Author: Mary Casanova
Illustrator: Richard Jones
Summary
Chrissa Maxwell and her family have just moved to Minnesota from Iowa, to live with her grandmother and her pair of miniature llamas. Her grandfather died a few months ago, and the big house is too lonely. Plus, Chrissa's mother, a doctor, can work at a larger hospital. Chrissa misses her old home, especially on the first day of school in her new fourth-grade class. There's a Valentine's Day party, and Chrissa only gets one card, despite the fact that she knows the teacher put her name on the list. The other three girls at her table, Tara, Jadyn, and Sonali, snicker cruelly about that, and generally treat her like dirt. She considers telling her teacher, but doesn't want to be a tattle-tale.
Back at home, Chrissa is surprised to get a call from Sonali--and skeptical. Sonali asks to come over, and Chrissa agrees cautiously. When she arrives, Chrissa can see that Sonali's mother is forcing her to be there, and to apologize...and to give Chrissa back her Valentine cards. She'd stolen them at Tara's insistence. Chrissa declines to tell her family--her grandmother has enough sadness, and her parents are busy, and her brother always has his nose in an astronomy book, off in his own world. Over the weekend, Tara and Jadyn happen to see Chrissa with her grandmother and the llamas, and the ensuing conversation her grandmother gives serves to give the mean girls fodder for later teasing. Chrissa starts making plans to be homeschooled, like her cousins in Texas.
On Monday, Chrissa's father is a special guest. He's a potter, and has made two hundred bowls for a charity supporting Sunrise House, a shelter for women and children. The students at the school will paint the bowls. Chrissa's also asked to turn in the swim team registration forms (she and Tyler are joining and so is a girl named Gwen who is also snubbed by the mean girls--Chrissa decides to befriend her). But the mean girls steal the forms and also stab Chrissa with a pencil hard enough to break the graphite off in her back (well, hello there, assault and battery!). They turn in the packet minus one form: Chrissa's. She has to sit out practice.
But she does jump in the pool when, during free swim, the mean girls trick Gwen, a new swimmer, into the deep end. Chrissa jumps in with a life ring and gets Gwen safely out. The mean girls pretend it was all an accident, but Chrissa knows better. The mean girls even have the gall to tease Gwen for crying, although Sonali seems to be shaken up by the fact that Gwen actually came close to drowning. The next day at school the mean girls light into Chrissa and Gwen. Chrissa stands up the them, but it does little good. At swim practice, her own brother (Tyler) pulls a prank on her, and it's obvious that the mean girls put him up to it. That night, Sonali calls to apologize, and the says she wants to get to know Chrissa. She ends up coming over the Friday to spend the night, and the girls actually get along really well. Chrissa gives Sonali a knitting lesson, and they talk a lot. But then Sonali gets a phone call, and has to go, saying her cousins are visiting. Chrissa can tell she's lying, and figures that Tara called her.
The next Monday, Chrissa and Gwen start talking and it ends up in Chrissa trimming Gwen's bangs with Tara showing up to "help." Gwen's bangs end up a mess thanks to Tara, and Chrissa is blamed. Chrissa, Sonali, Tara, and Jadyn end up in the principal's office with their parents. Tara and Jadyn blame Chrissa while Sonali claims she didn't see anything (Gwen had her eyes closed for the bang trimming, so can't say who did the deliberately bad cut). Chrissa ends up telling everything to her mom, who lets Chrissa stay home from school the next day (Friday).
That night is the fundraiser. During the event, a resident of Sunrise House tells her story--how her husband lost his job, their savings dwindled, and then her husband abandoned her and her daughter. Sunrise House gave them a safe place to stay, and has helped them find an apartment. Her daughter Gwen. Chrissa is sitting near Gwen, who is nervous about her mom's speech, and gives her a reassuring hand to squeeze. To the surprise of both girls, Sonali slips into an empty seat by Gwen, and hands her a note apologizing. The girls spend Saturday together, making headbands to wear together (to hide Gwen's bangs). At school Monday, Sonali talks to the teacher and tells him what's been going on. He agrees to change the seating assignments, separating Tara and Jadyn and letting Gwen sit with Chrissa and Sonali (a boy named Joel joins the table too, declaring he likes his seatmates but that he won't wear a headband). Tara and Jadyn are furious, but their power is waning, while the friendship Chrissa, Gwen, and Sonali now share is growing stronger.
Real Girls, Real Letters
"Scared" is encouraged to stick up for a bullied girl at her school, even though her own friends are the ones being cruel, because it's the right thing to do. "A Victim" is advised to not take any flak from a classmate who sarcastically "compliments" her, and to project confidence. "Miserable" is told to get support from her parents and teachers to get a bully to leave her alone, and to escalate to the principal if necessary. "Frustrated" is told to talk with her friend who's letting the lack of attention from her parents make her a bully, and to not put up with rotten behavior. "On-and-off Friend" is told that she needs to step back from a toxic friendship if the other won't treat her right. "Afraid" is advised that she has to tell a responsible adult about the neighbor boy who beats her up, and warned that she'll probably need to stay away from if he doesn't shape up.
Misc
Dedicated to "every girl who finds her voice and makes a difference."
Special thanks are given to Patti Kelsey Criswell, MSW; Dr. Micahel Obsatz, and Susan Kovacs.
Chrissa is eleven months younger than her brother. One of my good friends is eleven months younger than her sister. Her sister was born in January and she was born in December of the same year--two tax deductions!
In 2009, Valentine's Day was a Saturday. Having the class celebrate the Friday before (Chrissa's first day is a Friday) makes perfect sense.
Jadyn has a habit of raising her voice at the end of a sentence? So that everything she says sounds like a question?
Chrissa's grandparents go/went by Nana and Grandpa, which is how my daughters and my niece and nephew know my parents.
Chrissa didn't have any swim lessons until she was five. Maybe it's because I live in a state that borders the ocean, but that seems late to me. My older daughter started formal lessons when she three, and both girls are comfortable in the water, although the eighteen-month-old only likes to "swim" by laying down in the water across our forearms for a few minutes at a time before being held more traditionally.
Chrissa's middle name is Marie, and she's left-handed. I'm curious to see if the girl who plays her in the movie is left-handed too.
One of the llamas is pregnant.
12/9/14
Girl of the Year 2008: Bravo, Mia!
Author: Laurence Yep
Illustrator: Robert Papp
Summary
Mia has spent the last eight months working hard under Coach Schubert's tutelage, practicing for Regionals. There's one month to go until the competition. And Mia's outgrown her skates and her nice skating outfit--originally a hand-me-down from a cousin who longer competes, so no more hand-me-downs. Money's tighter than ever, since her father's second job now has fewer hours available, and Mia's mom just broke her leg. Plus the furnace might be going out, which isn't good in an upstate New York winter. Mia's parents sit the family down and tell everyone that they can afford Mia's Regionals or the tournament where Perry will be scouted by college recruiters--not both. Mia and Perry both immediately tell the other to take it. The only fair way they can figure is to flip a coin, and Perry wins that. No one feels too great about it, but that would have been the case regardless.
Fortunately, the owner of the skating rink hears of Mia's problem. He and his wife are able to find some lightly-used skates at another rink and buy them for Mia, as thanks for all the hard work she's done there. And the skating-loving owner of a sewing chain gives Mia fabric, notions, and a pattern for a new skating outfit--Mia had played the store's mascot a few weeks earlier and an encounter with the town mayor led to a lot of good publicity. Mia is overwhelmed and incredibly grateful. The pattern is complicated, and the fabric is very fancy. Mia and her mother are too intimidated to start. Coach Schubert, who knew about the help the St. Clair family was about to get (to avoid showing favoritism, she really couldn't help Mia, information Mia totally understood when the coach volunteered it). Coach Schubert used to sew her own outfits, and quickly puts the material together. Mia and her mother will add the embellishments, something Mrs. St. Clair can easily handle while resting her broken leg.
Finally it's time for Regionals. Mia and Anya are enjoying their first stay in a fancy hotel when they see Vanessa and her father arguing with the front desk clerk. Apparently their reservation was lost. Mia's and Anya's mothers exchange a glance and offer to let Vanessa stay with them. Her father quickly agrees and leaves the hotel, promising to come back the next day (no skating that first day) with something nice for Vanessa. In the room, Mia and Anya notice that Vanessa doesn't know how to share, and that she enjoys showing off the souvenirs her parents bring her back from their travels. At dinner, Vanessa seems confused by they normal interactions the other girls have with their mothers. When Vanessa's mother calls to say she can't make it to Regionals, Mia reflects that even though the money struggles are hard to get through, she wouldn't trade families with Vanessa for anything--Vanessa barely has a family at all. A conversation with a tearful Vanessa that night confirms that Vanessa can't depend on her parents for anything but money and trinkets from the travels, and that skating is the only thing she enjoys.
