Money, hiding, books, dragons, poetry, and rolled ankles
There's a lot going on here I promise it all makes sense!
I Am Money*
By Julia Cook, Garrett Gunderson, and Josh Cleland
Is it ever too soon to talk about money? I don’t think so.
I know in some families it’s taboo to talk about money, and in our culture in general many people have a hard time talking about it. And if we don’t talk about it, how are the new little humans supposed to learn?
My oldest has been reading this one and we talked plenty about different types of money, credit cards, what we can do with our money, and more.
This is by no means an exhaustive guide to money; instead it is a cute way to get the conversation going about the importance of earning, spending, saving, and giving. I like that it’s pretty general and basic so families can build their money story around this one.
Check this one out to get the conversation started about money in your family!
*Sourcebooks asked if I would like a copy of this book for review, and I said yes! I only collaborate with publishers I respect, and only ever request books that I know will work for my family and be books I want to share.
Sneak! A Slide-And-See Book*
By Beatriz Giménez de Ory, Paloma Valdivia, and Lisa Rosinsky
This one is SO COOL!
There’s a little riddle about the creature,
then, when you turn the page,
the paper shifts and you see the creature before your very eyes!
It’s a simple and sturdy mechanic that seems like magic to little kids.
The illustrations in this are gorgeous,
and the way the creature is revealed has not gotten old for me, my two year old, or my seven year old (and we’ve read this one about ten times already!)
This one focuses on creatures who use camouflage to hunt or hide,
and at the very end shares a few sentences,
written in engaging language that you can read aloud to the kid you’re enjoying the book with, all about each creature in the book.
When I went to find the link for this book, I found that the bookshop link (which I always link) has the book for 24.99, which, I have to admit, is a steep price for a board book. I know the mechanics of the reveal are tricky to engineer, and the paper is VERY sturdy, AND most people aren’t going to spend 24.99 on a board book. Via the publisher’s website, it’s 19.99, but is sold out.
Maybe you can request it from your library?
All I know is this is one that my youngest reaches for again and again and AGAIN.
Check this one out to learn about really great creatures who hide in plain sight!
*Publisher’s Spotlight, a company that works with small publishers, is another company I collaborate with. They send me and other influencers surveys seasonally to see what books we’d be interested in reviewing. This is one of those books. As always, I only ever request books that I know we will enjoy and ones I know I’d love to share about.
How A Book Is Made
By Aliki
Did anyone else read this book as a kid? My aunt sent this to me when I was a kid and I POURED over it. It takes you through the entire process of a book being made, from the author/illustrator getting the idea, to it being worked on by everyone at the publishing house, to getting printed and marketed to bookstores, libraries and schools, and finally bought at a bookstore and landing in the hands of a little reader.
Yes, I had it when I was a kid, which means some parts of this are a bit outdated technology wise, but the steps to making a book are still accurate. This is so fun for little readers who love books; it’s a great behind the scenes look at how they’re actually created.
When I saw a hardcover copy (I only ever had a paperback) at a local used bookstore, I snatched it up. My oldest has taken it as her own, and loves reading it.
Check this one out for a step by step guide to how a book is made, starring cats!
So Let Them Burn
Kamilah Cole
I read this one a bit ago but have been waiting to share it with you until you could actually buy it or read it; it just came out!
It’s a Jamaican inspired fantasy with one sister who can commune with the gods, and another who’s an amazing fighter. Both fought way too young in a war to gain their nation’s independence from the people who colonized them previously, and both are looking for what’s coming next. But neither predict that it has to do with dragons, enemies turned friends and maybe more, new mysterious god like presences, and ultimately a decision that will pit sister against sister.
I read this SO FAST!
It will have a sequel, which I’m excited about.
If you’ve read another of my faves, Legendborn, you’re going to love this one too.
Kick butt female characters, a diverse cast, actual dragons (they are so cool), mysteries, role reversals, long lost things coming back from the supposed dead…this one has it all.
Check it out if you love fantasy and amazing characters.
