3x3 Round Up: Filipino Librarians Recommended Reads

As the month of January draws to a close and  we welcome the month of hearts and art, here is a quick round up on the 

Joseph Marmol Yap sent in his list of books, two of which have been adapted into 

movies. His 3x3 made me consider setting up a “BookFlix” display in the library. Powerful stories and well crafted storytelling are reasons that inspire film makers and movie producers to render a book into another media format. Johann Frederick Cabbab, librarian by day and comic book and graphic novel writer by night sent in three titles of Pinoy made comic books that were all bought from the annual Komikon and Komiket. I still have to attend both events soon! 

Ann Grace Bansig, school librarian and civic volunteer, recommended titles of young adult novels. 

Do you have these books in your library yet? Last but not least, Kevin Conrad Tarrobal Tansiangco lists down self help books and inspirational readings for when bumps and humps are encountered along in the journeys of life. Think bibliotherapy!

So, that’s it pancit! Who are the librarians the blog will have as guests to share their books to us? Your guess is as good as mine!

Library Bulletin Board: We Are All Fish!

 

We set up our library bulletin board this month and we stay true to our themes of inclusion, diversity and empathy.

Our table's book spread offers recommendation for readers. Two of the books displayed were already borrowed. Yay!

There are some missing fishes though. Well, there will always be outliers. Now, we are off to find Nemo!

The Lighthouse Diary 2019 #13: Reading And Differentiated Learning

Once a month, we cancel work and schedule a professional development session at the Academy. This January, we had a session on Reading Comprehension and Differentiated Learning. The facilitators were all in-house. Mr. Victor "Teacher Vic" Villanueva handled the session on Reading Comprehension, while Ms. Amor "Teacher Motie" Andal conducted the Differentiated Learning workshop. Teacher Vic is currently our English and Filipino  teacher, while Teacher Motie is our Learning Support teacher.

Teacher Vic was my professor in graduate school at the University of the Philippines Diliman. I was then enrolled in the Reading Education masters course where I took Reading in the Content Areas under his mentorship. For librarians who are looking at furthering their professional development in school librarianship, cognates in Reading Education make for a good match.

In Teacher Vic's session, I took away three things. One, coherence in the planning of lessons for students to learn reading skills is a requirement.  This would include the teacher's assessments both formative and summative. Two, a consistent skills building activity leads to automaticity. Reading is thinking and this thinking skill, to be sharp, polished and to continuously develop needs regular practice in the classroom and at home. Three, because Teacher Vic checks on our process of understanding his input, metacognition or an awareness of what happens as we learn is a skill that teachers need to apply in the classroom. Sometimes, modelling is na effective way to teach and learn. Teacher Vic did just that in his session.

From Teacher Motie's workshop, I realised the importance of selecting texts for different kinds of learners. She made us read three kinds of texts and written in different structures. There was little preparation for us, participants of the workshop, so, speaking for myself, I had to depend on my own skills and strategies. Imagine a high school student to read an academic article with little familiarity on the vocabulary of the subject and understanding of academic writing. A nightmare.

As the teacher librarian, I need to constantly communicate to teachers the many benefits they can get from using the library resources and services. Since I started in the Academy, our collection have been varied and differentiated, our online subscriptions lexiled and with readability indexes. We even have kits, games, posters and multimedia in our collection.

This question comes back to me, though: why is it that the library circulation reports, analytics and statistics are low?  

Pilgrim's Pit Stop: What's Love Got To Do With It?

Exactly ten years ago, I wrote an essay about love for the February issue of the Magis Deo Newsletter.  Back then, we were able to churn out monthly issues. Ten years after, a lot of things have changed but the love remains.

I have an archive of the articles and essays I have written in a private

online journal so I recalled what I wrote about love in that issue.

This is the advantage of keeping soft copies of works and written articles

in this age of digital media. Going back to memory lane is easier and

more accessible.

