Way Outside My Comfort Zone

Warning: For those of you that are not a fan of reptiles or anything with more than four legs, you might want to skip the pictures this time.

What, me, have something other than adorable and awww-inducing pictures of animals in a post? Yup. Sorry. Hey, didn’t the title tip you off a little?

Last night, I took my sons to the annual visitation of a local snake and reptile handler at the library. White Fang has gone every year since he was in middle school, but this was Muffin’s first time. And mine. Usually I drop White Fang off and hurry away to wait for the event to finish. I do. Not. Like. Snakes.

But last night, I stayed, partly to help supervise Muffin, partly to witness his reaction to this new experience.

I have to admit, I am really glad that I hid my reaction from him.

At first, it wasn’t so bad. They started off with a huge (not kidding on the huge bit) bullfrog, and a tortoise. That I could handle. But then we moved on to the baby alligator (which Muffin thought was awesome — me, not so much), and then, eventually (finally??) the snakes.

These are serious snakes, too. This guy owns one of everything, from little ball pythons to the big Burmese pythons, to rattlesnakes and cornsnakes that were rescued from getting stuck on a tractor trailer (making deliveries from southern states, including — to the surprise of the driver — a lost venomous snake), or from being illegally held as pets and wrongly released into the wild without proper supervision from authorities. So, while I appreciate that this guy is keeping our children and our pets safe, I’m not quite sure I have sympathy for the reptiles themselves.

The fear factor carries a lot of prejudice with it. Although I managed to do pretty well with the smaller snakes and even the tarantula (her name is Rosie), I was still rather uncertain about letting Muffin touch any of the animals at the end of the show.

This is the part everybody comes for — after the structured informational session, everyone has a chance to get up close and personal with some of the safer reptiles. I already knew this since White Fang has been attending the event for years — and he’s been more than happy to tell me what animals he’s gotten pally with.

Before the after-show commenced, I’d decided Muffin was allowed to make friends with the baby tortoises, and that was that. At first, he was cool with it — he actually followed directions really well, and didn’t need much help holding the little shelled beasts gently and respectfully. Lovely.

Then White Fang announced he was going to hold Rosie. And continue his yearly tradition of having his picture taken with Boo. Boo is a six-foot-long albino Burmese python.

Yes, that’s what I just said.

And, of course, Muffin wanted in on the action.

Luckily for my heart, I was already aware that Boo is a rockstar of docile snakes, and has traveled to many local events and never had an incident involving children (or adults, for that matter). But still I, personally, have never gotten very close to her.

That all changed.

White Fang held Boo. Muffin stood next to him and pet Boo’s tail. I took the pictures. And I was within 4 feet of Boo, to be able to get a decent focus.

I didn’t freak out when Boo turned her head towards Muffin’s face and actually made eye contact. (Neither did Muffin, by the way).

And when Muffin held Rosie the tarantula (yes, I’m still telling it like it was), I didn’t experience a coronary episode. (And that was an achievement, let me tell you. This is the nosiest spider I’ve ever seen. It was all crawling up people’s arms and, “Hey, how’re you doin’, let me see what’s over here!…”)

So, while I survived the night, I wouldn’t consider myself over my fear of snakes, spiders, or anything that legit could kill me in the desert or the swamp. And I don’t anticipate traveling to Florida or Mexico anytime in the near future (or, realistically, ever).

But, I looked a Burmese python in the eye, and, interestingly enough, felt pretty good about it.

Still, I’ll take the traditional cats, dogs, rabbits, hamsters, fish and farm animals any day.

Mini-Reviews: The Picture Books Edition!

So, last week while I was attending the Thirty Million Words discussion session, it occurred to me that picture books are not something we see a lot of in book blogging. Other age groups and genres are covered up the yingyang, but for whatever reason, picture books aren’t. And since these are the first things most of our children will read, I think reviewing more of these titles and forming a list of recommendations would be helpful (especially for all the parent bloggers out there — she says while wrangling a 3-year-old who can’t accept that eating the last Fig Newton in the bag means they are all gone).

Muffin is enrolled in a program called 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, and that’s just what it says on the tin: Muffin’s currently up around 600. I worked out that if we read at least 3 new books a week for the next year, we should make it. So I read to him every night. We’ve come across some real gems, and some not so much.

Here’s a smattering of what we’ve accomplished so far this year:

My Little Fox   (5 stars)

This book gets 10/10 for gorgeous illustrations, a sweet, simple, flowing story, and an absolutely beautiful message about a parent’s love. (It even gets a resounding endorsement from Muffin: “I like that one.”)

