I received another gift around Christmas in the form of this lovely professional book by Steven Layne. IGNITING A PASSION FOR READING (Stenhouse, 2009) is certainly a topic near and dear to my heart. Steven's book is a must read for teachers who want to bring a love of books and reading to their students. Vignettes by authors of children's and YA literature, including Mem Fox and Jordan Sonnenblick and Joan Bauer, emphasize the major concepts of the book. I read it pretty much cover to cover; the text is "user friendly," a reflection of the passionate and energizing author behind the words. Welcome, Steven, to the professional side of writing. It is terrific to have your voice join ours.

Apparently, yesterday was Boxing Day, and I missed it. I'll try to make up for it by punching two people today.

Thanks to the latest terror attempt, travelers might not be able to get up during the last hour of the flight, or use a lap blanket. That's a bad combination. If I can't leave my seat, I'd at least like to have a blanket to piss into.

I realize that was a bit crude, but given that nobody reads blogs on the weekend, and even noerbodies read them on holiday weekends, I think it's safe to be vulgar. (Yes, I coined a word in the previous sentence. Badly.)

Hey, if each line refers to the previous line, this could be a Mememtous blog. Yikes -- I'm channeling either James Joyce or Soupy Sales. I think I'll go channel surf instead.

Took a break from all the internet stuff for a couple of days. Must admit it felt a tad strange not to check email and FB and Twitter, but they all seemed to survive without me. Sniff. I did read a couple of books yesterday. One was a waste of a tree, so we will simply move to the second book.




From Orca comes JUGGLING FIRE by Joanne Bell. This is the story of a teen who decided to head off accompanied only by her dog. She hopes to reach the cabin where her father stayed when he needed to get away from it all. Her father left some time ago and never returned or was found. The rest of Rachel's family has accepted that he is dead. Rachel needs more. So off she heads. It is a grueling journey across the northern Yukon, one fraught with dangers. When her dog is attacked by a bear, the journey becomes even more important. She needs to reach the safety of the cabin and save the life of her dog.

The two narrative lines (the real time account Rachel keeps of her journey and the memories of her childhood with her father) are kept nicely separate using plain and italicized type faces will assist readers who might otherwise find this technique confusing. Rachel's trip and the dangers from nature will attract readers who enjoy the works of Hobbs and Paulsen. This is a quick read with relatively short chapters, perfect for reluctant and struggling readers.

In deference to the day, I won't post the idea that hit me when I realized that Xmas could be punned with x-mistress. (You're safe for today, Tiger.)

But while I've got your attention, Merry Christmas. May all the presents you give bring even more joy than you expected.

If there's one thing I've learned during my writing career, it's that the majority of copy editors don't seem to realize that the typical 5th-grade narrator hasn't spent much time studying Strunk and White.

E and I just got home from the very busy grocery store and I think *knocks wood* we are READY for the holidays. Here is our tree:


We are hoping Santa puts some good cat toys in Fred and George's stockings, as they have both gained THREE POUNDS since their last check up. Ugh. Beasts. They don't seem to notice their rotundity, and think they should still be able to fit in their basket (clearly they are mistaken):



Oh Fred. If only you would be INTERESTED in cat toys. *sigh*



Hope you're all enjoying the holiday season!

Peace and love,

Jo

Time for my favorite Christmas poem:

The Sheepdog       

U.A. Fanthorpe

After the very bright light,
And the talking bird,
And the singing,
And the sky filled up wi' wings,
And then the silence,

Our lads sez
We'd better go, then.
Stay, Shep. Good dog, stay.
So I stayed wi' t' sheep.

After they'd cum back
It sounded grand, what they'd seen.
Camels and kings, and such,
Wi' presents - human sort,
Not the kind you eat -
And a baby. Presents wes for him
Our lads took him a lamb.

I had to stay behind wi' t' sheep.
Pity they didn't tek me along too.
I'm good wi' lambs,
And the baby might have liked a dog
After all that myrrh and such.

Amen.
Peace to all, and see you in the New Year.
Stacy

The week in California seemed to fly past. Since I arrived home I have been busy getting things in order for Christmas. After preparing the goodies to take to the newlyweds' house in Christmas and making a pot of chili, I settled down not for a nap but to finish reading TALES OF THE MADMAN UNDERGROUND (Viking, 2009). The entire story takes place in a little under one week in September of 1973. It opens as Karl Shoemaker prepares for his first day of the school year, the first day of being NORMAL according to his plan. But things are far from normal in the Shoemaker household. Karl cares for his mother whose general condition is either drunk or hung over. Other duties include shoveling cat excrement off any flat surface (including his bed), loosening a window sash so her does not get locked out after his late shift cleaning the local burger joint is over, and repairing anything around his house. Karl wants just to be left alone this year, to not be part of the Madman Underground, a therapy group he has been part of for quite a few years. He just wants to be one of the other kids, the normal ones, hang on to graduation and then join the Army. Life, however, is just not going to cooperate with Karl.