Reading the article, one paragraph struck me because, to this day, I still believe

in the words I professed. I wrote, “when we realise its (love’s) presence

in our lives, we are moved to do greater things beyond our known capacity.

In our all too human eyes, the ordinary becomes extraordinary.

A painful experience transforms into something beautiful. The old is seen as

fresh and new, even ageless. With love, time and space do not matter at all.

In love, we’re diminished but we surface more enriched and fulfilled.

When we love we become fearless. We endure. We persevere… We grow.”

I think about how these lofty beliefs and ideals on love are made real in my life

in the decade that passed. I was only thirty four when I gave up a work and

a position I enjoyed doing over truth, fairness and humility. Ten years ago,

I witnessed how estranged family members helped us survive Ondoy

in its aftermath. I was gifted with the kindness from friends when I least

expected it. I received the generosity of communities I belong to

so I can revive my hope and faith in humanity. There are days when I pray

for a humbled heart to continue acknowledging this grace

because, I feel I do not deserve it all.

As a wife and mother, my heart has been broken several times over. Yet, I go on

loving and living because I am surprised that I am capable of devotion

and faithfulness. For this, I thank my husband and my children.

At the ripe old age of forty four, these I know. True love allows us to accept loss.

Things will never be the same again in parting and in leave taking, but it is alright.

And, when it is time to set free the people I hold dear, it is a way of

loving myself as well.  

May you find love and may love continuously find you! Happy Valentine’s day!

IASL's 5th Regional Workshop for School Libraries 2019

PASLI in partnership with IASL invites you to the IASL's 5th Regional Workshop for School Libraries in Southeast Asia & PASLI's 41st National Conference and General Assembly on April 24-26, 2019. See you in MANILA!

REGISTER NOW! please click the link: https://goo.gl/forms/i96Gs0PXs8gv8kKf2

Invitation: https://paslinews.files.wordpress.com/…/invitation-to-parti…

Program (Draft) https://paslinews.wordpress.com/…/iasl-pasli-2019-programme/

Call for Papers https://paslinews.wordpress.com/…/join-us-…/call-for-papers/

For more updates, please visit the PASLI website: https://paslinews.wordpress.com/

Fukubukuro at Fullybooked

I started 2019 with books, reading and time for good friends.

 A few days after the New Year, I met with friends, Darrel Marco and Ann Grace Bansig for a holiday get together. We missed Audrey Anday so, another reunion was scheduled. We met at a bookstore, of course, in Fullybooked and headed to a nearby Japanese cafe for an early dinner. Apart from our passion for books and reading, we also share the same advocacy, a love for travel and food!

Imagine our surprise when we found out that Fullybooked is still running the Fukubukuro reading and book promotion. For Php 2,000.00, we got a Fukubukuro with three books and a journal.

Fukubukuro is a combination of two Japanese words, fuku, meaning luck or good fortune and, fukuro, for bag. Fukubukuro is a lucky bag which store owners use to put in mystery objects from their stores to sell to customers. It is a Japanese custom in the New Yera for stores to sell fukubukuro at a very low price.

I suppose the contents of our Fukubukuro bag from Fullybooked contained books that we truly deserved to get.

Darrel got the copy of Antoine De Saint Exupery's The Little Prince, a pocket book edition that he can bring with him in his travels. Ann Grace got the DIY book for travelers and tourists that is aptly titled, The Best Things In Life Are Free (Lonely Planet). As for me, I took the journal and Robert Greene's The Laws of Human Nature because, well, I am already a certified #titasofManila.

After all the internal drama and struggles of 2018, I feel I have just begun a new life cycle. What better way to chronicle this journey but through journal writing and reading books to accompany me in this life journey.

Fukubukuro, indeed!

3x3: Kevin Conrad Tarrobal Tansiongco's Top 3 Best Reads of 2018

Reading is a big influence in our way of life. I hope that everyone of you will also invest in books. Keep reading!

