Author: picnicwithabook

Wow! Just Wow! Last night I wanted to start a book I knew would be a quicker read than a long novel just because my current job is so stressful and I’m putting in 14+ hours a day (being a teacher in this time of crisis has tripled our workload)! I however did not expect to read this graphic novel in one sitting. Perhaps that’s because I had already seen Netflix’s show based on the graphic novel series by Joe Hill and illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez. I like to compare books to films/shows when I’ve read the book after viewing, which I don’t do too often. I will put a warning here for anyone who has been tempted to read, Joe Hill is known for being graphic and this book delivers, if blood, mayhem, and murder aren’t your cup of tea you’ll want to pass on this one.

Let’s talk a quick minute about Joe Hill. I had no idea that he was the son of Stephen King (yes that one, the one and only). Joe Hillström King writes under the pen name of Joe Hill to separate his works from his father’s. When picking up a Joe Hill piece of work there’s no second-guessing that he has quite the dark imagination like his father; admittedly though I have only seen Stephen King films and have not read one of his books yet.

Anyways, back to the review of the first issue of Locke & Key. I loved it! As said mentioned I read it in one day…scratch that, not even one day but one sitting. I did not get up, did not take a break, didn’t even make a cup of coffee I was that into the story. The detail that Rodriguez brings to the story through the illustrations only boosts the story and brings it to life. There are subtle differences between the book and its corresponding episodes of the Netflix counterpart, but not enough to detract from the story.

The first difference between the coming and the show is that Sam Lesser was not alone when murdering Rendell Locke. There was another troubled teen that aided in the murder who had the hots for Mrs. Locke (including making up stories of her wearing short skirts and flashing him at the car wash he worked at). Mr. and Mrs. Locke in the story both drank alcohol though in the show Mrs. Locke was a recovering alcoholic that had a relapse when her husband was murdered. Aside from very minor differences such as Ellie being a black woman in the show and white in the book (aside from a couple of minor characters in this first issue and the detective there is no other representation of POC, so the change-up in the show is a welcome change in my opinion, especially as it does not change the story at all).

Some of the keys are slightly different in what their abilities are. In the show, a key inserted under the chin can change your appearance, yet in the comic book it doesn’t exactly change your appearance at will but your gender (well technically your biological sex as gender is a social construct), you’ll still look similar just be given physical features of the sex opposite from that you were born in. Dodge uses this key to transform herself into the new boy at school by the end of the comics. And let’s just say that of course like in the show Dodge isn’t exactly human…as one panel in the early parts of the Locke family arriving at Key House revealed Dodge’s true form.

Typically scary/gore-filled books or images will trigger similar nightmares and so I don’t read things like this all that often, but the illustration was graphic enough but this time I wasn’t triggered. I don’t know if that’s because I outgrew it or the fact that I saw the show (which was considerably less gore-filled) helped to offset it. Either way, I give both the comic book and the show 5 stars!

This book was a 4.5 Star read for me.

If you missed my post last year about Nightmares! you’ll want to go read that first; Sleepwalker Tonic is the second book in the middle school series by Jason Segel (of HIMYM fame) and Kirsten Miller.

Charlie visiting the Dream Realm discovers that Orville Falls, a neighboring town to his Cypress Creek home, is disappearing and fast! It seems the residents of Orville Falls are no longer sleeping having been promised no more nightmares! A strange shop opens up selling “Tranquility Tonic” yet after having ingested the tonic the persons of the town become like zombies. Paige, Charlie’s friend from the previous novel finds that her aunt Josephine who lives in Orville Falls as come under the trance of this tonic. The kids (Charlie, Paige, Jack, Rocco, and Alfie) call these persons “Sleepwalkers” though they haven’t actually slept in days, or even weeks!

While Orville Falls in the Dream Realm fades, so does it’s other half in the Nightmare world. The hole left behind in the nightmare world grows larger and threatens to consume anything around it. While this happens, Charlotte and Andrew (Charlie’s step-mother and father) had taken a mortgage out on their purple mansion that overlooks Cypress Creek to open Hazel’s Herbarium at the end of the previous book. Unfortunately because business went well early on, Charlotte cured most people’s ailments and had no customers left! They hid their financial issues from the boys but Charlie had discovered the truth. Their only hope is Charlotte’s book, written and illustrated based on her time with the Nightmares as the guardian to the portal (which is in the tower of the purple mansion; her childhood home). If Charlotte can impress some publishers up in New York they might be able to save the house as the bank threatens to foreclose!