I’ve Loved You Since Forever   (4 stars)

20/10 for the breathtaking artwork in this one. It’s a moving tribute to a long-waited-for child. The lyrical prose may be a tad difficult for younger children to follow (it’s entirely metaphorical).

Mother Earth and Her Children   (3.5 stars)

This is subtitled “A Quilted Fairytale” and it surely is. The artwork is portrayed in quilting style, and while I couldn’t tell if real fabric was used for the paintings or photography, the look holds true, and is quite impressive. The prose follows the change of seasons (though I wouldn’t call it a fairytale).

At The Same Moment Around The World   (4 stars)

Okay, this is just plain cool. It goes all around the globe, spotlighting an incredible array of countries and cultures and time zones. TOP of the list for introducing kids to diversity in an appropriate and engaging way.

A Surprise for Giraffe and Elephant and Yak and Dove   (3 stars)

     

These I’d actually call graphic novels for youngest readers. The storytelling style is similar to comics, even if the art method is nowhere near. There are 3 short tales, all pertaining to the main characters, in each of these titles.

Footprints in the Snow and Big Bad Bubble   (2 stars)

    

Just because a picture book is a picture book does not mean they’re appropriate for children or quality literature. We tend to think of everything aimed at small humans as fun and cute and wholesome. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Footprints in the Snow gets a low rating from me due to its nonsensical plot. (Even 6-year-olds appreciate something that makes sense). And Big Bad Bubble gets a thumbs-down for its rather dubious method of encouraging kids to dispell their fears. (I’m not sure I can even explain that one. You may just have to read it for yourself.)

On a Magical Do-Nothing Day   (1.5 stars)

Sorry to end on such a disappointment, but that’s just how the cookie crumbles this time round. This book gets a few points for taking a scenario of having a mom and kid at home while the dad is still at work, and the kid misses her dad and doesn’t really like the fact her mom is working from home, so the kid has to find a way to amuse herself. However, the language used by the child narrator to describe her feelings would NEVER be the thoughts of an actual elementary student. The narrator appears about age 8-10, and the vocabulary and thought structure the writer uses are WAY beyond the cognitive ability of a 9 or 10-year-old, especially regarding emotional processing.

From there, it only gets worse. The kid wanders off, alone, in the woods — isn’t that just dangerous? Where the hell was the mother for that part? And the kid drops her handheld gaming device into a pond… And therefore has to find a non-evil-electronics way of staying occupied. This one-sided-moral-lesson-as-plot-device move made my blood boil. Oh, yeah, a young kid can stroll off into the deep, dark woods, in the rain, all by herself — buy GOD FORBID she play video games! And while, yes, there are other things to do in life, and being outside is valuable, too, the way the author presented that view was simply deplorable. It was particularly shocking to see that 1960s perspective in a book that was published in 2017!

And there we have it for this time! See you on the flipside, moths!

 

Why Adults Should Absolutely Read YA

Well, nothing like going in, guns blazing, with a hot topic discussion post at the start of the year!

First, how are you all? Did you survive the holidays? Thinking about emerging from the turkey dinner stupor to face the world? Still hiding under piles of discarded wrapping paper with bows and tinsel stuck in your hair?

Well, however you find yourself, I shall welcome you back! Let’s get right to it, then!

A few weeks ago, I read part of a rather irksome/disturbing thread on social media; the jist is that there are a lot of people over the age of 21 who strongly feel that anyone who is old enough to legally drink, get married, join the military, and live on their own should not be reading Young Adult fiction.

Excuse me?? Number one, when were the Reading Police established?! Number two, what is wrong with teachers, parents, pediatricians, school counselors and adolescent therapists knowing what our kids are reading?

And even more, what about those authors who write what our kids will be reading? How can they possibly know what their audience is interested in, or lacking, if they don’t connect with 12-17-year-olds?

Years ago, parents could just let their kids pick up a novel from the YA/juvenile section in the bookstore or library, and be pretty confident that the content would be acceptable for their age. There were plenty of authors that tackled tough subjects like death, disease, drug use, sex before marriage with tact and in a way of presenting facts and both sides of the debate.

Nowadays teen readers are apparently told to go get stoned, get physically intimate, drive too fast, skip school, turn the air blue with their language. Don’t any of these authors have kids themselves?! Would they really want their own precious darlings behaving this way?

