MARGINALIA: doing good and making trouble |
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This week's newsletter is a reflection on the inevitability of change, the power of young people, and the stories we're in the middle of right now. |
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This is the first September I'm not spending in the classroom since I started school myself. Thanks to my apartment's prime position a block away from a Cambridge elementary school, though, I get to celebrate vicariously. The tweep of recorders and crumbs of conversation from kids walking past keep me acutely aware that September means, has always meant, will always mean, change. |
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ON THE BLOG Reading with Toddlers Grace and I have had the opportunity to talk to a few different groups of parents since we launched Cosmic (almost a year ago – we turn one in October!).
One topic that comes up in nearly every conversation with parents of toddlers: I know reading together at a young age is key, but how can my child reap the benefits if they can't sit down long enough to finish a board book? | | |
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How much do you know about banned books? Some books are banned quietly, or unofficially, and diverse books are targeted disproportionately.
In honor of Banned Books Week, check out The Kids' Right to Read Project. From the National Coalition Against Censorship website:
The Kids’ Right to Read Project (KRRP) is a signature part of NCAC’s Youth Free Expression Program. KRRP offers support, education, and direct advocacy to people facing book challenges or bans in schools and libraries and engages local activists in promoting the freedom to read. It was co-founded with the American Booksellers for Free Expression and is supported in part by the American Booksellers for Free Expression and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. |
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The Hidden Power of Slow Reading Jacqueline Woodson, author of nearly thirty books for children, former Young People's Poet Laureate and current National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, is a slow reader.
Why speed isn't everything, the (good) danger and meaning in words themselves, and the incredible magic of deep engagement. | | |
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Amid all the courage, brilliance, and power of Greta Thunberg this week, I was glad to see articles like this one from Fast Company acknowledging and praising the work of other young climate activists from around the world including Autumn Peltier, Mari Copeny (a.k.a. Little Miss Flint), Artemisa Xakriabá, and Ridhima Pandy. I love this book list from The Guardian (published in July, before Greta came to speak in the US) for finding several titles that address topics like civil disobedience, environmentalism, and making a difference, all without being didactic or heavy-handed. |
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How many times have you seen a beloved book become a movie, only to have it fall flat (or, maybe, offend you outright with its awfulness?)
And how many times are you granted a do-over? As a devoted fan of the middle grade novel The Golden Compass, I'm extremely excited to see the HBO His Dark Materials series so we can all forget that pesky 2007 movie ever happened. |
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“Adults are, like, ‘Respect your elders.’ And we’re, like, ‘Respect our futures.’ You know, it’s a two-way street, respect, and I’m angry that I have to be here.” - Jemima Grimmer, age 13
Speaking from Sydney, Australia, during the global climate protests |
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Farewell, Summer. This Mountain Man song reminds me of all the fall and winter potlucks to come. Dance around the kitchen while your beans boil in the pot. |
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I'll continue baking up a storm, reading the good books I've been stacking all summer, and wearing each of my sweaters in fair and equal rotation.
(If you're in the Cambridge, MA area and want to get your hands on some baked goods, I'm willing to negotiate a trade – especially if you have jam!)
Happy reading! Gaby |
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