The next day all the skaters get time to practice on the ice. A skating diva tries to cut into Mia's allotted time, but Mia figures if she can stand up to all three of her older brothers at once she can stand up to a girl her own age. When Mia starts skating, the other girl gets back on the ice and mocks Mia's routine, alternately pretending to fall or performing the moves better. Her coach is irate and gets her off the ice and forces her to apologize. Coach Schubert compliments Mia for handling the situation with grace.
The day of the competition arrives. Vanessa's parents both show up, and she and Anya perform well. Mia won't perform until later. When she's warming up, the diva skates right toward her, almost taking her out. Mia shakes it off, and puts all thoughts of other skaters out of her mind. When it's her turn, she focuses on her routine. It all comes together beautifully. When the scores are posted, the diva has won, but Anya's second! Vanessa finishes fifth and Mia is thrilled to see she's placed third. Her whole family swarms Mia to congratulate her.
Real Girls, Real Letters
"Bad Sport" is used to being faster than her friend, but at all the latest track meets her friend has been faster. She's advised to focus on improving her times regardless of how fast anyone else is, and to try to be happy for her friend's success. "Karate Girl" feels weird for doing a sport that girls usually don't, but is encouraged that the important thing is to find a sport she loves so she can stick with it and stay healthy--and maybe she'll make some friends who are boys as well as girl. "Bad Actress" feels left out because her two friends made it through auditions into a play but she didn't. She's advised to find another way to get involved with the play, like painting scenery, and reminded that there are many more things she can share with her friends; the play won't last forever. "Jealous" is having a hard time dealing with the fact that the new boy in her class is a better artist, and gets advice similar to Bad Sport's. "No One 2 Play With" feels left out of her family of all boys, but is told that almost nothing is for boys or girls exclusively--she can see if there's anything her brothers enjoy that she can be part of. "Worst Player" is contemplating quitting basketball, and is told that if she's enjoying it she should stick with it, but if it's not fun it might not be worth it.
Misc
Dedicated to "Felicia Salinas, whose spirit I admire."
Mia plays Hearts with her brothers and shoots the moon, winning the game. The first time I played Hearts I didn't understand the rules and accidentally shot the moon. The whole family plays Hearts later. I've only played with four people and didn't know until just now that you can play with three to seven people.
Mia's brothers tell her that they prefer team sports because if they make a mistake, the other members can help. That's exactly why I don't like team sports: I don't like other people paying for my mistakes.
The stunt the diva pulled with trying to take Mia's practice time...I'm surprised she wasn't outright disqualified from the competition. I've competed in post-season track and field and coached athletes there too. Each athlete gets a certain amount of time to warm up, and stealing someone else's time would not go over well, especially being so purposeful and petty about it. And then to try to physically take her out? Why is she still competing? If I were the coach, I'd be humiliated to have my athlete acting like that.
Illustrator: Robert Papp
Summary
Mia has spent the last eight months working hard under Coach Schubert's tutelage, practicing for Regionals. There's one month to go until the competition. And Mia's outgrown her skates and her nice skating outfit--originally a hand-me-down from a cousin who longer competes, so no more hand-me-downs. Money's tighter than ever, since her father's second job now has fewer hours available, and Mia's mom just broke her leg. Plus the furnace might be going out, which isn't good in an upstate New York winter. Mia's parents sit the family down and tell everyone that they can afford Mia's Regionals or the tournament where Perry will be scouted by college recruiters--not both. Mia and Perry both immediately tell the other to take it. The only fair way they can figure is to flip a coin, and Perry wins that. No one feels too great about it, but that would have been the case regardless.
Fortunately, the owner of the skating rink hears of Mia's problem. He and his wife are able to find some lightly-used skates at another rink and buy them for Mia, as thanks for all the hard work she's done there. And the skating-loving owner of a sewing chain gives Mia fabric, notions, and a pattern for a new skating outfit--Mia had played the store's mascot a few weeks earlier and an encounter with the town mayor led to a lot of good publicity. Mia is overwhelmed and incredibly grateful. The pattern is complicated, and the fabric is very fancy. Mia and her mother are too intimidated to start. Coach Schubert, who knew about the help the St. Clair family was about to get (to avoid showing favoritism, she really couldn't help Mia, information Mia totally understood when the coach volunteered it). Coach Schubert used to sew her own outfits, and quickly puts the material together. Mia and her mother will add the embellishments, something Mrs. St. Clair can easily handle while resting her broken leg.
Finally it's time for Regionals. Mia and Anya are enjoying their first stay in a fancy hotel when they see Vanessa and her father arguing with the front desk clerk. Apparently their reservation was lost. Mia's and Anya's mothers exchange a glance and offer to let Vanessa stay with them. Her father quickly agrees and leaves the hotel, promising to come back the next day (no skating that first day) with something nice for Vanessa. In the room, Mia and Anya notice that Vanessa doesn't know how to share, and that she enjoys showing off the souvenirs her parents bring her back from their travels. At dinner, Vanessa seems confused by they normal interactions the other girls have with their mothers. When Vanessa's mother calls to say she can't make it to Regionals, Mia reflects that even though the money struggles are hard to get through, she wouldn't trade families with Vanessa for anything--Vanessa barely has a family at all. A conversation with a tearful Vanessa that night confirms that Vanessa can't depend on her parents for anything but money and trinkets from the travels, and that skating is the only thing she enjoys.
The next day all the skaters get time to practice on the ice. A skating diva tries to cut into Mia's allotted time, but Mia figures if she can stand up to all three of her older brothers at once she can stand up to a girl her own age. When Mia starts skating, the other girl gets back on the ice and mocks Mia's routine, alternately pretending to fall or performing the moves better. Her coach is irate and gets her off the ice and forces her to apologize. Coach Schubert compliments Mia for handling the situation with grace.
The day of the competition arrives. Vanessa's parents both show up, and she and Anya perform well. Mia won't perform until later. When she's warming up, the diva skates right toward her, almost taking her out. Mia shakes it off, and puts all thoughts of other skaters out of her mind. When it's her turn, she focuses on her routine. It all comes together beautifully. When the scores are posted, the diva has won, but Anya's second! Vanessa finishes fifth and Mia is thrilled to see she's placed third. Her whole family swarms Mia to congratulate her.
Real Girls, Real Letters
"Bad Sport" is used to being faster than her friend, but at all the latest track meets her friend has been faster. She's advised to focus on improving her times regardless of how fast anyone else is, and to try to be happy for her friend's success. "Karate Girl" feels weird for doing a sport that girls usually don't, but is encouraged that the important thing is to find a sport she loves so she can stick with it and stay healthy--and maybe she'll make some friends who are boys as well as girl. "Bad Actress" feels left out because her two friends made it through auditions into a play but she didn't. She's advised to find another way to get involved with the play, like painting scenery, and reminded that there are many more things she can share with her friends; the play won't last forever. "Jealous" is having a hard time dealing with the fact that the new boy in her class is a better artist, and gets advice similar to Bad Sport's. "No One 2 Play With" feels left out of her family of all boys, but is told that almost nothing is for boys or girls exclusively--she can see if there's anything her brothers enjoy that she can be part of. "Worst Player" is contemplating quitting basketball, and is told that if she's enjoying it she should stick with it, but if it's not fun it might not be worth it.
Misc
Dedicated to "Felicia Salinas, whose spirit I admire."
Mia plays Hearts with her brothers and shoots the moon, winning the game. The first time I played Hearts I didn't understand the rules and accidentally shot the moon. The whole family plays Hearts later. I've only played with four people and didn't know until just now that you can play with three to seven people.
Mia's brothers tell her that they prefer team sports because if they make a mistake, the other members can help. That's exactly why I don't like team sports: I don't like other people paying for my mistakes.
The stunt the diva pulled with trying to take Mia's practice time...I'm surprised she wasn't outright disqualified from the competition. I've competed in post-season track and field and coached athletes there too. Each athlete gets a certain amount of time to warm up, and stealing someone else's time would not go over well, especially being so purposeful and petty about it. And then to try to physically take her out? Why is she still competing? If I were the coach, I'd be humiliated to have my athlete acting like that.
12/8/14
Girl of the Year 2008: Mia
Author: Laurence Yep
Illustrator: Robert Papp
Summary
Mia St. Clair is part of an ice-skating family: her three older brother play hockey, she figure skates, they're all hockey fans, and all six members of the family work to afford lessons. Though only ten, she does chores at the rink like emptying trash cans and helping sew recital costumes in exchange for ice time. Mia's just gotten a new coach, Coach Schubert, a former Olympian. She's more encouraging than the previous coach, and has a way of making Mia want to impress her. Mia's best friend Anya, also on the figure skating team, also likes her. Coach Schubert's techniques even give Mia some ideas when she fills in for someone else and teaches a beginner class. Another girl at the rink, Vanessa, doesn't think much of Coach Schubert because of a famous slip-up she made a decade and a half ago, but Vanessa's a stuck-up snob who thinks the world revolves around her--what does she know?
