Breaking Chains

There are books that take time and effort to read. There are books that are a little easier, with a smoother flow. Then there are books that you don't read through, you fly through. This week's book is of the third kind.

Just before the start of the summer I was asked to recommend a children's book on the topic of slavery. It had to revolve around themes such as justice in some context and had to be something suitable for 10-11 year olds (i.e. not too heavy or dry).
I thought it would be a piece of cake. Normally when I get asked for a recommendation I'm brimming with ideas. But this time I was completely stumped. I reached out on social media to friends, colleagues and people in the know and was given this book (amongst others) as an option.
Chains is a historical fiction set at the time of the American Revolution and war for independence from British rule. It is told in first person narrative and tells the story of Isabel, a black slave girl who is at the mercy of the unforgiving world around her.
At the start of her story she and her little sister Ruth are free girls, having been granted freedom in the will of their owner (a woman, just to add). Upon her death the will is ignored and the next thing you know the sisters are being sold off by an unscrupulous man to an even more unscrupulous couple, who the cart them off from their quiet Rhode island life to the thronging streets of New York.
The city is a hive of political unrest, with many people switching sides between the American patriots and the British (Tory) loyalists.
Isabel's new owners clearly back the Tories (as they stand to profit financially). In a desperate attempt to try and improve the situation for herself and Ruth, Isabel finds herself playing both sides; acting as messenger, spy, informant and food supplier (largely to the patriots). All the while her one main priority is simply to try and secure freedom for Ruth and for herself. As this is the first in a series of books I will not spoil things by divulging too much but I can say that Isabel endures more than her fair share of tragedy.
We watch her dregedation from polite, well spoken free girl to harsh, ruthless pauper. As the world beats her down we see her character harden, her transition reflected in her interactions with others. But with her hardening comes fortitude and with her increasing desperation to escape comes an adaptability that helps her to survive and even conquer insurmountable odds.
The action moves quite quickly and the first person narrative keeps us right at the heart of it. The language and vocabulary will stretch young readers. There are beautifully articulated sentences broken occasionally by a word or phrase that reminds us of who is talking. Remembery has gone my favourite example, I absolutely loved it! In fact I'm tempted to start a campaign to make it an offcially recognised word!
At 300 pages exactly it's not too long and the pace moves quickly enough to carry you swiftly through it. Actually if you're anything like me you'll read it in two sittings!
Thorough research has been done and several major historical events are placed in the story to give it some extra realism. Most impressive is the author's sharp attention to detail. One scene describes the airing of a room, but the way in which it is written and one character's dreadful conformity to certain habits really makes you feel the sheer workload involved in, what these days we simply wouldn't bother with.
You don't just read about a lady going to her bed. You're told of all the things that need to happen in the process: the pan of coals being slipped between the sheets, the fire being lit and stoked, the right change of apparel and all the rest. It's the painstaking research and craftsmanship that really allows us to see the world through Isabel's eyes.
It's an ideal book for the age group I was looking for and I for one cannot wait to see their response to, especially since the character of Isabel is their age! In a time where the basic right to freedom can often be taken for granted it gives a strong impression of what it would have been like to fight for it.
Book 34 of my 52 book challenge and my book written by someone from another country.

Book Title: Chains
Author: Laurie Halsey Anderson
Pages: 300
Published: 2008
Suitable for: children aged 9 upwards
Interesting words: apoplexy, girth, carcass, subordinates, noxious, pestilence, errand, perpetual

And My Sunshine Makes Me

I want to take a minute to talk about Pride. I know I'm slightly delayed what with most of this country's Pride celebrations long past. But as the fates would have it, this week the subject is more than apt.

For those of you wondering why I'm spelling Pride with a capital P I'm referring to the movement that embraces equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. According to Wikipedia it's purpose is to "promote their self-affirmation, dignity, equality rights, increase their visibility as a social group, build community, and celebrate sexual diversity and gender variance."*

It is for us to stand up as people and share the message that our sexuality should not be a reason for shame or awkwardness. We are who we are and should all be accepted equally.

