Osaka

I've been married for five months and it still feels like a dream - much like our few days in Osaka for our honeymoon. Though we flew into Tokyo, we didn't really explore it until the end of our trip. The day after we landed, we used our Japan Rail passes to ride the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Osaka for a few days of soaking in local life, trying different foods, and getting used to Japanese public transportation.

If Tokyo is the sprawling metropolitan city of the future and Kyoto the quaint capital of the past, Osaka sits comfortably in the present. It's an informal, less pop-culture-y city proud of its food and drink (it's known as Japan's "kitchen"). It's down-to-earth, yet clean and modern.

That description fits our Airbnb as well - an unassuming little (tiny, by American standards) flat with modern conveniences, uncluttered and simple yet still cozy and charming. It was a short walk from the train station, tucked between larger apartment complexes and small counter restaurants. Since it only had one room (studio style), it worried us that we couldn't find the bathroom. There really weren't many places it could be! The shower was right off the kitchen area, but the toilet took us longer to find - until we realized it was behind the door we assumed to be a storage closet in the foyer.

That's my husband, posing on the bed that also served as a lounging area.
The kitchen is behind him; the shower is on the other side of the wall to the left.
The entryway (where the toilet is) is behind me, the photographer. It was the perfect amount of space for us!

Complimentary house shoes! (A trend for our whole trip.)

With the hunger that comes after a day of traveling, we set out to find some comfort food: ramen. We knew we found a good spot when we saw the line outside of the restaurant we chose. Besides the facts that orderly queues are a normal occurrence in Japan and this restaurant only has about 15 seats, if people are willing to line up to wait for the food being offered, that's an indication that it's worth it no matter where you are.

In the ramen queue!

We stepped inside to place our order and pay at the machine, holding onto our order ticket until there were seats available. The line moved rather quickly, and eventually we were seated inside at a small table opposite the counter that ran along the inside of the restaurant, separating the cooking area from the dining area. Our bowls of ramen joined us, and off we were, slurping and scooping to our stomachs' content.

On Wednesday, we visited several temples and shrines, explored the Osaka Aquarium (including the Ferris wheel), and walked through Dotonbori (Osaka's downtown nightlife area). We did a ton of walking, which both kept us warm and made us feel better about stopping frequently for snacks.

Sorihashi Bridge at Sumiyoshi Taisha

Five-story pagoda inside Shitennoji Temple

Namba Yasaka Shrine

Kitchen Alley

Kaiyukan - Osaka Aquarium

One of Dotonbori's most iconic views: The Running Man

Our second full day in Osaka was Thanksgiving in the States. Unsurprisingly, Japan does not celebrate Thanksgiving. They do celebrate Labor Thanksgiving Day on November 23rd each year, which just so happened to fall on a Thursday in 2017. Labor Thanksgiving Day in Japan means giving thanks to workers, and while government buildings are closed, most businesses stay open.

In the morning, we headed north of Osaka to see the Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum and for a tour at Asahi Brewery. For the record, noodles and beer are a great way to start any day. Highly recommend.

YES, we made our own personalized cup noodles. Because of course we did.

They gave us each three (3) drink tickets, then apologized since we only had 20 minutes to drink those drinks.

After all the carbs, we took a train back into Osaka and took a leisurely walk through Nakanoshima Park on our way to Osaka Castle. By leisurely, I mean both of us had to use the restroom something fierce (all that free beer)...we ran-walked until we found a public toilet in the park, then stopped to smell the roses, making it to Osaka Castle just as the sun set and they turned the lights on. I can't speak for my husband, but I for one had lots to be grateful for in that moment.

Our final Osaka destination was the Umeda Sky Building, where we got a full 360-degree view of Osaka's skyline at night (plus a rather chilly view of the stars from the Floating Garden). It was the perfect way to say "mata ne" (see you later) as we'd be leaving early the next morning for Nara.

Extra: photos of our first night in Japan!

Bull

Bull by David Elliott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This story, told in verse, is a sharp and quick retelling of Theseus and the Minotaur. With Poseidon serving as narrator and each character stepping in to share their perspectives, there's plenty of variety and exploration of poetic styles and tones. Dark humor gives the story a modern edge and allows it to play with the content while the poetry keeps it structured.

Personally, I've never laughed so much while reading poetry, especially poetry about ancient Greece. I've always said I'm not a Greek mythology person, and yet I absolutely enjoyed this. It was punchy and fun, and begged to be read out loud (to my patient husband). For fans of verse novels, mythology, ensemble casts, and books that can be read in an afternoon.


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Migrations: A Storytelling Experience

As a part of my storytelling class, I attended a live storytelling performance on campus this past weekend. Stories are meant to be heard, which is why recordings and YouTube videos are important, but live is better than recorded when considering the emotional impact of a story.

