Book Reviews

This year, my favorite day of the week was Monday. After recess, my students would visit the library to hear a story and pick out books for the week. Our library isn't organized in the most kid-friendly way, so while the librarian read to my students I would wander around looking for good books to recommend. By the time the story is over and Ms. M. gave the cue, "Check, Check!" my arms were full of interesting titles and colorful covers. Here are my favorite titles from this year:

The End of the Beginning by Avi

Edward the energetic ant and Avon the innocent snail are two unusual friends on an adventure. I read this book aloud to my students and it took them a while to get the jokes. A lot of my students speak English as their second language therefore the many puns and turns of phrase were difficult to understand. However, the chapter with the epic snail battle had them literally rolling on the floor laughing and from then on they were hooked.


The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

This book won the John Newberry Medal this year for young adult fiction. A boy's parents are murdered in cold blood but he escapes to a graveyard. The neighborhood ghosts raise the boy, teaching him about all the tricks and history that hundreds of years of experience awards the dead. The story sounds macabre but is actually quite funny and heartwarming. Gaiman introduces his readers to different parts of history with old graveyard ghosts and stresses the importance of family and loyalty. And for those who love a little suspence, the bad guys are positively creepy.

The Willoughbys by Lois Lowery

I have always loved Lois Lowery for her relate-able characters and interesting story lines. However, this story is quite unique. In the vein of A Series of Unfortunate Events, this is the tale of some thoroughly old-fashioned children in trouble. Instead of just hinting at literary references or pandering to a particular genre, Lowery pokes fun at the literary world by spoofing her way through all the famous literature she can think of. Included in the back of the book is a hysterical glossary of terms so that the kids (who are too young to have read Bronte or Swift) can be in on the jokes too. So much fun!

For those days when you just can't handle another Ken Follet or Toni Morrison, pick up a young adult or middle reader. Chances are you'll find a rare piece of literary genius that makes you think, makes you laugh, and best of all, you can share with just about anyone.

Happy summer reading!

Sundress, Sandals, and Streetlights

Last night I wove my way home from Lavapies in the ambient light of a Madrileno evening. I picked a stem of lavender to enjoy, the blossoms just opening. The air was thick with the smells and sounds of Madrid--urine, beer, ripe fruit, sweat, and laughter. Arabic, Spanish, French, English tangled through heat.

Past the revered remains of the bombed church, past the young men playing cricket in the street with their broken bat, past the elaborate graphitti, the groups of men spilling out from the sticky closeness of the bars. Though the hour was late, strollers rattled and little legs pattered on the cobbles. Fathers with daughters perched on shoulders, a fat baby playing with an empty cigarette carton. Barking dogs, trash in the streets, joyful singing, and the clop, clop, clop of my sandals on the cobbles.

Fever and Fractions

I have been in Spain for a total of ten months. I've been telling people it's been eight months for a while but time has caught up with me at last. Who am I, where am I going?

I am teaching fractions to my second graders this week. It's interesting to find fractions in myself: one half Swedish, nine tenths satisfied, one quarter lonely, five sixths of a year. I am one half excited about the next steps of my life and one half sad to see this chapter end. My little second graders are once again saying good-bye to their classmates that are moving from Madrid and I am saying good-bye to them. One of the mothers admitted the other day that I see more of her son than she does. In some ways, it's like saying good-bye to my family back in the States.

I feel strangely restless lately. Not dissatisfied, not irratible, but self-critical and antsy. My dreams are about the Pacific Northwest, wet and green. In my dreams all my friends and family talk at the same time and the air is wet and cool. Sometimes I dream about my faults. I dream that when I am painting my fingernails the paint dries too fast and doesn't slip easily over my nails. In my dreams I cannot understand any Spanish at all and no one can understand me. Mostly, my dreams leave me feeling exhausted and empty.

The way I am feeling is highly ironic. My life is filled with wonderful things. I've been seeing a wonderful guy, my job is satisfying and challenging, I am moving forward professionally, and I have many exciting things filling my calendar. Despite the feeling that I am not learning fast enough, I do know much more Spanish than I admit. In just two weeks I will be traveling back to the States to see my friends and family and relax with two months off work. Demasiadas cosas buenas.

Could that be it? Too many good things? My world here is tangled and twisted. Much of my life is spent with a tight family of teachers with strong personalities. Spain is a country known for its party attitude and I'm exhausted by the social "obligations". When I come back to Washington for the summer it will be much of the same. I enjoy celebrating life and friendships, but I think I am tired of the people here.

Last weekend I was invited to a birthday party of someone I barely know. It was so refreshing to spend time amongst strangers. I didn't mind that I was on the fringe, that every conversation was in stilted Spanish or that some of the people paid little attention to me. It was wonderful not to know the gossip about anyone. I loved speaking Spanish and didn't mind my grammar mistakes as much that night. The few people I knew at the party were warm and funny and animated. It was brilliant.

Tonight I will go to yet another party. A party full of people I work with (yet again), people who have annoyed me, who have warmed my heart, and who I have diappointed. There will be gossip, there will be drinking, but most importantly there will be dancing. Thank heavans for dancing. So long as I am dancing, I can shake off the feeling that I'm tethered to the expectations of others.

Spring Paintings

Susanna
Acrylic on Wood
4'x5'

Melissa and I painted this together. It was a lot of fun and a learning experience. I learned a lot about working closely with another artist, and Melissa is already using the new brush techniques I taught her. The painting will hang in Joseph and Melissa's bedroom.

I wonder...
Acrylic on Paper
8.5"x 11"

I painted this as a "thank you" to my Spanish teacher. Unfortunately I was unable to photograph it well before I gave it to her, but I think in this case it's a good thing. I was getting very frustrated with the acrylics. It seems I am an oil painter through and through. However, I like to think it's a good experiment in vintage-y sentimentalism.