As a parent and a YA author myself, I take this responsibility very seriously. I’m not at all naive — I’m totally aware that nowadays many adults consider kids knowing all kinds of sexual lifestyles, swear words, and various political views to not be a bad thing. Well, I — an informed adult — disagree. It’s one thing to be well-educated; it’s another to instill harmful perspectives on young minds that are still forming their views and ambitions.

Warning: The Invisible Moth is officially jumping on her soapbox.

Encouraging teenagers to wait to have sex because they are too special to give their body to just anyone is showing we love them and believe in them to become solid, confident, well-adjusted future wives and husbands. Telling them the consequences of unprotected sex reinforces that we want them to remain healthy and emotionally whole. 

Warning them against using drugs and too much alcohol helps them develop self-care habits that could last a lifetime. Discipline and high self-esteem will provide our future doctors, teachers, parents, leaders with the power to change society, for the better, for generations to come. Showing them that a clean path can also be fun sets them on course for a productive, respect-filled life. 

Okay, stepping off the soapbox.

Now, here’s why the idea of anyone “grown-up” reading YA is silly is just: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

1.) YA fiction is simply FUN. Since most children/adolescents aren’t past the point of wanting to believe — at least a little — in mythical creatures or flying cars or that you can access another world through your closet, the possibilities in a YA book are endless. 

What adult in the 21st century (with reality being so damn hard most of the time) wants to only read about fictional characters whining that they can’t get a date? Who cares?! Get out of your own grumpy head and go read about storming the castle and saving the endangered race of beautiful talking unicorns! Dream about being a hero! Don’t lose that passion!

2.) YA fiction provides an escape. Yes, most of us know very well that animals don’t really speak human, hypogriffs aren’t legal pets, and we’ll probably never get to live in a magical library. So?? Let us pretend for a few hours!

Children who regularly use their imagination often grow into big people who invent new technology, new medicines, the prototypes for hovercars, more effective academic systems, tools and inventions that make our lives better. LET US IMAGINE.

3.) Parents and teens reading together is valuable. In recent years, too many high-schoolers don’t communicate or bond with their elders. Yes, this is a problem, trust me. Concurrently reading the same book or series with your 14-year-old is important. Find a subject that interests you both, and take it from there.

White Fang and I have both read and discussed Harry Potter, Warriors, The Illuminae Files, and Beaumont and Beasley, among others. This activity also gives you a great starting point for discussing tough issues, and encouraging your kids to do their research and develop their own points of view.

4.) Not all of us with a certain date on our birth certificates enjoy reading stuff aimed at that age group. I flatout find most murder mysteries/romances/spy thrillers downright formulaic and dull. Yes, I know that I’m somewhat of a square peg in a round hole in this instance. But it’s a fact, and it’s not changing anytime soon.

While I don’t necessarily want to read about being in high school, either, there are plenty more fantasy and speculative fiction choices among the YA sections than the adult. Plus lots of fantasy YA authors still take care to keep their language and explicit content to a minimum, whereas for adults, apparently ALL the barriers have come down. That just isn’t my thing.

5.) If you don’t have a long attention span or not much free time to read, novels aimed at juveniles are usually less than 400 pages long. This is a big deal for me, since my spare time is certainly limited, and if I can make it to the end of the paragraph without losing my place, then, wow, it’s an awesome evening!

Also, since I currently carry all my library books literally on my back, there is just no way in Hades I’m attempting to haul the latest 650-page New York Times bestsellers. No way, sir.

6.) Whether it’s my personality, my mindset, worldview or whatever, I simply relate better to characters in YA. If you present me with an adult character who’s narrating about whether they can squeeze in an extra 10 minutes at the gym, or if they interpreted the fine print in their car lease properly, I will be either falling asleep or using the book as a footstool.

Whereas, show me the elf who’s hoping to return the enchanted sword to its sacred mountain before the kraken’s released, and I’m on the edge of my seat. Any night I spend reading Warriors will result in big stupid grins and lots of tears on my face. Finding out a secret about a beloved Clan cat will resonate with me for months.

7.) Reading about characters who aren’t jaded yet, full of hope and plans and enthusiasm, makes you want to have that again. Remember when you were in kindergarten, and making an extra blanket into a cape was the most natural thing? When you looked to the skies with an unending sense of wanting more?

Go for that, whether you’re 25, or 30, or 40.

Save the unicorns! Rescue the flying cats! Storm the castle!

 

The Indistinct Howls and Grumbling Edition

Seriously, this is what you people most want to read about? Well, I guess I asked for it when I included it as an option in the latest Twitter poll… But, sigh… And, well, I suppose this post is off to a good start.

