"But a day may come
when you learn how a home
can be lost.
Hurricane rains flood your streets.
Or a thick black smoke blankets the sky.
Or Papa's garment factory closes down."
My friend Don and I (and others) find ourselves talking about books that need to be shared out loud with middle grade readers. Too often, they are left to read on their own when they reach middle grades, because many can. We think it's a myth that those young people will not enjoy hearing stories read by others. We have planned and presented literature workshops for teachers and parents for many years; from our experience, they are as invested in the stories as we are when we read them aloud. It is no different for most students, no matter their age. Oh, to be a student in a high school class where teachers read important books to them.
While most picture books are earmarked by publishers for 4-8 year olds, I think they often miss the mark. There is a treasure trove of books available that are often more keenly appreciated and understood by an older audience. That doesn't mean that a younger audience won't enjoy them. Such is the case with this new book book from collaborators de la Pena and Long.
Following Love (2018), the two consider the meaning of home, and its many circumstances. Please take the time to read it with older listeners, and experience the deep thinking and meaningful conversations it prompts. There are so many possibilities for what home is. In its pages, readers will observe the gentle quiet of a bedtime read, a chance to watch a grandparent fish, the fun of indoor play while an airplane flies past the window, and even the world outside speeding past with its noise and activity.
"On the way to school each morning
you peer into the busy construction site
where workers steer tractors and pound steel stakes."
The touching scenes and their stories are skillfully created to encourage both thought and memory, and to allow the reader to step into the shoes of another as they cope with events beyond their control. In the end, there is a reminder that no matter what happens love will be there to offer the support and meaning found in the word home.
Loren Long's full spread of a child's gaze upon the earth that is her home is extraordinary and unforgettable.
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