Entering the Flueniverse

 Although there are several workshops I attended last week that I can comment on (such as the ECOO session on AI, or the Language Curriculum Support meeting for the LC3 region of the TDSB, or my first guest speaker for the Winter 2024 cohort of York TL AQ candidates), I want to focus this week's blog post on something a bit more indulgent and playful: my evolution in just a year from discovering Fluevogs to becoming totally immersed in this "shoe culture". (To make it a bit more educational a post, I'll connect it to some media literacy concepts.)

Me wearing my first pair of Fluevogs

The Introduction

I first heard about these Canadian designer fancy shoes when I attended the Global Media Education Summit in Vancouver in March 2023. My old friend Kim Davidson from Toronto and newish friend Joanna Marshall from Chicago were both enthusiastically sharing details about their passion for funky footwear from this particular brand. We tried to walk to the flagship store a few blocks away but it was closed when we arrived. 

The next day, March 4, my very supportive colleagues from the Association of Media Literacy, Carol Arcus and Neil Andersen, took me to the Fluevog store in Vancouver so that I could explore for myself. Based on my reflections from that day, I wrote back then:

 I have to give a big shout-out to Rocco at the Vancouver store for giving me a brief history of the shoe brand AND letting me try one three different pairs of shoes. [In case a rich person with lots of money and nothing to spend it on is reading this blog post, I wore a pair of Derby Swirls (size 6.5, from the Seventh Heaven collection), a Barnett Biblio (size 7, from the Eastend "family of shoes"), and a Chakra (size 6, from the Soultalk "family")]. At first, I didn't understand the appeal of these very expensive and unusual looking shoes. However, I was fascinated with the passionate community that has developed around them and found them very comfortable to wear - even the heels, which is a minor miracle for me!

I tried on three pairs and left without any intent of purchasing any for myself. The shoes were just too expensive and out-of-the-ordinary for me (or so I thought).

My First Pair

My sister lives in Calgary and, it turns out, is also a Fluevog fan. She came to visit Toronto and family for Easter 2023. She stayed at my house during her visit and I thought it'd be nice to take her to one of the two Fluevog stores in Toronto to look around.

Maybe it was the company. Maybe it was the environment. Whatever the reason, I tried on even more shoes that day and actually took the plunge and bought a pair. If you are unfamiliar with the Fluevog phenomenon, shoes have "families" and "names". I purchased a pair of plain black Tippi shoes from the Thrillvog family. My sister did not go away empty-handed; she bought a pair of stylish and unusual Vagabond boots.

I liked my Tippis but there were a few concerns. Little blisters formed on my pinky toes when I first wore the shoes. After just a few wears, I had badly scuffed up the leather exterior. I paid full price for my first pair and the bill with tax came up to almost $450. They were (and still are) the most expensive piece of clothing or footwear I've ever owned (and that includes considering my wedding dress!). I thought that this was just a one-time indulgence that didn't go as well as I predicted. Yes, the heels were comfortable and I liked how they looked, but I fretted about the cost and damage (to the shoes and my feet).

Unexpected Presents

I talked to my friend Kim about my shoe dilemma and she offered to help. She recommended wearing socks or tights with the shoes to prevent blistering, which helped tremendously. She also offered to share her special shoe polish with me to fix the marks.

For Christmas, my sister sent a package in the mail. Inside was another pair of Fluevog shoes. Before you think my sister is made of money, she actually was regifting a pair she already owned that were slightly too big for her. These shoes are called Innovative from the Enneagram line. They were quirky, unlike anything I've ever owned - and I loved them.

Another Enabler and a Super Sale

I texted my friend Kim to let her know about my newly acquired second pair of Fluevogs. She responded enthusiastically and advised me to join the Facebook group called Flumminity. This group is an online community of people who like Fluevog shoes. I joined and was fascinated to see all these joyful posts of people wearing their shoes and sharing tips about shoe care, outfit matching, and other topics related to these shoes. I also started taking furtive peeks at the Fluevog website. I added to the list on my phone of styles that intrigued me.

Just before the spring line of new shoe styles comes out, Fluevog has a big sale. All of a sudden, those shoes that seemed financially out of reach looked slightly more affordable. I didn't dare order online, because the shoe sizes aren't as regular as all that - the fit depends on the shape and type of shoes. I invited Kim to come with me to the Toronto Distillery district Fluevog store to try on shoes and maybe pick a discounted pair to buy.