Charlie and Jack learn lessons about bravery and fearlessness in this sequel. Charlie learns that in order to be brave, one must have experienced fear, and that does not equate to fearlessness because that would be the absence of fear. Charlie is brave, but his younger brother Jack is fearless until he learns that not everyone will remain his friend even if he was kind to them. The story also introduces us to some new characters such as Poppy and Ollie, two children who are immune to the powers of the Sleepwalker Tonic. Other new characters include Bruce a changeling nightmare, Ava a harpy nightmare, and the villains of the story known mostly as ICK and INK girls either lost in time or slowly transformed into nightmares from their long disappearance from the waking world.

Find out if Charlie, Jack, and their friends are able to discover who ICK and INK are, save their home, and Charlotte’s business.

I purchased and reviewed this book on my own time & dime at the author’s request.
1st. The author was pushy about getting a review in a couple of days. I am not a professional book reviewer but a busy teacher who reviews books I choose to read because I generally like them or had an interest in them.

2nd. The grammatical errors in this book were numerous. It seems as if the author may have procrastinated about editing and proofreading.

3rd. Revision for this book was missing as well (editing and revision are different). Many phrases were used repeatedly within the same chapter and some more than twice. When this is noticeable a word or phrase loses meaning and it becomes nothing but filler, the best way to combat this is by using word choice (synonyms).

4th. The information within this book is found in any self-help book, social media account, or blog post. A simple Google search will bring you all the same information. There was nothing new nor radical about the information presented.

5th. The author brings up conversations they’ve had with influencers and the like but never names a single one and it seems suspicious if these stories cannot be verified. This inability to verify these conversations does not leave the reader with a sense of credibility for the author’s claims that their advice was taken and fruitful. Readers want to be able to see that and have tangible proof, without it the claims are empty words; its a good thing then that this is all basic information about the topic that can be Googled.

6th. Back to repetition more than just short phrases were repeated throughout the book but quite a bit of the information presented was just reworded and placed willy-nilly where it seemed to fit dragging it out longer than it needed to be, and I know that sounds harsh for a 77-page book but when most of my reading was “read this five pages ago” I struggled with finishing the book.

7th. Lastly, this next part made me the most upset I’ve ever been at an author…”Depression diminishes when: 1. stop judging ourselves. 2. stop feeling guilty about ourselves. 3 start becoming happy with the little things of life. 4. start being the best versions of ourselves. 5. acknowledging oneself and others around us.” It is evident that that author herself has not been diagnosed with depression or if she has only situational depression (in which an event brings one’s mood down significantly). Depression is a medical condition and no matter how many times you tell someone with depression to just “look at the bright side” or “be happy about the little things” is not going to cure their depression or lessen it! In fact it will do just the opposite. A person with manic depression, bi-polar disorder, or any other depression condition will become frustrated with themselves if they can’t find the happiness that you speak of and in their minds that makes them a failure. Depression is an imbalance of chemicals in the brain and need a replacement of that chemical in order to function and be able to see the brighter side. It really angers me when authors think that this sort of self-help is accurate when is is the furthest from the truth.

Unfortunately this was a one-star read for me.

Last time I wrote up a review I had read Sagas of Anya by Kirsten Mbawa, this time I’ve read her sister’s novel. Land of the Nurogons by Aiyven Mbawa.

I have to admit that the story started a bit slower for my liking but that’s not a bad thing because it let me get a bit more into the mindset of the main character, Hayden. Sometimes I let life dictate how quickly things must be because in the rest of my day-to-day life I’m always in a rush so a slower start to a book (than what I am used to) is just what I needed to slow down! The first three chapters (which were the sample read online) detail Hayden’s family life from a mom who makes family decisions without really consulting the family, a teenage sister with a sharp tongue and attitude to match, and a best friend that provides somewhat of an escape from the antics of his family. It is also mentioned in the story (in passing) that Hayden is a Harry Potter fan; small tidbits like this help a reader to identify with the characters in the story.

