How many books do we read in a year? We have no idea. So, this past January my son and I decided this would be the year to track the number of books. Reporting midway through 2024: 32 books on the tally sheet. Currently in the stories and studies book basket:
Studies –
Arctic Tern Migration, Susan H. Gray. In the autumn, these global traveling birds take 3 months to fly from the Arctic to the Antarctic. In springtime, they head back to the Arctic – this trip taking less than two months due to wind currents. We have layers and layers of “how do they do this and why do they do this?” questions.
Birdology, Sy Montgomery. Favorite chapters: “Chickens” (because each and every one is wacky) and “Pigeons” (author Montgomery takes the reader to a pigeon racing club and we learn the specifics – we love it when a book opens a whole new world for us).
Mother Teresa, Navin Chawla. This particular book – based upon extensive interviews with those who influenced (or were influenced by) Mother Teresa – is the only authorized biography of Saint Teresa of Calcutta (as per her canonization by the Catholic Church in 2016). It is THE book. We were riveted by the work of this brilliant visionary leader. How could one person, with no income, starting with 1 room and 2 postulants, turn this into a multi-national effort (hundreds of homes for the destitute, dying, leprosy affected, poorest of the poor) with a support system of 4,000 enthusiastic, committed nuns?
Can I Recycle This?, Jennie Romer. This is not our first recycling book, but this one leaves the other one (which was patronizing and jammed with platitudes) in the dust. This author is interesting and specific. We learned what goes on at a recycling center. We learned what cannot (at this point) be recycled: plastic forks and knives, straws, restaurant “to-go” cartons that have been sprayed with a plastic coating, eyeglasses, coat hangers, plastic baggies, potato chip bags. We are sort of feeling bad about all the potato chip bags we go through.
Footnotes from the Most Fascinating Museums, Bob Eckstein. Each entry includes a short list of facts about the museum, charming illustrations, and a few personal reflections from museum goers/employees (this is the best part!). I was happy to see one of my favorite, NAY, perhaps my favorite museum, included in the book: The Museum of Bad Art (Boston). Also, we learned that there are museums/museum grounds that host 200,000 bees (Clark Art Institute), and 1,000 dolls (Wenham Museum House). We were touched to the soul by the “National Museum of African American History and Culture” and Baltimore’s “American Visionary Art Museum”. We learned that a WOMAN (Betty Willis) designed the iconic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign (from The Neon Museum). I learned of this book from James Breakwell’s hilarious Instagram site. Many thanks! This is the perfect type of book for us!
Stories –
The Teacher’s Funeral – Author Richard Peck takes us to the one room country school house of the early 1900’s. The surprisingly effective teacher is a high school student, sister of two of her 8 pupils (who do not want to be in school at all). And then, just as we are settling into her spelling bees and geography lessons – WHAT THE H-E-DOUBLE-TOOTHPICKS??? – the author takes us along to a neighborly gathering to observe the butchering of a pig. Oh dear oh dear oh dear. Do I skip over this part or do I come to terms with this part of long ago rural life? I mean seriously, to be invited to a pig slaughter? Honored with the responsibility of handling the shotgun that would kill said pig? Then the book goes right back to being its pleasant self (romance, school yard antics, teacher certification worries, the town poet mystery). We do love Richard Peck’s books and have read loads of them. This pig business was a jarring surprise.
The Trials of Hercules Beal, Gary D. Schmidt. An excellent use of our reading time. Yes, it is highly entertaining. Yes, its writing style nudges close to poetic. Yes, we are learning about the mythical trials of the Roman god Hercules and how they parallel the life of current student, Hercules Beal. But we are also given front row seats to the best of thoughtful and focused teaching skills. On so many levels, a superb book.
Schooled, Gordon Korman. This is probably our 4th time through this book. There is a clash and then a melding of 1960’s hippie style culture with a present day 8th grade social environment. So well written, fun to read. 
Story Problem from Farmer Brown’s Roadside Stand – The 4 full time employees at Farmer Brown’s roadside stand will now be identified by the wearing of heavy duty green canvas aprons. Each employee looks so professional now. The aprons cost $15 and this includes “Farmer Brown’s Roadside Stand” embroidery work. Farmer Brown decided to order 10 aprons. Good thing he did. The week after the aprons were ordered, the price shot up to $25 per apron. How much money did Farmer Brown save by ordering before the price skyrocketed?
a) $10 b) $100 c) $250 d) $1,000 (answer at bottom of post)
Counting on Classical Music –
The Cuckoo, from Ottorino Respighi’s suite, “The Birds” (1928). Here is a tough assignment: tally up the number of two-note cuckoo motifs in this 4 minute composition. Sometimes the motif is produced by a single instrument, sometimes full orchestra, sometimes the notes are high, sometimes low, sometimes the motif stands alone, sometimes it is mixed into a collage of sounds. Like I said, tough. Our tally sheet totals are different every time we try this.
Bolero, Maurice Ravel (also 1928!) – ya gotta feel sorry for the percussionist who ends up playing snare drum for this 15-plus minute piece. It is calculated that the snare drum is struck 5,144 times. The worst part is that the musician has to play the same short rhythm over and over and over and over. We would go bonkers. That being said, we cannot resist anything that is conducted by Gustavo Dudamel.
3,000 and counting! – According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the most prolific classical composer (with over 3,000 compositions) was Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767). We are not sure we found the final composition (our goal), but his Overture-Suite in G minor was written during his final year. We listened to the short second movement (the “Gavotte en Rondeau”), a marvelously fussy piece – clearly baroque – that moves right along.
Welcome to the best part of my day,
– Jane BH
(story problem answer: b) $100)