RAE’S READS

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This year (2025) finds me with 53 years of teaching “under my belt.” I have taught all levels from pre-K “(library lady” or “book lady”–volunteer) to juniors, seniors, and graduate students enrolled in my Advanced Writing class at the university where I have just completed 34 years. My first paying teaching job was junior high, and I spent 13 years with ages 12-13, the “difficult years.” I had some of the “funnest” experiences with this age group. When I was no longer the “young, fun teacher,” I taught in an elementary school setting before sixth graders went on to junior high, teaching language arts blocs, an assignment that was a “dream-fit” for me. After completing graduate school in my 40s, I went on to community college, then university teaching. This past fall I accepted a part-time teaching job at Apogee Gulf Coast Schools in its first year at the Alvin campus. After my Better Half died n 2022, I achieved a lifelong dream: opening a bookstore of my own, Rae’s Reads. A year later, I sold the house we had lived in for 47 years and moved into the bookstore. My goal is to circulate and repurpose books. Just as teaching is “in my blood,” so is a passion for reading, writing, libraries, and everything bookish. This blog will be open to anyone who loves books, promotes literacy and wants to “come out and play.”

  • SATURDAY MORNINGS FOR KIDS ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON

    I never seem to get this done mornings! I had good intentions today and even got up at 6:00 a.m. (on a Saturday!) to get started. After taking my morning pills and waiting for them to kick in, I listened to Fifth Dimension’s (a 70s group) Up Up and Away, particularly focusing on side 2, which I don’t remember ever playing. There are some “interesting” songs, mostly about breakups and moving on, and thus, it was soon time to start working in the yard.

    After a sandwich around 11:00, My Better Half drove me to Esther’s Field, “out on the highway” to buy handmade soaps, preserves, and I lucked into a 50% off basket where I found some nice Nothingsday gifts.

    Here it is almost four, and I am just getting to my blog. Ever have this happen to you?

    Thanks to Carla of Carla Loves to Read for the image.

    Today’s recommendation is by one of my favorite children’s authors, Beverly Cleary, but for once, the protagonist is a boy.

    An excellent idea for a letter-writing project

    Leigh Botts’s teacher has read Boyd Henshaw’s book to her students in second grade. Leigh loved the book. Now in sixth grade, he is assigned a letter-writing project, and he addresses his complaints about being the “new kid,” whose father, a cross-country trucker is never at home, to the author.

    Surprisingly enough, Henshaw answers Leigh’s letter, and his correspondence with Leigh over time gives Leigh some unexpected answers and changes Leigh’s life forever.

    This is a fine read for both boys and girls, but it is especially meaningful for boys who feel neglected by their work-absent fathers and who are a bit on the “sensitive side.” The story itself is humorous and warm at times, as well as well-crafted with complex characters, whom kids come to really care about.

    Were I rating this book, I would give it a full five stars out of five.

    Writing can bring unexpected results. Writing letters or having pen pals can encourage lifelong friendships.

    This was too cute not to share.

  • FIRST LINE FRIDAYS

    My Friday Firstliner today comes from Sarah Jio’s The Violets of March :

    ” ‘I guess this is it,’ Joel said, leaning into the doorway of our apartment.”

    All I know so far is that writer, Emily, is breaking up a marriage with Joel, and it was so NOT her idea. This promises to be the perfect follow-up-read to the book I finished this morning, Writers and Lovers by Lily King (to be reviewed here soon).

    Just finished

    Rae

  • INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2021

    A day to focus on and celebrate women everywhere.

    I began my celebration of International Women’s Day by watching special segments on the Today Show. Some of the pieces were not only informative, but inspirational. Here are women authors I have read since January 2021:

    Transcent Kingdom by Yaa Gyhasi

    The Quickening by Michelle Hoover

    home body by rupi Kaur

    Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Oshikazu Kawaguchi

    The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

    Becoming Madeline by Charlotte Jones Voiklis and Lena Roy

    Bonjour, Happiness by Jamie Cat Callan

    Frontera Street by Tanya Maria Barrentios

    Cowgirl Smarts by Ellen Reid Smith

    Miss Benton’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce

    Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

    Unsaid by Asmita Rajiv

    Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore

    Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel by Ruth Hogan

    Q’s Legacy by Helene Hanff

    I feel I am “doing my part” to promote women authors. I tend to like women to write about women’s issues and relationships, and so many things I read are centered around just that.

