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This is Just to Say…
09/01/10
We are entering the season of apologies, as we (the Jewish People) reflect on the past year and try to remember those who we have slighted, seek them out, apologize to them and ask for their forgiveness. I remember in my role as Temple President standing in front of the congregation right before the beginning of High Holiday services and reading the following aloud:
“For transgressions against God, the Day of Atonement atones; but for transgressions against one human being against another, the Day of Atonement does not atone until they have made peace with one another. “
It is not easy to say you’re sorry. It is also not easy to forgive someone who has hurt you. When I was a child, if my sister and I fought (a common occurrence) my mother would make her and me sit facing each other until we could say, “I love you” to one another. (Hmmm…perhaps this would work with Congress to get our country working again? But I digress…) This often lengthy process usually started with taunts, but eventually we would be laughing and giggling together filled with sisterly love…until the next time.
This is all to say that I am excited to share a wonderful book I recently discovered that is simply perfect for this time of year:
This is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness by Joyce Sidman. Illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007. Ages 6-10.
This book is filled with poems expressing sadness over mistakes made, promises unfulfilled, hearts broken and any of a number of life’s traumas for which children (and adults) need forgiveness. Each poem begging/seeking forgiveness is followed in section two by a poem granting or denying said request. My two favorite poems are not paired with each other, but give you an example of the depth and breadth of the writing.
The first written by Anthony to his mother is entitled “Spelling Bomb”:
“I can’t believe I lost. /I know I disappointed you./ Do you really think I don’t care? /I know how important it is to win.
I know I disappointed you;/ I saw it in your face when I misspelled./ I know how important it is to win; / I studied hours and hours.
I saw it in your face when I misspelled. / I saw you turn away from me. / Even though I study hours and hours, / I never seem to be your champion….”
Is your heart breaking? This goes on for two more verses. Anthony conveys that feeling some of us have experienced when we have tried our hardest yet still managed to let our parents’ down.
I wish Anthony had received this written by Bao Vang to her friend Mai Lee and entitled, “The River of Forgiveness“:
“Here I am, / reading Mai Lee’s poem./I am wading into the river of forgiveness. / Thinking of alarm bells, / of breaking glass, of confusion, / and the fear that crushes your heart / when you have done nothing wrong. / I feel cold and alone. fighting / the water as it pulls at me and fills me eyes. / Will I ever make it across? / I keep thinking of a friend / who helped explain the world, / whose arm is always around my shoulder, / a friend who stands with me in the crowd. / … / I’ve crossed the river of forgiveness. / I open my arms to her.”
Saying, “I’m sorry” is hard. Saying, “I forgive you” is hard. Perhaps we could change the world by accepting that none of us is perfect, we all make mistakes and peace between family and friends is the best peace of all.
Wishing you a Shana Tova, a Happy and Healthy New Year!
Happy Reading,
Kathy B.
©2010 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved.
The Book used in this review came from my local library. I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you click on a book title referred to on my web site and purchase it from Amazon, I may receive a very small commission on your purchase.
You will incur no additional cost, however.
I appreciate your support.
NESCBWI Conference 2010: “Come prepared to take notes.”
05/18/10
I spent this past weekend in the company of very creative people – children’s book writers and illustrators. In other words, I spent the weekend in heaven. Well, mostly in heaven. After all, we were meeting in Fitchburg, MA. Nevertheless, Richard Michelson, Cynthia Leitch Smith, Kim Ablon Whitney, Marla Frazee and Allyn Johnston to drop a few wondrous names had gathered there to mingle and converse about the craft of writing for children. The New England chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (NESCBWI), of which I am a member, put this extraordinary event together.
I learned so much it is difficult to put it into words. Have I mentioned I am writing a children’s book? No? My apologies, I am currently working on a few picture book manuscripts. As part of that endeavor, I joined NESCBWI, started a writing group (I now have four, new, extraordinarily gifted BFFs), and decided that I would attend a writing conference.
I learned when signing up for the weekend’s events, that I had the option to submit a manuscript for a critique by a professional editor or agent. My first reaction was – why do that? Why not live with the fantasy that I am an excellent writer, and the book is perfect as is. Why let someone burst the balloon and ruin what promises to be a lovely weekend?
Nevertheless, on Friday I found myself waiting for a critique of my work in progress by an editor from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. I can’t remember the last time I was that nervous. I had read the editor’s bio that said she was looking for “Middle Grade boy books.” I had sent in a picture book manuscript about a girl. I was wondering why they paired me with her and worrying that I was wasting her time.
However, when I sat down the editor’s first words were, “I like your idea. I showed it to my boss, and she liked it too.” I know this because I wrote down everything she said. A sheet in my Conference Registration Packet entitled “Making the Most of Your Critique” said “come prepared to take notes.” I was prepared. I took notes. As the editor provided me with a line-by-line critique of my picture book manuscript, I listened carefully and took copious notes. At the end, I simply said, “Have I told you I love you?” She smiled and told me how to send her the manuscript after I had made the revisions. I took more notes. I had received a Golden Ticket to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory! I floated out of the critique room, notes firmly in hand.
So many extraordinary experiences occurred over the weekend, it is difficult to synthesize them all into a short blog. However, I took notes, so here are some highlights:
- Cynthia Leitich Smith (of cynsations fame in the kidlitosphere), one of the keynote speakers, provided the following jewels of wisdom: “All stories start with a moment of change.” “You probably should not kill Santa Claus in a book for young readers.” “Don’t Panic!” “Celebrate!” “Write the kind of book you love to read.” Her speech was uplifting, optimistic and empowering. What more could you ask from the kick-off speaker?