This monthly event is part open mic and part storytelling performance, which meant I got to hear a variety of traditional tales, personal stories, and the featured teller's program. Hearing (and seeing) how others tell was a great way for me to think about the way I tell - do I remember to pause for drama (or comedy)? How do I stand? Do I have any verbal or physical tics?

Most powerfully, hearing the featured teller - Mama Edie Armstrong - along with several members of the Drum Divas showed me all the ways storytelling can reach an audience. She had us singing and dancing, laughing, sharing, and focused on her tales. Her program was called "Migrations: The Drums are Calling Us Home" and featured stories both personal and traditional, along with songs and educational interludes.

Mama Edie's style is suited for small gatherings (the audience was about 40-50 adults in a small lounge), but could easily translate to a larger performance. It was easy to see how she would work in a school setting or with younger audiences, as she asked for participation and used our reactions as teachable moments.

I was entertained, informed, and surprised at how quickly the time passed as Mama Edie told. The entire program was life-affirming and helped to show how storytelling is a connecting art form. I'm excited to continue my storytelling journey as I develop my librarian toolkit.

Words & Images: Picture Book Poetry for All

To kick off National Poetry Month, here are some new poetic picture books. Poetry is everywhere, and these diverse collections show poetry can be used in a variety of ways, from science class to group read-alouds, as bedtime stories or as performance. Don't let the "picture book" label limit you to using these selections only with children - teens and adults will get plenty of enjoyment out of these as well!

Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets by Kwame Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Poems written in the style of and celebrating well-known poets who have influenced the writers (Alexander, Colderley, and Wentworth) are magnificently highlighted with Ekua Holmes' illustrations. This collection reminds us poetry is both powerful and playful, inspiring and inspired by. These poems beg to be read out loud and used as a starting point for more wondering.


Black Girl Magic by Mahogany L. Browne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

With a dedication stating “This book is for you,” this spirited poem of strength and finding beauty in yourself despite what the world expects of you lifts up black women, acknowledging their accomplishments and struggles, and gives young black girls an anthem of support. The text is accompanied by striking black, white, and red illustrations that amplify the empowering message of the poem.

In the Past: From Trilobites to Dinosaurs to Mammoths in More Than 500 Million Years by David Elliott

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This collection of poems about ancient creatures ranges from the humble Trilobite to the mighty Quetzacoatlus and proves that anything can be poetic. Perfect for dinosaur fans of any age, In the Past includes a geologic timeline and notes for each ancient creature along with realistic mixed media images. The poetry is light-hearted and informative and plays on the illustrations on each page.

Martin Rising: Requiem For a King by Andrea Davis Pinkney

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In this collection of “docu-poems,” author Andrea Davis Pinkney presents the final months of Dr. King’s life. With a musicality of language and along with Brian Pinkney’s illuminating and spiritual paintings, each poem carries a different emotional tone and honors multiple facets of King’s life – his work, his family, and his ministry. This selection works on its own as a memorial of Dr. King’s life, but would also be a powerful read aloud in a classroom or theater setting, or as a part of a larger program for students at any age.

The Horse's Haiku by Michael J. Rosen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This collection of haiku about horses is organized into three sections: In the Field, At the Barn, and Under Saddle. Watercolor illustrations on each page allow the reader’s eye to graze while the mind contemplates the sparse verse. A note on haiku concludes the collection and teaches the reader how to enjoy haiku in everyday life. The Horse’s Haiku would be suitable for a read aloud for younger children, or as a read along as part of a larger poetry unit for older elementary students.

With My Hands: Poems About Making Things by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This collection celebrates the “joy of making” with over 20 poems about different creative activities, each written in unique styles. The illustrations are also varied, ranging from crayon and colored pencil sketches to mixed media collages and paintings. With My Hands would pair well with an arts and crafts session, or as inspiration for creative pursuits of all types.

Earth Verse: Haiku from the Ground Up by Sally M. Walker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Geographical concepts and natural events like minerals, fossils, earthquakes, and volcanoes are explored in this collection of haiku, accompanied by impressionistic and muted colored pencil illustrations. Each concept is explained in further detail at the end of the book, and a suggested reading list is also included, making this a perfect poetic tie-in or an added “layer” of a geology curriculum.

Did You Hear What I Heard?: Poems about School by Kay Winters

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Over 30 poems fill this colorful collection – all about bus rides, fire drills, recess, field trips, tests, and teachers. Stylistically, the poems range from structured stanzas to free verse to singsong rhymes. Bright and playful illustrations make this collection suitable for younger students and perfect for classroom read-alouds or as a starting point for students to write their own school-themed poems.

