Meet Magnolia and Book Reviews 2-4

My sophomore year in high school, we had just moved from the great pacific northwest to the busy mid-atlantic. One thing that made this monumental move easier for me was my daily walk with my sweet cat Peaches. Don't tell Fatty or Bentley, but Peaches was a great walker. He didn't need a leash to know that he needed to stay close to my side. Fatty and Bentley have both grown to an old age that makes them better than a good wine and smelly like a good cheese. Just kidding. However, one thing that they haven't ever mastered is going for a walk. I gave up long ago on trying to leash train them. So, it has been my joy and pleasure to have a new furball walk with me this last week. Meet Magnolia

Prowling by the magnolia tree.

She is Fatty and Bentley's love and worst enemy. They both alternate loving her on rainy days and swatting at the window on sunny ones. Magnolia loves chasing birds and squirrels, hiding under the magnolia tree and rolling on her back with ecstasy when she sees me. She is a good kitty. She knows to walk on the side of the road and to go in the grass when she hears cars coming. 

On the home front, Bentley has been helping me get my to-do list done.

To do: knock over pens over

Now what? Oh yes, I must get back to ironing that pile of laundry. 

So for some book reviews. I was hesitant to review these since they really don't count as literature in the proper sense. However, these pages which I read, did count as books at the library and I read them. Hence, a book review is in order. Does that mean I can do a book review on the amazing book on Laundry that I read? Hmmmm

Onward:

Book 2: "Senior Cats" by Kelli A. Wilkins 

I  had mixed feeling checking out a book on caring for an elderly cat primarily because I feel like I'm doing ok with my two old boys along with the Vet tips that I have picked up along the way. However, why not learn something new about old geriatric cats? This book was written in an elementary way, explaining what an old cat is and then the remaining chapters were on nutrition, vet care and euthanasia. It was a depressing read. What I learned was that you have to be careful judging books about pet care. This one is pretty new and gave little to no information on practical things yet it sponsored medication and surgery very much. The chapter on nutrition had me feeling like I was reading a special diet for a Hollywood movie star rather than for a cat. Bentley and I both didn't like the chapter on euthenasia. We remember how we have been told twice "It is about that time" for him and the Chubby One. Bentley had a UTI years ago and the Ball had quit eating for weeks. I didn't have money to kill them nor thought it was "that time" for them to die so took my little boys home, kept them hydrated, fed and comfortable. It took weeks for Fatty to recover and when Bentley got sick it took him about a week. So, I guess my point is, be careful about the source of any health book. Chances are that they are sponsored by companies that make money from the infirm. 

Book 3: "Miracle on 133rd St" by Sonia Manzano

Keeping up on emerging children's lit is one of the enjoyable parts of being a librarian. This last year, I was happy to see some sweet books on diverse cultures with wonderful illustrations be released. One of these books, targeted towards 5-7 year olds, is "Miracle on 133rd St". For those that don't know NYC, the higher you go on the street numbers the more likely you are to find yourself immersed in many cultures on the west side of the city. This particular story was about an urban family who just moved from Puerto Rico, far from their family, traditions and color. Mami wants to make a roast and bemoans the fact that her little NYC apartment stove is tiny and that she misses her family. So Papi and the little boy go out to the pizza parlor to ask if they can use the pizza oven to make their roast. Along the way they pass their neighbors who are all from different backgrounds: an old black couple quietly spending the day, a married family with two fighting kids, a lonely grumpy white man with his dog, etc. etc. They are all missing the Christmas spirit! Finally Papi gets the roast cooked at the pizzeria, invites the pizzaiolo to eat and on their way the delicious smell of the pizza entices all the sad lonely people to join them for dinner! In the end all the neighbors come over and they have a grand party. 

The central character of this book, the little boy, is young enough to see how different his surroundings are to those in Puerto Rico. He sees his sad mom and the differences in traditions. I think that this is often the story with immigrant families coming to the US where there are so many cultures and traditions and then the great quiet suburb that is silent and vast and isolating. I often wonder what the impressions of our ancestors were coming to this country from Ireland, Italy and Mexico. In any case, I enjoyed this book and loved the fact that it incorporated so many different cultures present in NYC life.

Book 4: "Sona and the Wedding Game" by Kashmira Sheth

This is another great book to introduce cultures to young children. This book, too, is targeted towards early independent readers around the ages of 5-7 and I think would be a good bedtime story book! It is about a little Indian girl, Sona, who  has the big duty of stealing the groom's shoes at her sister's wedding. It is tradition, in Indian culture according to this book, for the younger sister to steal the groom's shoes and barter for gifts in order to return them. This book shows the magic involved in an Indian wedding, the lavish colors, the detailed traditions and embellishments on every article involved. My favorite part, was the decorated horse. 

Understanding cultures is one of the best ways to break down racial barriers. Children are still open-minded and soft-hearted to learn how to treat others so teaching them through books is one wonderful way to open new worlds and cultures to them.