    What will you do to celebrate women today?

    Celebrate!

  • UPDATE: My Madeline L’Engle “Project”

    One of my writing goals for 2021 was to read everything by Madeline L’Engle and as much as I could about her. I started in January 2021 with Becoming Madeline, a biography, written by her granddaughters. (See review on PWR.) The biography ended with the publication of A Wrinkle in Time, because, as her granddaughters pointed out, L’Engle had written an autobiography, A Circle of Quiet. I recall that I read it years ago, but don’t remember much of what was in it, so I plan to re-read it SOON!

    After Becoming Madeline, I re-read A Wrinkle in Time, the graphic novel version of it,

    To determine how many times I’ve read A Wrinkle in Time, take two language arts blocks per year times 7 years, the number of years I taught 6th grade and…
    These two covers are my favorites, and I have owned (and worn out) both versions.
    This is the graphic novel, excellently done by Hope Larson, which I read this year.

    I also enjoyed the second book in the series, A Wind in the Door, and came to love Charles Wallace as much as I loved Meg in the first book.



    I re-read the second book as well.

    As of today 3/7/21, I am finishing the third book, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, a first-time read.

    This has been a very timely read for such an old book.

    I thought this was the “time travel” or “Wallace family” series of books, but with a bit of research, I happily discovered the series is a quintet!

    Here are two excellent quotes by Madeline L’Engle:

    This is what I hope to re-read next.

    An amazing woman, and one of my “heroes.”

  • HEADING HOME, NYC trip final day

    Sunday morning, sleeping late, and ordering a light breakfast from room services is a great way to start the day. While some of my friends go shopping, I’m going to meet author, Fiona Davis at an authentic NYC Coffee Shop. Bringing her news of her mom and her mom’s home town (Dyllis and I were in a book club together.), I can hardly wait to ask her about her next novel. Her first one, Dollhouse, was a Third Tuesday Book Club selection, and we were able to Skype with Fiona and meet this lovely lady.

    Her debut novel–a great story

    After coffee, I plan to stroll to Broadway, and meet my friends at Stomp.

    Lights, lights, lights
    The Great White Way

    Here’s the play we’re going to see. We all agreed it should be a musical.

    We naively wanted to see Hamilton, but the tickets were over two hundred dollars. This was more our
    speed.

    I know nothing about this musical, but it is sure to be loud! I packed earplugs for today’s performance.

    After the performance, we will hurry back to the hotel, grab our already packed bags, and let our already booked taxi know we are ready to head to La Guardia.

  • SATURDAY MORNINGS FOR KIDS ON SATURDAY EVENING

    Saturday morning TV programming was reserved for kids’ cartoons back in the 50s and 60s.

    Not one, but two recommendations today–both aimed at tweens and early teens.

    Being the new girl is always hard, but Ruby has it harder than most.

    Raised in rural Kansas, Ruby felt right at home in her red, Converse sneakers. When her grandmother falls sick and needs Ruby’s mom to come to Florida as her caregiver, Ruby’s life is uprooted. Three women in the house, Nana Dottie, Ruby’s mom, and Ruby herself provide plenty of drama, miscommunication, and short fuses resulting in harsh words and hurt feelings. “Will Ruby find a way to fit into a new life that she never asked for…Or will she find herself clicking the heels of the old red sneakers hoping for a chance to go home to Curly Creek [Kansas]?”

    Another shoe-themed book, Superstar by Mandy Davis is another kid’s book I read this past week.

    Son of a fictional astronaut, Lester and his mom adjust to life on their own after a tragic explosion of Lester’s dad’s pace capsule.

    Lester loves flight, space, and everything connected with it, but he has to “give it all up” because it reminds his mom of what happened to his dad and makes her sad. Lester is bothered by loud noise, bright light, and when his routine is interrupted. Because he reacts strangely, sometimes “childishly,” it makes him the perfect target for bullies. Up until now, when he turned ten, his mom homeschooled him, but now she must work to support them, and Lester must go to a nearby elementary school.

    His misadventures at school and his efforts to adjust make readers feel compassion and some confusion towards Lester. A pair of Superstar sneakers and a passion for science experiments come in to play. Will Lester always be the “weird kid, or will he become a Super Star in his own right?