These are my favorite books of 2018.

Coelho, P. ,Warrior of the light : a manual This book is all about hope and the dreams that one wishes to achieve. One way to reach success is to keep on dreaming. This manual can be a guide in making dreams come true. Sanchez, B. , Heart Detox This book is not for entertainment reading as the author says. This book is a companion in destroying emotional poisons and negative thoughts in you. A good read for those who wanted to move on and have a peace of mind. Sanchez, B. , Life manual 101 : how to make your dreams come true Dreaming is a way to see what the future looks like. This book will make you dream more with the guidance of God. This book will make your dreams came true.

Kevin Conrad T. Tansiongco is the registered librarian. He works in Electronic Information Solutions, Inc. and the founder of Magbasa Tayo Movement, a reading and book advocacy group. He loves to tell stories and to volunteer.

3x3 is a series of blog posts that features three books each with a review of three sentences long. For the month of January, the blog is featuring Filipino Librarians and their top 3 best reads of 2018. Read the first post here.

Zarah

Private Iris is on YouTube!

A few weeks back, a friend tagged me in a post by Jamie Bautista in Facebook. Jaime is a common friend in the publishing industry, having written and produced several comic and graphic novels for kids and kids at heart. Back in 2014, we were together in the the MUNPARLAS Bibliocare Conference in Sagada. It was my first time to meet Jaime, but I have heard and read about his works, especially Private Iris.

My kids love Private Iris.

In his Facebook post, Jaime shares the process and the journey of creating Private Iris. He fought for his ideas, especially the character being a girl. His efforts and persistence paid off. Private Iris had a good run of twelve volumes. Now, it's an animated short film. It can be seen and watched on YouTube. Here is episode one from the Private Iris channel.

3x3: Ann Grace Bansig’s Top 3 Best Reads of 2018

Reading has been one of my stress relievers. I am glad that our library has a good collection. So, I am going to share with you the most delightful books that I have read for 2018. 

Here are my Top 3 best reads for 2018:

Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz – Recommended by a good friend, this book is about two young men, Ari and Dante, discovering their true self. What I like most about this book was the support, love and acceptance of Ari’s parents. I wish many books of this kind be published in the future as it shows an understanding of the LGBT community. 

The Inexplicable logic of my life by Benjamin Alire Sanez – I enjoyed the story of Ari and Dante so I looked up for the author’s other works and found this book in our library collection. It’s about Sal and his struggles when senior high started. It was a good read as you will also get to know his amazing dad, grandmother and friends Sam and Fito. 

The Origin by Dan Brown – This book will take you to the modern Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao with Robert Langdon, the famous Harvard professor of symbology. This is about a ‘revelation’ of the discovery of Langdon’s former student that will change the science forever and will shake the foundation of the Catholic religion. If you have read other Dan Brown’s works, then you will surely delight on this page-turner and heart-stopping book. 

Ann Grace Bansig is currently the Audio-Visual Librarian at De La Salle Santiago Zobel School. She likes writing papers about children’s books and also an enthusiast traveler, storyteller and community volunteer.

3x3 is a series of blog posts that features three books each with a review of three sentences long. For the month of January, the blog is featuring Filipino Librarians and their top 3 best reads of 2018. Read the first post here.

3x3: Johann Frederick Cabbab’s Top 3 Best Reads of 2018

Three komiks... Three continuing series... Three sentences... I'd like to feature three I picked up during Komikons and Komikets. 

SAGALA #1

Tori Tadiar's work won for Best Komiks during the Komiket Awards in 2017. Rightfully deserved since it's Filipiniana fantasy at its finest. There's plenty of maidens, baro't sayas, ternos, gunslinging, martial action, Guardia Civil, and other historical and cultural references to go around in this alternate world set during the Spanish Colonial period. 

