Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Traveling at speeds upwards of 80 mph, across one and a quarter states over 400 miles in a day, I was on a mission and the Director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York was coming with me! Tyson, Neil deGrasse. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. Ashland, OR: Blackstone Audio, 2017. MP3. Genre: nonfiction… Continue reading Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Bad Girls in the New Age of Wonder Woman

The little girl was mean. She enjoyed being mean. She cussed. She picked fights. She bossed adults around. She was everything a girl is not supposed to be. Girls are supposed to be sugar and spice and everything nice, but this child? Zero grams sugar. Absolutely nothing nice. Spice factor? 100% cayenne pepper. I’m talking… Continue reading Bad Girls in the New Age of Wonder Woman

Two First Amendment Books by Yours Truly

At a time when our national attention sits securely, sometimes obsessively, on the goingson of Washington, D.C. and our national leaders — be they elected, electoral, or judicial — young viewers and readers deserve thoughtful texts exploring the roots of our rights. For parents, teachers, and librarians seeking such books for the voracious omnivorous reader,… Continue reading Two First Amendment Books by Yours Truly

Wild by Cheryl Strayed (with a look at structure)

Strayed, Cheryl. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. New York: Vintage Books, 2013. Print. Genre: memoir (specifically, one of those young-woman-in-crisis-goes-a’-traveling memoirs) Summary: This book is Eat, Pray, LoveĀ meetsĀ A Walk in the Woods. Despite a mostly impoverished, sometimes rough childhood, Cheryl grew up generally loved by everyone but herself. Soon after… Continue reading Wild by Cheryl Strayed (with a look at structure)

Skippy Dies by Paul Murray

Murray, Paul. Skippy Dies. London: Penguin, 2010. Print. Genre: literary fiction (for adults) (I argue: YA contemporary) Summary: Howard (the coward) returns to teach at his alma mater, Seabrook College. Howard never achieved the fame and fortune that is expected of Seabrook graduates. Instead, he muddles through his life and relationships burdened with the secrets… Continue reading Skippy Dies by Paul Murray