I skipped the gym that day (bonus!) and drove the two of us down. We had such a good time! Chy, the store manager, was very helpful and very patient. They brought many pairs for us to try. Some weren't in stock, because the sale attracts a lot of buyers. However, I found a few styles that weren't on my list but I really liked.

I surprised myself by finding and buying three pairs of Fluevogs! The mid-calf boots are Vagabonds. The ankle boots (my first pair of ankle boots ever) are called Nap, and the adorable shoes are called Paulson.

Even though I went home with three, there were several that seriously tempted me that I left behind.

I really resisted the pull of the Savasana dress boots, even though there were so many factors encouraging me to buy them. One, they looked good on me! Two, not only are they the last pair in that size in the store, they are the second last pair of that size in the entire country! Three, they were reduced in price (although *just $329.99 from $469). Look at our faces as I try on the Savasanas! My face says "awww man, they look so good; what will I do?" and Kim's face says "ooooh, those look so GOOD on you!"

So, in the course of a less than a year, I went from first hearing about this shoe brand (and never thinking I could afford to buy a pair) to owning five pairs of my own!

Media Literacy Connections

Economic Implications & Media Construct Reality = When I moved to North Scarborough from South Scarborough, I thought I lived far away from my home of origin. My notion of what constituted far shifted over time. Driving to Pickering was far until I did it often enough and it wasn't a big deal anymore. Driving to Oshawa was the "new far" until it didn't. The same can be said for prices. I felt that paying over $200 for a pair of shoes was extravagant, until I actually bought a pair. What counts as "an expensive pair of shoes" shifts because of experience and the company you keep.

Values, Political, and Social Messages = Fluevog shoes come in a black bag in a blue shoe box. The black bag is marked with a quote attributed to shoe designer John Fluevog:

Always hold on to the truth. Don't let others sway your heart. Don't compromise yourself for the sake of temporal grooviness. Be separate from the crowd that's awash with normality by standing out on a firm foundation. Never waiver in your love or faith. And in all you do, please wear my shoes.

These suggest the norms or beliefs supported or espoused by those that buy this brand. These shoes aren't cheap but they are nicely made and different from a "typical" pair of shoes. That means that they appeal to (and are attainable by) a certain group of people that can afford to buy them. Having said that, I've seen on the Flumminity group that some people scrimp and save to be able to buy a pair, or they search the various sales groups to find heavily discounted shoes. (It reminds me of the Simpsons episode where Marge buys a high-fashion outfit and then struggles to "keep up" with her new crowd of friends that knows and likes the brand.) I'm not suggesting that people who wear Fluevogs are snobby or all upper-class, but I recognize my own economic privilege that permits me to buy a pair of shoes over $100 without having to sacrifice. In fact, I'm quite enamoured with the Fluevog community that I've joined - people from various countries, ethnicities and orientations all united over a consumer product (nice shoes).

This coming week is the OLA Super Conference. My daughter helped me select and coordinate my outfits for those two days to match the Fluevog shoes I plan to wear. I'll write in depth about the conference next week, and hopefully I will get some good photos featuring my shoes. (That's something I hope to learn from the Flumminity - how to take good selfies that show off the shoe but still reveal the outfit that goes with them. I'm excited to learn - and collect more!)

Building with Boxes

I transferred 349 photos from my phone to my desktop computer and then to my external hard drive this weekend. 90% of those pictures were all focused on the same topic: boxes.

Back in 2019, ironically roughly around the same time of year, I gave students boxes to play with and they had a ball. Over this recent winter break, a colleague and I came into school to organize the tech cupboard. I had been saving all the boxes from Chromebooks our school purchased over the years in case we had to ship any back. My tech partner gently informed me that this wasn't necessary, so we removed all these empty boxes from storage. I couldn't bear to throw them away, so we moved them to the library. I knew we could use them, somehow. 

An empty, plain box is one of the ultimate "loose parts". Even though I have a lot of assignments to wrap up in preparation for Term 1 report card marks, I just had to provide time for students to explore and experiment with the dozens and dozens (really, well over 100) boxes of approximately the same shape and size. The students LOVED it. I was pleased with their creativity and collaboration too. (Cleaning up wasn't fun; the library was a mess for the entire week that the boxes lived in the library, but it was a temporary inconvenience.)

Here are some of the different ways the students used the boxes. I'll only include the photos that don't have students (or reveal no faces).

