MMGM: Not Every Spark Needs a Stage — A Review of Absolutely, Almost

 

When I was a special education teacher, I would try to identify the hidden talents of my students. Some students, for example, who were struggling to read, might be brilliant artists or know all about the solar system.

One day, I asked a student, who was a very talented artist, if she wanted to make art when she grew up, and she said, “No, I just want to draw.”

It really hit me. Why are we in such a hurry as parents or teachers to rush kids into deciding what they want to do for work? Or to turn every flash of interest into a career.

I love to play the piano just for fun. I will never be a professional musician, but that’s okay too.

Whether you're a homeschool parent or a classroom one, I think we've all had that moment of wondering — are we pushing too hard? Or should we just let them be? 

Today I’m featuring a book about a boy who just wants to be a kid. I hope you’ll enjoy meeting Albie in Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff as much as I did.

Summary

Albie has always been an almost.

He’s almost good at tetherball.

He’s almost smart enough to pass his spelling test. 

And now that Albie is starting a brand-new school for fifth grade, he’s never felt more certain that almost simply isn’t good enough. With everyone around him expecting him to be one thing or another, how is an almost like Albie ever supposed to figure out who he wants to be? (from the front cover) 

 

Why This Story Stays With Me:

1.    From page one, I related to Albie. The family pressure to be involved in sports or activities, to get good grades, is real. Although I loved school and was good at it, I so related to Albie just wanting to eat donuts sometimes. 

2.    His relationship with Calista, his babysitter. Calista gives Albie acceptance for who he is. She lets him pick his own Halloween costume, just be a kid, and encourages his art. She knows that some days are just hard, but ice cream helps.

3.    Mr. Clifton, best math teacher ever! I love stories, like Wednesday Wars, where teachers provide much needed encouragement. Mr. Clifton keeps his “F” from fourth grade framed on his wall to remind himself that 

“You can’t get where you’re going without being where you’ve been” (p. 84) 

4.    The realities of reality TV. A fun subplot was Albie’s best friend Erlan’s family's foray into reality television.  Albie needs to sign a waiver to just go to his friend's birthday party! It gave a nice counterpoint to Albie’s journey to accept himself.

5.    Bullying handled with care. Darren and the “cool rules” were portrayed realistically. What I loved: Darren wasn’t a cardboard character, and Albie wasn’t a complete victim. His growth in learning to be okay with not being cool was a lovely journey.

Reading Guide: This book would appeal to 5th grade and up for independent reading, but might appeal to younger students as a read-aloud. It would make a great book for discussing finding your passions (even if they just end up as hobbies) or social pressure/bullying. 

 

Max’s take (out of a 5-bone scale)

Max, the Reading Dog

 

 

 

 

 

 🦴🦴🦴

No dogs! But I really liked reading about all the donuts and ice cream. If only my family would let me eat as much as Albie. I’m usually stuck with just dog cookies. Sigh!
 

 

Interesting Note: I got to hear Lisa Graff speak at a SCBWI conference a few years ago when she was still an editor. One piece of advice stuck with me: Don’t show your manuscript to critique partners until you’ve taken it as far as it can go. I have found I always get better feedback when I follow her advice.

Notes from the Front Porch:

Do you or your child ever feel like you’re just “almost” because you don’t have a spectacular talent?

Is there a book that helped you or your child feel understood?

  

Check out other fabulous middle grades at Always in the Middle!  

Tea and Tails

Let’s stay in touch.

If you enjoy our bookish chats, I’d love to have you join me for Tea and Tails, a monthly letter from my reading nook filled with bookish heart and quiet courage.

ISWG: Letting the Paint Dry

 

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over this writing journey is that you can’t rush.

When I first started writing, I different goal posts in mind. Get published by x age. Or after x years. Somehow I thought that meant success.

I definitely made the mistake of rushing—and not shelving—that first draft of my first novel. With each novel, I’ve learned the importance of taking a step back.

It’s like watercolor painting. You have to let each layer dry before you add another layer. And like in painting, you also have to know when to stop. I’m always amazed at the difference between a wet painting and a dry painting. What I thought was awful is not so bad when it’s dry.

Writing is like that too.

Yet with each book I have a different process. Sometimes I’ve written a messy first draft all at once, no stops. Other times, like now, I’m writing and revising and plotting and brainstorming all at once.

