Award-Winning Reads | A Monster Calls

The monster showed up after midnight. As they do. But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting. He's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he's had every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming . . .   

This monster, though, is something different. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.   

It wants the truth.

Hello Everyone,

I've been in a bit of a somber, serious mood lately. (And no, that's not me reflecting and ruminating in the image to the right. Trust me, when I'm thinking deeply I look a lot scarier than that)! Unfortunately, there have been a couple of special people who were connected with the Tracy Library as well as people who I associated with in my congregation who passed away. I couldn't help but recall this literary treasure, which also reminded me how painful suffering loss can be.

The critically-acclaimed award winner of the week that I'm highlighting originates from across the pond. This book won, not only one, but two medals: the Carnegie and Greenaway Medals. According to the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), the organization which confers these medals, the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals are the United Kingdom's oldest and most prestigious children's book awards. Talk about a double honor!

The medals are awarded by children's librarians to books for children and young people. The Carnegie Medal is awarded for an outstanding book and The Kate Greenaway Medal is awarded for an outstanding book in terms of illustration. Since this title won both, you can expect an excellently executed story line with equally impressive illustrations.

And the 2012 Carnegie and Greenaway Medals go to . . .

(drum roll, please)

A Monster Calls! It is written by Patrick Ness, inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd, and illustrated by Jim Kay.

(I know the reveal isn't as dramatic since it's included in the title of this post, but please just try to act a little surprised).

I first read this hauntingly beautiful novel as an ebook on OverDrive and was immediately drawn to Conor, a thirteen-year-old boy who was primarily cared for by his mother. Conor struggles with his feelings while watching her battle a life-threatening illness. Suddenly an unnamed monster (why are the scariest monsters usually unnamed?) begins to regularly call on him at night. Who is this titular monster? Is it real or imagined? Friend or foe? And what could it possibly want with Conor? (Hint: it's in the opening quote). 

As the story develops and builds tension, so does Conor. His pent-up frustration and helplessness in a situation far beyond his control ultimately reaches its peak and the truth he discovers about himself leads to his much-anticipated catharsis. The black and white illustrations accentuate the dark, fantastical undertones of the story. If you want to try a deeply moving read, check out this book. 

Let me leave you a line from the novel.        

Stories are wild creatures. Who knows what havoc they might wreak?

Next week, find out about two friends - one human and one unimaginary (yes,  unimaginary *ooh*)!

Until next time, have a good reading!

Raquelle

Short Attention Span Challenge | Baby Food Chef

The "ugly carrot"! He helped me out with the challenge.

My poor kids!
Here I am at work, eating pizza and hamburgers at lunch, running off to get cookies and cupcakes on my breaks, but when I get home...it's healthy food time. Someday, I know they are going to figure out this little secret of mine, but right now (and forever, actually) I want my kids to eat healthy. It's my job to give them a healthy start.

That starts right at the beginning.

So, I decided to start making homemade baby food. Now, don't get me wrong, there is no judgement passed here. I know all parents make the best decisions for their particular family situations. This is just a decision I made for my family, but it doesn't mean it's the only way to go. There are many reasons I chose to make my own baby food, but I will list a few...

• I can see how the food was processed, or not.  There are no strangers or random machines mushing up my kid's food.  Plus, many of the baby food used to package commercial baby food still contains BPA.

• I can use organic or home grown veggies and fruits.  Even though recent research (which you can find for free on ssjcpl's online databases) suggests that organic food might not be any more nutritious than regular, there really hasn't been much research on the long term effects of pesticides and hormones on young children.

• The more the food is processed, the more nutrients escape.  Also, by making my own food, I can control the way it is cooked.  For example, steaming removes less vitamins and nutrients than boiling or microwaving.

•  Organic baby food is available for purchase at the supermarket and online.  It is also healthy and minimally processed, but it is expensive!  And that, my friends, is probably one of the biggest reasons I decided to make my own baby food.  It is so much cheaper!  And healthy to boot!

The Challenge
Master the skill of making and storing homemade baby food.  For this illustration, I will use fresh carrots and I will be making food for a beginning eater (approximately 6 months).  I will make a large batch of food to save time (I am a working mom, after all.  I don't have time to do this every night!).