• constructing houses with lots of privacy

• making "chill space" hangouts

• including windows in their walls

• stacking tall towers as high has they could go
• letting the towers crash down on them and squealing in delight

• building furniture like chairs, sofas, beds and tables

• constructing a new play space for the skinny pigs (the student that made the setup below was disappointed that I wouldn't take the skinny pigs out of the cage to let them try it out)

• making covered contraptions like this long tunnel

• channeling their "inner cats" by hiding in boxes

• balancing boxes on their sides to make a maze or road

• wearing boxes as armor or clothing (not shown here)

• using other materials to supplement the boxes (like the skinny pig hay) (I moved this into their cage, as it's safe for rodents to chew cardboard.)

• pretending the boxes were something else (like these girls working on their computer tables typing on their cardboard laptops) (other big pretend options were delivery workers bringing packages)

At first, I asked students not to alter the boxes by drawing or cutting them, because I planned on using the boxes for my social studies project. To be honest, I designed this project with the boxes in mind. The Grade 3 and 4s will be doing a "City In A Box" project as a well to end their units on Living and Working in Ontario and Canada's Provinces and Territories. 

Near the end of the week, I started asking the other classes if they could use the cardboard for anything else, as reusing it would be better than just recycling it. My eco-friendly colleagues rose to the challenge. The Grade 7s and 8s seized a large amount to use for their Carnival French projects. The Grade 3 teachers requested the inside packing cardboard inserts for their upcoming structures unit.  They stack really well and are even more sturdy than the boxes themselves. The Kindergarten classes collected some for potential use at some point in the future. One Grade 5 teacher asked for some for science. By Friday night, thank goodness, all the cardboard was gone.

I need to figure out a good way to share the photos I took that include the students. We are getting a new TV for the hall to project good news and student recognition - maybe I'll compile the images into a slide show that can run on the TV for a couple of weeks.  

Lovely Lunches

 Let me preface today's post by acknowledging the significant amount of economic and class privilege I have. As a teacher who's been employed steadily for 27 years (and counting), I know I am very fortunate to have two weeks off for the winter break AND enough money in the bank to indulge in dining at restaurants on occasion. 

I appreciated being home for the holidays. The first week of January, similar to my last week of December, was filled with a lot of reading, in preparation for the 2024 Forest of Reading. (In an attempt to continue to savor what I read, I'll post the book covers and some appreciations at the end of this post.) I also designed some presentations for an upcoming conference, some projects for social studies, and some pages in my school scrapbook. To paraphrase an old saying, "all work and no food makes Diana a hungry soul", so I had some delicious meals. 

One of the best meals I ate while on the winter break was from Los Vietnamita. This Mexican-Vietnamese fusion restaurant (recently featured on BlogTO) is owned and operated by parents of some students at my school. I began eating there when there was no store-front operation and only available via a food truck. (See my blog post from 2021 about my initial experience enjoying their food.) It did not disappoint.

The portions of the dishes I selected (the Saigon Fried Chicken Bites and the new Al Pastor Fries) were so huge that I was able to have a substantial meal of leftovers the next day.

(The Al Pastor Fries consist of Grilled Chili Marinated Pork, Cheddar Cheese Sauce, Chipotle Ketchup, Pico de Gallo and Scallions. It is going to compete with the Saigon Friend Chicken Banh Mi Tacos as my new favourite dish there!)

As I savored every bite, both on the day I bought it and the day afterwards, I enjoyed how it made both my mouth and tummy very, very happy. Then, it got me wondering - why don't I enjoy the lunches I have when I'm working, or at school? What's the difference? Why can't I replicate this pleasurable experience more often?

There are many reasons why I'm not engulfed by digestive delight when I'm scarfing down my microwavable meals in the staff room. (They fall into several categories.)

• Ability: I have to make or reheat lunch myself and I'm no cook
• Time: I am usually in a rush to get back to work or run a club
• Expense: Going out to eat isn't cheap
• Time: By the time I go out to collect something, that "eats into" a big part of lunch
• Distraction: I'm too busy chatting with coworkers to focus on eating
• Location: Some of my favourite restaurants are nowhere near my school
• Options: Some food doesn't keep well into the next day, limiting what I can bring
• Expense: Buying fancy pre-made meals can also get costly
• Consequences: Big meals at lunch make me want to nap afterwards
• Appetite: Sometimes I don't have leftovers to bring because I eat them all the first time
• Appetite: Sometimes I'm not really hungry at lunch 

One benefit of not having meals like the ones I had over the break means I can focus attention on breakfast or dinner instead as my "meal-du-jour". I have no clue how much I weigh, (we don't own a scale at home) so I cannot make any comments about slimming down or firming up. Trust me, I won't be suffering without glorious lunches like Los Vietnamita. We still have LEWIS (the acronym stands for Lunch Every Wednesday Is Salad) where each participant brings in an ingredient and the sum of the parts is a nice salad buffet at school, and when I remember to go to the staff room when it's Treats Day, there's always something tasty to have.

