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It is so easy to jump on the internet before, during (!) and after a movie to get quick answers to the questions that come to mind. What was that last movie I saw that actor in? Who was the bouncer -- he looked so familiar? How old is Viggo Mortensen? These are the easy questions where IMDB is your go-to source. 

Green Book inspired some deeper questions as the best movies and books do.

General google searching will answer your most likely question, "Is the story true?" I was most curious about the Green Book itself, and the origin of the term Jim Crow.

Continue Reading "The Green Book Explored" →

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Every year I look ahead to November and December with excitement and joy.

No, it’s not the holidays. And it’s not the wonderland of snow.

It’s the release of the New York Times List of 100 Notable Books.

Continue Reading "End-of-Year Awards and Best-of Lists for Books" →

A few years ago, I learned about one such treasure, the fairy lamp – a collectible that fits right into the season.

Long ago in the days before we could tell Alexa to turn on our light bulbs, people lit up their homes with candles and oil lamps; throughout history, the fires they caused were a huge problem.

In the mid-1800s George Miller Clarke, the owner of a candle factory, came up with the idea of a setting a pretty glass dome with a hole on the top on a base that would hold a candle.

Continue Reading "Flickering Lights & Fairy Lamps: Collectibles for the Season" →

Being a classroom teacher for over fourteen years, I tried to encourage the students in my class to never let fear or challenges get them down. 

This idea was sometimes met with excitement and at times, with some tears.

However, I repeatedly had seen for myself that if a child adopted a mindset of working through their obstacles, fears, or mistakes, that experience of overcoming adversity empowered them to meet future fears or difficulties head on. 

Continue Reading "Grow A Little: Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone" →

My day is surrounded by stories.

Yes, I work in a place quite literally stacked with books, but that is not what I mean.

Continue Reading "Once Upon a Day" →