Fresh, smart, unique: this book has it all from the totally original Karl Shoemaker and all of the Madman Underground group to the totally believable life of kids who are somehow surviving despite the absolutely crappy lives they have been handed, to the totally natural way the back story unfolds through the eyes of Karl. Lots of other words come to mind: raw, emotional, surprising and always HOPEFUL in a world that seems to have so little hope.

December, 2009, after Al Franken denied Joe Lieberman's request for additional time,
John McCain said, "I've been around here twenty-some years, first time I've seen a member denied a minute or two to finish his remarks."

October, 2002, after Mark Dayton requested additional time, John McCain said, "I object."

So McCain is either lying or he has a very bad memory. (He also has a bad attendance record, since an earlier request for additional time was denied in that same 2009 session.) But I think the real point here is that all politicians lie. We overlook or excuse those politicians who are supporting things we want, and we glare at and despise politicians who are lying in service of things we oppose. The media calls them on their lies, we shrug or curse at the TV or newspaper, and things go on as normal.

I remember when Dick Cheney opened the vice-presidential debate by claiming he'd never been in the same room as what's his name. (Dang, my memory is as bad as McCain's. You know, the $400 haircut, cheat-on-his wife guy. Wait -- that doesn't narrow it down enough.) Anyhow, it turns out they'd been at several prayer breakfasts together. This is by far not the worst lie Dick Cheney ever told. And what's his name isn't entitled to the high ground, either. The point of all this? I'm not sure. I think lying is wrong, and only resort to it myself when it will spare someone's feeings, help me escape discomfort, put extra money in my pocket, or bring pain to my enemies. But it seems, in general, that lies are no longer part of our score card (if they ever really were).

This time of year, we're surrounded by advertisements urging us to get gifts for our friends and family members. The ads targetted specifically to families and parents remind us to pick up the latest toys and gadgets for kids and often leave out books, performing arts, and other such hobbies and endeavors. Commercials and print ads that split up gifts for girls and gifts for boys clearly cater to different interests for different genders - but must we do this? Why can't there be a new basketball hoop or football on the two-page spread for girls' items, instead of clothes, jewelry, and undergarments? Why aren't there more items related to cooking and crafts on the boys' pages? Instead of cultivating this great divide between young girls and young boys, I'd rather there be a "cool stuff for kids and teens" section which displayed creative and timeless items instead of commercial and immaterial things.

I've chosen the example of a big-name retailer to explore in-depth. I am not affiliated with it in any way, shape, or form, nor should this be considered a negative piece about their products, stores, or company. Please note that this article is simply to capture my reactions to their gift recommendations, in hopes that I can encourage readers to think outside the box and not hesitate when they want to give or learn about something or do something that's not quote-unquote "typical" for a certain gender. Just say no to gender bias.

Disclaimed and affirmed, let's go.

Target has a Christmas section (their name, not mine - I would have called it "Holidays" or "Gifts for the Holidays") at their website where they recommend gifts for different genders and ages. The initial breakdown offers:

Gifts for Her
Gifts for Him
Gifts for Girls
Gifts for Boys
Gifts for Teen Girls
Gifts for Teen Boys
Gifts for Baby
Gifts for Couples

In two separate windows, I looked over the options for Teen Girls and Teen Boys. First, I was asked to narrow it down by age, tweens or teens, then by personality.

The options for teen girls:
Miss Outdoorsy
Creative Thinker
Fashionista
Techie Girl

The options for teen boys:
Active Dude
Mr. Techie
Creative Kid
Video Gamer

I clicked into Miss Outdoorsy in one screen and Active Dude in the other. Each screen had 32 items pictured and listed. The boy was offered a baseball bat, a caster board, a portable basketball hoop, a basketball, and weight lifting equipment for the guy. None of these things were recommended to the girl, though she was offered lots of hiking items as well as golf clubs, a bicycle, a tennis racquet, and inline skates. For the boy, Lazer Tag Nerf and the Wii games called Punch Out! and Sports Resort were recommended; for the girl, there were pieces of jewelry, a journal, a tote bag, and the Wii game Active Life: Outdoor Challenge.

The Techie Girl and Mr. Techie page were more similar, each with a Wii console, TVs, and iPods, but many of the items on the girl page were pink, while the items on the boy page were mostly white or black. The recommended watch, camera, TV set, messenger bag, netbook, audio cube, and Nintendo DSi on the girl page were all pink. Even the iTunes gift card on the girl page was pink, while the iTunes gift card on the boy page was blue.

Creative Thinker (girl) and Creative Kid (boy) were the next pairing. When arranged by Best Sellers, the top row for girls had gray suede boots, the pink Nintendo DSi console, a blue sphere chair, a purple iPod Nano, and blue leggings, while the same arrangement for boys had a black iPod Touch, PlayStation 3, a black Nintendo DSi console, a blue iPod Nano, and a recharging mat. I was very happy to see an adjustable drawing and craft table on both pages. There were various pieces of clothing on the girl page, but no clothes for on the boy page. The girl was also recommended a hair dryer, a purse, and makeup.

