Hello Book Bums families!
We hope your summer is off to a good start. This week in the newsletter we have some literary and practical tips for dealing with that summer pest, poison ivy. We also share a simple idea for noticing simple pleasures of the season. You'll also find all of our regular features. Read on and enjoy!
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Word of the Week
lavish (la-vish) adjective/describing word - extravagant, given without limits
The little boy gave his new dog lavish attention, spending hours playing, walking, and snuggling together.
Literacy Calendar
- June 16 is Bloomsday.
- This is an annual celebration of the life and writing of Irish author James Joyce, centered in Dublin but observed by fans around the world.
- The day takes its date and name from Joyce's novel Ulysses. The main character is called Leopold Bloom, and the entire novel occurs on June 16.
From our Bookshelves
I dearly loved reading The Help, which was published, unbelievably, 17 years ago. I remember hosting a book club at the original Book Bums location and serving chocolate pie with a small Tootsie Roll secretly pressed into one piece. The person who found the Tootsie Roll received a free book club the next month. If you haven’t read the book, that may not make you smile; but if you know, you know.
When I learned that the author, Kathryn Stockett, had published another book just over a month ago, I purchased it right away. Already the book has earned 4.7 stars on Amazon, and I believe that rating is just about right.
The books feel somewhat similar in that they take place in Mississippi in the mid 1900’s, and they both explore how a handful of women navigate societal challenges.
If you’re put off by controversial themes, this book may not be for you, but I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Tips for Families
When we’re grateful, stress hormones like cortisol are lowered, neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin are boosted, and blood pressure too is lowered. When we’re grateful, we even sleep better at night.
To help your kids embrace an attitude of gratitude, try modeling the acknowledgement of treasured moments. You can create a family gratitude book and encourage everyone to keep an eye out for delightful moments and then jot a note about it in the gratitude book.
It could be a juicy bite of a perfectly ripe peach, or holding a sleeping baby who takes a deep breath and melts right into your neck, or even hearing (or sharing) an unexpected kindness from another.
Use a notebook or simply staple some plain white copy paper together to make a gratitude journal. It could be a great way to remember the joys of this summer!
Wordology Workshop
- Remember that the Latin root grat means thank or please.
- In addition to gratitude, you can find it in words like gratify, meaning to please; gratuity, meaning a tip or extra thank you; congratulations, an expression of praise; and ingratiate, meaning trying to please or win approval.
Tips for Raising Readers and Writers
It’s that time of year when the weather beckons us to come out and enjoy the outdoors, but when we’re in the yard or at the park, many of us must keep an eye out for poison ivy.
To teach your kids about this innocent-looking plant that is notorious for causing an itchy, blistering rash, try reading Fancy Nancy, Poison Ivy Expert. As you read the story, your kids will also observe how Nancy gathers facts to write a report—which just may inspire an investigation of their choosing!
At the end of the book, Nancy shares that she and her friends dance to the song Poison Ivy by the Coasters. I always play at least a bit of the song after finishing the book. It’s got a fine, little, old-fashioned groove that most kids enjoy.
I’ve shared it in a previous newsletter, but I’m sharing again that I swear by the following items:
I did find a hack (below) for dealing with those annoying, itchy blisters. You simply soak strips of those cheap brown paper bags in apple cider vinegar. Then, you apply the wet strips to the rash, let it dry and watch as the oils are pulled from the skin.
Practical Grammar
News from Book Bums
I saw this image and I thought how true those words are. It reminds me of Dave Ramsey’s words: "If you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else." As a small business owner who has a great desire to effect change by ensuring more and more kids become skilled readers and writers, these words ring true.
I have been guilty of frittering away time, but now that I’m sixty-two years old, I’m feeling a little more desperate about the time I have left to accomplish my big dreams. I’ve been betting on me with my time and my resources, and I keep thinking that one day it will pay off.
When I overhear bits of sweet conversation between our tutors and their students, when a grateful parent shares the difference our instruction has made, and when I experience that deep kind of tired that comes from a hard day’s work, I am more committed to minimizing those small lazy moments and to keep working diligently—even when it’s uncomfortable—toward my dreams.
Tips for Teachers
- You must sincerely respect the kids you’re serving. (Kids are smart. They know when you’re faking.)
- You must be an expert in your field who’s truly equipped to move your students from struggling to soaring.
- You must be genuinely moved with joy by your students’ successes. They’ll feel that.
- You must be relentlessly consistent.
- You must be the one who determines the mood. (Choose joy.)
- You make successes attainable and celebrate them with lots of energy.
- You say things like, “I know this is hard, but you can do hard things. I’m right here beside you to help. I’m not giving up on you.”
Just for Fun
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