    Both of these books were fun to read, contained great life lessons and were a “darned good read.”

  • NYC, Day 3

    When I was seven years old getting ready for school (first grade) involved watching, and listening as I dressed, to the Today Show. Mother and daddy would turn it on promptly at 7:00 p.m. while they enjoyed their morning coffee, then wake my brother and me to get ready for school at 7:30, when daddy would leave to “go to the base.” At the time, the anchor/host of the Today Show was Dave Garroway, who was sometimes joined by co-anchor, J. Fred Muggs, a live chimpanzee. It was always puzzling to me that a monkey would be doing a person’s job, and my brother and I would dissolve into fits of giggles that the monkey was wearing a diaper–we knew why!

    Here in New York, I awakened early to arrive at the Today Plaza, to wave at the co-anchors through the windows.

    Rockefeller Plaza ,site of the Today Show

    Let me make it clear that I will NOT be carrying a sign or filling out a card for a chance to be interviewed on the Plaza; just being there and knowing I was there is plenty.

    Back to the hotel, and ready to hop onto our 10:00 a.m. two hour bus trip around New York, catching glimpses of The Statue of Liberty,

    Times Square,

    Broadway, 5th Avenue, fabulous stores, etc. as we ride along. Looking out the window is plenty for us. Some of our group went “shopping” yesterday evening, while I chose to stay in the luxurious hotel curled up with a good book.

    The West Overlook provides the first full view of the site of the Museum, into Foundation Hall. The Last Column is at center, the Slurry Wall at left.

    Later in the afternoon, we have tickets to the 9/11 site, visiting the museum, then taking an evening tea/light supper near the Memorial Glade

    Some of us have plans for a later supper at a really nice restaurant; others will call it an evening early to store up energy for our foray into Broadway and a matinee tomorrow and for the return flight back to Houston at 4 p.m. I plan to meet a blogging friend at an authentic New York Coffee Shop before the matinee.

  • add coffee

    add coffee

    Annette Rochelle Aben's avatarAnnette Rochelle Aben

    Windows through which to gaze

    Light by which you can read

    Know you are rich indeed

    Simple pleasures

    ©2021 Annette Rochelle Aben

    https://wordcraftpoetry.com/2021/03/02/tanka-tuesday-poetry-challenge-no-215-poetschoice/

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  • 2021 Non-Fiction Reading Challenge, Update and Alteration

    Making some changes to original goals

    This challenge was offered by Bookout, a blog I often enjoy. I joined in on the challenge last December. Originally, I decided to go for the “Nibbler” category, where one read six non-fiction books from any category, but I was hoping to read one book from each of the six categories offered.

    Although I am enjoying non-fiction far more than I had anticipated, I need to simply read from any of the non-fiction categories, rather than limit my choices. That said, here’s the non-fiction I’ve read so far this year:

    The Joy of Teaching

    The Happiness Project

    Bonjour Happiness

    Cowgirl Smarts

    Q’s Legacy

    Think Again

    Oh my! I’ve read six books! CHALLENGE COMPLETED!

  • READ AN E-BOOK WEEK, March 2nd through 8th

    In honor of Read an E-Book week, I bought and read this E-book:

    I enjoy Ebooks a great deal.

    Queenie Malone is a flamboyant character, and her hotel and its occupants are as outrageous as she is. Reminding me of the line from the movie AI, “I see dead people,” we meet Tilly, the daughter, and explore her relationship with her mother (who in real time has recently died). Chapters vary from those told by Tilly, the child, then Tilda, the adult. As the book opens, Tilda comes “home” to deal with her mother’s estate. She meets well-drawn interesting characters, but also can see characters that others in the real-time story cannot. She also has a disturbing habit of lighting matches which grew out of a childhood obsession of playing with fire. The story is tinged with the supernatural, and family mysteries appear and are resolved as well.

    The themes of mothers and daughters, “choosing” one’s family, and the “disappearance” of fathers round out a riveting narrative. As in Hogan’s other novel, The Keeper of Lost Things, the reader learns that, “It’s never too late to write your own happy ending.”

    The surprise at the end is less of a revelation than a gradual, “Oh, that explains so many things” as the reader nears the finish line. Queenie is an exceptionally well written book, and I highly recommend it.