My son (who incidentally is celebrating something special today) is a staunch supporter of equality. He will use the term 'equalist' instead of 'feminist' because he doesn't want to pigeon hole women. He truly believes that all are on an equal footing and I'm terribly proud of him for that.
His enthusiasm is akin to a blast of soft sunshine: both strong and comforting.

Pride is one of many things that he's passionate about and I have to say I share his view that no one should have to hide who they are just for acceptance of others. This week's blog goes on to tackle that very subject.

'And Tango Makes Three' is set in the relative quietude of New York's Central Park Zoo and tells the story of chinstrap penguins Roy and Silo. Roy and Silo are two male penguins who fall in love and make a nest in the hope of being able to lay an egg the way most of the other penguin couples do.
They can't, but after careful observation one of the zoo keepers gives them a 'surrogate' egg laid by another chinstrap penguin couple who are unable to look after it.

Roy and Silo incubate the egg and before long out pops a healthy baby penguin which the zoo keepers lovingly name Tango (after all it takes two)! So this true story ends happily with Roy, Silo and Tango living at the zoo as a proper penguin family.

Well then, why have I selected this picture book (which features no real stand out imagery or wording, no diverse vocabulary or real challenge)? Simple; it was banned not long after it's initial publication in America back in 2005.

Not only is it banned in states across the country but also in Singapore. It topped the American Library Associations' most challenged books list in 2006 and then again in 2010. The argument against it coming from parents who didn't like homosexuals being used as role models (even penguin ones) and who complained that two male penguins raising a baby penguin didn't really adhere to the 'normal' stereotype of a healthy family unit.

Their complaints were taken to schools and libraries where the overall judgement was 'we don't want this read to our children unless we approve of it first, which we don't'.

Many libraries tried to use alternative methods of shelving and advertising the book in order to get it some coverage. Others just hid it to avoid complications or begrudging parents. In fact if you go to search the book's title online, the story of it being banned appears before the actual book itself.
Such was my fuss over this book that I had to order in an imported copy after bookshops everywhere gave me no joy and the public libraries' only copy mysteriously disappeared after being returned in May of this year.

I've had it on reserve for over 8 weeks (I'll soon be withdrawing that) before giving up and paying for a copy. And it's the most I'll ever pay for a picture book hands down.

It's worth every penny though.

It's beautifully simplistic, it's 32 pages offering no serious challenge in terms of vocabulary but instead reading like a warm lullaby. The illustrations by Henry Cole are excellent, pencil drawn images that offer the same warmth as the text. Most importantly your heart is with the story from the word go, you buy into it as you read. It's a wonderfully crafted book with a footnote at the end providing the cherry on the sundae by giving you a tiny bit of the real history of it.

This is a great book for any child from the age of 4 upwards and it shows that any group can be a family so long as the love is there. The backgrounds: race, sexuality, gender, even species of the group do not matter so long as there is a will to love and nurture each other. It's an honest message, with a real power to it.

I think it's an ideal way of opening children's discussions and will allow children to express their thoughts and sentiments on the subject (hopefully without any reprisals). We are now in a world where people, especially children should be able to be proud of who they are and open enough to vocalise their beliefs in safety and security.

This is the kind of story that I would have read contentedly to my son, proud of the fact that I'd helped to expand his thinking. Maybe one day he'll read it to children himself.

Book 33 of my 52 book list and my previously banned book.

* quoted from Wikipedia page regarding gay pride.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_pride

Book Title: And Tango Makes Three
Author: Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Illustrator: Henry Cole
Published: 2005
Suitable for: children aged 4 and up
Interesting words: snuggled, carousel 

Man it Feels Good to Read a Gangsta!

I have a weird sense of humour, I have no problem with admitting it. I find odd things funny, like accents: I was once reduced to a laughing lump by a scene from a Harry Potter film which had been re dubbed in Jamaican!
Anyway, weird or not I have always believed that I know what I like when it comes to comedy, which made this week's book choice as easy as pie!

Thug Notes is a beautiful juxtaposition of the upper crust, closed off world of high brow literature and the down and dirty world of da ghetto! To be fair I'd started watching it's original YouTube series first a couple of months back.