You Could Make This Place Beautiful
By Maggie Smith
You’ve likely heard of this one.
Or want to read it strictly or its cover.
I started the audiobook forever ago and only had an hour left on it,
and then decided to start over from the beginning because I wanted the whole story at once. I’m not all the way done with it, but I’ve read enough to recommend it.
Maggie Smith is dissecting her life, trying to figure out the narrative she needs to go forward after a pinecone and a postcard lead to her finding out her husband is cheating on her. What is her life now? And how does this color everything that has lead up to this?
So far it’s a beautiful look at being creative, relationships with friends and partners, becoming a parent, parenting, how society thinks only certain people should be part of raising the family and certain others should have careers, and more. I love her voice and how in so few words she can evoke such strong emotions.
If you can listen to it, do it. She reads it beautifully.
Check your library through Libby or Hoopla,
or support an indie bookstore through Libro.fm.
Check this one out for a snapshot of a life and a reminder that we all go through hard times and have to figure out how to tell ourselves the story of those hard times in a way that makes us want to move forward.
I am typing this with a rolled ankle.
This past weekend we had two ninja competitions (we is me and my oldest!) and at the first one, on one of the last obstacles, I jumped to a trampoline and landed weird.
They asked if I was okay.
I said I wasn’t, then that I was, then that it was fine.
Because really it was.
I knew I rolled it.
The rest of the obstacle I was on was entirely upper body stuff,
And the last three I could get through with a rolled ankle.
I got points for all the remaining obstacles except the last one,
only because I ran out of time due to going slow and carefully with the rolled ankle.
The next day, I competed with an ankle in a brace, and went slow and carefully again.
I completed just as many obstacles as the competitor who took first,
but came in second because I was much slower.
I’m icing the ankle and walking on it quite a bit; it will be back to normal in a few weeks. I’m taking it as a sign that I need to slow down; I thought I was doing a good job of that but apparently not! It’s my strong balance foot, so I’m also looking forward to practicing balancing on my weaker foot and doing some more upper body stuff.
We watching the video of my run where I got hurt; my two girls and my husband.
My oldest said, “see, that’s where you got hurt. And you still didn’t give up, Mama.”
I agreed and also added, “because I know my limits. I knew I could keep going slowly and not get hurt. But if I knew I’d get hurt if I kept going? I would have stopped right away.”
My oldest asked, “how do you know?”
I told her, “you have to get quiet and enough where you can listen to yourself, and do that over and over. You know about you. But sometimes everything else is so loud you can’t hear yourself answer.”
I’m glad she got it.
Maybe my youngest did too, I don’t know. She was mainly excited to see me on the screen and just kept repeating “Mama do it!” after every obstacle.
Let’s chat in the comments!
You can say whatever you want or answer one of more of these questions:
1. Tell me about something you learned from listening to yourself.
2. How much do you talk about money with your friends and family?
3. What do you like about the book you’re currently reading?
See you in the comments and
happy reading until next week,
Kathy Ellen
See what I’m reading in real time on The Storygraph,
check out my book thoughts on TikTok,
little posts on thanks and intentional living on Buy Me A Coffee,
and books and intentional living on YouTube!
Greetings friend!
I have learned to take the rest when my body needs it, and when I'm able. Example? Today! I came home from work extremely tired; my husband was home, my kids were playing, and I rested on the couch. Three hours later I woke up! (which is why I'm sending this late!) This was not how I anticipated my afternoon and early evening going, but it is what I needed, and if I would have ignored my body, it would not have gone well!
I talk about money A LOT. I am the person who moves the money around the most in our family, into and out of investments. My husband and I sit down every week to go over our spending, our goals, and how the two are aligned. I journal every day about my spending, which has helped curb my impulse spending. I talk quite a bit about money with people outside of my immediate family, and I want to do even more of that.
I'm reading a graphic novel that I read a while ago, and it's fun to revisit it! It's about middle school, making friends (literally and figuratively) and how what we want most in the world may actually backfire on us when it becomes clear we want it for the wrong reason. I'm sure I'll share about it in a future newsletter!