The Process
As I said in the introduction, steaming is generally the healthiest way to cook veggies.  According to my book, the steam allows more of the nutrients to remain in the vegetable.  To steam veggies, use a steamer in a pot, with very little water in the bottom.  Put the veggies into the steamer, boil the water, and remove the veggies once they are very soft.  Easy peasy!

The veggies can be mashed up several ways.  You could use a manual potato masher, a fork, an immersion blender, a regular blender, or a food processor.  The type of tool used depends on how mushed up you want the food, what type of food it is, and the age and skill of your child.   You may want to make the food thicker for a baby that has been eating awhile, thinner and more watery for a baby just started on solids.

These specific carrots are meant for a child just beginning to eat solids, so I want them pretty smooth and thin.  After debating for awhile about whether to use a Magic Bullet or a Food Processor, I chose the latter. It worked quite well. To thin out baby food, just add liquid such as mommy milk, formula, or water. To thicken, add baby cereal, potatoes, or bananas.

After blending or mashing, the baby food should be given to the baby, and any excess can be stored.  If it is a small batch, put it in the fridge for a few days.  If it needs to be stored longer, put it in the freezer right away.  It can be stored frozen for about a month.  Food that has already been defrosted after cooking should never be refrozen.  Also, according to the book I checked out, do not store the food in the same container you used to feed baby, because the spoon dipped in deposits bacteria.

There are lots of ways to store baby food.  You can place drops of food on wax paper and freeze or store in glass or plastic freezer-safe containers.  I chose to freeze the baby food in ice cube trays, then, once frozen pop them out and stick them in a bag.  For me, it takes up less room.  However, I often break the ice cube trays when trying to remove the food. 

The Result
Success!  My baby food is safely stored in my freezer and my baby loves her healthy, colorful, tasty carrots!  I spent $4 on two bags of organic baby carrots and created 24 cubes, and it took me less than an hour.

How about you, readers (if you are still there)?  Have any of you ever tried to make baby food?  I would love some tips!

Also, if you have any fun challenge ideas, please post!     

P.S. This week is a double challenge...stay tuned for my next one.

Life & Style | Confessions Of A Semi-Bad Working Mom

As a working mom, I qualify as a circus juggler. I assure you. 

How else can I manage to take care of a household and my kid in addition to working full-time.

I am so envious of housewives, I confess. I want to switch places with them, but I can't really afford it. 

Working women can't have it all in my opinion. Let's face it, we are humans not robots.

I work 40h/week which means that I am away from my family 40h/week.

Since I feel guilty about not spending quality time with my daughter, I spoil her rotten then I wonder why she misbehaves sometimes.

Most nights, by the time I get home around 6:30 pm, I am already running low on fuel.

There are nights that I just want to dive in to my bed and just sleep. But I can't. I have to check homework, feed my kid, give her a bath, get her lunch box ready, get her school uniform ready, and then read to her.

I confess that there are some nights that I am so exhausted that I ask my kid to read to herself. 

Some nights, I am so sleepy after we read to each other that I don't have any energy left in me to open one of my own books. 

I also feel really guilty of not cooking enough homemade meals for my family during the week.  

There are also days that I just want to be left alone for just a few hours. On those days, I just want to be dropped in the middle of a deserted island and be left alone with a good book and a slice of chocolate cake.

Am I asking too much?

For me working and keeping a house in order and taking care of my kid and being a wife is a constant uphill battle.

But, I also have to confess to something.

I am blessed to have a great husband, great parents and a wonderful mother-in-law who help me out with everything and anything. 

But with all their help and support, being a working mother feels like training for the Iron Man triathlon every day of the week.

So, to all the single women out there, gear up for the challenge!

I've got to read one of these books one of these days: 

Just let me lie down : necessary terms for the half-insane working mom

Home-alone America : the hidden toll of day care, behavioral drugs, and other parent substitutes

Chicken soup for the working woman's soul

I don't know how she does it : the life of Kate Reddy working mother
  
Time off for good behavior : how hard working women can take a break and change their lives

Signing off until next Monday- Panteha