There are parts in the story that seem to suddenly jump forward with little transition (keep in mind that the author is only 10 and there’s so much story created for such a young author). Although it can be a bit disjointed it is worth it to stay with the story because the majority of the quest Hayden and his friends are on happen with in the last few chapters of the book Chapter 19 especially has quite a bit of action with a detailed fight scene! Readers absolutely should hang on to the story for the very end as there’s a plot twist!

Aiyven has said that this book may become a series and I absolutely encourage this! The book’s major plot twist has the reader wanting more! What will happen with the Land of the Nurogons with a new leader, an unexpected personality, emerges as the absolute opposite of what the Nurogons had been told for years as a part of their lore. I say that this is a 4 star read!

I must also interject here at the end that Momma Mbawa is just awesome! I know that these young authors would not have completed their stories had it not been for the support of their parents and Mrs. Mbawa has done quite a lot to push their books so much so that their Kickstarter to get the first editions published was wildly successful. When I was younger my mom not only fostered a love for reading she was a large driving force as I began to explore writing poetry and short stories. The love and support I see from the Mbawa family remind me of my bond with my mom. My mom wanted me to finish several stories I started and she wanted me to write her story as well, I bought a book before she passed that I never got to go over with her called “Mother tell me your story” so that I could get notes about her life before she married my dad. So if you’re reading this and you haven’t hugged your parent/parent figure in a while or called them, please do so!

This week I begin teaching my 10th-grade classes online, so while we adjust there will be some downtime and I plan to split that time between reading books and finally, inspired by the Mbawa sisters, really focus on a story I’ve been trying to write for the last five years! If two young girls have enough heart and dedication to finish full-length novels then I should be able to as well. Thank you Aiyven, Kirsten, and Mrs. Mbawa for reigniting a passion for writing I set aside a year ago. I can’t wait to see what the next year will bring for these girls and their writing careers!

Sagas of Anya was written by young author Kirsten Mbawa. I learned about Kristen and her sister (another young author), Aiyven, through Bookstagram. These young ladies have their own book review account @Mbawabookreviewers where they review loads of books. These sisters got their start by entering a short story contest, though they did not win their mother (who I’ve connected with on FB as she helps promote her daughters’ works) and their father (along with other relatives) encouraged them to complete their stories. Once they both finished writing they submitted a few chapters for review before continuing with the processes of editing, revisiting, illustrating, etc. until they were published. I admit I have a soft spot for the Mbawa family because the dedication and support given to Kristen and Aiyven as they’ve become published writers is the same level and dedication my family (especially my mom and her friend) gave me when I found I had a talent for poetry and short stories. There’s no doubt that these girls will be successful in life with such a strong family unit.

When it comes to Historical Fiction I like to try and pin down the exact years a story takes place. This book is described as being set in the Victorian era, though that’s quite a range of years when the story takes place over the course of two years max. The Victorian era ranged from June 20, 1837, through Jan. 22, 1901. One of Anya’s birthday presents included a copy of Jane Eyre in which Anya knows that it was written by Charlotte Bronte. Charlotte and her sisters used pseudonyms because it was not common for a woman to be a published writer. Charlotte’s pen name was “Currer Bell”, Emily used “Ellis Bell”, and Anne used “Acton Bell”. Jane Eyre was published in 1847; a year later the sisters’ revealed who they were. Another clue came later when Anya goes to work in London and is taken to the Tippets House by a petrol-driven automobile that still resembled the carriage of a horse-drawn carriage. These cars first made their appearance in London around 1892 (a second version with a break was made in 1895). Finally, the last clue is that Anya’s mother after a family trip to the beach regretted not having a photo taken. It is common knowledge that photography in the Victorian era could be expensive. “The Daguerreotype photograph of 1842 would cost $2.50-$6.00 or $81.50-$195 in today’s economy. Ambrotypes would run about 25-40 cents ($6.00 today) in the early 1850s. (familytree.com)” As the years passed photography got cheaper. Based on descriptions of Ayna’s clothes and home life the reader can conclude that her family isn’t poor but far from rich, therefore placing her in middle class so we can assume that if photos weren’t much of a financial issue for the family that the story is placed later on in the Victorian era. With all that being said, it isn’t exactly important to the story for the most part other than to understand small facts such as Anya going to work as a maid just after her 13th birthday. In 1891 many girls were working as maids between the ages of 10 and 13.