They recommended five books for the creative boy:
Slayers: The Motion Picture Special Edition
The Dangerous Book for Boys
Instant Art History (From Cave Art to Pop Art) by Walter Robinson
The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Creative Edge (Exercises to Celebrate Your Creative Self) by Mary Todd Beam

The five books recommended for the creative girl:

Oh, wait. They didn't list any books for her. Not one book. Instead, there are DVDs of The Breakfast Club and Daria: The Movie, a Hello Kitty 3-piece body spray set, and a board game called Boys are Stupid.

Now, I've been trying to keep a pretty neutral tone while relaying these lists of items throughout this piece, but I have to say something right now: I doubt anyone could get away with making and marketing a game for boys to play called Girls Are Stupid. There's no need to have ANYTHING that puts down the opposite gender. I would not want to see a game recommended to kids (or anyone, for that matter) that put down a certain race or culture.

I have not played the Boys Are Stupid game (and I never will), so I cannot give it a proper review. I don't want to judge it unfairly, however, so let me share the summary from the website so you can make up your own mind: "Boys are stupid, throw rocks at them-but first you need to collect the rocks. Do a wacky dare or answer an embarrassing truth to get 5 rocks and work your way home to win the game. The perfect slumber party game for girls of all ages. Also great for after a break-up or as an anti-Valentine's Day gift. For 2-4 People. Play Time of 30-60 Minutes."

I know that some of you are thinking, "It's a harmless game - get over it," but I ask you again to think of the scenario with a flip of genders: Would you think it was harmless if they were encouraging boys to throw rocks at girls, even if they were imaginary rocks in the context of this game? Do you really think it would be okay to market a game which encouraged violence towards young girls? I wasn't born under a rock (ha), so yes, I have heard the expression, "Boys are stupid, throw rocks at them," and I've never, ever thought any part of that was funny or appropriate.

All right, final pages: Fashionista for girls and Video Gamer for boys. The names say it all: the girl page is filled with clothes, jewelry, and beauty products while the boy page is filled with games, game consoles, and controllers. Yes, some girls love getting all gussied up, but some love making touchdowns and blocking goals in the mud. Yes, some boys love playing video games, but so do lots of girls. Bethany and Robert might both turn out to be video game developers, or Bethany might pursue a job in sports medicine while Robert designs gowns and suits to be worn on the red carpet.

Back to the Fashionista and Video Gamer pages. There are two versions of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for the guys, as well as Madden NFL 10, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, and that Punch Out! Wii game again. They also recommend Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks: An Epic Quest for Reality Among Role Players, Online Gamers, and Other Dwellers of Imaginary Realms, a memoir-slash-travelogue-slash-pop-culture book by Ethan Gilsdorf which I hadn't heard of before now, to the boys, while the girls are recommended The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-Inch Heels and Faux Pas by Karen Robinovitz as well as the abridged audio edition of The Devil Wears Prada - adult titles, not young adult titles, yet again overreaching the age group.

I can't stress it enough: Pre-teens, tweens, and teens are at different stages in development and in society. Let's not encourage them to grow up too fast. Let them be kids for as long as they can be, as they should be, and ease them into the adult world rather than throwing them in too early.

But that's another article for another time. For now, I wish you and yours the happiest of holidays - and hope that you encourage your kids to follow their hearts and realize their dreams, no matter what their genders or ages. If your teen son wants to wear a pink tie and skinny jeans, let him. If your teen daughter wants to take martial arts classes, find a reputable and affordable studio with an awesome sensei. If your kids show interest in something creative and active, support them. Help them learn more about all the different things they could do as hobbies or professions. Let them do what they love.

More to consider:
Just Say No to Gender Bias
More posts with the "gender bias" tag at Bildungsroman blog

When we were little, one of our Christmas traditions was going to the Kellerhaus to pick out an ornament. The Kellerhaus (owned by my dad's step-uncle) was this very fancy store that had all kinds of beautiful ornaments, candies and an ice cream parlor where you could make your own sundaes. It also had incredible toys you never saw anywhere else. There was one room that had just ornaments and we three kids would stand there and turn in circles, studying each one before we made a choice.

This is the earliest choice I can remember:



She's pretty faded and not very fancy-looking now, but I remember loving her the moment I saw her. I have other ornaments from those years hanging on our tree, too. And each year when I hang them up, I think about those days when my mom took us on that special annual excursion. I can smell the store—scented candles and newly made fudge and ribbon candy. I can feel the excitement as we got closer to the ornament room, and the longing as we browsed the toys we couldn't afford but loved dreaming about anyway. And getting a sample of fudge from our uncle Seth if he was there. And the box of ribbon candy my mom always bought, that we'd have to wait to eat at our Christmas Eve party as we tried to stay up until midnight to hear the animals talk. So many memories. So many.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Write about a holiday tradition you remember from your childhood. If you have a photo, share! :-)

If only the shortest day was also the coldest day. It's great to think that the days will now grow longer, and we've passed the darkest moment, but that's balanced by the realization that the whole freezing, snowy, slushy winter season lies ahead. So, yeah, there will be more light, but it will be reflecting off of slick roads.

That having been said, I should add that I totally lucked out as far as snowfall. We only got four inches. Places not all that far from here got over a foot.