The Hotdog Prince volume 1

Francis "Kong" Martelino masterfully weaves a tale about a guy who loses his nose, mushrooms, Maria Ozawa, stepping on dog poop, and a giant anthrophmorphic meat sausage aptly named "The Hotdog Prince". I never knew you could use rubber slippers and backscratchers like that for immortal combat. Not for the easily offended and squeamish, though.

Carnal: Banahaw

Bambi Eloriaga-Amago, Olan Amago and BK Peña come up with a work that creepingly resonates with Philippine myths and monsters. Banahaw, a rockstar, and Cristobal, a man of the cloth, are brothers intertwined in a narrative where there's this slow and certain uneasiness with a damning realization that, yes, something outworldly is going to happen at some point in time. Waiting for the next installment Carnal: Cristobal.

Johann Frederick "Igor" Cabbab is a librarian, archivist and full time faculty member of the UP School of Library and Information Studies. He was managing editor, writer and graphic artist for several anime, children and young adult publications prior to rejoining the academe in 2007. He is currently pursuing his Doctor of Literature and Philosophy in Information Science (DLitt et Phil) via distance mode at the University of South Africa (Universiteit van Suid-Afrika). He is old.

3x3 is a series of blog posts that features three books each with a review of three sentences long. For the month of January, the blog is featuring Filipino Librarians and their top 3 best reads of 2018. Read the first post here.

Christmas Reading Passport 2018

In December 2018, I launched the library's annual Christmas Reading Passport.There were four students who availed of the passport. Three came back completely filled out. Hurrah!

3x3: Joseph Marmol Yap’s Top 3 Best Reads of 2018

Librarians are expected to read. We may be too busy running a library, but one way to escape reality is by reading. 

Before the two movies came out, I grabbed a copy of the books and read them. 

1. Love, Simon - A story of a closeted young man who found himself comfortably talking to a stranger in an online world thru email because they have the same situation. Eventually, he fell in love with Blue, his 'email-pal'. The story gave hope to teens in accepting who they really are.

2. Crazy Rich Asians - This is a love story between an Asian couple who are bound to conquer an American lifestyle. It depicts how Chinese families value their wealth and luxurious life. The Chinese familial culture is highlighted in this book.

Finally, when the John Newbery Medal was awarded to Erin Kelly in 2018, I was curious and found out we have a copy of her book in the library. 

3. Hello, Universe - Is a story of a young boy with a Filipino background. The story infuses Filipino folktales as told by the grandmother. It's a children's novel that tackles bullying and friendship. 

So here it goes, my three book recommendations from 2018. You may have missed the movies, but you can always find a copy of the book in your local bookstore or library.

Joseph Yap, is a Pinoy librarian currently based in Kazakhstan. He is one of the reference librarians of Nazarbayev University Library.

He is the Secretary of the Special Librarians Association, Asia Chapter.

3x3 is a series of blog posts that features three books each with a review of three sentences long. For the month of January, the blog is featuring Filipino Librarians and their top 3 best reads of 2018.
Read the first post here.

Dear Ms. Z: Please Help Me Plan for a Talk on Storytelling

To continue from last Monday’s post, January 14, 2019, here are my tips and advise for Ms. Sheila Joy Bañares on planning for a talk on storytelling.

An outline may look like this;

1. Objective of my session

2. Professional Sharing: My Storytelling Experiences in the Library

a. Why do I conduct storytelling session for kids

b. What books and stories do I read aloud and share

c. How do I tell stories and read books aloud ( do a demonstration)

3. Storytelling pa more!

Here, you can show some of my videos when telling stories

Feel free to use my videos, but do cite and attribute as required. I don’t mind sharing information and skills, but courtesy matters a lot to me.

Read Aloud Sampler - one of my favorite stories to read aloud is George Shannon’s Lizard’s Rock. This wonderful story book talks about the songs we sing and the places we call home. Palyfully illustrated and colored by Jose Aruego and Arianne Dewey. 

