinks. Conveniently perhaps America and Maxon have not aged well it seems. Though young when they married, and though their oldest is just eighteen, they are talked about as if they're closer to sixty or sixty-five than forty! Granted, we don't know for sure how long they waited after marrying to have children, but, even if it was five or six years--they still shouldn't be over forty-five! The fact that they are presented as so decrepit and ancient--their health so fragile--frustrated me. And I did not like the ending at all. Trust me on that.

So is Princess Eadlyn likable? I don't think she's meant to be. I think we're supposed to struggle with liking her perhaps? She struggles with being an actual human being.

So "to save the monarchy" the parents are strongly-strongly encouraging their daughter to hold a Selection and get married. Thirty-five young men will be coming to the palace just for her. One of the selected is not a stranger at all, but, someone she's a little too familiar with on the surface, someone who has grown up in the palace, someone who's always been friendlier with her brother than herself. His name is Kile. And he gets the first kiss, though it is staged. Other men of note, Henri (Swedish cook who needs an interpreter) Eric (the interpreter and not really an option for the selection, at least not officially), and Hale (he doesn't seem as obvious a choice as the others, but, he isn't as forgettable or as obnoxious as the others, so, I wouldn't be surprised if he makes it to the top six or seven at least). Since Eadlyn struggles with, you know, actually being human herself, it's hard for her to talk with others and be herself. I don't know that I have a favorite-favorite, but I'm leaning towards Henri.

The world Cass has created still doesn't seem fully fleshed out and lived in, like it makes sense logically. And the political, social, cultural side of it still seems a bit flimsy, but this book like the other is just oddly readable and entertaining.

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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“Daddy,” my daughter started as we ate breakfast three weeks ago, “What’s Independence Day?” “July Fourth, the anniversary of when the United States, our country, was founded.” “The parade where they throw candy?”

The post Explaining citizenship, racism, and patriotism to the young appeared first on OUPblog.

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5 STAGES OF GRIEF-by (Eric D.Graham)-With all the murder and mayhem in the Nation, overseas, in our neighborhoods, where within a 60-hour period during the Memorial Day Weekend 59 people were shot, 13 fatally in Chicago and within our family during these troubling times, we must admit that, we are all trying to copy with all the death and destruction on the nightly news. Especially, with the murders of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile that sparked righteous outrage, which led to the assassination of eight police officers in Dallas and Baton Rogue. As a result, I offer the 5 STAGE OF GRIEF, which we all are going through- in order to cope with this- seemingly- endless pain-Pocket Full of Ghetto Poems-

1. Denial – It is really the first of our reactions to any form of sudden loss. Depending on the relationship we share to the subject of our loss, the more our lives may be uprooted or altered. It is very common for people to try and initially deny the event in order to subconsciously avoid sadness, or the thought of pending mental struggles. People in denial often withdraw from their normal social behavior and become isolated. Denial has no set time frame, or may never be felt at all. However, it is considered the first stage of grief.

2. Anger – People that are grieving often become upset with the person or situation which put them in their grief state. After all, their life could now be in complete disarray. The path of least resistance is anger as opposed to facing the consequences of a loss head on. In the case of death, the anger is often focused toward the deceased for leaving that person behind and unable to cope. Other times people become angry at themselves if they feel they could have done something more to stop the loss from happening.



3. Bargaining – This is when those who are grieving are reaching out to the universe to make the pain go away. It is actually very normal, and largely considered to be a sign that they are beginning to comprehend their situation. People will often try to make a deal, or promise to do anything, if the pain will be taken away.



 4. Depression – Contrary to popular belief, depression is something that may take some time to develop. We often think we are depressed when a grief event first occurs, but there is usually a lot of shock and other emotions present before any real depression can set in. The signs of depression due to grief usually appear when a sense of finality is realized. This is not to be confused with clinical depression, which may be chronic. Depression due to grief is technically episodic, even though it may last for a lengthy period of time.


5. Acceptance – This is the point where the person experiencing grief no longer is looking backward to try and recover the life they once had with the deceased, or other cause of their grief episode. It is not to say that they no longer feel the vast array of emotions brought on by their grief, but they are ready to embrace the idea that they are reaching a new point in there lives. At this point, they are beginning to understand that there is a new beginning on the horizon.
Acceptance should not be confused with healing or recovering from the loss, since that would put an enormous amount of pressure on people experiencing grief. Acceptance is really the beginning of the real healing process. It is the point where recovery becomes about the person left behind, and not about the person being mourned.

www.bobbeethehater.blogspot.com

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Sometimes everything falls into place. A dear friend becomes an agent. She sells (she does!) a book (two books). She forges a link to another special person. A conversation begins.