Here’s what I’ve been grumbling about lately:

Muffin has been bingeing Dreamworks movies, particularly How to Train Your Dragon and the Ice Age series. He is presently obsessed with dragons. (I can hear some of you applauding his good taste.) I love dragons, too, and Ice Age. But every once in a while, it would be really nice for him to stop interchanging the discs at a nearly frantic pace, and watch something else for a little bit, maybe…

My writer’s playlist has run dry, feels hackneyed, and my ears are tired of it. Not that I’m never going to listen to any of these songs again. It’s just that, right now, I want something different, and I’m rather finnicky when it comes to selecting stuff like music…

I can’t seem to finish my tea while it’s still hot. It used to be mostly because of children, but nowadays it appears to have become its own thing. Groan…

Work is progressing on Volume 2. Some of that results in lots of mumblings and complaints to self and the occasional howl…

I’m practically stalking my Goodreads page, hoping for amazing stats on Volume 1. It is being well-received, and there are some impending reviews which I know are going to be good. More than 170 people have entered my Goodreads giveaway (which ends Wednesday), and for a debut author, this is truly incredible. I guess I’m a little worried about this planing off, though, and that definitely results in howling…

I’ve hit a reading slump. I’ve knocked everything new off my TBR, except for Dawn of the Clans, which I don’t feel like starting right now. None of the new releases this spring are grabbing my attention, and this is generating a vaguely unsettling feeling…

The season finale of Riverdale was last week. This is now one of the only TV shows I regularly watch. Honestly, I don’t mind having to wait for the new season, I’m not 12. But the realization hit me that by October, by the time all the new episodes will be premiering, a whole lot will most likely be different in my life…

Muffin will be starting preschool by the fall, if not before. While this is all good, because he’ll be able to receive all his services in one place, and I’ll certainly have more time to write, or even think about going back to teaching dance, it still means a big upheaval in our daily lives. That creates howling for a bunch of reasons…

As I think about the future, the fact that White Fang will be in high school in September is also not far from my mind. WHAT. HOW. DID. THIS. HAPPEN. I swear he was Muffin’s age just last month. Okay, it was more than 10 years ago. I am old. More than that, I just… How did he become so much his own person, who has this mind and personality and life that I’m learning about as we go — rather than being the expert on my small child? Because he grew up and discovered who he is and what he’s into, that’s why — and isn’t that what I tried so hard for over a decade to achieve? Insert wolf impression here…

My husband finally started reading Volume 1. Yes, it is among the great ironic moments of my life that some of the last people to read my first release are my immediate family. But the reason this is so momentuous for me is because my husband does not read fantasy or speculative fiction at all. (He once picked up a Frank Peretti novel circa 1995, and never finished it.) I’ve had to explain to him what a TARDIS is, that “faery” is a correct spelling, and the significance of Shroedinger’s Cat. He is so not a geek. Anyway, the fact that he got through the Prologue of Volume 1 and said, “This is really good!”, has intense personal meaning.

A-owwwwwwwwww…

There are also some big personal things happening for a few people I know, and this gets to me, because I want to be able to help, and in some instances, I just can’t. Either I don’t live close enough, or it’s not my place to step in, and there’s really not much I can do other than stand back and watch developments unfold. I am a do-er, I like to participate in situations resolving, and know that it’s all going well. Especially when it concerns people I care about. So this is a tough bit.

A-owwwwwww…

Anyone have time to post a glowing review of Volume 1 to make me feel better?

How to Successfully Raise a Second Generation Bookdragon

(And, what the heck is up with my super long titles these days?…)

This is an important issue, something that we need to consider when we venture into parenthood and spawn — er, bring our lovely sons and daughters into the world. (Yes, I really mean “lovely” while I have a toddler literally pawing at me to obtain a restricted object.)

Anyway, when we (meaning people who value reading) have a family, the idea is that we want to pass this love on to our own children. And how should we do that? Well, of course there’s reading to them when they’re still too young to understand not to chew on books. And encouraging them to visit libraries (once they’re old enough to rein it before they destroy the whole building). And once they are old enough, to choose something to read. Not just the assigned stuff for school, but something for fun.

Now, with my oldest, I have successfully created a monster. (Yes, I meant to say it like that.) When he was in 4th grade or so, White Fang was growing a bit tired of the juvenile fiction he was accustomed to (he’d already gone through Harry Potter, and didn’t care for Percy Jackson or A Series of Unfortunate Events). So, in an effort to make sure boredom stayed away, I went on the hunt for a long series with an age-appropriate target audience. After wearing holes in the carpet at my local library, I discovered Warriors.

