My Next Book Purchase

I saw a book listed on ALA's list of Notable Children's Books for 2011 that I will be buying this weekend. I haven't read it, but it sounds like something that I would write about here.

Guyku: A Year of Haiku for Boys by Bob Razcka, illustration by Peter Reynolds

Here's a review since I can't give my opinion yet. Peter Reynolds, who wrote The North Star, has developed a companion website, also called Guyku, to encourage boys to write and give them a place to display their poems.

I see a Guyku project in my future.

Star Light, Star Bright

It is that time of year again. Resolutions are being made, and broken. Young and old are making goals to become better, fitter, smarter, stronger, nicer or whatever in 2011. Isaac even came home talking about the goal he had set at school this week. For the record, I did not make a resolution -- I always break them.

All of this evaluation and reflection is driven by a sense of wanting to achieve something and to leave a mark on the world. Peter Reynold's The North Star is a great book to read as we begin the New Year and evaluate where we go from here. It is a reminder for adults of the struggle to find the path that will bring us the fulfillment that we seek. It is a lesson for children on how to find the path that is waiting for them. And, for parents, it is a caution against forcing children down a path that they do not understand or choose.

Each of us has a North Star, a belief that guides us through life. It may take a while to define it and allow it to lead us, but it is out there waiting to be our beacon. Life can be overwhelming and scary as children navigate the different paths that are before them. As parents we can be a substitute for their North Star, but we cannot wholly replace it, either with ourselves or our desires for our children. The best we can do is point them on their way, gently guide them to safety if they start down a dangerous path, and hope and pray that they find the route that brings them peace.

Happy travels.