Who hasn't listened to an All the Wonders podcast and thought, Oh, my. What intelligent questions. What a happy dialogue. What a voice that Matthew Winner has. Who hasn't secretly hoped for the chance to be a guest?

Thanks to my agent, Danielle Smith, thanks to the sale of that book (those books), thanks to her generous linking of me to Matthew Winner (a writer, librarian, husband, dad, and All the Wonders wonder), I had my secret hope answered. I'm episode 272, and during our conversation I talk about the making of sentences, the intrusion of the writerly impulse, the story called THIS IS THE STORY OF YOU, and, well, my new news. Matthew reads from my book. So do I.

All of that is here.

Thank you infinitely, Mr. Winner and, of course, the remarkable Ms. Danielle Smith.

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I know, it's Tuesday again. I'll just chalk my lateness up to my summer schedule.

I've been thinking a bit about this excerpt I read in this interview with Max Ritvo.

"I’ve never really understood the point of poetry, if not to expose you to different forms of mentation. You can write about whatever you want to write about, it’s your prerogative as a poet, but at the end of the day, what a poet does is let you inhabit a different way of thinking for a brief moment of time. For a very very brief bit of time, logic tacks together in ways it never has, and you’re able to have a series of free associations that’ve never been in your brain, or hopefully in any brain, before. I think that this endures so much more than the message of any poem."

I like thinking about poetry as a different way of thinking, though I've always thought of it as a different way of seeing. I write (usually) with a scientist's eyes, practicing the art of looking closely. I also write with the heart of a mathematician, because I love to puzzle through form and structure.

This week let's puzzle through the form Golden Shovel. This form was invented by Terrance Hayes. In writing a golden shovel, you must first borrow a favorite line or lines from a poem to create your own. The words in this line become the end words of your poem. If you choose a six word line, your poem with have 6 lines. If you choose a 12 word line, your poem will have 12 lines. You get the idea. Remember to credit the original poem/poet in the title or an epigram.

Here's an excerpt from Hayes' poem.

The Golden Shovel
by Terrance Hayes

     after Gwendolyn Brooks

I. 1981

When I am so small Da’s sock covers my arm, we
cruise at twilight until we find the place the real

men lean, bloodshot and translucent with cool.
His smile is a gold-plated incantation as we

drift by women on bar stools, with nothing left
in them but approachlessness. This is a school

     Read the poem in its entirety.


Hopefully you can see Brooks' poem (We Real Cool) in the end words of each line.

So, there's your challenge. I hope you'll join me this week in writing a golden shovel. Please share a link to your poem or the poem itself in the comments.

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डांट – अविभावक – बच्चों की मानसिकता पेरेंटिंग क्लीनिक से बाहर निकलते हुए पिता अपनी दस साल की बच्ची को बहुत बुरी तरह डांट लगा रहे थे कि देख लिया हो गया न बुखार… हो गई मुसीबत.. कितनी बार समझाया कि ठंडा पानी मत पीया करो, बर्फ मत खाया करो…  …पर तू समझती नही….वो चिल्लाए […]

The post डांट – अविभावक – बच्चों की मानसिकता appeared first on Monica Gupta.

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Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. This week, the theme is “Ten Books Set Outside the US” and we’re happy to be participating! Well, this one was a little bit difficult! How exactly do you define “outside of the US?” Certainly I read many, many books that don’t even take place in this universe, let alone this country! But I decided that, for the most part, I would leave off any sort of fantasy/science fiction that clearly takes place off-world or in any sort of other realm entirely. I’ve also left off any works that take place only partially in this world but primarily in others (sorry, His Dark Materials).   The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley This is the second TTT I’ve done in a row that this book has earned a spot on! This book is the tale of 16 year old... Read more »

The post Top Ten Tuesday (17): Top Ten Books Set Outside the US appeared first on The Midnight Garden.

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• Mon, 22:28: I keep singing "My Book Will Come Out ... TOMORROW," to the tune of "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow," from the... https://t.co/DH4L1MvTkD

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The bass guitar is often thought to be a poor musician’s double bass or a poor musician’s guitar. Nonetheless, luthiers and performers have explored its expressive possibilities within a wide range of musical styles and performance traditions, some of which we chart below.

The post Ten facts about the bass guitar appeared first on OUPblog.

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Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!When we talk about comfort reads, we have to mention the works of Joan Bauer. A little offbeat, a little unique, her books are always engaging and wise. Though quite a few are written for teens, many... Read the rest of this post

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Almost there, and the Wrekin in the distance. Right at the back, poking it's head in the clouds.