Joseph and His Overcoat is storytelling with the use of paper tearing. I love telling this story because it speaks of creativity as a crucial set skill needed for survival. Also, the use of paper when telling this story in the oral tradition is a simple but effective way of driving the point home.

To all librarians out there telling stories, go and multiply! Stories keep us alive!

Book Review: Bone Talk

Bone Talk
Candy Gourlay
Anvil, 2018

Bone Talk is the story of Samkad, a young Bontoc boy at the cusp of manhood. His journey towards becoming one is a thrilling and heart breaking adventure since the setting of the novel happened at a time of conflict and change. It is 1899 and the Philippines has entered a war with the United States of America. His village in the Cordilleras is not spared of the cruelty of invaders. Though, the opportunity to learn from a friendly stranger presents itself. This coming of age story has a lot to tell, and teach, about identity, honor, subversion, obedience to customs and traditions and the gray areas in between. 

Candy Gourlay once again dazzled me with her humor, wit and storytelling. I literally laughed out loud at one point when she started a chapter with this line, ...no talk of my manhood, after a series of action filled narratives. This is Samkad speaking and there I find the typical teenager. Irrational. Emotional. Impulsive. Self centered. I remember myself at twelve years old during the height of the People Power Revolution. I worried about my grade school graduation. Never mind if tanks and soldiers were moving and marching on EDSA. I need to graduate by March!

And then, there is Luki. Irrepressible and persistent, she is Samkad's best friend. It is through her that social class and the roles of Bontoc women are presented. How she defies and disobeys them not because she is a bad girl. Luki is smart and perceptive, protective of her family and friends. She knows who she is and where she belongs. These are all evident in the dialogues she has with Samkad implying that, even girls or women, can fight for the people and the place they love.

This is why I love reading Candy Gourlay. She is capable, with great effect, to show her characters as they are: strong yet flawed, willful but yielding, good and bad. She does so in situations that test these characters. She makes use of images, symbols and metaphors. A music box and a book as gifts from Mister William. A gun and camera as tokens from Colonel Quinlan. This literary technique opens up discussions of a larger scale.

For one, these colonisers' intent and interests can be further fleshed out through a comparison of the objects they gave the Bontocs. What do music and books represent? What are guns for? How powerful are photographs? By bringing these objects in the novel and planting them at well selected spots or parts in the entire narrative, I thought about the ways we were subjugated. They differ in function but were used to colonize just the same.

Ms. Gourlay claims that Bone Talk is not history. True, but fiction can lead readers to a broader understanding of other disciplines and life lessons embedded in the material either intentionally or otherwise. In the end, I realized, that while Samkad earned his rightful place in the village, it is his father who learned a great lesson as well. This for me is the most beautiful part of the novel.

So, go and read the book. Find a copy. Buy or borrow! Do not miss out the wonderful discoveries and insights you can take away from the novel.

Rating: 5 Bookmarks
Recommended: Grade 5 and up

Dear Ms. Z: Please Help Me Plan for a Talk on Storytelling (1 of 2)

Last week, I received a direct message from Ms. Sheila Joy Bañares via Instagram. Sheila is a librarian from Isabela. 

This is her query:

Ma’am Z, librarian po ako sa school namin. And they (College of Education) are inviting me to give some tips po pano mag story telling. Education students po ang tuturuan ko po. Pano gawin? Thanks po.

I further asked her for details. When is the schedule of the workshop and if she is the school librarian of their institution. She said that she got the invitation a day before the workshop. She does storytelling for the elementary grades but conducting a workshop makes her nervous. The least she can do, according to the inviting party, is to share her experiences when reading aloud and telling stories to children. 

Still a tall order. Preparing for a talk or a workshop takes time, even for seasoned facilittaors. Then again, this is an opportunity for the librarian to step up her game and show how she can be an asset to the learning community.