I'll savor those dining experiences instead. 

As for savoring reading moments ...

Here are some more author shout-outs. I slowed down in my reading from January 1-7, but still managed to finish several novels.

Thank you so much Michelle Kadarusman for your trio of protagonists (Malia, Ari and Ginger Juice) and for making sure this eco-themed book never devolved into being too preachy or didactic.

Thank you Natalie Hyde for creating a mystery with the clues front and center but not obvious (at least to me). Animal heroes abound!

Thank you Casey Lyall for making me root for Lemon even with her flaws (and I love her friends Marlo and Rachel) making me sad about how Alzheimer's is such a cruel disease, and for making gnomes that act like they are in Starfleet Academy just as engaging characters as the humans are. One day, we'll be ready.

Thank you E. K. Johnston for helping me enter the world of D&D more thoroughly than I've ever been able to do (and considering who my husband is, that's a big deal). The story is so accessible - you don't have to own a 20-sided dice or know the difference between a hunter and a ranger to be able to enjoy it - and I was so immersed in Doric's story that a few days after finishing the book, I sat down with my family and watched Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves as a companion piece. (Oh, and to be companionable too.)

Thank you Richard Scrimger and Melanie Florence for co-creating a story with two recognizable pre-teens, in a location I know, in worlds that I'm definitely in-between (i.e. I'm not so poor that I don't own a cell phone, but I'm not so rich that I have rooms in my house that can stand empty most of the time). The cameo of the tall children's author made me grin, since I'm rather a big fan of that author.

Thank you Kevin Sylvester (another well-liked-by-me Canadian children's author) for making the apartment (like Colleen's book) a character in its own right. The media educator in me loves the philosophy behind the book (that the reader brings just as much as the creator to the text) and you left enough clues to make me feel smart when I guessed where the book was headed.

 

Book Blitz and #OneWord2024

 Happy New Year!

The last blog post of 2023 was all about running out of steam and being rather tired. Since then, I've been indulging in self-care while still attempting to get things done. I sleep in until 10:00 am, which means it's either so dark and gloomy outside that I'm not getting the cue to wake up, or I'm still exhausted. 

One of the big things on my To Do list is to read all of the 2024 Forest of Reading nominees before I launch the program at my school in January. Later on in this post, I want to give a single-sentence-shoutout to many of the authors of books I've read so far during this holiday. It's related a bit to my new One Word focus.

These are the past One Word goals of mine:

2016 = continue

2017 = forgive

2018 = seek

2019 = enough

2020 = push

2021 = well

2022 = watch

2023 = lift

I was rather pleased with how my 2023 word played out over the past 365 days. On December 30, 2022, I deadlifted 205 lbs. Nearly a year later, on December 27, 2023, I broke that record of mine and deadlifted 220 lbs.

(Thank you to all the people on Facebook that liked and commented on the related post.) That fit my "looks like / sounds like / feels like" description from last January. I have continued to go to the gym and increase my weights. I have promoted the work of others (and will continue to do so, especially at the upcoming OLA Super Conference 2024). I fulfilled my 2023 travel dream and I used my written and spoken words to lift others up.

So, what's this year's word goal? How does it fit with the second half of this post?

I toyed with several words (like stabilize and believe) but the word that just seemed to fit for 2024 partly came from my daughter. She holds two jobs and her second position is as a food critic writer for BlogTO. Her visits to different local restaurants have expanded our culinary horizons and given us more meal options, to the dismay of my wallet! She works hard to craft her restaurant reviews and ensure that each one accurately describes and promotes the dishes available at these various eateries. My word for 2024 sounds like a word you'd use to talk about food.

savor

As is my custom, I look up the word I select to check out all the different meanings. This comes from the Cambridge dictionary:

savor

verb [ T ]

 US (UK savour)

US 

 /ˈseɪ.vɚ/ UK 

 /ˈseɪ.vər/

Add to word list 

to enjoy food or an experience slowly, in order to enjoy it as much as possible:

It was the first chocolate he'd tasted for over a year, so he savored every mouthful.

