It's Monday! What are you reading? Special edition

Hello, Stallion Readers!

I know we were all supposed to be back in school today, but we're not.  

You may be excited about having an extra two weeks away from school.  You may be bored with having to stay at home or just play in your yard.  You may be worried about the coronavirus news you could be hearing in the media or from your parents.  Any feelings you have right now are okay!  This event is something we haven't tackled together before, and it's always a bit weird or scary when we are involved in something that's new to us.

One thing you can do about your feelings right now is talk them out with your parents, your siblings, even your friends (but on the phone--keep your social distance to stay healthy!).  Another thing you can do is draw or write out your feelings.  And....you can read.

Now is the best time to read!  Reading favorite books can make us feel better.  Reading new books can take us to new places in our imagination, give us new ideas, and make us feel brave when characters overcome obstacles.  Books can teach us new things and make us laugh, even if we don't feel much like laughing these days.

I hope you still have lots of good books to read at home.  I have been reading a mix of grown-up and kid books this past week.  I'll include them all, in case the grownups or teenagers in your house need book recommendations, too.

Grown-up/ high-schoolers' books:  This Is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone.

I'm not sure how the authors wrote this book, but I would like to think that one picked Red and the other Blue, to write the letters that the two main characters send to one another.  But this isn't your typical love story--Red and Blue are agents working on opposite sides of the Time War, agents who can travel up and down and across time threads, influencing multiple iterations of events to suit their leaders' needs.  Mutual admiration leads to a relationship that just can't be...or can it?  I enjoyed this trippy sci-fi novel, and may have to re-read it to really appreciate its scope.

I've started reading The Lost Queen, by Signe Pike.

I love fantasy books with Celtic themes, so this book is right up my alley--and at 560 pages, I will be reading it for awhile!  I'm only a few chapters in; the main character, Languoreth, and her twin brother, Lailoken, are only ten years old, living in medieval Scotland and mourning the recent death of their mother, the queen.  Their father is a "petty king" who has been called to a meeting of rulers to discuss the battle with the Angles--invading English armies.  Lailoken is able to see things others can't; according to the book cover blurb, he will grow up to become Merlin.  As a fan of Arthurian legend, I'm looking forward to seeing how this story unfolds.

Kids, grades 3 through adult:  The New Kid, by Jerry Craft.

The New Kid won both the Newbery and Coretta Scott King awards, and I can see why.  This graphic novel covers a lot of ground in 256 pages, from the most basic situation of being the new kid in school, to more complex issues of race and presumptive bias.   This is a good book for parents and children to read together, not because the material is inappropriate, but because there is a lot of subtext to discuss.  Why do Jordan's parents feel strongly about sending him to a predominantly white school?   Why do several teachers consistently call certain students or other teachers by the wrong name?  Why does the librarian hand Maury the book about surviving "the mean streets"?  Does having money automatically make you happy?  We all have thoughts and biases about those we see as the "others", and we all have the need to be truly seen, loved, and accepted.

I promise I'll do some picture book talk next time.  Until then, keep reading, Stallions!