Because Mia is the only one in the family who's into figure skating rather than hockey (although she still thinks it's fun, it's not her passion), she gets a lot of flack from her brothers. Her parents both work more than one job, and are usually too worn out to deal with the spats. One night the family plays an impromptu game of indoor hockey, and Mia nearly gets a concussion when one of her brothers runs into her. Suddenly everyone's treating her with kid gloves, and she feels even more left out--when her brothers were teasing her about figure skating, at least she was still being treated the same way they treated each other.
Fortunately, the blow to the head only puts Mia out of commission for the rest of that day. She's back to skating soon, in time for Coach Schubert to tell her that she's picked Mia to perform a solo at the upcoming skating recital. Mia's nervous--what if she screws up in front of everyone? One day after practice, Mia overhears Vanessa complaining to another skater about Mia being the coach's pet, and how her father is furious that Vanessa has to perform with the beginner class--or "brats" as she says--in the background. Vanessa says once Mia fails, it'll be another item on the list of reasons to get Coach Schubert fired. Mia surprises Vanessa and herself by speaking up, defending the beginners and putting Vanessa in her place (thank to her brothers, Mia is no shrinking violet but Vanessa is intimidating and Mia was eavesdropping). Mia encourages the beginning skaters, nervous about performing with Vanessa, and Coach Schubert gives Mia her own encouragement. Christmas arrives shortly before the recital, and Mia gets an MP3 player from everyone--they all chipped instead of each making their own gift for her. Her solo routine music is already loaded on it, so she can practice it on the frozen pond near the house.
The night of the recital, things start out well. Anya performs her part beautifully The beginners do okay, but then some of the fancy beading on Vanessa's custom outfit comes loose, causing several skaters, including Vanessa herself, to fall. Unable to get up, she crawls off the ice, humiliated. Graciously, Mia helps her and reminds her about Coach Schubert's famous Olympic fall: she got back up and kept competing, and can still hold her head high today. A rink worker cleans the ice and the show continues. Soon it's Mia's turn. She's able to focus for her whole routine, and does it almost perfectly, just a few wobbles here and there. Her brothers can finally see why she loves figure skating--and her coach says she'll need to work on those wobbles before Regionals, because she's competing there!
Real Girls, Real Letters
Several girls have written to American Girl asking advice. "Frustrated Figure Skater" is vexed by a teammate who's always better than her, no matter how hard she tries, and is advised to focus on improving on her own, not compared to other people. "Kicking But Not Scoring" is discouraged that her soccer coach mother doesn't say anything positive to her during games or practices, and is advised to talk with her mom, who is probably trying too hard not to play favorites. "Talented Out" gets the suggestion to find her talent by exploring what she already loves to do and seeing what can be taken further. "Softball Nerves" is advised to talk to her coach about tips for relaxing when the pressure's on so she doesn't crack under it, and "Too Nervous" gets similar advice for her flute recitals and skating competitions. Emily is worried that since she's only just starting figure skating at the age of thirteen, she's too old to really do it, but is reassured that doing something she loves is never a waster of time, whether she goes pro or not.
Misc
Dedicated to Cory and LeeLabov, "who are stars in their own right."
The St. Clairs live in upstate New York. Mia's older brothers are Perry (16), Rene who goes by Skip (14), and Rick (12).
A large theme in Mia's book is getting out from under her older brothers' shadows, particularly in sports. I actually had a bit of that with my older brother: he was a starter on the Varsity soccer team for five years (tiny school=eighth-graders can play Varsity) and got the first RBI for our school's Varsity baseball team. I ended up not so great at soccer--I got to be on the first JV team we fielded after two years of playing Varsity. But I switched to cross country later and did really well there, and competed at state in track and field, a level he never got to, and still have some school records. But what was really nice was getting to be just me rather than someone's sister. He's great, but it was nice to be my own person.
If you're hit in the head and you lose consciousness, you really should get seen by a doctor.
Illustrator: Robert Papp
Summary
Mia St. Clair is part of an ice-skating family: her three older brother play hockey, she figure skates, they're all hockey fans, and all six members of the family work to afford lessons. Though only ten, she does chores at the rink like emptying trash cans and helping sew recital costumes in exchange for ice time. Mia's just gotten a new coach, Coach Schubert, a former Olympian. She's more encouraging than the previous coach, and has a way of making Mia want to impress her. Mia's best friend Anya, also on the figure skating team, also likes her. Coach Schubert's techniques even give Mia some ideas when she fills in for someone else and teaches a beginner class. Another girl at the rink, Vanessa, doesn't think much of Coach Schubert because of a famous slip-up she made a decade and a half ago, but Vanessa's a stuck-up snob who thinks the world revolves around her--what does she know?
Because Mia is the only one in the family who's into figure skating rather than hockey (although she still thinks it's fun, it's not her passion), she gets a lot of flack from her brothers. Her parents both work more than one job, and are usually too worn out to deal with the spats. One night the family plays an impromptu game of indoor hockey, and Mia nearly gets a concussion when one of her brothers runs into her. Suddenly everyone's treating her with kid gloves, and she feels even more left out--when her brothers were teasing her about figure skating, at least she was still being treated the same way they treated each other.
Fortunately, the blow to the head only puts Mia out of commission for the rest of that day. She's back to skating soon, in time for Coach Schubert to tell her that she's picked Mia to perform a solo at the upcoming skating recital. Mia's nervous--what if she screws up in front of everyone? One day after practice, Mia overhears Vanessa complaining to another skater about Mia being the coach's pet, and how her father is furious that Vanessa has to perform with the beginner class--or "brats" as she says--in the background. Vanessa says once Mia fails, it'll be another item on the list of reasons to get Coach Schubert fired. Mia surprises Vanessa and herself by speaking up, defending the beginners and putting Vanessa in her place (thank to her brothers, Mia is no shrinking violet but Vanessa is intimidating and Mia was eavesdropping). Mia encourages the beginning skaters, nervous about performing with Vanessa, and Coach Schubert gives Mia her own encouragement. Christmas arrives shortly before the recital, and Mia gets an MP3 player from everyone--they all chipped instead of each making their own gift for her. Her solo routine music is already loaded on it, so she can practice it on the frozen pond near the house.
The night of the recital, things start out well. Anya performs her part beautifully The beginners do okay, but then some of the fancy beading on Vanessa's custom outfit comes loose, causing several skaters, including Vanessa herself, to fall. Unable to get up, she crawls off the ice, humiliated. Graciously, Mia helps her and reminds her about Coach Schubert's famous Olympic fall: she got back up and kept competing, and can still hold her head high today. A rink worker cleans the ice and the show continues. Soon it's Mia's turn. She's able to focus for her whole routine, and does it almost perfectly, just a few wobbles here and there. Her brothers can finally see why she loves figure skating--and her coach says she'll need to work on those wobbles before Regionals, because she's competing there!
Real Girls, Real Letters
Several girls have written to American Girl asking advice. "Frustrated Figure Skater" is vexed by a teammate who's always better than her, no matter how hard she tries, and is advised to focus on improving on her own, not compared to other people. "Kicking But Not Scoring" is discouraged that her soccer coach mother doesn't say anything positive to her during games or practices, and is advised to talk with her mom, who is probably trying too hard not to play favorites. "Talented Out" gets the suggestion to find her talent by exploring what she already loves to do and seeing what can be taken further. "Softball Nerves" is advised to talk to her coach about tips for relaxing when the pressure's on so she doesn't crack under it, and "Too Nervous" gets similar advice for her flute recitals and skating competitions. Emily is worried that since she's only just starting figure skating at the age of thirteen, she's too old to really do it, but is reassured that doing something she loves is never a waster of time, whether she goes pro or not.
Misc
Dedicated to Cory and LeeLabov, "who are stars in their own right."
The St. Clairs live in upstate New York. Mia's older brothers are Perry (16), Rene who goes by Skip (14), and Rick (12).
A large theme in Mia's book is getting out from under her older brothers' shadows, particularly in sports. I actually had a bit of that with my older brother: he was a starter on the Varsity soccer team for five years (tiny school=eighth-graders can play Varsity) and got the first RBI for our school's Varsity baseball team. I ended up not so great at soccer--I got to be on the first JV team we fielded after two years of playing Varsity. But I switched to cross country later and did really well there, and competed at state in track and field, a level he never got to, and still have some school records. But what was really nice was getting to be just me rather than someone's sister. He's great, but it was nice to be my own person.