Which one is better? I’ll let you know.

For now, for longer works, I generally take at least a month off. Although more time is even better.

For shorter works, I take less time. But it really depends. Short works also tend to get the back burner.

But no matter how much time, the key is not to rush. The more I step back, give it time, and see it as a whole, the better it is.


Other writing news:

If you haven’t had a chance to see it, Amy Tan’s Unintended Memoir, is very inspiring. It’s still on PBS online, but you might have to have a PBS passport to view. Here is the trailer:

Savvy Authors Courses: I recently took my first course with this site.  These are self-paced courses (for a certain length of time, usually 4 weeks). It takes place via discussion board. The teacher posts content and exercises twice a week. It’s really helping me hone in on my WIP. And these classes are very affordable ($30-40). No, I’m not an affiliate or anything. It’s just so hard to find affordable writing classes. Highly recommended!

Last but not least, I have passed the 10,000 word mark on my WIP. It’s been a very long time since I’ve been in the drafting stage on a new novel. I consider the reason I got this far is due to the wonderful Story Genius book and the support of an in-person writing friend, who’s keeping me accountable by meeting me for coffee and the reading of chapters every week.

To learn more about ISWG or to sign up, go to the ISWG website.

What about you? Do you take a certain time away from first drafts?

#IMWAYR: Symphony for the City of the Dead: Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad

 

I was drawn to Symphony for the City of the Dead: Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad  due to its author. M.T. Anderson is brilliant. And then it's about Russia. I studied Russian in college, and I am especially partial to 20th century Russian history, even though it is quite dark. I visited St. Petersburg when I studied in the Crimea in the mid 90s. Here is a photo of a plague commemorating the siege. 

Sorry for the dark photo! My loose translation: Citizens! During the shelling this side of the street is dangerous.

 
Then there’s Shostakovitch. Back in March, my husband and I went to a concert featuring one of his pieces. And though the conductor implied that Shostakovitch wrote that piece to celebrate the Russian revolution (and we should too, scarily enough), I didn’t believe him. 

Reading this book was my way of proving to myself that Shostakovitch music only seemed to be lauding Stalin and communism.

Here is the synopsis from Amazon:

“This ambitious and gripping work is narrative nonfiction at its best. . . . The book has all the intrigue of a spy thriller. . . . A must-have title with broad crossover appeal.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

In September 1941, Adolf Hitler’s Wehrmacht surrounded Leningrad in what was to become one of the longest and most destructive sieges in Western history—almost three years of bombardment and starvation. Trapped between the Nazi invading force and the Soviet government itself was composer Dmitri Shostakovich, writing a symphony to rouse, rally, eulogize, and commemorate his fellow citizens: the Leningrad Symphony. This is the true story of a city under siege, the triumph of bravery and defiance in the face of terrifying odds. It is also a look at the power—and layered meaning—of music in beleaguered lives. Symphony for the City of the Dead is a masterwork thrillingly told and impeccably researched by National Book Award–winning author M. T. Anderson.


Highlights:

1.  Anderson points out that it’s really hard to find the truth about Shostakovitch meaning behind his music, because telling the truth meant death during Stalin's reign. But considering that Shostakovitch often wrote letters to help friends who were arrested, never denounced anyone, and was almost purged at least twice shows that he wasn’t a fan of communism.

2.  The people of Leningrad who survived did not lie down to conserve their strength. There’s something about going about your daily tasks and acting as if life is normal that breeds hope. And I loved that they entertained each other by reading and quoting the Russian classics!

3.  I found it interesting that although a German nutritionist advised Hitler to not attack the city because the people would die in a few months of starvation, he was wrong. This nutritionist and the Germans in general underestimated the Russian people, whom they considered subhuman. Yet the Nazis didn't consider how much a people's will to live, their love for their homeland, or the intangibles of life (faith, love, family, etc.) can impact a person's ability to survive.

4.   It is a powerful scene in the book when Shostakovitch's 7th Symphony is finally performed in Leningrad. The audience consists of starving people who’ve given up their day’s rations to buy a ticket, and the band includes Red Army soldiers on leave from their duties, because so many have died of starvation. Yet, with each note they played, they demonstrated how music and the arts can elevate the soul. 