Love the fact that you are alive and savor everything that life has to offer.

I always seem to be in a hurry, working under self-imposed or external deadlines. There's always "so much to do, and so little time". It can be a struggle for me to slow down, to "stop and smell the roses". I often tell my friends with young children that they should enjoy these years with their offspring, despite being so tiring and tumultuous, because they don't last long. It's time for me to practice what I preach. A long time ago, at a previous Super Conference, I wept after meeting an author of a book that encouraged us to all slow down. (I can't recall the name of the book or the author and this is vexing to m; I have the book at school so I'll post the title after January 8.) It's not just about slowing down, but enjoyment as well. Merriam-Webster includes the words "to give flavor to" / "to have experience of" / "to delight in" with their definition of "savor". My school board is very focused on "joy" and I think savoring is a joyful experience. (Look at me, tying in my School Improvement Plan to my One Word goal!) 😉

I will make my #OneWord2024 a reality by:

• still making deadlines, but taking the time to recall, document, or appreciate the process of getting there and some of the fleeting moments that garner a smile (keep taking photos!)
• travelling with my sister - we are going to Portugal in July 2024 together - this trip is inspired by comments my mother made years ago, when she expressed interest in flying with her own older sister (who used to say we were "descended from Portuguese pirates") to explore the region her ancestors came from before emigrating to Guyana. My mother has dementia and her sister is quite old and physically incapacitated, so we will undertake this voyage that the previous generation can no longer complete themselves
• eating delicious food
• attempting a return to a more prayerful spiritual life - the pandemic did some damage to my regular religious practices, including my daily prayers. I stopped saying grace before meals or reciting a rosary in the car on the way to work. A while back, my daughter reminded me of our bedtime rituals, which including picking the best part of the day, recalling it, and saying "and thank you Jesus for that"; reflecting in a manner like this may help me revive my flagging relationship with God and the church and savor/recognize all my blessings
• appreciating nature more by pausing before I leave for work each morning to soak in the environment, making those land acknowledgements we do at school a bit more significant 

Back to those Forest of Reading books. I'm a quick reader, so I race through the titles so that I can be ready to chat with students in the new year. I still need to avoid dilly-dallying, but I did want to savor the reading experiences a bit, and I thought I'd do so by listing the books I've read so far and a positive comment or appreciation. I was going to do more, but this post is growing and growing, so I may need to alter my initial expectations with this "salute to authors"! ETA After a point, I stuck to just thank-you notes. This isn't an indication of how much I liked or disliked a book; I just wanted to ensure I mentioned all the Forest of Reading books I've read so far!

The Fort

by Gordon Korman

Gordon, congratulations on your 100th book published! 

I loved the references to the music and videos that the characters enjoyed while in their secret, special place, and how each of the main characters (Evan, Mitchell, C.J., Jason and newcomer Ricky) had issues but weren't defined by their issues. You use the shifting POV between chapters so effectively here!

Seekers of the Fox

by Kevin Sands

Kevin, all is forgiven for ending the first book of this series (Children of the Fox) on a cliff hanger!

The way that each chapter ends with a thrill that almost forces you to continue reading reminds me of the way Charles Dickens captivated his audience. I enjoy how "the Old Man" is still a influence in Callan's life and how the crew of thieves (Callan, Lachlan, Gareth, Foxtail and Meriel) care so much for each other and try hard to keep to their moral code. I plan on buying the final book in the series to read myself and then donate to my school library! (ETA - I bought the book already!)

Simon Sort of Says

by Erin Bow

How can a book about a serious subject also be so funny?

Erin, there are so many things I appreciate about this book.  A minor one but a plus for me was the way that Martin, Simon's dad and his work as a Catholic deacon was portrayed in the story. The stuff about the saints and people's responses to tragedy ... that was so accurate and real. I loved that all the characters (and not just the youth trio of Simon, Agate and Kevin) were portrayed, with no cardboard characters in sight. And yes, I cried.

Becoming Bionic and Other Ways Science is Making Us Super  by Heather Camlot and illustrated by Victor Wong

Non-fiction books don't always grab me, but Heather and Victor, your book was intriguing enough, with a perfect mix of "I know that" information with "I never knew that" facts. I even read part of it out loud to my husband, who then went down a rabbit hole reading about Robert E. Cornish. Thanks for making my eldest smile with a call-out to Word Girl from the planet Lexicon.