If you're hit in the head and you lose consciousness, you really should get seen by a doctor.
12/6/14
Girl of the Year 2007: Thanks to Nicki
Author: Ann Howard Creel
Illustrator: Doron Ben-Ami
Summary
School is about to start up for Nicki again. She's had a productive summer training Sprocket, and has also grown close with Kris. She feels a little guilty about this, because Becca was away all summer at her grandparents' farm in Oklahoma, and doesn't know about it. Nicki worries that Becca will feel replaced, when Nicki just wants to be good friends with both girls. With that potential conflict, Sprocket nearing the end of his training with Nicki, and the due date for the twins getting closer, it's going to be an interesting autumn.
The first day of school doesn't go so well. Becca is indeed jealous that Nicki spent so much time with Kris, and has already decided not to like her. Kris worries that she'll be shoved to the side in favor of Nicki's original friend. The three girls are all in the same class, so they'll be forced to see each other a lot every day. The teacher is a man, which is new for Nicki, and she's not sure she's okay with having a male teacher during the year students get the Growth and Development Talk, more casually known as the Puberty Talk. Plus, after school Nicki learns that Sprocket will be leaving for advanced training in just three weeks.
As September continues, Becca and Kris are still at odds with each other, competing for Nicki's favor, not believing that she can be friends with both of them. The day that Sprocket leaves for advanced training though, both girls seem to try to get along, knowing how broken up Nicki is. Their uneasy truce continues for a while, and the three even agree on Halloween plans: first they'll trick-or-treat (Becca's preference) then when it's cold and dark they'll host a part at Kris's house (her preference). They start bickering soon after that, though.
Tensions run high in Nicki's family, too. Nicki and Adam miss Sprocket deeply, and wonder at the wisdom of taking in a dog, bonding with it, and giving it away a few months later. Nicki's mom is nearly term and under doctor's orders not to do much, so more work falls to the kids. Nicki's dad is stressed too, trying to keep up on ranch work while his wife is going to have two babies any day now, and his kids are upset. Nicki gets some welcome relief on Halloween, when everything with her friends goes well--she even has a good enough time that for a few moments, the pain of missing Sprocket isn't at the forefront of her mind.
The next day after school, Nicki's mom tells her that Sprocket passed his advanced training and has been placed with a girl in Denver (the nearest city) who uses a wheelchair. Nicki's parents tell her they're proud of how hard she worked with Sprocket and the way she's helped the girl in Denver, but all Nicki can think of is how she'll never see Sprocket again. Nicki can't bear to go to school the next day. When she returns the next school day, everyone is treating her with kid gloves (Sprocket had come to school a few times; everyone knew about the service dog training). Everyone except her teacher. In fact, he has a very rigorous lesson plan that day. Partway through, Nicki realizes it's on purpose: he's keeping everyone too busy to pelt Nicki with questions, and Nicki too busy to think about missing Sprocket. She gains some respect for her teacher
And two days later, Nicki's dad wakes her in the middle of the night. They have to get to the hospital: her mom's in labor. After a few hours, Nicki and Adam learn that they have two new baby sisters, both healthy, weighing about four and a half pounds each--good for twins. The little girls just need names now, and the family says that Nicki should name them. (The parents didn't even have a list of ideas? The list they were talking about in the previous book?) Becca and Kris come to the hospital to visit after school, and pore over baby name books with Nicki. Suddenly, Nicki knows what to name her sisters: Rebecca and Kristine. Becca and Kris are stunned and honored. The three girls hug, finally all friends now.
When the babies are about a month old, Nicki asks her mom if the family can visit Sprocket. Nicki is happy to see that Sprocket remembers her, and notices bittersweetly that he also loves his owner, Laura. Laura shows Nicki how much Sprocket helps her, and gives Nicki permission to pet Sprocket. This gives Nicki the closure she needs, and as she and her mom head back home, she knows that everyone will be okay.
True Stories
Nikita is a girl in California who has something like cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy. Her golden retriever service dog Morell helps her with all sorts of tasks, from picking up dropped items to opening doors to operating light switches. He also allows her more independence than she'd had and gives her confidence. Shea is in a wheelchair and her black lab service dog, Mercer, helps her in a similar way. Celia and Abby, the sisters from the previous book, are training another dog to ease how much they miss Elan, Terese. (Elan actually didn't pass the training, but since the family was already training Terese they didn't adopt him--he is with another loving family, though.) To keep from bonding with her as much as they would with a pet, they keep in mind how much she'll be needed and loved by someone else.
Misc
Starting with Nicki, the Girls of the Year have two to three books each. Some later ones have movies, too.
Heather is also in the same class as Nicki, Becca, and Kris.
Nicki's class gets The Talk all at once, not segregated by gender like it was at my school and at the school of the girl I used to nanny.
Yes, sometimes ultrasounds are wrong about babies being boys or girls, but it's rare, especially with how many ultrasounds a twin pregnancy often has (bring on the anecdotes). The way people talk, you'd think it happens all the time. I worked at an OBGYN office for more than two years, and we never had a baby turn out boy instead of girl or vice versa in that time. Although when I was pregnant and the office gave me a baby shower, the woman who did my ultrasound looked at all the pink and asked worriedly, "How sure was I that you're having a girl? If I was wrong, I'll go exchange everything for you." She'd seen very clearly (two dark lines indicate a girl, not just the absence of a penis) and she was right. Of course, it's still up to the expectant parent(s) to decide when to find out the gender--during the ultrasound or at birth.
For Halloween, Nicki is an Irish line dancer, Becca is a hobbit, and Kris is "some kind of princess from outer space."
In the book, Halloween, November 1, and November 2 are Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, accurate for 2007. I was hoping the twins would be born that Friday, which is my birthday.
Nicki's brother Adam gets himself a pet hamster after Sprocket leaves.
No, you don't have to have names picked for your baby before you leave the hospital. The hospital will discharge you and the baby regardless (no matter what lies my brother and sister-in-law were told--they had two name ideas and it took them another couple days to decide). If you don't have a name picked by the time the baby's two weeks old the birth certificate will be issued with no name and then there are hoops to jump through to get it updated, but there is no law forbidding a parent from taking home a baby before naming. Any hospital employee telling you you're required to pick a name before leaving is lying or misinformed.
Nicki says her parents take turns with the nighttime diapering and feedings, and her mom also leaves the month-old twins home with Dad while visiting Sprocket in Denver. I wonder if that means the twins are being supplemented with formula or having only formula, or if she's pumping milk and freezing it for later use. A breast-feeding mom will have a better milk supply if the baby is fed breastmilk exclusively, but not everyone has an adequate supply. With my daughters, my husband would go get the baby and change her, then bring her to me in bed so she could nurse (my older daughter would have some formula after, before my milk supply came in fully). He'd fall back asleep, and I'd put the baby back to sleep after she finished nursing.
The very end of the book has information about service dog training programs and basic commands service dogs need to know. Seventy percent of dogs don't pass the advanced training!
Illustrator: Doron Ben-Ami
Summary
School is about to start up for Nicki again. She's had a productive summer training Sprocket, and has also grown close with Kris. She feels a little guilty about this, because Becca was away all summer at her grandparents' farm in Oklahoma, and doesn't know about it. Nicki worries that Becca will feel replaced, when Nicki just wants to be good friends with both girls. With that potential conflict, Sprocket nearing the end of his training with Nicki, and the due date for the twins getting closer, it's going to be an interesting autumn.
The first day of school doesn't go so well. Becca is indeed jealous that Nicki spent so much time with Kris, and has already decided not to like her. Kris worries that she'll be shoved to the side in favor of Nicki's original friend. The three girls are all in the same class, so they'll be forced to see each other a lot every day. The teacher is a man, which is new for Nicki, and she's not sure she's okay with having a male teacher during the year students get the Growth and Development Talk, more casually known as the Puberty Talk. Plus, after school Nicki learns that Sprocket will be leaving for advanced training in just three weeks.
As September continues, Becca and Kris are still at odds with each other, competing for Nicki's favor, not believing that she can be friends with both of them. The day that Sprocket leaves for advanced training though, both girls seem to try to get along, knowing how broken up Nicki is. Their uneasy truce continues for a while, and the three even agree on Halloween plans: first they'll trick-or-treat (Becca's preference) then when it's cold and dark they'll host a part at Kris's house (her preference). They start bickering soon after that, though.
Tensions run high in Nicki's family, too. Nicki and Adam miss Sprocket deeply, and wonder at the wisdom of taking in a dog, bonding with it, and giving it away a few months later. Nicki's mom is nearly term and under doctor's orders not to do much, so more work falls to the kids. Nicki's dad is stressed too, trying to keep up on ranch work while his wife is going to have two babies any day now, and his kids are upset. Nicki gets some welcome relief on Halloween, when everything with her friends goes well--she even has a good enough time that for a few moments, the pain of missing Sprocket isn't at the forefront of her mind.