In the Thug Notes series Dr Sparky Sweets takes us through his interpretation of classical texts. But he doesn't do it in the usual way, nah Dr Sweets is a true playa from the hood! When he goes through a text you can be sure he's really gonna break it down!

The Thug Notes book takes 16 great fictional works and critiques them using the format from the series. We are first given an introduction to the text and it's it's impact on the world since publication. Then there's a list of central characters followed by a fairly detailed, easy to follow summary of the plot. Finally we read through its analysis, learning about featured themes, imagery and links to other texts or commentaries.

Not one to shy away from helping us to see things crystal clearly, Dr Sweets even provides us with several 'Sparky's Classroom' segments. These help to explain various ideas and terminology such as the word 'existentialism' (he happens to be a huge follower of Dostoyevsky).

Featured texts that come under focus include Romeo and Juliet, Frankenstein, The Colour Purple, Farenheight 451, To Kill A Mockingbird and Moby Dick which I now see in an entirely new and warped light!

All of these texts are properly deconstructed with the love and care of an Oxford scholar and the street smart slang of a hip hop legend.

What I love about this is it's frank and open honesty. Yes I know that the character of Dr Sweets is a fabrication played by a comedy actor. I'm well aware that the people behind both the series and the book are well educated, well read people who probably don't have a clue of what it's like to grow up on the block.

But brought together they've produced something which bites it's thumb (check the Romeo and Juliet reference!) at the literary establishment and through its attention to detail, brings to life texts that many people might find difficult to access.

It pulls no punches and allows us to revel in reading about books which in our day to day lives we might never come across. I for one will be looking into several of the books because of my new found appreciation for them. It lets us see these books for what they are instead of using baffling complex waffle, I find that waffle can be mind numbingly boring.

The language used in Thug Notes is diverse, ranging from rare and unusual words to common slang, with plenty of explicit references and swear words thrown in. There are 'illustrations'  which add to the fairly adult nature of the book. This is certainly not for anyone younger than high school age. Ideally it would work best with children in years 8 & 9 (12 - 13 year olds or up) as it would definitely aid with planning of essays or text critiquing.

Considering that this topic of my reading challenge was looking to provide the biggest headache I think I've stumbled across the perfect remedy!

Book 32 of my 52 book challenge and my book of non-fiction essays that knows how to keep it real!

Book Title: Thug Notes: A Street Smart Guide to Classic Literature
Author: Dr Sparky Sweets (alias real author unknown)
Published: 2015
Pages: 282
Suitable For: young adults aged 12 and up
Interesting Words: existentialism, dystopia, paradox, schism, corruption

The Holiday Fall From Grace

Aaaahhh the summer holidays! As an educator there is nothing sweeter than that silence which follows the last child out of the door. Those precious few seconds where you can soak up the contentment of getting through a hard year's work.

It's a blessing and a curse.

I don't know how many of you will have booed at their screens after reading the last sentence, but before you switch off completely please permit me to elaborate. Yes the summer is great. I enjoy not having to set the alarm clock in the mornings. I relish that freedom that comes with waking up and thinking ‘what am I going to do today? Am I even going to do anything at all?’

But it is also a shapeless piece of time, without form or routine. And when you spend ten months of your year bound by rigid routines that are often planned and changed at a moment’s notice (including those of your own children’s extra-curricular clubs) the sharp veering from one extreme to another can be disorientating.

It allows the brain time to procrastinate and over work itself, sadly in my case without ever shutting off completely. There is nothing worse for a person than a mind that WILL NOT settle, with thoughts racing through it at ten to the dozen speed; thoughts which are neither constructive nor positive. So what do you do when time becomes a forest that you’re stumbling through with little direction and even less drive? You attempt to conquer it.

I’ve tried hard to fill my time so far with almost anything I can think of (bearing in mind my family and financial considerations). I’m completely redecorating my son’s bedroom from taking the first piece of furniture out to putting the last fixture back into place. There’s a multitude of other DIY jobs that I’ve held back till now to try and get done over the summer.

I’ve gone bowling, eating, drinking, line dancing, to parades, birthday parties, for long walks, for coffees: I’ve socialised with anyone who can stomach being in my company.