The first half of Sagas of Anya reads like the events a teenage girl might write in her diary. Nightmares, daily affairs, spats with schoolmates, and the like. Originally I thought that Anya’s real trouble was going to start within the second chapter but in reality, the author was building up to that moment as one should with a story (a concept I struggle to apply to my own writings, so bravo Kirsten). It is in the second half that Anya’s mother who has already been prone to some illness here and there becomes gravely ill and passes away. Anya’s father turns to alcohol, unable to cope with the passing of his wife. His gambling (which I believe deserved some more attention at this point) was only mentioned when the family’s furniture was sold to pay off his gambling debts. After a cousin, who works as a maid, visited home Anya’s father finds work for her in London as he is no longer able to afford her education. This piece of the story is quite on the nose for the time period, often girls 10-13 became maids because their families could no longer afford to send them to school.

Anya’s time in London as a maid was short-lived but during that short time, she experienced more hardship than she did before her mother passed. Initially, she did not get along with her new boss, Mrs. Axton. Axton was strict, no-nonsense, and cold. Maud, another servant girl disliked Anya on the spot. Earlier in the story, Anya’s struggles sprung from her own rebellious nature and that was true with quite a bit of the trouble she faced in the Tippets House. It was her nature that Mrs. Axton was trying to subdue to keep things running as efficiently as possible. Some of her troubles included taking the money to be spent on groceries to try and get into the circus and when she didn’t have enough she snuck in. Attempting to rescue a kitten that was trapped in a cage with an injured paw, was another. Typically maids did not have their own pets while living and working in another’s home…especially a rescued stray. Mrs. Axton wouldn’t have any of it and tossed the cat out breaking Anya’s heart, but she did so for health reasons as disease ran rampant during this era of history, and for personal reasons which Anya is informed of later that allow her to warm up to her boss. Anya also begins to warm up to the other maid, Maud, but a little too late as Maud falls ill and passes away. This event hits Anya harder as it wasn’t long after her mother had passed. Eventually, after a couple of letters home to her father and grandmother, Anya is fetched by her grandmother to return home. Mrs. Axton had agreed that the domestic servant life wasn’t right for Anya and her wild spirit. At the end of the story, the only thing I was left wanting was to know what lifestyle would fit Anya and if she’d be successful in achieving that life. For this young Historical Fiction, I’d rate this book 4 out of 5 stars! As a high school teacher, this book is easy enough to follow along for middle school students. The only thing that threw me off as I was reading was some of the Welsh. I only have one or two Welsh friends myself but I don’t often hear them talk about their families (and if they do they use more English terms like “nan” as they attended school in England rather than Wales) so mam-gu and tad were new for me, but this is not a bad thing as it is essential to the story because Anya’s family is Welsh as evidenced by the fact that she sometimes utters in Welsh under her breath. I also like the use of Welsh words within the story not just to keep the reader in the story but because the reader learns something new, especially if that isn’t their native language and learning is always a good thing (especially if it is other languages)!

I bought this book on a whim from one of our favorite niche stores in Houston called Murder by the Book, they sell of course mystery/murder/thriller books from fantasy to realistic and even the cozy reads (like cat detectives) in between! They have a section in the back for middle school and high school books which I love to browse through for my classes. The reason for this whim wasn’t just the age of readership but the author, Brandon Sanderson. Sanderson is one of my boyfriend’s favorite authors and I’ve tried to read The Way of Kings by him but it is too much for my dyslexic brain to handle so we listen to it on audio-book for long car rides instead. I thought perhaps this book would be an easier read, and I wasn’t wrong! Just because a book is an easier read doesn’t mean it lacks anything that makes it great. I give this book five out of five stars! Continue reading below to find out why.

I took nearly thirteen pages of notes as I read this book. Taking notes help me to keep track of what I’ve read when I leave it sitting for more than a day, though I did that only twice through this read. The first break was to read the diary my mom wrote for me when I was a kid (read it on my birthday to connect with her in some way) and the second time I took a break was while I was sick and spent a few days sleeping off the worst of a stomach virus.