The next day after school, Nicki's mom tells her that Sprocket passed his advanced training and has been placed with a girl in Denver (the nearest city) who uses a wheelchair. Nicki's parents tell her they're proud of how hard she worked with Sprocket and the way she's helped the girl in Denver, but all Nicki can think of is how she'll never see Sprocket again. Nicki can't bear to go to school the next day. When she returns the next school day, everyone is treating her with kid gloves (Sprocket had come to school a few times; everyone knew about the service dog training). Everyone except her teacher. In fact, he has a very rigorous lesson plan that day. Partway through, Nicki realizes it's on purpose: he's keeping everyone too busy to pelt Nicki with questions, and Nicki too busy to think about missing Sprocket. She gains some respect for her teacher
And two days later, Nicki's dad wakes her in the middle of the night. They have to get to the hospital: her mom's in labor. After a few hours, Nicki and Adam learn that they have two new baby sisters, both healthy, weighing about four and a half pounds each--good for twins. The little girls just need names now, and the family says that Nicki should name them. (The parents didn't even have a list of ideas? The list they were talking about in the previous book?) Becca and Kris come to the hospital to visit after school, and pore over baby name books with Nicki. Suddenly, Nicki knows what to name her sisters: Rebecca and Kristine. Becca and Kris are stunned and honored. The three girls hug, finally all friends now.
When the babies are about a month old, Nicki asks her mom if the family can visit Sprocket. Nicki is happy to see that Sprocket remembers her, and notices bittersweetly that he also loves his owner, Laura. Laura shows Nicki how much Sprocket helps her, and gives Nicki permission to pet Sprocket. This gives Nicki the closure she needs, and as she and her mom head back home, she knows that everyone will be okay.
True Stories
Nikita is a girl in California who has something like cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy. Her golden retriever service dog Morell helps her with all sorts of tasks, from picking up dropped items to opening doors to operating light switches. He also allows her more independence than she'd had and gives her confidence. Shea is in a wheelchair and her black lab service dog, Mercer, helps her in a similar way. Celia and Abby, the sisters from the previous book, are training another dog to ease how much they miss Elan, Terese. (Elan actually didn't pass the training, but since the family was already training Terese they didn't adopt him--he is with another loving family, though.) To keep from bonding with her as much as they would with a pet, they keep in mind how much she'll be needed and loved by someone else.
Misc
Starting with Nicki, the Girls of the Year have two to three books each. Some later ones have movies, too.
Heather is also in the same class as Nicki, Becca, and Kris.
Nicki's class gets The Talk all at once, not segregated by gender like it was at my school and at the school of the girl I used to nanny.
Yes, sometimes ultrasounds are wrong about babies being boys or girls, but it's rare, especially with how many ultrasounds a twin pregnancy often has (bring on the anecdotes). The way people talk, you'd think it happens all the time. I worked at an OBGYN office for more than two years, and we never had a baby turn out boy instead of girl or vice versa in that time. Although when I was pregnant and the office gave me a baby shower, the woman who did my ultrasound looked at all the pink and asked worriedly, "How sure was I that you're having a girl? If I was wrong, I'll go exchange everything for you." She'd seen very clearly (two dark lines indicate a girl, not just the absence of a penis) and she was right. Of course, it's still up to the expectant parent(s) to decide when to find out the gender--during the ultrasound or at birth.
For Halloween, Nicki is an Irish line dancer, Becca is a hobbit, and Kris is "some kind of princess from outer space."
In the book, Halloween, November 1, and November 2 are Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, accurate for 2007. I was hoping the twins would be born that Friday, which is my birthday.
Nicki's brother Adam gets himself a pet hamster after Sprocket leaves.
No, you don't have to have names picked for your baby before you leave the hospital. The hospital will discharge you and the baby regardless (no matter what lies my brother and sister-in-law were told--they had two name ideas and it took them another couple days to decide). If you don't have a name picked by the time the baby's two weeks old the birth certificate will be issued with no name and then there are hoops to jump through to get it updated, but there is no law forbidding a parent from taking home a baby before naming. Any hospital employee telling you you're required to pick a name before leaving is lying or misinformed.
Nicki says her parents take turns with the nighttime diapering and feedings, and her mom also leaves the month-old twins home with Dad while visiting Sprocket in Denver. I wonder if that means the twins are being supplemented with formula or having only formula, or if she's pumping milk and freezing it for later use. A breast-feeding mom will have a better milk supply if the baby is fed breastmilk exclusively, but not everyone has an adequate supply. With my daughters, my husband would go get the baby and change her, then bring her to me in bed so she could nurse (my older daughter would have some formula after, before my milk supply came in fully). He'd fall back asleep, and I'd put the baby back to sleep after she finished nursing.
The very end of the book has information about service dog training programs and basic commands service dogs need to know. Seventy percent of dogs don't pass the advanced training!
12/5/14
Girl of the Year 2007: Nicki
Author: Ann Howard Creel
Illustrator: Doron Ben-Ami
Summary
Ten-year-old Nicki likes to help people, but has trouble saying no. With a younger brother who's learning new math concepts, her mother expecting twins, and her family living on a ranch in Colorado (so, lots of chores), that means it's very easy for Nicki to spread herself too thin. When her mom asks for help training the service dog she committed to before finding out she was having twins, Nicki tries to get those two letters out, but in the end agrees. At school later that day, she also can't say no to her teacher when asked to help plan the end-of-the-year gala.
Even though Nicki knows she's taking on a lot, she thinks her new responsibilities will be rewarding. But the gala planning quickly goes downhill: two new and very popular girls, Kris and Heather, are also on the planning committee, and want extravagant things like a snake charmer. When Nicki points out the logistical issues (like, no funding from the school for performers), they act hurt and wonder what Nicki has against them. They quickly take over the planning, leaving Nicki worried that the gala will be a huge mess.
But that weekend Nicki gets to spend Saturday skiing with her best friend, Becca, and on Sunday the dog arrives. Sprocket is a Bernese mountain dog mix (Astrid of Grenville, what have you been doing?) about eight months old, adopted from a shelter. He's very intelligent and shows a lot of potential to be a service dog. The dog is very cute, but he's going to need a LOT of training. The training slowly starts working, but Nicki misses out on skiing and shopping trips with Becca. Nicki's glad she's doing the training with her mom's help.
Of course, then her mom's blood pressure starts going up, and her obstetrician orders bed rest. Now Nicki's going to be training Sprocket on her own. But Sprocket surprises Nicki during his first outing, at the library. He behaves very well for the most part. And he helps bridge the gap between Nicki and Kris and Heather, who Nicki had met there to work on planning the gala. Nicki's growing very fond of Sprocket--which concerns her because she knows that in about seven months she'll have to give him up.
But for now, Sprocket's training is going so well that Nicki's parents declare both she and the dog can take a day off. Nicki gets to go skiing one last time with Becca, before the snow melts too much. Soon after, the gala planning committee even agrees on a theme, and better yet, it's Nicki's idea: a mountain meadow at night. Kris is especially enthusiastic about it, but Heather still seems reticent to like anything Nicki says. And Sprocket continues to progress in his training.
And, naturally, things go back downhill again. Becca is upset with Nicki for taking on too much and not having time for her. Nicki forgets a planning meeting, giving Heather ammunition for snide comments. But it's not all bad: Nicki's mom is off bedrest, Nicki gets to go horseback riding with her dad, and Kris calls Nicki, not for any planning, but just to invite her over as a friend. Nicki is too busy to go, but she appreciates the offer of friendship.
The next time Nicki sees Kris is at a planning session at Heather's house. Nicki is happy find herself getting along with both girls, and they get the details for the gala hammered out. Heather says they're going to celebrate having the gala all planned, and invites some other popular girls over. The other girls, aside from Kris, don't understand that they can't treat Sprocket like a pet (Nicki had permission to bring him). Nicki struggles to find the words to stand up for herself and for Sprocket, but Heather keeps insisting that letting him be a puppy for one night won't hurt him. She pressures Nicki to stay instead of calling her dad for a ride home, saying they (that is, the popular group) thought Nicki could be cool. Part of Nicki wants to avoid confrontation and accept this invitation into the cool group, but she can't let Sprocket down, or the person he'll be a service dog for. Finally, she says, "No." Heather quickly cools to her, and soon Nicki's dad picks her up.
