Ms. Anderson's ATM

Let's just start with how happy I am that the weather is warming.

Hooray!

I was watering the plants at school this morning thinking that it will be time to drive them home to my garden before too long. Change is gonna come.

I'm a real sucker for a novel in verse and Margarita Engle delivers a great story every time. Her specialty are characters and issues around Cuba--usually 1950-present day. She creates a fast moving story and I always learn so much about a history that was largely omitted from my own schooling. The Firefly Letters is the story of women's suffrage and the power of women helping women. This is a theme that will never grow old.

I think Don Brown is a master at crafting graphic stories about real events. This time we are on a trip to the Moon where we see how the journey was inspired (competition with Russia) and how much work, dedication, and resilience it took to get there and back. I like that the book itself is smaller in size but still packs a great information punch.

It has been a while since I've connected with an audio book but I knew immediately I would like this one. I love the rich quality of the reader's voice and I have been cheering for Furia to find her voice and the strength to break out of the female assigned roles in Argentina. This year's Bulpre winner is a win for everyone. And it's about soccer. Ole! Ole-ole-ole!!!!

Whew. This one is heavy. I'll admit that adding Superman to the story gave me a false sense of potential lightness, but the story addresses racism and hatred with clarity and honestly. Though hard to read at times, I am hopeful that Superman won't just "save the day," but will lead people to an understanding and tolerance of others. Just so good.

What are you reading as the sun shines? I hope it's something marvelous.

Ms. Anderson