The Journal of Anxious Izzy Parker by Alma Fullerton, illustrated by Beena Mistry

I just want to wrap Alma and Izzy up in a protective blanket. Knowing that Alma uses part of her own life experiences to inform and shape her books (like in Flipping Forward, Twisting Backward, dealing with dyslexia) makes her books even more meaningful and poignant. I'm so glad emotional support dogs (like Alma's Gibson, Izzy's Gandalf, and even Simon's Hercules from Simon Sort of Says) exist. 

Jude Saves the World

by Ronnie Riley

Ronnie, this is the first book I've read by you, but it won't be the last!

I love how joyful this book is. Just before reading it, I read a disturbing news article about current events in Gaza. This book was the perfect antidote to helping to diminish the horror that lodged in my head. Jude, Dallas, and Stevie are so gosh-darn likeable. I admired the absolutely brilliant way Ronnie deals with deadnaming in a way that protected and respected the character of Jude that I bet Alex Gino might envy. Clever solutions to problems too, Jude!

I've read these Forest of Reading nominees as well.

Thank you Hetxw'ms Gyetxw and Natasha Donovan for the Gitxsan perspective and beautiful artwork. 

Thank you Elizabeth Macloeod and Mike Deas - a fascinating book to read right now (some of us talked about this book and this article by Dr. Debbie Reese at the staff social).

Thank you George Paul and Loretta Gould for this three-language book about land, creativity, pain, and process.

Thank you Cathy Le Blanc, David Chapman, and Loretta Gould (such a prolific illustrator!) for providing such a clear example of Two-Eyed Seeing by teaching us about how the Mi'kmaw understand the seasons.

Thank you Nancy Vo for a funny and informative book (pigs have 12-14!) that a lot of people will want to read.

I met Lydia Lukidis at OLA Super Conference last year and have my own autographed copy of it. Lydia, thanks for the neat mix of poetry and science, and thank Juan Calle Velez for the gorgeous art.

Thank you Zain Bandali for showing that not all Muslims come from the Middle East (like my dear friend Parviz, who also comes from Tanzania), and to Jani Balakumar, for the expressive facial expressions, beautiful skin tones and fancy mehndi designs shown.

Thank you Linda Trinh for the multifaceted glimpse at a Vietnamese-Canadian household and illustrator Clayton Nguyen for the appealing pictures that connect the three siblings but also keep them unique.

Thank you Etta Kaner and Brittany Lane for the book that indeed kept me guessing (and some of my guesses were wrong) about what I was seeing and why they look the way they do.

Thank you Danny Ramadan and Anna Bron for a story with so many layers packed into such few pages. Don't give up, Salma! Don't destroy your drafts.

Thank you Peggy Janicki for sharing such a personally significant story (and for sewing those pockets into the UFV Indigenous grads). Thanks also to Carrielyn Victor for the evocative images.

Thank you Matt James for this tender tale that zig zags like the swimming path of those little creatures that live in puddles.

Thank you Michael Hutchinson for combining a mystery with some important teachings and learning about so many things, from dog sled races to trapping, from dealing with those with opposing viewpoints to the influence of land in our hearts and minds.

Thank you Nathan Fairbairn and Michele Assarasakorn for this graphic novel that has mass appeal. (We already had a copy in my school library and it's loved by comic fans, dog lovers, and readers who want stories about friendships.) 

Thank you Jon Klassen for giving me more questions than answers and a fantastic addition to the "librarians have superpowers" story.

Thank you Sara Alfageeh and Nadia Shammas for what can only be described as epic - one in which I enjoyed reading the end matter just as much as the main storyline.

Thank you A.T. Woodley and Mike Deas (another hard-working artist with more than one book on this list) for creating such a quirky fantasy, unlike any other I've read lately. I'll have to take photos of my eldest offspring's collection of stuffed octopi to celebrate getting to know Elliot's friend Octopus (and you can't forget Granny Yilba!).

Thank you Colleen Nelson for sharing your affection for a special place and making a great story about family, community, activism, and artistic expression.

Thank you Rachelle Delaney for a good mystery that also doubles as a useful reminder that grandparents have separate lives before becoming Grandma and Grandpa, and that grief expresses itself in different ways.

I still have 8 more books that I need to read before school starts up again. Appreciations in advance to all the creators. I'll get them done but I'll still try to savor my reading as much as I can.