At home, Nicki's mom and brother ask for help with the dishes and schoolwork, respectively. Now that she's said no once, and really needs just a moment to herself, Nicki finds it easier to say no again. Her dad understands, and tells the rest of the family to give her some space. Nicki calls Becca, who turns out to have been worried that Nicki was abandoning her for cooler friends. The two agree that other people can be fun to hang out with (Becca's been spending time with a girl named Emily) but nothing beats the good times the two of them have together. The next day at school, the teacher in charge of the gala congratulates Nicki, Kris, and Heather on coming up with a great plan. Heather barely even looks at Nicki, but Kris apologizes for not standing up for Nicki. She says the invitation to come for dinner sometime is still open, and promises it won't turn into a party and that she and her family will respect Sprocket's training.
The night of the gala comes, and Nicki brings Sprocket, so he can practice being around large crowds. He performs admirably, and Nicki is sure that soon he'll be a real service dog.
True Stories
Celia and Abby are training a service dog named Elan, through an organization called Canine Companions for Independence. They'll work with Elan for eighteen months before handing him off to the next step.
Misc
Dedicated to "Jessica and Kelly and all dog lovers everywhere."
There are pigs and horses on the ranch. Nicki's family raises the pigs to sell.
The twins are known to be identical very early in the pregnancy, so it sounds like they might share a placenta or an amniotic sac.
Even though the book is narrated in the first person, a caption under a picture reads, "'Me?' Nicki asked..."
I like that Nicki's mom explains a little bit about different kinds of service dogs. I've met three people with service dogs, and none of them were blind. One was deaf, one had cerebral palsy, and one had a condition that made it difficult for her do certain types of physical labor like switching the laundry (yes, her dog knew how!)...rheumatoid arthritis or chronic fatigue syndrome? I can't remember.
The very end of the book has some guidelines for interacting with people who use service dogs. Included are the important ones, like don't assume you can play with the dog and remember that it's working, not acting as a pet, and don't intrude on the person's privacy by asking what sort of disability the dog helps with.
Illustrator: Doron Ben-Ami
Summary
Ten-year-old Nicki likes to help people, but has trouble saying no. With a younger brother who's learning new math concepts, her mother expecting twins, and her family living on a ranch in Colorado (so, lots of chores), that means it's very easy for Nicki to spread herself too thin. When her mom asks for help training the service dog she committed to before finding out she was having twins, Nicki tries to get those two letters out, but in the end agrees. At school later that day, she also can't say no to her teacher when asked to help plan the end-of-the-year gala.
Even though Nicki knows she's taking on a lot, she thinks her new responsibilities will be rewarding. But the gala planning quickly goes downhill: two new and very popular girls, Kris and Heather, are also on the planning committee, and want extravagant things like a snake charmer. When Nicki points out the logistical issues (like, no funding from the school for performers), they act hurt and wonder what Nicki has against them. They quickly take over the planning, leaving Nicki worried that the gala will be a huge mess.
But that weekend Nicki gets to spend Saturday skiing with her best friend, Becca, and on Sunday the dog arrives. Sprocket is a Bernese mountain dog mix (Astrid of Grenville, what have you been doing?) about eight months old, adopted from a shelter. He's very intelligent and shows a lot of potential to be a service dog. The dog is very cute, but he's going to need a LOT of training. The training slowly starts working, but Nicki misses out on skiing and shopping trips with Becca. Nicki's glad she's doing the training with her mom's help.
Of course, then her mom's blood pressure starts going up, and her obstetrician orders bed rest. Now Nicki's going to be training Sprocket on her own. But Sprocket surprises Nicki during his first outing, at the library. He behaves very well for the most part. And he helps bridge the gap between Nicki and Kris and Heather, who Nicki had met there to work on planning the gala. Nicki's growing very fond of Sprocket--which concerns her because she knows that in about seven months she'll have to give him up.
But for now, Sprocket's training is going so well that Nicki's parents declare both she and the dog can take a day off. Nicki gets to go skiing one last time with Becca, before the snow melts too much. Soon after, the gala planning committee even agrees on a theme, and better yet, it's Nicki's idea: a mountain meadow at night. Kris is especially enthusiastic about it, but Heather still seems reticent to like anything Nicki says. And Sprocket continues to progress in his training.
And, naturally, things go back downhill again. Becca is upset with Nicki for taking on too much and not having time for her. Nicki forgets a planning meeting, giving Heather ammunition for snide comments. But it's not all bad: Nicki's mom is off bedrest, Nicki gets to go horseback riding with her dad, and Kris calls Nicki, not for any planning, but just to invite her over as a friend. Nicki is too busy to go, but she appreciates the offer of friendship.
The next time Nicki sees Kris is at a planning session at Heather's house. Nicki is happy find herself getting along with both girls, and they get the details for the gala hammered out. Heather says they're going to celebrate having the gala all planned, and invites some other popular girls over. The other girls, aside from Kris, don't understand that they can't treat Sprocket like a pet (Nicki had permission to bring him). Nicki struggles to find the words to stand up for herself and for Sprocket, but Heather keeps insisting that letting him be a puppy for one night won't hurt him. She pressures Nicki to stay instead of calling her dad for a ride home, saying they (that is, the popular group) thought Nicki could be cool. Part of Nicki wants to avoid confrontation and accept this invitation into the cool group, but she can't let Sprocket down, or the person he'll be a service dog for. Finally, she says, "No." Heather quickly cools to her, and soon Nicki's dad picks her up.
At home, Nicki's mom and brother ask for help with the dishes and schoolwork, respectively. Now that she's said no once, and really needs just a moment to herself, Nicki finds it easier to say no again. Her dad understands, and tells the rest of the family to give her some space. Nicki calls Becca, who turns out to have been worried that Nicki was abandoning her for cooler friends. The two agree that other people can be fun to hang out with (Becca's been spending time with a girl named Emily) but nothing beats the good times the two of them have together. The next day at school, the teacher in charge of the gala congratulates Nicki, Kris, and Heather on coming up with a great plan. Heather barely even looks at Nicki, but Kris apologizes for not standing up for Nicki. She says the invitation to come for dinner sometime is still open, and promises it won't turn into a party and that she and her family will respect Sprocket's training.
The night of the gala comes, and Nicki brings Sprocket, so he can practice being around large crowds. He performs admirably, and Nicki is sure that soon he'll be a real service dog.
True Stories
Celia and Abby are training a service dog named Elan, through an organization called Canine Companions for Independence. They'll work with Elan for eighteen months before handing him off to the next step.
Misc
Dedicated to "Jessica and Kelly and all dog lovers everywhere."
There are pigs and horses on the ranch. Nicki's family raises the pigs to sell.
The twins are known to be identical very early in the pregnancy, so it sounds like they might share a placenta or an amniotic sac.
Even though the book is narrated in the first person, a caption under a picture reads, "'Me?' Nicki asked..."
I like that Nicki's mom explains a little bit about different kinds of service dogs. I've met three people with service dogs, and none of them were blind. One was deaf, one had cerebral palsy, and one had a condition that made it difficult for her do certain types of physical labor like switching the laundry (yes, her dog knew how!)...rheumatoid arthritis or chronic fatigue syndrome? I can't remember.
The very end of the book has some guidelines for interacting with people who use service dogs. Included are the important ones, like don't assume you can play with the dog and remember that it's working, not acting as a pet, and don't intrude on the person's privacy by asking what sort of disability the dog helps with.
12/4/14
Girl of the Year 2006: Jess
Author: Gary Soto
Illustrator: Richard Jones
Summary
As 2006 starts, Jess McConnell finds herself at the beginning of a huge adventure: she's going with her archaologist parents on a five-month dig in Belize. She's excited for the variety of firsts she'll experience, from her first time out the country to her first time being homeschooled to her first time without her older brother and sister to boss her around (she'll miss them, but being the youngest child, not their bossiness). Her grandmother will watch the sixteen- and seventeen-year-old Heather and Jason back home in Michigan, while ten-year-old Jess gets her chance to be more on her own.
In Belize, Jess has quite a bit of culture shock, as one would expect, but adjusts quickly. She thinks often of her friends and family back home, and misses them, but also loves all the new things she's experiencing. Her homeschooling is going well, she gets along with the people at the dig site, and she's even made friends with a tame spider monkey. Still, after a while it gets hard for Jess to see her parents spending so much time with the artifacts belonging to a long-gone civilization than with their daughter who's right there with them. So Jess is thrilled to meet Sarita, another ten-year-old who lives nearby. The girls bond over soccer, then their knowledge of the ancient Mayans, then their love of nature, and quickly become close friends. During a heavy rainstorm, the girls find a young parrot fledgling that's been knocked out of its nest. Under the direction of one of the workers at the dig site, they care for the bird until it can be taken to a zoo in Belize.