5.   Anderson made a smart choice in letting Shostakovitch be our eyes through the terrible events of the first half of 20th century Russia. I probably couldn’t have stomached the barbarity of the revolution or Stalin’s purges without a mild-mannered man like Shostakovitch to root for. His love for his family and his willingness to do so much for others and so little for himself was truly inspiring.

I think another reason this book spoke to me was the timing. I shared in the spring some funny and light-hearted books that cheer me up. But I’m also finding that difficult books, especially about people surviving trials far greater than I can even imagine, puts life in perspective for me. Reading this book will make you grateful for the gift of food, of family, and the ability to speak the truth without losing your life.

I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Have you read any books about difficult times lately?

What I Learned About Writing from Watercolors

Image from thewonderforest.com

One of the interesting things about the arts is the way that artists use the same language. When my son plays at piano competitions, the adjudicator often comments on how he plays “with color” and “texture.” I found these descriptions strange. And yet, so true. Music creates feelings, just as all good art does.

It’s interesting how these terms are used in writing as well. A novel has texture if more is going on than just the main story—if we hear, smell, and see the world of the story come to life. This must be why I love books about food, especially ones set in other countries.

Dabbling in other art is so helpful to writing. I love listening to composers talk about how they are creating a certain feeling with their underlying themes, because I want to do the same thing with words. And I have learned so much over the last few months since I’ve been working my way through this marvelous book, Watercolor with Me in the Forest.

Image from thewonderforest.com

What I've Learned:

1. Permission to Fail: Now, I am a true amateur when it comes to drawing or painting. It doesn’t come easily to me, but I love it.  With low expectations comes the permission to mess up. I wish I could capture that childlike mindset with my writing. When we feel free to fail, we also take more risks.

2. Patience: As I’ve gotten better at painting, I’ve learned about patience. With watercolors, it’s all about the layering. (As I think it is in other mediums, but I don’t have much experience with them.) You might start out with a light wash, and then a darker one, till you get the shade you want. You must let it dry between each step to get the right effect.

This is excruciating for me. I have a hard time stepping away, and when I tried watercolors before, I often skipped this step. But now I see that this stepping away is key to a good painting.

Might stepping way also be important for writing? My writing is often pushed to the weekends or morphs into journaling or brainstorming during the week. I hear about these people who write and revise a book in a few months (or even weeks!), while I plod along on a novel for years.

Yet, because I have so much space between when I work on my writing projects, I come at it with new eyes. Brainstorming/journaling sessions are not wasted time. Maybe I’m just letting the paint dry. Maybe stepping away is not a bad thing, but something that will make my writing better.

How about you? Does other art impact your writing?
  

Indoor Nature Walk: Exquisite Creatures and Order in Art

A few months ago we visited the Exquisite Creatures exhibit at OMSI, Oregon's Museum of Science and Industry. 

This exhibit included artwork by Christopher Marley, an Oregon artist who makes art out of nature, including bugs, birds, flowers, and other living creatures. Rest assured, none of these creatures have been killed. They are all animals in captivity that died a natural death. Marley, who was once an artist who liked to draw monsters, decided after traveling the world to capture nature instead.

What stood out to me about the exhibit wasn't just that beautiful artwork can be made out of the most unlikely of materials, but what Marley said about nature. We seek nature because it's orderly. We crave order, an order that is behind all creation. I found this interesting, especially as so much art (in all its forms) tends toward the random at times.

I have never been a fan of modern art. Perhaps for this reason.

But it made me think of writing. A sonnet is beautiful because it has form and rules. A novel, follows a form: beginning, middle, end. A picture book can only be 32 pages.

More skill is required to create art when there are limits.

Recently I attempted reading a classic modern novel. I'd read chapter one, for instance, and get hooked in the story, only to have it end at a cliffhanger. But chapter two was not a continuation of the plot, but the start of another story. There was no order. It was frustrating to say the least.

Some might call that beautiful, and we all know that awards committees often grant awards to what is novel or different.

But it is beautiful?

The sights of the Exquisite Creatures exhibit are unexpected, yes. Art should surprise you.

But it is orderly.

Just like nature. And good art.

What do you think of relationship between order, nature, and art? Can good art be created without order? Share in the comments below!

*All photos are my own.