If I sit long enough, I can still hear the soft tumble of water on the sandy beaches of the Costa Del Sol - it didn't seem like January and certainly didn't feel like the beginning of the year we've just had. As we trudge into 2021, shlepping the grief, heartache, and disappointment in the wake of what has been 2020, it's eerie to look back. Sometimes painful, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny in its irony, but mostly just strange. And sad.
As dictated by tradition, we write our annual "best of" letter in January to our faithful, loving, and incredible partners. We pull out the highlights of the year that has passed, package them up with a tight bow of thanksgiving and appreciation, and send this collection of precious moments to our dearest family and friends. One of those categories is "best books." And while often it's been simple to choose one of many brilliant options, this year, the books I've read have marked this strange season of 2020 with more significant markers. This year, I've decided to map the year in books, to remind myself of what has been, and to remember this year - in all of its unexpected complexity. I often choose book recommendations which are safe and enjoyable for our diverse group of partners. This year, I will be a bit more open (given appropriate warnings) of all of the books I've enjoyed. My list is not for everyone, but I believe there's something for everyone. I'm incredibly picky, but read very broadly to find the next story which truly inspires.
January - I wrapped up 2019 in Michelle Obama's Becoming. Did you know that the president and first-lady pay for the kitchen's menu and staff while working in the White House? I learned so much from Michelle. Though a far cry from a literary landmark, Becoming offered an insightful glance into the deeper workings of our former first family and the nature of political life. I then jumped in to Little Women as a vacation read. It had been a while and I'd forgotten (spoiler) that Laurie and Jo end up on different paths. There were some aspects I marveled at anew and some I cringed to read again.
February - Returning to my senior English class, we embarked a journey deeper into the Native soul. We read Power by Linda Hogan (a former professor of mine) and looked at the Native experience between two very different worlds. I started reading through all of the Malcolm Gladwell books I could access through our library: What the Dog Saw, The Tipping Point, David and Goliath, in anticipation of his new release, Talking To Strangers. I found the tone of his new book to be quite stark and divergent from his other books, but, as is true to Gladwell style, insightful and engaging. I enjoy following in his continued search to find intriguing connections between research and phenomena.
March - The month coronavirus came to Russia - more specificially, the month coronavirus came to our family! This month was spent mostly sick and in the initial phase of lockdown. Our school transitioned to distance learning for what we believed to be a 2 week experiment. In English, we began Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart and read edited sections of Born a Crime by Trevor Noah. I highly, highly recommend both books. Trevor Noah is not for the faint of heart - a sensitivity to language will prevent one from enjoying his shocking stories. Achebe is best accompanied with help in understanding all that he is doing in his novel; while it reads very simply, Things Fall Apart layers techniques and themes which create multiple levels of meaning, it is a literary triumph. Our class watched this interview and read some of his other work to get a better picture of his life and experience. I also read Lila by Marilynne Robinson, probably my favorite of Robinson's Boughton/Ames novels so far. My biggest regret of this season was naively believing we'd be back at school after our 2 week break. Because I thought for sure we'd be back in person, I failed to give the seniors the last book of the year I'd been looking forward to reading with them: The Chosen by Chaim Potok. It turns out we weren't allowed back on campus until long after the semester ended and I regret not being proactive in getting this book into their hands before lockdown. I think they would really have enjoyed this book and I often wonder at the conversations we could have had discussing it. The seniors were probably thankful for a decreased work load due to my failure of intentionality, but I still wistfully wonder what might have been...
April - This month I got word that I had landed my dream job: teaching reading to all of our elementary classes. The search for the best children's books just got serious! I read Shiloh, Holes, and The Hundred Dresses and quickly found places for them in our curricula for Classics Track for 5th/6th grade and read-aloud for 2nd/3rd grade. I also worked through some of Gogol's collected tales, but eventually had to stop as they became too creepy (especially before bed...) I picked up the highly recommended Where the Crawdads Sing. It was ok. The ending makes it worth the read, but, like most love stories, it's much too fluffy and happily ever after for my tastes. Also, I was not prepared for so much explicit detail during the more "unmentionable" scenes!
May - This month of lockdown, we sought refuge with our pastor and his wife who have a little yard attached to the church building. Their generous hospitality allowed our family fresh air and active play after a month of the kids not seeing the outside world. For quarantine fun, I reread Austen's Emma and decided to watch some of the adaptations (2009 BBC mini-series, Clueless, and the 2020 Autumn De Wilde movie.) Of the 3, I think the most recent 2020 version is the best - the music is wonderful and the characters retain their intended frivolity. Clueless is a close second, kudos to Austen's young characters being truly portrayed as highschoolers in all of their glory. I did enjoy the 2009 version and know many who consider this the purists' version. I, however, consider Dumbledore to be the highlight of the series and generally found it to be too serious for what I believe Austen intended. Generally, though, a very suitable way to spend quarantine. I also read The Watsons Go to Birmingham and placed it in our 5th/6th grade World Issues track. The kids and I read Wishtree, Three Tales of My Father's Dragon, and Fantastic Mr. Fox. Wishtree was ok, but I think there are better stories out there. As far as Dahl is concerned, I believe BFG and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory might be my primary picks over Mr. Fox. My Father's Dragon was very well received by the kids, especially Peter, and will go into the 2nd/3rd grade curriculum.