Sarita invites Jess to spend a few nights with her family. Jess gets to learn a lot with her friend, seeing how Sarita's family keeps up the traditional Mayan lifestyle (they also have some modern conveniences like cell phones) and exploring a cave system. As they explore the jungle around Sarita's house, the two girls happen upon the entrance to cave Sarita's family has never noticed before. It's full of Mayan artifacts! Before Jess can tell her parents about it, some looters (who heard about it from another couple who saw the cave) make off with some smaller pieces. But enough remains to make a huge find. Another first for Jess: her first archeological discovery!
True Stories
Elyse is a ten-year-old whose parents are archeologists, like Jess. Her parents are also excavating a site in Belize, and have been for years. Elysa and her older brother and sister spend two months every year in Belize with their parents, helping on the dig site (the rest of the year the family lives in Florida). Like Jess, Elyse gets to experience many things most kids her age wouldn't, and gets to help on the digs.
Misc
Dedicated to "Idalia, Patricia,Sandra, and Gina, the best darn teachers of Hebbronville, Texas."
Jess is Japanese on her mother's side and Scottish on her father's side.
Jess plays soccer, most likely forward from how she talks about it.
During the trip, Jess keeps a running list of the "firsts" that she experiences. One of the less fun firsts is getting bit by fire ants. My baby niece got attacked by fire ants several weeks ago; just nine months old. They were at a playground (in Texas). She's okay now, but was less than pleased initially.
I hope Jess and her parents wrote a nice thank you note to Jess's teacher for the lesson plan she put together to last Jess the rest of the school year. Jess emails assignments to her teacher, too. That's a lot of work. Sounds like a good teacher.
No deaths have been attributed to tarantula bites, but anecdotes suggest that some people can be allergic to their bites like some people are allergic to otherwise-non-deadly bee stings. In addition, the bites can leave people vulnerable to infection, and tarantula bristles can make people break out in itchy rashes and hives.
Illustrator: Richard Jones
Summary
As 2006 starts, Jess McConnell finds herself at the beginning of a huge adventure: she's going with her archaologist parents on a five-month dig in Belize. She's excited for the variety of firsts she'll experience, from her first time out the country to her first time being homeschooled to her first time without her older brother and sister to boss her around (she'll miss them, but being the youngest child, not their bossiness). Her grandmother will watch the sixteen- and seventeen-year-old Heather and Jason back home in Michigan, while ten-year-old Jess gets her chance to be more on her own.
In Belize, Jess has quite a bit of culture shock, as one would expect, but adjusts quickly. She thinks often of her friends and family back home, and misses them, but also loves all the new things she's experiencing. Her homeschooling is going well, she gets along with the people at the dig site, and she's even made friends with a tame spider monkey. Still, after a while it gets hard for Jess to see her parents spending so much time with the artifacts belonging to a long-gone civilization than with their daughter who's right there with them. So Jess is thrilled to meet Sarita, another ten-year-old who lives nearby. The girls bond over soccer, then their knowledge of the ancient Mayans, then their love of nature, and quickly become close friends. During a heavy rainstorm, the girls find a young parrot fledgling that's been knocked out of its nest. Under the direction of one of the workers at the dig site, they care for the bird until it can be taken to a zoo in Belize.
Sarita invites Jess to spend a few nights with her family. Jess gets to learn a lot with her friend, seeing how Sarita's family keeps up the traditional Mayan lifestyle (they also have some modern conveniences like cell phones) and exploring a cave system. As they explore the jungle around Sarita's house, the two girls happen upon the entrance to cave Sarita's family has never noticed before. It's full of Mayan artifacts! Before Jess can tell her parents about it, some looters (who heard about it from another couple who saw the cave) make off with some smaller pieces. But enough remains to make a huge find. Another first for Jess: her first archeological discovery!
True Stories
Elyse is a ten-year-old whose parents are archeologists, like Jess. Her parents are also excavating a site in Belize, and have been for years. Elysa and her older brother and sister spend two months every year in Belize with their parents, helping on the dig site (the rest of the year the family lives in Florida). Like Jess, Elyse gets to experience many things most kids her age wouldn't, and gets to help on the digs.
Misc
Dedicated to "Idalia, Patricia,Sandra, and Gina, the best darn teachers of Hebbronville, Texas."
Jess is Japanese on her mother's side and Scottish on her father's side.
Jess plays soccer, most likely forward from how she talks about it.
During the trip, Jess keeps a running list of the "firsts" that she experiences. One of the less fun firsts is getting bit by fire ants. My baby niece got attacked by fire ants several weeks ago; just nine months old. They were at a playground (in Texas). She's okay now, but was less than pleased initially.
I hope Jess and her parents wrote a nice thank you note to Jess's teacher for the lesson plan she put together to last Jess the rest of the school year. Jess emails assignments to her teacher, too. That's a lot of work. Sounds like a good teacher.
No deaths have been attributed to tarantula bites, but anecdotes suggest that some people can be allergic to their bites like some people are allergic to otherwise-non-deadly bee stings. In addition, the bites can leave people vulnerable to infection, and tarantula bristles can make people break out in itchy rashes and hives.
12/3/14
Girl of the Year 2005: Marisol
Author: Gary Soto
Illustrator: Richard Jones
Summary
(part of my post got eaten after I'd returned the book to the library and moved...this is what I remember)
Marisol Luna loves dancing and loves the people around her, so when she finds out that her family is moving out of their crowded Chicago neighborhood to a suburb with no dance studio, she's devastated. The move is in just a few days, right after her last folklórico performance. On a weekend trip to see the new house, Marisol learns from her soon-to-be next-door neighbor that there used to be a place for dancers to practice, but the teacher moved away and no one's replaced her. So when Marisol learns that the daughter of her upstairs neighbor in Chicago is a dance teacher, she starts scheming. The neighbor is getting married soon, and his daughter will just feel like a third wheel. And one of Marisol's teachers happens to live in the suburb, and is also into dance...it's not long before Marisol has convinced the two teachers to share a place and the daughter to restart the dance studio. She's not going to be able to do it right away, but it'll happen.
All too soon, moving day comes. Marisol can't find her cat and they have to leave without him (they'll come back in a day or two). The first morning at their new house, everyone's feeling nostalgic for breakfast food from the deli in their old neighborhood. Marisol goes back with her mom, and they say hi to the familiar faces--and find the cat! As they leave, Marisol thinks about the excitement she's leaving behind, and the excitement she'll find in her new home.
True Stories
Annie has been taking modern dance lessons since she was five, and is about to start ballet. Laura and Anna are sisters who started ballet together six years ago, and have enjoyed dancing together in different performances, including The Nutcracker. Alinee moved to Wisconsin from Mexico City, and has continue dancing traditional folklórico.
Misc
Dedicated to "Idalia, Patricia,Sandra, and Gina, the best darn teachers of Hebbronville, Texas."
Because Kailey was available for about a year and a half, there was no girl of the year for 2004.
Marisol's performance goes from Thursday to Wednesday and back to Thursday. In 2005, October 22 was a Saturday.
Anyone else think Marisol's parents could have given her a little more time to adjust to the idea of a move? And why didn't they keep the cat inside the last time they fed it before moving?
Illustrator: Richard Jones
Summary
(part of my post got eaten after I'd returned the book to the library and moved...this is what I remember)
Marisol Luna loves dancing and loves the people around her, so when she finds out that her family is moving out of their crowded Chicago neighborhood to a suburb with no dance studio, she's devastated. The move is in just a few days, right after her last folklórico performance. On a weekend trip to see the new house, Marisol learns from her soon-to-be next-door neighbor that there used to be a place for dancers to practice, but the teacher moved away and no one's replaced her. So when Marisol learns that the daughter of her upstairs neighbor in Chicago is a dance teacher, she starts scheming. The neighbor is getting married soon, and his daughter will just feel like a third wheel. And one of Marisol's teachers happens to live in the suburb, and is also into dance...it's not long before Marisol has convinced the two teachers to share a place and the daughter to restart the dance studio. She's not going to be able to do it right away, but it'll happen.
All too soon, moving day comes. Marisol can't find her cat and they have to leave without him (they'll come back in a day or two). The first morning at their new house, everyone's feeling nostalgic for breakfast food from the deli in their old neighborhood. Marisol goes back with her mom, and they say hi to the familiar faces--and find the cat! As they leave, Marisol thinks about the excitement she's leaving behind, and the excitement she'll find in her new home.
True Stories
Annie has been taking modern dance lessons since she was five, and is about to start ballet. Laura and Anna are sisters who started ballet together six years ago, and have enjoyed dancing together in different performances, including The Nutcracker. Alinee moved to Wisconsin from Mexico City, and has continue dancing traditional folklórico.
Misc
Dedicated to "Idalia, Patricia,Sandra, and Gina, the best darn teachers of Hebbronville, Texas."
