corner view

corner view :: one book

Each month, one book...that's how our book club works.  A group composed entirely of women, we have diverse interests, professions, backgrounds, with our one obvious commonality being that we are all married. We refuse to force anyone to host the meetings, opting for evenings lingering in local restaurants instead where we allow the conversations to flow as needed. Some months the book dominates, others it doesn't...and that's okay. It's completely a no pressure, pleasurable kind of club: the moment it becomes work, it is doomed.

Here is what we have been reading:

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman
The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer
Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink
Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munro
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple


I loved some, I hated one. 

Corner View is a weekly appointment shared by people around the globe, an appointment started in the spring of 2009 by Jane in Spain and currently hosted by Francesca over at Fuori Borgo. We welcome you to join us.

Our Reading Log

It seems to be a common theme among blogs I read, occasional posts about "what we're reading." Since I'm a bit of a follower...I offer you our list:

Read-Aloud Chapter Books with Young One
Last Read:
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum

Currently Reading:
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Young One loves this book and even asked me to read a bit as she got dressed this morning, but we are both having a hard time keeping up with all of the characters who come in and out of the story. This might not be the best bedtime read-aloud choice.

Next Up:
Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo
Big fans of DiCamillo, we are fighting over who will read this one to her.

My List
Last Read:
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
Everyone should read this book. It's quick, but it will fill your heart. Just do it.

Currently Reading:
Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink (book club)
Desperate times. I don't know that Fink does a good enough job of describing the desperation of the Hurricane Katrina. I don't know that she is supposed to...stick to the facts, journalist ma'am. But really...life is not so easy, so black and white...as was proven by the medical professionals and patients at Memorial. I don't know how much I like this award-winning journalist Fink.

Teach Your Children Well by Madeline Levine
Can I tell you I rushed to the library to find Levine's book after hearing this interview on the radio? I haven't gotten very far into the book yet, but she sure did validate of my beliefs about parenting  in the brief radio interview. Validation is good.

Next Up:
The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer (book club)
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
One Dead in Attic by Chris Rose
I plan to reread this personal account of the first four months following Katrina written by local journalist Chris Rose; you should find time to read it, too.

Richard's List
Last Read:
Thank You for Your Service by David Finkel
Everyone should read this book that explores the untold effects of PTSD.

The Venus Fixers: the Remarkable Story of the Allied Soldiers Who Saved Italy's Art During WWII by Illaria Dagnini Brey

Currently Reading:
Love & War: Twenty Years, Three Presidents, Two Daughters and One Louisiana Home by James Carville and Mary Matalin
He loves Carville and now I think he loves Matalin, too. This one is on my list.

Next Up:
I have no idea.

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Have we connected on Goodreads yet?

corner view

corner view :: a good read

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To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee -- without a doubt a very good read and one of my absolute favorites. Some quotes:

"First of all," he said, "if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view […] until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." -Atticus

"They're certainly entitled to think that, and they're entitled to full respect for their opinions," said Atticus, "but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself.  The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience." -Atticus

"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do."  -Atticus

"I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks."  -Scout

Corner View is a weekly appointment shared by people around the globe, an appointment started in the spring of 2009 by Jane in Spain and currently hosted by Francesca over at Fuori Borgo. We welcome you to join us.

@ the Italian primary school :: 17 :: I felt very advanced, Mamma, just like in math.

Ever since dear little Sara offered Young One a lesson on the birds and the bees and the waw-waws, we've been exploring our strategy for our own discussion with her. Had Sara been a bit more comprehensive, I may have allowed her to continue to be the font of knowledge for my child...alas, Sara skipped some parts, some important parts.

We did what any educated middle class American couple would do...we turned to books. In order to keep it real, we have committed to reading the chosen book aloud to Young One, always with the three of us present.

A friend recommended an excellent book, and we have begun our "lessons."  More on that later.

.............

After school recently Young One told me...

Mamma, today in class we were talking about who is more important, boys or girls. And the girls were saying that the girls are more important because they make babies, and we always need babies in the world.

I told them that we need both boys and girls to make babies.

They didn't believe me. I kept trying to tell them that we need both but they just would not listen to me. Girls make babies, they all said. Finally my teacher said we would learn all about it in fifth grade.

