Something Old And Something New

Like a bride seeking to fulfill the old wedding tradition of something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue, I felt barely able to contain my excitement as I began writing this, my first Monday post, here on my shiny as a new penny website.

My something old entailed writing a brief last post on my former blog announcing my new site. A small tinge of momentary sadness crept upon me unawares, but the joy of building something even better bubbled up like a fountain washing away that feeling.

My something borrowed were bits and pieces from both my former website and blog that made the skeleton of this new and exciting site. And my something blue_ turned out to actually be something green. Green because on a grey and dreary day this past week, I captured some beautiful shades of green unmuted by the harshness of the sun.

And since I'm waxing poetical and comparing my goings on to wedding traditions, what wedding would be complete without a tremendously delicious wedding cake. Okay, maybe that's pushing it a bit far to compare the books I read this past week to a wedding cake, but they were both truly delicious reads. And, I am grateful they were sent to me for review by the ever so talented A. LaFaye.

The first title, No Frogs In School, made me shake my head in wonder. Perfectly, Ms. LaFaye described a child just like mine. A child who at that age was what I like to call a "letter of the law" child. A child who often told me you said "this" but not "that". A child like Bartholomew. Bartholomew took a frog to school only to be told not to bring any frogs to school again. And if Bartholomew was anything, he was a direction follower. Needless to say Bartholomew kept bringing in a different species of pet each time his teacher banned a former pet. And when the teacher finally declared that Bartholomew was not allowed to bring in any of his pets ever again, he most creatively found a solution to the problem. If you want to know what that solution was, run to your nearest indie bookstore and grab a copy for yourself.

The Second title, Follow Me Down To Nicodemus Town, tempted me almost as much as cake. And I really love cake. The story is that of the history of the African American pioneer settlement at Nicodemus town as seen through the eyes of, Dede, a child whose family saved their hard earned money and took a chance on free land in Kansas. The exodusters, as the former slaves headed out west for land were called, faced extreme hardships. But despite being a piece of historical fictional, this beautifully written and illustrated story, expertly shows the hard work it took for families to make their dream of owning their own home a reality. This book is perfect for classrooms. Actually, this book is perfect for everywhere.

I hope you enjoyed a brief glimpse into my week as well as my review of these adorable books. I also hope to see you here again next Monday. Wishes for a week full of wonder! Aileen