Because Kailey was available for about a year and a half, there was no girl of the year for 2004.
Marisol's performance goes from Thursday to Wednesday and back to Thursday. In 2005, October 22 was a Saturday.
Anyone else think Marisol's parents could have given her a little more time to adjust to the idea of a move? And why didn't they keep the cat inside the last time they fed it before moving?
12/2/14
Girl of the Year 2003: Kailey
Author: Amy Goldstman Koss
Illustrators: Philip Howe
Summary
Kailey and her best friend Tess are excited to see a sign advertising a new beach resort/mall at the favorite surf spot. They'll be able to stay at the beach all day with food vendors and other amenities around. But Kailey's dad is upset by the sign. A couple days later, Kailey finds out why: the resort construction will require the shoreline to be drastically altered, destroying the habitats of all the animals that live there, including Kailey's favorites, the ones in the tide pools. Tess isn't so sure that's bad. She just broke her leg slipping on the rocks and never cared much about the tide pools anyway, and surely the animals can find new homes--plus the new place will have a movie theater and shopping. But Kailey still wants to preserve the beach, even after the new place offers to commission 88 paintings and two murals from her dad. The animals in the tide pool are worth it.
Kailey comes up with the idea to have an art show where locals can display what they love most about the beach. Her parents are on board right away, but Tess still thinks the beach isn't worth saving--she's really down because of having her summer ruined. Kailey continues planning without her best friend, encouraged by her parents' telling her a lot of people in town don't support the new resort. It's tough going to get people to sketch, but Kailey does find out that the son-in-law of a waitress her family knows is the main person behind the resort, and that he loves artwork--he's also the person who wants to commission her father. When she gets enough artwork, he's the one to show it to. With her dad's help, Kailey is able to start really getting drawings, by offering things like the stickers that polling places when people vote. Kailey suggests to Tess that she could man a booth at the beach, where people would draw. Having something to look forward to is just was Tess needs to lift her spirits and she even adds her own idea after her sister misunderstands what Kailey is doing: people can make drawings (sketches) to enter a drawing (raffle) to win a prize package consisting of things like a painting from Kailey's dad and a tour of the tide pools and a surfing lesson and lemon squares from Tess's mom.
Soon the drawings are pouring in, from the booth and from local business who have supplies out for customers to draw with, while they do things like wait for their oil to get changed or for their hair appointments. However, a man comes to their booth to deliver some bad news: he says it's all for naught because he has it on good authority that the marina is a done deal. The marina. It's not just a large hotel with retail shops, the entire area will be changed. No more swimming or surfing or snorkeling or even wading; lots of noise and pollution. When Kailey realizes the huge things she's up against, she's ready to throw in the towel. But Tess, of all people, says they can't give up. They've already collected so many drawings, and they have to at least show them to someone.
So Kailey and Tess accompany Kailey's dad to his art meeting with Mr. Drake, the man behind it all. They bring the artwork they've collected to show him. Upon meeting Mr. Drake, they're surprised to find that he's an amiable man who obviously cares about his family. Although he doesn't seem open to the idea at first, he later comes down to the restaurant where his mother-in-law works. There he explains to Kailey that he wants a beautiful place for his young children, and thought a pristine, OSHA-approved marina would provide that. Now he sees that there already is natural beauty in the tide pools, and agrees to work with the construction crews to still make the resort, but set back from the beach so that the shoreline will be preserved--and he'll scrap plans for the marina. He even offers a free night's stay as the raffle prize, and a free weekend to Kailey's family and Tess's.
Real Girls, Real Stories
Talia Hancock, who lives in Southern California, won a Young Naturalist Award from the American Museum of Natural History for her work helping protect tide pools at Doheny Beach.
Misc
Because Lindsey Bergman was available for about a year and a half, there was no Girl of the Year for 2002.
There's a fan theory which posits that Kailey is Julie Albright's daughter, Julie having taken her husband's name upon marriage. The fans say that a marine microbiologist (Kailey's dad is an artist) who's passionate about the environment and lives in California sounds like someone Julie might have grown up to be. Her first name isn't given in the book, but the drawing of her shows brown hair instead of blonde...although I had blonde hair when I was younger and it naturally darkened to brown, and people do dye their hair.
Kailey's dad is fond of saying "quote [something he's heard or read] unquote."
Tess, if crutches are hurting your armpits, you're using them wrong. They're supposed to be a couple inches below your armpits.
While I appreciate that this book is intended to show the importance of caring for the environment and how even kids can stand up for causes and make a difference, I have a hard time believing that huge resort/marina would be allowed to be built in California in 2003 without a lot more publicity about the environmental impact.
Illustrators: Philip Howe
Summary
Kailey and her best friend Tess are excited to see a sign advertising a new beach resort/mall at the favorite surf spot. They'll be able to stay at the beach all day with food vendors and other amenities around. But Kailey's dad is upset by the sign. A couple days later, Kailey finds out why: the resort construction will require the shoreline to be drastically altered, destroying the habitats of all the animals that live there, including Kailey's favorites, the ones in the tide pools. Tess isn't so sure that's bad. She just broke her leg slipping on the rocks and never cared much about the tide pools anyway, and surely the animals can find new homes--plus the new place will have a movie theater and shopping. But Kailey still wants to preserve the beach, even after the new place offers to commission 88 paintings and two murals from her dad. The animals in the tide pool are worth it.
Kailey comes up with the idea to have an art show where locals can display what they love most about the beach. Her parents are on board right away, but Tess still thinks the beach isn't worth saving--she's really down because of having her summer ruined. Kailey continues planning without her best friend, encouraged by her parents' telling her a lot of people in town don't support the new resort. It's tough going to get people to sketch, but Kailey does find out that the son-in-law of a waitress her family knows is the main person behind the resort, and that he loves artwork--he's also the person who wants to commission her father. When she gets enough artwork, he's the one to show it to. With her dad's help, Kailey is able to start really getting drawings, by offering things like the stickers that polling places when people vote. Kailey suggests to Tess that she could man a booth at the beach, where people would draw. Having something to look forward to is just was Tess needs to lift her spirits and she even adds her own idea after her sister misunderstands what Kailey is doing: people can make drawings (sketches) to enter a drawing (raffle) to win a prize package consisting of things like a painting from Kailey's dad and a tour of the tide pools and a surfing lesson and lemon squares from Tess's mom.
Soon the drawings are pouring in, from the booth and from local business who have supplies out for customers to draw with, while they do things like wait for their oil to get changed or for their hair appointments. However, a man comes to their booth to deliver some bad news: he says it's all for naught because he has it on good authority that the marina is a done deal. The marina. It's not just a large hotel with retail shops, the entire area will be changed. No more swimming or surfing or snorkeling or even wading; lots of noise and pollution. When Kailey realizes the huge things she's up against, she's ready to throw in the towel. But Tess, of all people, says they can't give up. They've already collected so many drawings, and they have to at least show them to someone.
So Kailey and Tess accompany Kailey's dad to his art meeting with Mr. Drake, the man behind it all. They bring the artwork they've collected to show him. Upon meeting Mr. Drake, they're surprised to find that he's an amiable man who obviously cares about his family. Although he doesn't seem open to the idea at first, he later comes down to the restaurant where his mother-in-law works. There he explains to Kailey that he wants a beautiful place for his young children, and thought a pristine, OSHA-approved marina would provide that. Now he sees that there already is natural beauty in the tide pools, and agrees to work with the construction crews to still make the resort, but set back from the beach so that the shoreline will be preserved--and he'll scrap plans for the marina. He even offers a free night's stay as the raffle prize, and a free weekend to Kailey's family and Tess's.
Real Girls, Real Stories
Talia Hancock, who lives in Southern California, won a Young Naturalist Award from the American Museum of Natural History for her work helping protect tide pools at Doheny Beach.
Misc
Because Lindsey Bergman was available for about a year and a half, there was no Girl of the Year for 2002.
There's a fan theory which posits that Kailey is Julie Albright's daughter, Julie having taken her husband's name upon marriage. The fans say that a marine microbiologist (Kailey's dad is an artist) who's passionate about the environment and lives in California sounds like someone Julie might have grown up to be. Her first name isn't given in the book, but the drawing of her shows brown hair instead of blonde...although I had blonde hair when I was younger and it naturally darkened to brown, and people do dye their hair.
Kailey's dad is fond of saying "quote [something he's heard or read] unquote."
Tess, if crutches are hurting your armpits, you're using them wrong. They're supposed to be a couple inches below your armpits.
While I appreciate that this book is intended to show the importance of caring for the environment and how even kids can stand up for causes and make a difference, I have a hard time believing that huge resort/marina would be allowed to be built in California in 2003 without a lot more publicity about the environmental impact.
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