In this alternate steampunk world there exists an elite class of persons called Rithmatists, they may be elite but their calling is not easy. Rithmatists are students of a study called Rithmatics. This study combines magic, chalk, mythology, theology, and geometry all rolled into one. The main character, Joel Saxon, like his late father is obsessed with Rithmatics but unfortunately neither were selected by the “Master” to be Rithmatists. Joel finds himself desperate to know more that he purposely fails a class in the History of Rithmatics to be assigned to a Professor of this study for tutelage. His plan sort of backfires though when he’s sent to Principal York’s office to discuss his sudden failure in a subject he knows so well. York however, had a solution. Several Rithmatists have disappeared over the years in strange matters and an inspector has asked for a professor’s aid in finding out why students are going missing (in the story two of Joel’s classmates are kidnapped and presumed dead based on the crime scenes). Joel is assigned to Professor Fitch (a recently demoted professor) as a research assistant as long as he returns to class and properly finishes his exam with passing marks-not an issue for Joel.

Professor Fitch is also assigned a young Rithmatist student who is failing her basic studies in Rithmatics. Melody comes from a rare family of Rithmatists, this is not a gene that is passed own but only a few are selected each year on July 4th in a religious ceremony hosted by the church. Most families do not see both parents and a child become Rithmatists, but the Muns family is a family of 6 that are all granted the ability to cast magic with chalk. Melody is *SO* over being a Rithmatist but Joel is jealous and this seems to be a wedge beyond the societal norms that will keep them from working together but eventually to aid the investigation the two are able to put their squabbling aside.

In this world the US isn’t a solid land mass but rather many isles. In the center of the waters is Nebrask (not Nebraska) there is a tower that is protected by Rithmatists from wild chalklings. Generally chalklings are not able to cause physical harm (unless they are brought to life with certain glyphs), however, these are not typical chalklings. These are primitive drawings that were given life but are controlled by an unknown person. It is Joel, Melody, and Professor Fitch’s job to discover who or what is in control because the wild chalklings have escape Nebrask where the Rithmatists spend 10 years in service to protect the rest of the isles from them. All the while Melody must train for the end of the year melee against other Rithmatists. Will Melody master Rithmatics, will the trio discover the culprit of the kidnappings, will they survive the growing dangers at the academy? Sanderson holds out till the end to throw out the plot twists one after another so you’ll have to stick with the story to find out!

My only complaint about this book is that Sanderson hasn’t written a sequel yet! Unfortunately this series is on the back burner until he finishes another one of his adult series. That being said, he does have the rest of the story in his mind and he does not want to be distracted from it when he does set about writing the sequel because he will be using inspiration from Native American legends and wants to them justice with the correct research and dedication, I can’t say I can find fault with him there.

Let me start this off with a few trigger warnings. 1. There is rape, incestuous rape, and infant murder mentioned in this book. 2. The main character is gay and deals with rejection from his family over it. As I began to read this book I made a bookstagram post saying something along the lines of “I wish some books would come with warning labels at times.” So if you stumble upon this review or find your way here from one of my bookstagram posts this is your warning label for this book.

This book was the gift I got on Christmas Eve from my boyfriend. He thought a book that describes books as a kind of magic would be right up my alley; he wasn’t wrong. We got the idea to exchange books from the Icelandic tradition; my family always made pancakes for Christmas breakfast as our tradition, but when I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and gluten-free flour was hard to come by Momma encouraged me to eventually have my own traditions with my future family. Happily, I will get to continue the pancake tradition while adding in Jolabokaflod.

I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. Overall the story is different from most I have read. The development of the characters is disjointed but done on purpose for the way the plot and the twists shape the story. My only complaint is the nearly sudden switch of the main character having had a crush on his best friend’s sister to realizing that he’s been crushing on Lucian Darnay without realizing it. I’ve never had a crush on a person that I didn’t know about; if Emmett Farmer had suddenly realized he was bisexual instead of outright gay that would be a bit more believable. The structure of society, the prejudices between the different castes and the added prejudice against LGBT was quite realistic by showing that prejudice against LGBT is not exclusive to one part of society over another. Both Emmett and Lucian’s families (poor/working class vs upper class) wish to take away their memories of their sexual & romantic connection because it will ruin the families for the rest of their lives causing them to be outcast. The writing between the time of one regaining his memory to the time the other gains his back did not break, there were hints of unknown feelings and doubt but never outright a glimmer of something of the past until a memory had been regained. The portrayal of Emmett’s little sister was spot on! From her “school girl crush” on Lucian to her fit when things didn’t go her way and the exposing of her brother out of spite for it, though not my favorite character she was a realistic one. Personally my favorite character passed away too early in my opinion, however with out her untimely death Emmett wouldn’t have been thrown to the hands of an unfit teacher which presented him with more of a challenge as well as the chance to learn that his own memory had been sealed shut. I thought that this story might have more magic that we typically read about such as spell casting and wand-waving but I am pleased to learn that was absent from this story and instead focused on something that so many of us feel we want at some point in our lives: the ability to erase painful memories.