Worst of all? My social media usage has gone through the roof. Instead of being online when I can find the time in the schedule I’ve found myself hopping on and off every couple of hours. Being honest there was one day about two weeks back that I was online EVERY FEW MINUTES! That’s what happens to someone like me when:
• routines are not in place and
• the battles with mental well-being have raged on as long as they have.

Actually, I say that’s the worst but it’s not. No, the worst is thinking about work, about it’s impending return. Having all these ideas about the future whizzing through my head but failing to do anything constructive because, whilst my mind is a blur my body is repeatedly sending signs that it’s close to exhaustion.

So yes, I love spending 6 weeks off with my family but sometimes, if not channelled properly it can do me more harm than good. Case in point? Last summer when I went back to work more stressed than when we’d broken up. Within a month of being back at work I had a breakdown.

Notice that I’ve done all of this ranting but haven’t given a single mention of my book yet. A 525 page book that I’d read 468 pages off across 3 days last week. I was that eager to keep my time full of activity. This past fortnight has felt like a fall from grace, which is very much what happens to the central character of this book at it’s outset.

Born into the race of maji, Zelie is set to inherit powers on her 13th birthday when she will evolve from simple diviner into full scale sorceress. But that day doesn’t arrive  as the magic of her people is lost and the King of their lands orders a barbaric genocide of all adult maji, which includes poor Zelie’s mother. Anyone left alive in the race is quickly sold off into slavery apart from the select few (Zelie amongst them) who go into living a life in hiding.
Cursed with harrowing memories that she can’t block out and a poisonous hatred that burns her inside out, Zelie bides her time and waits (rather impatiently) for her chance to avenge her family and save her people.
A sudden random encounter with a stolen artefact and a runaway princess brings Zelie dangerously close to the ultimate goal, restoration of the magic powers to her people (imagine Hogwarts students finally getting their power back from the muggles). But with the King so desperate to keep magic from ever returning and his entire army hot on her heels Zelie’s race to fulfil her destiny will lead her to make the ultimate sacrifice.

This story is told in first person perspective from the eyes of it’s 4 protagonists and it does a fantastic job of intricately weaving those stories together; whilst not letting up for a single second on the emotional pull that they each have. It is densely packed with rich and elaborate vocabulary which only starts to ween off as the pace picks up towards the end. Chapters are average sized for a novel this big and chapter sizes are actually well used in terms of building and maintaining a pace. One morning I was so desperate to see how it progressed, I ploughed through seven chapters, finally pausing for breath to see that I’d only actually read 40 pages! And that folks, was my excuse to keep reading!

The references of gore can be quite explicit so I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone under the age of 11. There are plenty of plot twists, some you see coming, some you don’t and some that you KNOW are coming in spite of the fact that in your head you are screaming, cursing and offering up silent prayers to the author not to do what she’s about to do!

The true power of this book though is in it’s message. Inequality between people still exists, in fact the world is rife with it. In a world of social media and quick fix distraction it is easier than ever to look at someone and make a snap judgement without really stopping to try and understand them.

I’ve spoken out in this blog, telling people all about who I am (as I often do). I don’t do it for attention or pride, it’s not my ego talking or simply my need to be loved. I do it in an effort to ask people to understand, to walk a mile in my shoes or spend a minute in my head so that they don’t cut and run at the first signs of my eccentricity. All I ever ask from the world is to love and accept me enough to be tolerant of me and straight with me.

This book is asking for love and tolerance. It asks for you to really walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, much like I’m asking. Nothing brings that plea home more than the author’s note at the end of the book. It brought me to tears I’m not ashamed to admit. Give this book a read please, it’s underlying message should never be lost.

As for me? I’m off to spend the next week working on my own mind instead of trying to change the minds of those around me! Hope you’re all reading this summer! This is book 31 of my 52 book challenge and my 500+ page book.

Book Title: Children of Blood and Bone

Author: Tomi Adeyemi

Pages: 525
Published: 2018
Suitable for: children aged 11 and up
Interesting words: treacherous, inconceivable, insurmountable,vigor and many many more!