Warriors is brilliant. It has action, mystery, friendship, love, family, and plenty of death. (Don’t worry, nothing too gory.) Cats die all the time — in battle, from sickness, from being on the wrong side of a human road, from something going wrong with having kittens, and sometimes, even just from old age. So while I wouldn’t recommend it for your 6-year-old, I can confidently state (just Google “Warriors fan art”) that middle-schoolers and up love this series.

And this epic is perfect for breeding good bookworm habits (that will one day turn against us). The series requires an attention span, remembering what happens from one book to the next, analyzing character motivations, and even “shipping” their favorite couples or potential relationships.

White Fang has certainly lived up to all of this, and more. He has read over 50 books (including some of the novellas and manga) in the Warriors “canon,” knows some of the YouTube fan videos by heart, used to be involved in one of the roleplaying games, started his own fan community, and has decided just what needs to happen next in the newest series.

Last week, I pre-ordered the third instalment in A Vision of Shadows, so that it would arrive on release day (just like a good bookdragon parent), and when it showed up in his room, he proceeded to stay up late reading the first 100 pages. That’s a good boy.

However, this type of behavior can breed obsession. While there are much worse things than Warriors that he could be fixating on, he’s a bit predisposed to getting slightly obsessed, anyway, and he needs to have other stuff going on in his life. Like, friends, school, sleep, balanced meals…

And — just to prove what a truly bookdragon parent I am — since he has almost completed his TBR (yes, I’m serious), and Shattered Sky was nearly the last item on it as of January 2017… Yes, I am freaking out a little here. Because I am not made of money, and I cannot order the rest of the TBR right now, and at the rate he’s going, Shattered Sky will reach its place on the shelf before this spring break is out…

See what I mean about the plan backfiring? Here I am, thinking it’d be just great to have someone else in the family who shares my passions, and then…

And in terms of sharing the fandom, I will not be able to read Shattered Sky until he finishes it. But I currently have my own TBR, and A Vision of Shadows #3 is a bit further down it. So I will be behind him, again. (I’ve been playing catch-up with Warriors forever.)

And he’s already told me something that happened, drat it.

I have officially created a monster.

 

 

Life With A Toddler…

(Originally posted in February 2016.)

“Are we out of the woods, are we out of the woods, are we out of the woods yet? Are we in the clear, are we in the clear, are we in the clear yet?” — Taylor Swift, “Out of the Woods”

Why are there always more crumbs in the same exact spot I swear I finished sweeping five minutes ago?

That was the longest snack in the history of mankind.

Okay, wash the tray, wash the dishes, wipe down the bib, the floor, the chairs… Put his clothes in the hamper… “Don’t throw that!”

Get a load of laundry started…put him behind the gate while I run to the basement (yes, run, run for your life)… “Stop kicking that door!”

Wake White Fang up…empty the dishwasher…keep one eye on the TV for the local weather forecast… Where’s my coffee? Oh, in the microwave, of course.

Cooing, babbling, giggling, and battery-operated toys singing nursery rhymes. Yay. Sigh.

Wow, I want cake. I don’t care that it’s 7:30 in the morning. How else do you expect me to get through the day?

He’d better take a marathon nap later.

Send hubby off to work…finish the vacuuming…thank heavens, Thomas and Friends is on.

Crying. Even Elmo isn’t cutting it. He’s spilled pureed fruit all down his clothes. He’s yawning and rubbing his eyes. Deep breath.

Diaper change. Fresh clothes (again). Time for bed.

More crying. Ignore it. Make more coffee. Open up blog. Wahhh, wahhh… Ignoring…

Yay, new posts to read!

It’s quiet back there. Ahhh.

Tidy kitchen. Put laundry in dryer. Dance around living room to Taylor Swift. Work on blog.

Wow, he’s been sleeping a long time. Some kind of miracle… But, I’ll just go check…

Oh, God, look at that sweet face. Those tangled curls, those little fingers, closed around the edges of the blanket Grandma made, the blanket I have to sneak off to the washer every now and then, to get rid of the bits of applesauce and yesterday’s crackers.

He’s sleeping peacefully. Yay.

But he’s waking up soon, right? So I can pick him up and hold him tight, feel that soft cheek pressed to mine?

‘”Are we out of the woods yet, are we out of the woods yet, are we out of the woods yet? Are we in the clear yet, are we in the clear yet, are we in the clear yet? Good.”