I stumbled upon a cute vintage book at my local Half Price Books a little while back (after mom’s funeral) and I decided to give the $2 clearance book a shot. Not bad for the price and age of the book, however the end did leave me feeling a bit let down. To illustrate how the ending felt, remember watching Scooby Doo and always knowing that there was never a real ghost and that it was always someone behind the spooky events? It was a bit like that (although there was no malice or greed that drove the would-be ghost).

Written by Mary Q. Steele (under the pseudonym Wilson Gage) The Ghost of Five Owl Farm was published in 1966. Told in third-person our main character Ted (12 years old) has recently moved to the farm with his mother and father, during a break from school his twin 10 year old cousins Cynthia (Winkie) and Robert (Bobbin) come to visit. In effort to gain some alone time to work on a broken down tractor, Ted and his father decide that they will give the twins a mystery to solve, only Ted’s father never gets it set up yet all these mysterious things keep happening, such as white-blue lights in the barn, the barn door being locked by someone not of the family, strange boxes and wires. Soon enough Ted and the twins have their imaginations running wild. Ted finally decides that it isn’t a ghost haunting but an undercover spy using his family’s barn as a base of operations at night. In reality the truth is much less imaginative. A telephone man who had come out to work on the lines hadn’t realized a family moved into the house and thought the property was still vacant. He is a student at the local college studying wildlife and he spotted a pair of nesting owls and had been documenting them for some time now. The property was originally called Five Owl Farm based on a Native American chief by the name of “Five Owls” that used to reside in the area before the Trail of Tears happened, many ghost stories had been told by towns people about the property for years. The student discovered that the nesting owls had three babies making the property “Five Owl Farm” for a different reason.

I haven’t written to the blog since my review of the Hocus Pocus sequel, a review my mom had looked forward to reading but was unable to due to a lack of energy and failing health. Unfortunately after a few stays in the hospital mom lost her battle with aplastic anemia and pneumonia on Jan. 24, 2020 at 9:23 in the morning. Though it hurts to lose my mom, I am often reminded that I look just like her, what a lot don’t realize unless they knew my mom is that I take after her in other ways. One of those ways is by being a bookworm, though I admit I don’t read nearly as often as she did when she was my age. Another way, although she wasn’t a teacher she did a lot in the educational field and I became a teacher because of her. Now I am an English teacher.

My mom was always “real” or “100” as kids these days say. She was honest with students even on difficult matters but always found a positive in it thus lessening the harsher blows of reality. So I am real with students too when introducing myself at the start of the year in the “get to know you phase.” I admit to them that I have a learning disability that a few of them might have too. I tell them I am dyslexic and I am met with stares, jaw drops, and the pondering of “How can you teach us if you can’t read or write?” I of course point out that they can read and write, but that they struggle just like I did and that I am here to help them through it.

My family knew I struggled but we didn’t have a term for it for years. In the early school years I could read at my own pace and do just okay or just below okay. The biggest problem I had issues with was reading out loud. I would follow along as we were told to, silently, until it was our turn to read. However I kept stumbling over words and having to reread full sentences thus I was constantly lost. When it was my turn to read for the class I of course would read the wrong part. The kids would laugh, point, jeer; the teacher would berate me for daydreaming instead of working. Mom would get a phone call about how I wasn’t paying attention in class and that it was an ever growing problem when it came to reading. Mom just encouraged me to read more at home and thought that more practice would do me good, so we’d read together sometimes.