June, July & August - The summer was consumed with preparation for the fall semester, particularly the high school seniors. I read and prepared curriculum for The Odyssey including the delightful treat of watching "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" as a reward for finishing my lesson plans before the first day of school. To prepare for the companion course to English, Introduction to Ancient Philosophy, I logged quite a few hours listening to "Philosophize This" as well as catching up on recommended companion readings (particularly by Plato and Aristotle.) Looking for a reading companion for understanding Christian ethics, I read Making the Most of It and Why You're Here by John G. Stackhouse Jr, then After You Believe by N.T. Wright.
Then came Augustine. Confessions pairs remarkable insights with occasional ravings lost in context today. When it came to preparing class material, James K.A. Smith came to my rescue with two phenomenal contributions: On the Road with St. Augustine and You Are What You Love. An Augustinian scholar, Smith provided fodder for what became our most fascinating class discussions on Confessions. Aristotle explains that our habits over time gradually make it easier and easier for us to do evil or to do good. Augustine elaborates on this concept by showing our human relationship between freedom, habits, and bondage. Smith challenges us to examine our habits truthfully to find what lies at the core of who we truly are - not just who we think we are. We will continue to unpack this idea in Philosophy and Ethics this spring. If you would like to explore Augustine, I highly recommend both of Smith's books. On the Road helped me unpack Augustine's very dense and surprisingly intentional stream of consciousness while You Are What You Love asks questions we might rather prefer to ignore...
This summer I also read this random assortment: The Hate U Give; Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry; The War that Saved My Life; The War I Finally Won; Us Against You; Ella Enchanted; and The Secret Life of Bees. I enjoyed each of these in its own way. They are all very different. The only three I might hesitate to recommend are The War books and Ella Enchanted - these lacked the depth and insight I found with the other authors. Fredrick Backman continues to impress me with characters and setting. He is probably my favorite modern author. Some of his work is difficult to read, though poignant and telling of the way we live now. The Secret Life of Bees was also wonderful. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed that book. Roll of Thunder lived up to my expectations and went far beyond. I'm eagerly waiting for other Mildred Taylor books to become available through my library subscription.
September & October - Returning to school in September, I began daily read-alouds for each grade. The highlights for each class follow:
Kindergarten/1st Grade: Mo Willems to the rescue! For our very diverse group of English language learners, his simple, yet hilarious, books and expressive pictures were a delight for me (as the reader) and these students (as the listeners.) Our school's and our family's personal assortment of Piggie, Elephant, and Pigeon books are still daily requested by students and my coworkers.
2nd/3rd Grade: Mercy Watson. With this mixed group of readers, the Mercy Watson original series as well as More Tales from Deckawoo Drive simple chapter books provided a perfect solution to keeping everybody interested and engaged. When we transitioned for 6 weeks of distance learning, I gave each student 3 different Mercy Watson books to take home to read. Beatrice, an eager 3rd grader told me, "Mrs. C, I just cannot wait to read these books. I want to read them all right now!" Thank you, Kate DiCamillo, for your incredible stories and characters. You have fans all over the world!
Tales Track (4th-6th Grades:) Where The Mountain Meets the Moon had even our most hesitant readers excited to read. A wonderful mixture of folklore and imaginative story-telling, Grace Lin has created an incredible world of nesting stories which inspire and engage. Particularly for our Asian students who are also far from home in Moscow, this beautiful book provides a rich invitation to celebrate their home cultures and encouraged them to bring their favorite fairy tales into our classroom.
Classics Track (5th and 6th Grades:) This year we began with A Wrinkle in Time then worked our way through A Christmas Carol. Both authors, in very different ways, show the unexpected gifts of one's faults and the transforming power of God to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Seniors: Just because they're 17-18 years old, that doesn't mean they don't like listening to someone read aloud! Some of these older students enjoy reading aloud and do so with great talent and vigor. Everyday we met in person, I provided supplies for hot drinks and then took about 10-15 minutes each class to read aloud to these big kids while they enjoyed their tea/coffee. First quarter we read The Silver Chair in which C.S. Lewis plays charmingly with the concepts from Plato's Cave, continuing the conversation about the nature empirical and abstract truth. Second quarter, we read Frederick Douglass' Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass to offer a comparison to Augustine's autobiography. Two authors with African roots, one establishing the autobiographical genre, the other using his voice to advocate scathingly for needed social reform.
November & December - During the fall, I also read two brilliant books, Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson and The Body Keeps the Score by Van Der Kolk. Reading time became very scarce, particularly during distance learning, but these two very different authors and very different books both comprise lifetimes of work to bring about help and healing to some of the deepest scars and wounds in our world today. I highly, highly recommend both of these books and commend both authors for imaging God in their work and lives.
There will be no whisper of waves for us these year on the Spanish coast, but we welcome a new year with new hopes, new plans, and new books. Moving into 2021, I'm reading The Mirror & The Light, the last of Hilary Mantel's trilogy with Backman's Anxious People in queue. The kids and I started the long anticipated Wingfeather Saga by Peterson as a fun school break read - only a few chapters in and we're all hooked. On tap at school? Crime and Punishment, Watership Down, Just-So Stories, Finding Winnie, among others.
It's hard to say what this year will bring. But thankfully we always have stories to tell. Lord, in your mercy, will you hear our stories of grief this year and redeem the pages of our lament. Give us new songs and stories of gratitude, of joy, of hope, of life.
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