Extras: More picture book & easy-to-read poetry here! or View all my reviews

The Falling Between Us

There is poetry everywhere. Spine poetry is a fun challenge, because of the simplicity and the limits. I believe limits inspire creativity, and would much rather work within some sort of boundary to create something. Here, I was limited to the books I had on hand - all these titles are teen fiction published in 2018.

You Bring the Distant Near

You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Told in the alternating points of view of its five women protagonists, You Bring the Distant Near is a character study and family drama that spans three generations. Each character explores their identity within the context of the Das family - as woman, as Indian or American or Indian-American, as immigrant, as biracial, as mother, daughter, sister, and cousin.

Readers who enjoy ensemble stories, watching characters develop over the span of decades, and introspective narratives will appreciate Perkins' attention to voice and personality. You Bring the Distant Near is sweet, fun, touching, and thoughtful.


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Warcross

Warcross by Marie Lu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In a near future where an online game called Warcross has millions of daily users, 18-year-old Emika Chen makes a living as a freelance bounty hunter to help the NYPD catch illegal gambling within the game. This barely pays the rent, so, in a get-in-get-out scheme, she hacks into the Warcross Championships for a quick payout. This doesn’t go as planned, but does make Emika an overnight sensation as the teen who glitched into the game. Instead of getting in trouble, Hideo Tanaka, the young billionaire creator of Warcross, hires her to help him prevent future glitches and security threats. Hideo flies Emika to Tokyo and hides her in plain sight as Warcross’ newest “professional” player, giving her access to game data and first hand knowledge of what goes on behind the scenes. The closer Emika gets to discovering the truth, the more she realizes this “threat” could be bigger than she is trained to handle - and could involve the teammates and employer she thought she could trust.

Warcross presents a familiar alternate reality, one where your online persona is just as important as who you are offline, and taking care to protect your identity is even more important. In this world, in-game risks have real world consequences. Emika, whose personal mantra is “Every locked door has a key” (p. 22), must balance her role as part of a gaming team with her “day job” of professional hacker. Can she trust her internationally ranked teammates, who see her as a fluke at best and a fraud at worst? Is Hideo’s mystery part of his reserved persona, or does he have something more to hide?

Emika shines with both vulnerability and humor, though her relationships with Hideo, her teammates, and her late father are what drive the tension and depth of this story. Warcross is a fast-paced mystery that plays out in an online arena as much as in the flashy and high tech Tokyo of the future, making it suitable for fans of Ready Player One or online games like League of Legends or Overwatch.


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If I Was Your Girl

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I appreciated Russo's note(s) at the end of If I Was Your Girl - it makes it clear to readers that this book is needed, and put's Amanda's story in context (specifically for this cis reader, though her note for trans readers is also illuminating). The book world needs this story - at its core, a sweet romance - to help open the door to more (and more diverse) stories about trans teens.

And let's talk about that amazing cover! Beyond the fact that this story is well-written, has characters to root for, and is a necessary and important story to tell, I love that it's a story about a trans woman, by a trans woman, and features a trans woman on the cover. Just amazing.

Okay, now about the story itself - Amanda is at a new school and wants what most new kids want: friends, good classes and teachers, and (because she's a teenager), she's open to falling in love...and she also wants to control her own narrative. Namely, she wants to be Amanda, not Andrew. She has supportive parents and mentors, and her friends are the best a girl could ask for. Her romance with Grant is super sweet, and despite my fears and worries for her, Amanda's story has a happy ending.

Romance readers, teens who want to see the protagonist succeed, and anyone who enjoys a feel-good coming-of-age story with heart will appreciate If I Was Your Girl.


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City Reads: 3 Teen Books Set in Chicago

Sometimes it's all about the setting, and these three YA reads set in Chicago show there are many ways to use a city to help tell the story.

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Olga was the perfect daughter and sister, but Julia is the one who is left behind - and, as the title states, she is not perfect. This story felt so real and present - when Julia takes the train to the crowded and eclectic bookstore in Wicker Park, I knew she was at Myopic Books - and the romance takes a backseat to the drama of finding out who Olga really was.

There were a few problematic details for this reader who grew up in a rural town where she *gasp* shared a room with her sister (which is, according to our narrator, a mark of being poor). I cannot stand when characters who have autonomy and live in CITIES say they need to escape - like, dude, just take the train to a museum or a library or the lake or a mall or a coffee shop or a book store or any number of grocery stores available to you...as someone who did not have any of those options growing up (besides a library, which was a godsend and lifesaver), complaints like this just sound like whining.