In middle school we used the Accelerated Reading program. This program was loaded with a bunch of reading comprehension questions for thousands of books. We would select a book each week (or more if you could) and then take a quiz over it when finished, the score would earn us grades and points to spend in the AR store that the campus put together of fun trinkets and snacks we could purchase with the points. Before we could earn points though every student needed to take a basic test to discover our reading level so that the questions would be fitting for that level. I went home the day I got my level assignment and cried. In seventh grade I was reading at a fourth grade level and I was the lowest in my class. I didn’t think there was anything amiss other than being told I didn’t try hard enough and just feeling stupid. I didn’t want to be stupid. When mom asked I explained to her my sour mood and we talked about why I think I didn’t do well enough (a question teachers typically didn’t ask back then of students) and for me it was the time constraint. This was two-fold, the countdown made me nervous and I also felt that I didn’t have enough time because of accidentally reading the same sentence repeatedly before realizing my error. Mom said she used to have the same problem but she was able to keep track with a single bookmark dragging it down the page line by line. We tried that and I would still mess up a lot so mom came up with a “window.” To block out all other lines and leave “empty” areas so the lines would wouldn’t move around on me (the lines moving was the best way I could explain what happened when I read). She did this by taking two strips of paper and taping them so that only one line of text could be read through them– and I did better! I also had no time limit at home so I could take as long as I wanted to read without upsetting anyone or feeling pressured. I didn’t do very well on my next AR quiz, but mom said to keep reading because it was the only way I’d get better. So I did. Students could checkout 2 books at a time from the school library so I did. I went to school early and stayed late so that I could have uninterrupted reading time without the hassle of siblings and chores. I did this weekly for the rest of the year and steadily my scores improved though timed quizzes still set off a panic (we didn’t know that test-anxiety was a legitimate thing yet). By the time eighth grade came around and we had to do our reading level placement test again I had gone from a fourth grade level to a high school level! My writing still needed help but that was more to do with organizing my essays and finding meaningful examples to show in words.

I had no idea that my issues with whole words or phrases seeming to move on the page was a type of dyslexia until I reached my second year at college. On the time line of things (having taken a year and half off of school after graduation) it took ten years to discover that I was dyslexic, that’s how un-diagnosed this learning disability was as I was growing up, teachers weren’t trained to look for tell-tale signs, parents did the best they could with what tools they had (like my mom creating the “window bookmark” as we used to call it; now educators call it a highlighter strip). I was in a course for future educators when we were given a quiz on how to identify possible dyslexia in students. It was then that I realized I was dyslexic.

I teach my students the highlighter strip trick for when we don’t have those strips so that they can use scratch paper on tests if they feel it helps them to see one line at a time. Of course, I do teach them other strategies I’ve learned as an educator that help with reading comprehension and time management (I will save those for a later post). The one thing that I haven’t been able to instill in the majority of my students yet is the idea that if they keep at it, it will get easier. They just don’t like to read, yet with a few I’ve gotten them to at least find digital books they’ll read from time to time or comics online that they’ll read. Attention spans are shorter, but that’s not a complete stumbling block, at tenth grade many are independent and feel if they’ve done it one way all their life then they’ll do just fine. My older brother was like this but later he found a genre and books he enjoyed when he isn’t distracted by other parts of life so I have hope for my students yet. Even I have a hard time settling down to read though I am making an attempt to be better about that. Mom always made time to read even if it was just a few pages a day on her busiest days, and she tried to keep reading in her last few weeks, but books had become heavy to hold and because she was so cold her e-reader wasn’t responding to her touch which made her frustrated, but she tried.

One of the best things I can do to feel close to mom now that she’s gone is to read, and as I read remember how she helped me become a better reader. Had I continued to read three grades below my actual grade level I never would have become a teacher. I also wouldn’t have the tools to pass to my students to help them. Mom always knew I’d become a teacher even though I had been against it for years (I wanted to be a cop) and that once I accepted it I’d be a good teacher. Yes the state test scores improve every year within our department now, but what really proves to me that mom was right was when a student finally understands a concept about reading and comprehension and then uses that new skill or tool to keep improving. They may not gain an appreciation for books but they will have an easier time understanding anything they read, social media, news, documents and forms, etc. When I read or teach I know I always have mom near by.

Now that I have reminisced about how mom turned me into a bookworm with the ability to discern what I am reading, I’d like to post some of the titles I know she read and enjoyed. Each will link to their respective websites and as I find more I will add them with my future posts.

Anne McCaffery’s Dragon Riders of Pern (series)

Rebecca Skloot’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Gregory Maguire’s Wicked

Christopher Paolini’s Eragon (series)

Peter S. Beagle’s The Last Unicorn