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We Izzy Elves really were shocked when we saw this latest post that Deedy (that's Dorothea Jensen to you) wrote about how long it has taken for her to re-start writing this historical fiction novel for kids. We sincerely hope it doesn't take her this long to finish writing our stories!

Love,

Bizzy, Blizzy, Dizzy, Fizzy, Frizzy, Quizzy, Tizzy, and Whizzy

(Here is our picture, in case you've forgotten what we look like. Sigh.)

Now here's Deedy:

***

I know "Tempus Fugit", but how shocking is THIS!

The 17th century house in Wethersfield, CT, that might have been the setting for The Witch of Blackbird Pond, one of my childhood favorites. My new story will be set in the same era, albeit in Massachusetts instead of Connecticut.

So I am starting to work on a new book for young readers, set in 1675 in the colony of Massachusetts. Its working title is "A Scalp on the Moon".  (I'll explain why later.)

I actually came up with the idea for this story a long time ago, did lots of research, took lots of notes, and wrote the first three chapters. Then, for a variety of reasons, I stopped working on it.

I knew it was quite a few years since I did anything with Scalp, but when I found the box in which I'd stowed away what I'd done so far, I was in a for a genuine shock.

The date I found on the notes I had taken was (are you ready for this?) 1993!

TWENTY THREE YEARS AGO!

Good grief.

Better get back to work before any more tempus fugits!

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Most discussion relating to the referendum result has focussed on the effect that Brexit will have upon our constitutional arrangements or workers' rights. This blog post will focus on the effect that Brexit will have upon the UK system of company law. Unfortunately, the current uncertainty regarding the terms on which the UK will leave the EU (if indeed it does) means that a definitive answer cannot be provided.

The post Brexit and UK company law appeared first on OUPblog.

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अरविंद केजरीवाल – आप का स्वागत है गूगल पर Talk to Ak  सर्च करते हुए जब अचानक search Trends पर नजर गई तो गूगल सर्च पर सबसे उपर था Talk to Ak एक लाख से भी ज्यादा लोगो ने सर्च किया था  … हालाकि अच्छी बात को कोई भी  जल्दी से  appreciate नही करता …!! […]

The post अरविंद केजरीवाल – आप का स्वागत है appeared first on Monica Gupta.

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Enter to win a copy of Stand Up and Whistle, written by Phyllis Perry and illustrated by Agnieszka Grochalska. Giveaway begins July 19, 2016, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends August 19, 2016, at 11:59 P.M. PST.

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Phyllis Perry discusses Stand Up and Whistle, an intelligently written work that young readers will certainly enjoy.

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Stand Up and Whistle is an intelligently written work that young readers will certainly enjoy. It powerfully combines social protest, environmentalism, and some very effective education on ecosystems—especially as it pertains to the often-overlooked role of more modest creatures like prairie dogs.

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Well, it’s summertime in my neck of the woods and I’m having a blast—sleeping in, spending time with my kids, and enjoying the weather. Now if only I had some good reading material…Aha!

It’s Critiques 4 U Time! 

If you’re working on a first page and would like some objective feedback, please leave a comment that includes: 

1) your email address. Some of you have expressed concern about making your email address public; if you’re sure that the email address associated with your WordPress account is correct, you don’t have to include it here. But if you do win and I’m unable to contact you through that email address, I’ll have to choose an alternate winner.

2) your story’s genre (no erotica, please)

ONLY ENTRIES THAT FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED

Three commenters’ names will be randomly drawn and posted tomorrow. If you win, you can email me your first page and I’ll offer my feedback. Best of luck!

 

The post Critiques 4 U appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

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     When you're the youngest brother among princes, you tend to get the leftovers when it comes to gallant steeds...
I've been playing with some color studies of my own lately. The one on the left has a sepia base wash, and the one on the right was straight color - both colored with watercolor pencils.     CLICK HERE for more coloring pages!
     CLICK HERE to sign up to receive alerts when a new coloring page is posted each week and... Please check out my books! Especially...
my debut novel, A BIRD ON WATER STREET - winner of six literary awards. Click the cover to learn more!
     When the birds return to Water Street, will anyone be left to hear them sing? A miner's strike allows green and growing things to return to the Red Hills, but that same strike may force residents to seek new homes and livelihoods elsewhere. Follow the story of Jack Hicks as he struggles to hold onto everything he loves most.
     I create my coloring pages for teachers, librarians, booksellers, and parents to enjoy for free with their children, but you can also purchase rights to an image for commercial use, please contact me. If you have questions about usage, please visit my Angel Policy page.

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