Monday, September 26, 2022

The Sharing Circle

 



Good introduction to sharing circles and the issue of a problem between friends was quite relatable.


Goodreads says:

When two red foxes have an argument which breaks apart their community, a gentle buffalo decides to take a braid of sweetgrass to a local elder and asks her to help with a sharing circle for all the animals. 

Tuesday, September 20, 2022

Boy (Phil Cummings)

 


This is a fabulous story. My students loved telling me about signs they know in sign language and they laughed at the silliness of all the fighting with the king, the knights and the dragon attempt to justify their actions. Sometimes not listening to people has its advantages.


"He showed them how their days could be without fighting and fear."


Goodreads says:

The kings battles with the dragon were always mighty and loud... CLING CLANG CLONG! ROAR!

Boy lived in a silent world and couldn't hear the fighting. But Boy could see the fear around him... and how everyone would be much happier.

Monday, September 19, 2022

Lou (Breanna Carzoo)

 


Good book for when we don't have a lot of time. The story is simple but the message is great! It's what's inside that counts!

Goodreads says:

Don't miss this humorous and heartwarming picture book by debut creator Breanna Carzoo about an unlikely everyday hero: a fire hydrant! Perfect for fans of The Good Egg and The Bad Seed.

Meet Lou. Lou has an important job . . . as the neighborhood toilet for dogs on their walks.

Useful as he may be, he gets the feeling that deep down inside, there might be more to him than that. He just doesn't seem to know exactly what yet. When disaster strikes, will Lou find out what he's made of and save the day?

From debut creator Breanna Carzoo comes a charming and funny story that reminds us to never let anyone--including yourself--hold you back from sharing your gifts with the world.

Kids will fall in love with Lou and his journey of self-discovery as he saves the day from a fire that breaks out in an apartment building nearby. You'll never be able to look at a fire hydrant the same way again!

Sunday, September 11, 2022

The Dance of Anger (Harriett Lerner, Ph.D)

 




This is a really good book on solving differences. For women, being angry often isn't allowed in our social structure. She has a good approach and many ideas regarding looking at conflict. It is one worth reading again....especially when problems come up in life.

Goodreads says:

"Anger is a signal and one worth listening to," writes Dr. Harriet Lerner, in her renowned classic that has transformed the lives of millions of readers. While anger deserves our attention and respect, women still learn to silence our anger, to deny it entirely, or to vent it in a way that leaves us feeling helpless and powerless. In this engaging and eminently wise book, Dr. Lerner teaches women to identify the true sources of our anger and to use anger as a powerful vehicle for creating lasting change.

Sunday, September 4, 2022

Hamnet (Maggie O'Farrell)

 


It took me a long time to get through this book. I loved the premise. It is the story of Shakespeare's wife...someone we really don't know anything about. The author has made many assumptions and I was comfortable with them. The book does a really good job of expressing the inner thoughts and agony of this family. I found myself really relating to her heartache over her son that died. Also her anger when her husband wrote a play using his name. I have had similar reactions when I feel like people aren't respecting my children. I liked how the author made her quite independent and wise, almost able to read people's thoughts. It's a well-written book.


Goodreads says:

Drawing on Maggie O'Farrell's long-term fascination with the little-known story behind Shakespeare's most enigmatic play, Hamnet is a luminous portrait of a marriage, at its heart the loss of a beloved child.

Warwickshire in the 1580s. Agnes is a woman as feared as she is sought after for her unusual gifts. She settles with her husband in Henley street, Stratford, and has three children: a daughter, Susanna, and then twins, Hamnet and Judith. The boy, Hamnet, dies in 1596, aged eleven. Four years or so later, the husband writes a play called Hamlet.

Award-winning author Maggie O'Farrell's new novel breathes full-blooded life into the story of a loss usually consigned to literary footnotes, and provides an unforgettable vindication of Agnes, a woman intriguingly absent from history.

New York Times Notable Book (2020), Best Book of 2020: GuardianFinancial TimesLiterary Hub, and NPR.


Wednesday, August 31, 2022

Max and Marla Are Flying Together (Alexandra Boiger)

 


We laughed that the owl was afraid to fly....then had a great discussion about facing our fears.

Goodreads says:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of She Persisted comes a book about friendship, flying, and facing your fears together.

Max and Marla do everything together. So when Max makes a kite and wants to go fly it, he can't understand why Marla doesn't want to join! And when an autumn wind makes a mess in their yard, Marla finds a perfect pile of leaves to hide away in. Little does she know that she can't avoid the kite forever! All she needs is the courage to believe in herself.

In this heartwarming tale of flying and fun, Max and Marla learn that the best way to face your fears is to have a best friend at your side.
 

Wednesday, August 3, 2022

Head Strong (Dave Asprey)

 


Improving the way my brain works is a big interest of mine. I liked many of the tips this author had but overall I found it overwhelming. I don't think it would be even possible to do all these things. I'm always leery of programs that suggest cutting out entire categories of food (i.e. grains, milk and a lot of meat) and that suggests you buy HIS products because they're superior to everything else out there. I finished it because I'm a finisher and I figured maybe something would come up that would change my mind. It didn't.  

I will continue to do some things: daily exercise, meditation, watching out for junk light, avoiding sugar, eating healthy fats, etc. I am not into his bulletproof coffee, microdosing nicotine and the looooong list of supplements. As I was reading, I found myself wondering what a biologist would say about all this. He goes to great pains to explain the science - which just ended up being a lot of confusing vocabulary for me. 

I will give it a 2/5. Moving on.



Goodreads says:

From the creator of Bulletproof Coffee and author of the bestselling The Bulletproof Diet comes a revolutionary plan to upgrade your brainpower—in two weeks or less.

For the last decade, Silicon Valley entrepreneur Dave Asprey has worked with world-renowned doctors and scientists to uncover the latest, most innovative methods for making humans perform better—a process known as "biohacking." In his first book, The Bulletproof Diet, he shared his biohacking tips for taking control of your own biology. Now, in Head Strong, Asprey shows readers how to biohack their way to a sharper, smarter, faster, more resilient brain.

Imagine feeling like your mind is operating at its clearest and sharpest, and being able—possibly for the first time in your life—to do more in less time? What it suddenly became easier to do the very hardest things you do? Or if you could feel 100% confident about your intellect, and never again fear being the person in the room who just isn’t smart enough, or can’t remember something important? How would you treat people if the mood swings, short temper, and food cravings that disrupt your day could simply disappear?

In Head Strong, Asprey shows us that all of this is possible—and more. Using his simple lifestyle modifications (or "hacks") to take advantage of how the structure of your brain works, readers will learn how to take their mental performance to the next level. Combining the latest findings in neuroscience and neurobiology with a hacker-inspired "get it done now" perspective, Asprey offers a program structured around key areas of brain performance that will help you:


Power the brain with exactly what it needs to perform at its best all day long
Eliminate the sources of "kryptonite," both nutritional and environmental, that make the brain slower.
Supercharge the cellular powerhouses of our brains, the mitochondria, to eliminate cravings and turn up mental focus.
Reverse inflammation to perform better right now, then stay sharp and energized well into your golden years.
Promote neuron growth to enhance processing speed and reinforce new learning—hotwiring your brain for success.
Asprey’s easy to follow, two-week program offers a detailed plan to supercharge brain performance, including: which foods to eat and which ones to avoid, how to incorporate the right kinds of physical activity into your day, a detox protocol for your home and body; meditation and breathing for performance, recommended brain-boosting supplements; and how to adjust the lighting in your home and work space to give your brain the quality light it thrives on.

A better brain—and a happier, easier, more productive life—is within reach. You just need to get Head Strong.