I wanted to whisper to her about the "uova" and the sperm but I decided not to.

I felt very advanced, Mamma, just like in math.

...............

Well, there you go. Rest assured that Young One has the story straight and should she encounter your child on the playground or in the classroom, she will judiciously choose which information is appropriate to share.

Or not.


Disclaimer: I hate generalizations as much as you do, probably more. This is my limited experience at my fourth grader's tiny primary school lost in Northern Italy. If you have a different experience with this, please share!

quietly inspired

Once an avid reader, I let that part of me fade to the wayside in the past several years. Sure, I'm always, always, always reading, but I turned to long pieces in magazines to a smattering of blogs to quick young adult reads for some time now. And, oh-my-word...how many books have I read aloud to this child of mine? I reached the point that I couldn't do both or couldn't find the time or make the time or...lots of excuses.

In the last six months, the lust for longer works has returned, and I even started a local book club with an eclectic mix of smart woman at the urging of a friend and now find myself refreshed and excited once again. It's back. It's nice.


A recent find that I would like to recommend is Susan Cain's, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking.  Likely, you've heard of it, maybe read it. It's been on my list but not until it was also on all the end-of-year "Best of" lists did I finally download it.

This is perhaps the most exciting thing I've read in a long time. It is a piece that validates so much of what I believe, what my husband believes, and what my child, above all, is. This book is so smart and so important, I encourage everyone to read it.  I'm frankly sick of living in a society that places so much value on loud and fast-talking over thoughtful responses, that encourages teams over individual effort and that views introversion as a weakness.

Did you know that study after study proves that students do not learn more when working in a cooperative group? Yet, we continue. And...the incidence of using this methodology is more common among our youngest teachers, meaning it will not fade soon. The same holds true of committees and teams in the work force. A team is not greater than an individual.

Introverts? They despise, DESPISE these teams. We call them the anti-social weirdos "unable to work cooperatively with others."
Not so, proves Cain.

Cain traces the growth of these values in our culture, skillfully weaves the research of eminent social scientists, and puts forth a call of action for change.

We need to start celebrating the beauty and the value of the introvert again...and frankly, the extroverts just need to shut up, already...at least until they count to ten (or fifty) and formulate a meaningful thought. (That last part is not exactly the message of the book, just my personal feelings; Susan Cain offers a much, much more intelligent discourse. I couldn't help it.)

If you find yourself with twenty minutes to spare, Susan Cain gives a great TED talk. If you have a bit more time, I suggest you find a copy of the book at your local library. 

If you have read it, I'd love to hear what you think about it!

italian primary school experience :: {seven}

People like to focus on the differences between the American and Italian school experiences. Granted, differences exist and are often quite obvious; however, there are many similarities as well. (I feel like I'm back in the 9th grade classroom teaching compare and contrast essays with that previous sentence! It's a place to start.)

This year Young One has had the opportunity to meet two published authors: Mike Thaler and Mariella Lunardi. Mr. Thaler visited the local American school in October, and Ms. Lunardi visited Young One's school this week. Both times the authors addressed the children and read excerpts; both times Young One came home with signed copies of books. (We attended an evening session with Mr. Thaler.)

I quizzed for information about the visit with Ms.Lunardi, and Young One would not say much other than that she loves one of the stories in Le Storie di Nonna Lalla. It's about a little girl who gets excluded, so her interest in it is not entirely surprising. She did share that the author brought some of the original illustrations; this impressed my budding artist quite a bit.

This morning Young One told me that she wants to be three things when she grows up: a reader, a writer, and an American Idol judge.

We finally have seen an explosion in her interest in reading. The author encounters could not have come at a better time for her.


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Disclaimer: I hate generalizations. This is my limited experience at my daughter's tiny primary school lost in northern Italy. If you have a different experience with this, please share!

pippo & a hinky pink

I've been busy gathering books for a trip that we have planned during the upcoming holiday season: guide books, picture books, biographies, fiction and nonfiction, books about artists, books to read to Young One and books to have about in hopes that she'll pick them up ... some good, some not-so-good. I'm enjoying the convenience of an online catalog that extends much further than my local library and the ability to request books from posts across Europe with just a couple of clicks.