That being said, I get that teens can feel trapped regardless of where they are. They may not know who they are, or who their families are, or they may need to "get out" of whatever comfort zone (mental, physical, or emotional) they have to learn who they are and what they stand for - and Sanchez does a wonderful job of creating a narrator who I didn't always like, but who is consistent in her angst and self-discovery.

Neighborhood Girls by Jessie Ann Foley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Having little in common with Wendy and Co. besides coming from a white Catholic family, I could still totally understand the need to leave your childhood neighborhood. Except I left to Chicago, but whatever. (See my review for IANYPMD above for my thoughts on city kids needing to escape.)

I loved that this book is firmly set in Chicago, in a specific neighborhood, and I’m glad Foley used that neighborhood to tell the story (ahem, writers who set their stories in “Chicago” and then disregard the city’s history and culture and basic aspects of its geography). The streets, trains, and old Polish ladies all feel very present. City kids who love their city (or enjoy the familiarity of it) and country kids who live vicariously through books with a real sense of place will both appreciate all the specific details.


I found the depiction of mean girl cliques just dramatic enough to be entertaining, and appreciated the themes of faith and belief using both Catholic icons and ghosts. The Our Lady of Lourdes imagery was great, and I love how extra people were about it. This shouldn’t be the only self-searching/faith-questioning/family drama/mean friends book in one’s collection, but there’s definitely an audience for it.


The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cisneros tells Esperanza's story in a series of connected yet distinct vignettes, each one a poetic snack. Every word, every phrase, every sentence says something - no throwaway details or flowery prose with no meaning. In the past, I've read selections from The House on Mango Street (which is a great way to scaffold learning for younger readers - while the book as a whole is appropriate for high school or college, I've seen sixth and seventh graders analyze certain chapters with brilliant insightfulness), but reading it cover to cover is a real treat. I saw Chicago on every page, and it was beautiful and complex.


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A New York City Weekend

A few pics from our Spring Break getaway last weekend!

We stayed at the Pod Hotel - Times Square and it was great. The room was the perfect size for what we needed (aka, just a place to sleep), and since they don't have all those "extras" that no one wants anyways, the price was right too! Definitely recommend for travelers trying to save a few bucks (to be spend on food, duh).

While most everything you can do in New York you can also do in Chicago, it was still fun to get away for a bit. We did so much walking and tried to do as many free things as we could so that we could splurge on pizza and dessert!

Riding the Staten Island Ferry there and back was a relaxing (and free) way to see the Statue of Liberty, and taking MTA to Brooklyn then walking back to Manhattan across the Brooklyn Bridge allowed us to see some great views of the skyline. Another walk on The High Line reminded us of our own 606. Madame Tussaud's and the American Museum of Natural History were must-see for us, two museum fiends who also love anything weird. We walked around One World Trade Center and the nearby underground mall, saw Times Square in daytime and at night, and made sure Jesus got his photo op at a bridge in Central Park featured in his favorite movie.

As the perfect end to a weekend getaway, we saw Aladdin on Broadway. Genie stole the show, but Jonathan Freeman as Jafar was a fun throwback to our childhoods.

Coco

I'm not sure how I didn't review Coco when I first watched it back in December...but seeing as it was recently released on DVD and just won Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song at the Oscars (along with all of its other awards), I guess now is as good a time to remind everyone here to go watch the heck out of it.

Not only does this movie look and sound amazing (the colors! the music!), the story is important and told with heart, and the characters are funny, charming, and heartbreaking.

Jesus and I can't wait to watch it in Spanish with his family, though I know I'm going to ugly cry (again). Worth it.

Nice Try, Jane Sinner

Nice Try, Jane Sinner by Lianne Oelke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Told as a series of diary entries and screenplay-style dialogue, Nice Try, Jane Sinner sits comfortably in the realm of current pop culture’s focus on self expression. Our titular protagonist enrolls in community college after dropping out of high school, for reasons eventually explained, but only after securing herself a place on (and residence in) House of Orange, a film student’s made-for-YouTube reality show. Living with five other students and enduring weekly challenges keeps Jane’s mind off her past life while helping her create a new one.

As relationships and alliances form in the house, Jane struggles to keep her former self hidden from her new friends. When the fictional Dr. Freudenshade reminds her that the past is “just a story we tell ourselves. And stories change each time you tell them” (p. 414), Jane discovers the satisfaction of allowing her stories to co-exist.

Jane’s sarcasm and proclivity for mixed idioms provides plenty of opportunity for humor, usually at her own expense, and contrasts with her parents’ conservative leanings. Readers who enjoy a self-deprecating narrator will appreciate Jane’s modest-yet-snarky confidence, which shows in conversations with her younger sister who adores her, a best friend who isn’t afraid to challenge her, and a psychiatrist who is completely made up.


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