- I believe Marla Frazee, illustrator of All the World and many other beautiful books, is Jewish, although I asked her, and she said she is not. The reason I say this is that she studies manuscript texts prior to illustrating just like a Jew studies Torah prior to writing a D’var. She looks for what’s not there, the white space, the emotion, the material behind the words that she may not be seeing. Marla Frazee’s illustrations are a midrash of the text the author writes.
- Allyn Johnston, Vice President & Publisher, Beach Lane Books, who was a keynote speaker along with Marla Frazee, has a favorite question. “Is the end working yet?” Her passion for children’s literature is palpable. I could not take notes fast enough while listening to all the advice she was providing.
The weekend continued that way. “Come prepared to take notes.” Walk into any room. Sit down, have your notebook and pens ready. Wisdom was flying everywhere – in workshops, at the dinner tables, at the lunch tables, in the hallways. Creative, helpful people had gathered. Everybody wanted to share the latest from the workshop just attended or overheard standing in the lunch line. Everyone wanted everyone else to succeed. “Come prepared to take notes.” The volunteers who put the weekend together, the faculty who taught and all the attendees who came made sure that everyone was prepared, and no one missed a thing. Thanks to everyone for creating a memorable weekend in Fitchburg!
Happy Reading,
Kathy B.
©2010 Kathleen M. Bloomfield and forwordsbooks.com all rights reserved. I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you click on a book title referred to on my web site and purchase it from Amazon, I may receive a very small commission on your purchase.
You will incur no additional cost, however.
I appreciate your support.
Are the Times Changing?
10/27/09
Three articles arriving one after the other have raised my blood pressure recently.
– “The School that Opted Out” by Julianna Baggott
– “Heather Has Two Mommies Turns 20” by Leslea Newman
– “Scholastic Censors ‘Luv Ya Bunches’ from Book Fairs.” by Rocco Staino
I have thought, long and hard, about how I could put into words my reactions, my feelings about the contents of these pieces. What could I write that could possibly make a difference, effect a change in what has been written? How can I respond in a positive way to what I so strongly disagree with?
I could rant and rave, call principals and teachers, congress people and librarians, Scholastic, perhaps all of publishing on the carpet declaring them all wrong (of course) and me all right (of course). I am pretty good at that, but it doesn’t feel right. Why add fuel to the fire.
I could stay silent and let it all pass over and wait for a quieter moment, an easier topic to write about. Not being the silent type, that doesn’t feel right either.
Instead, I decided to look through the piles of books in my office to see if there might be an answer or two there. As always, the response was right under my nose:
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We Are All Born Free: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures
© 2008
Amnesty International. Frances Lincoln Children’s Books.
Ages 4-8
In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 30 artist-illustrators from around the world have provided art for this extraordinary picture book representing a simplified version of these rights for children of all ages. A profound and meaningful way to begin discussions of the theme: “Dignity and Justice for All.”
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Somewhere Today: A Book of Peace
By Shelle
y Moore Thomas. Photographs by Eric Futran.
©1998 Albert Whitman & Company.
Ages 3-8
Beautiful photographs of the world’s children with their friends and families demonstrate the many ways they create peace everyday by taking care of each other and the world, like “planting a tree,” “visiting someone who is old” or “reading a book.” The text is simple enough for even the youngest child to understand.
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Peace Week in Miss Fox’s Class
By Eilee
n Spinelli. Illustrated by Anne Kennedy.
©2009 Albert Whitman & Company.
Ages 4-8
I wish I were a student of Miss Fox. She has the best ideas! As her student’s quarrel and squabble with each other, she implements the idea of Peace Week. The language of this book is simple enough that even the youngest child can understand. The dilemmas faced by the students are realistic and the solutions easy to appreciate: “Don’t say mean things,” “Help others,” for example. The artwork is expressive, colorful and fun. It would be easy to implement a “Peace Week” in your own school using the ideas in this book. Perhaps children’s publishing could institute a Peace Week and we all write happy blogs and blissful news for one entire week.
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I believe that Shalom Bayit, peace in the house, and Derekh Eretz, Common Courtesy/Respect will always take us farther than intolerance and misunderstanding. Who would ever have thought that Bob Dylan would be writing about his own generation when he composed the lyrics to The Times They Are A-changin’ :
“Come mothers and fathers/Throughout the land/And don’t criticize/What you can’t understand/Your sons and your daughters/Are beyond your command/Your old road is/Rapidly agin’./Please get out of the new one/If you can’t lend your hand/For the times they are a-changin’.”
Indeed.
Happy Reading,
Kathy B.
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I received the copies of We Are All Born Free, Peace Week in Miss Fox’s Class and Somewhere Today that I reviewed in this blog from the publishers at my request.
I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you click to Amazon from the book covers of books pictured in my blogs and buy something, I receive a portion of the book price.
© Kathleen M. Bloomfield of forwordsbooks.com
Woman Plans. God Laughs.
09/17/09
My website launched on September 9, 2009. When I picked that day, I did so because it seemed like a good date. Before the High Holidays. After Labor Day. Just as school was beginning. As summer was ending. Plus I like all those nines in the date: 09-09-09. It just sounded, well…cool.