At the Duomo in Florence (August 2012)

The previous post about Florence coupled with this flurry of searching for books for our upcoming trip, reminded me of a couple of our favorite Italy-themed books for young people that have permanent places on our shelves.

Pippo the Fool by Tracey Fern; illustrated by Pau Estrada

I LOVE this book. What can I say? Adore it. Fern tells the story of Filippo Brunelleschi's quest to build the dome that tops the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore during the Italian Renaissance in Florence. She does so meaningfully with rich language and humor in a seemingly true narrative that is entirely engaging and accessible to children while interesting to adults, too. We use it as a read aloud in our house. The illustrations? Equally in love with them (or perhaps more in love) and can't wait to get my hands on this book. 

Exactly as I had hoped, my girl was head-over-heals excited to visit Pippo's dome this August when we visited Florence. The connection was amazing to watch. Also watching her study the dome from inside and out was quite incredible. So rich. Several years ago I read Brunelleschi's Dome by Ross King, and I hope to pass it along to her in time so that she can get to know her beloved Pippo a bit better. Wishful thinking, I know.

Sketching in the Duomo (August 2012)

.........

The Hinky Pink an old tale retold by Megan McDonald; illustrated by Brian Floca

This one is another recommended favorite. I've included the Booklist review below.

The Booklist review:

• In old-time Florence, Anabel the seamstress is thrilled when she is summoned to the palace to produce a sumptuous gown for the princess. Every night, though, she is mysteriously awakened when her blankets fly off. "You have a Hinky-Pink," says the maid. "You must make [it] a bed of its own. Then it [won't] steal your covers." Too tired to sew, Anabel tries, and fails, to make the sprite happy. Then she lines a tiny thimble with cloth, and the room fills with the happy song of the finally satisfied little sprite. At last Anabel is able to sleep and work, finishing the dress just in time for a ball. McDonald's language, filled with rhymes and noisy nonsense, will make for a delightful read-aloud, and Floca's ink-and-watercolor images, best viewed up close, amplify the court's opulence and the story's humor and magic. The diminutive trim size and page layouts, which mix multiple small images and text, make this a good choice for kids transitioning to chapter books. An author's note lists the tale's origins. Gillian Engberg.

...........

Are there Italy-themed books for children that you would recommend? Please share in the comments. I'm currently gathering books that will peak interest in Paris (yes!) and hope to share the ones we all enjoy the most in a future post. 

holiday books

Another Piece of Our Christmas Story: The Books

Each January I gather and carefully stow away the collection of holiday-themed books that have floated from room to room during the season. This prevents them from getting lost in the daily shuffle of our lives, but, better still, creates a deal of excitement when they are again pulled from storage each following December. This week, I opened that box.

The little holiday library grows each year, both with books gifted by family and friends and books carefully selected by me, as well as with those picked up on a whim here or there. I think we have about fifteen, both paperback and hard cover versions. This year I took a bit of extra time to consider reviews and recommendations before deciding on these four to add:




The Christmas Magic
By Lauren Thompson
Illustrated by John Muth

   




This is the Stable
By Cynthia Cotten
Illustrated by Delana Bettoli

 




How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Dr. Seuss

 
 


Great Joy
By Kate DiCamillo
Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline




Not including the classic Seuss tale which I added without consultation, each of the other three receive good reviews by School Library Journal and/or Booklist.   I am so looking forward to this box of holiday goodness to arrive!

Some favorites in our collection include

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg (Classic book & movie combo)
Santa Duck by Milgrim (Very, very funny)
The Legend of Old Befana by Tomie dePaola (Italian tale about the Epiphany)
The Cajun Night Before Christmas by "Trosclair"; Illustrated by James Rice (Read aloud only by me)
Madeline's Christmas by Ludwig Bemelmans 
If You Take a Mouse to the Movies by Laura Numeroff  (Love these books)
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Robert May; Illustrated by David Wenzel (Fab illustrations)
Night Tree by Eve Bunting (Winter solstice tale)
The Sweet Smell of Christmas by Scarry & Miller (A gift from an early Christmas that she loves)
The Night Before Christmas Pop Up by Moore; Illustrated by Robert Sabuda (Wow factor)

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Does your family have favorite holiday books?