It’s that time of year again. Every Halloween, my brother-in-law replaces his inner front door with a coffin door. He watches through a peephole as trick-or-treaters approach and at just the right moment jumps out of the door—Boo! Some kids…
I love autumn—the sweet smell of wood-smoke, pumpkins everywhere, trees laden with ripe apples and pears, the radiant bursts of red and orange that make me go wow on a regular basis. As Keats said, autumn truly is the “Season…
Last week was Banned Book Week. That’s not exactly a cause for celebration, but it’s definitely something we need to pay attention to. I was surprised to learn how many YA books are still being banned from schools and libraries,…
I recently read a review of a young adult novel in which the reviewer criticized it for not having diverse characters. I re-read the review to try to figure out why the reviewer thought this particular novel needed more diversity….
I’ve been feeling a little left out lately. Come to my lunch table. Come sit with me. I am so alone. It’s sobering to realize that even at my freakishly old age, all those feelings from high school of not…
This is the time of year that makes us wish we were back in school. Not because we want homework or tests, but because we want back to school clothes, back to school shoes (black patent leather ones, please), stacks…