So, I this was my reply:

What are you confident in sharing to your colleauges as far as storytelling and reading aloud is concerned? It’s good that you are nervous and excited. This means, you know you can do it!

Maybe setting one objective of your session will help you. Know your purpose. Bakit ka ba magsheshare ng storytelling experiences mo?

Your audience are college students. You were once a college student. But now, you have experience. So, share your storytelling experience. After knowing your objective and your experiences to share, draft an outline.

This is a two-part post, so come by the blog again this week for the tips I sent Sheila in planning for a talk on storytelling.

Librarians, Netflix and the Guernsey Potato Peel Pie Society

When I posted a SOS for viewing of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society in Netflix, I got several replies to access the movie from friends, mostly librarians. The sources they recommended and the ways on how to access the movie were varied! 

I wonder if they have read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. How relevant it is in this day and age. If I were a Library and Information Science (LIS) professor, the book version, though a work of fiction, would be one of my required readings. There are plenty of LIS insights we can get from the movie, as well as the book, that can bridge the concepts we learn in the practice of the profession. Well, in the first place, the author, Mary Ann Shaffer, was a librarian.

The war we are up against is as menacing as WWII. I hope we all know the significant role of librarians, writers, book makers, publishers, readers and book lovers in the revival of hope and in the restoration of a damaged humanity. Books have the power to bring people together. And reading, for all its worth, can heal us from our hurts and woundedness. Stories amplify the very reason we are alive!

Mike Newell, the director of the movie, did an amazing job at putting together a cast of characters whose stories filled the gaps in Juliet's life. Lily James as Juliet is arresting and charming at the same time. And Matthew Goode, who looks and sounds like a young Jeremy Irons, is the perfect loyal gay friend we all have! If you haven’t seen the movie yet, go watch! 

3 X 3: Recommended Reads of 2018 by Filipino Librarians

At the first week  of January, CNN Philippines featured the top books of 2018. I do not question the list, nor the readers who recommended them. But, I noticed that there were no librarians in the roster. Of course, I find the list really helpful. In fact, I checked which books are already in our library shelves.

Then again. Then again. There were no librarians who put out, on social media, his or her top reads of 2018.

So, let me start compiling a list of top 3 reads by Filipino Librarians in the blog and this will be followed by guest bloggers, all are Filipino Librarians who will share with us their top 3 reads.

Here is mine. All Young Adult novels!

1. Hero at the Fall by Alwyn Hamilton - A fitting end to the Rebel of the Sands series, the book is a storytelling gem. I love the story arc of Amani, the series' irrepressible female lead. There are girls in this series who kicked ass.

2. Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman - This is the first book I read in 2018 that swings from dystopian to utopian ideas latched on religion, philosophy, science and technology. It is a YA novel but eerily prophetic of how humanity may turn out to be as it engages and interacts with technology. One of the lasting questions I have after reading the novel is, can artificial intelligence evolve into a god?

3. Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir - Book 3 in a four part series, it has more action and back story of the villains rather than character development of its heroes. Tahir is consistent though, so book 4 should end with a bang. Like Hero at the Fall, there are plenty of strong women characters in this installment, especially mothers that readers will love and hate.

So, there you go. Three books that has a review of only three sentences. 3 X 3 by Filipino Librarians!

Looking Back and Looking Ahead (2 of 2)

Taken from the online advent retreat at Pins of Light. 

December 2018 had been a difficult month for me.

What I hoped to be a satisfying ending to a burdensome year turned out to be exactly what 2018 was for me. A year of disenchantment. I felt spent. World weary.

There were triumphs and victories, of course. As evidenced by the posts I made last month in the blog, I have been productive. I have helped my communities and they have patiently helped me too. I watched my children struggle and grow. And though I have had bouts with sickness and anxiety, I was able to seek medical attention and health care. I have work. I have friends. I have family. What do I have to complain about?

 Still, my heart was heavy at the changing of the year.

Hope was a flickering candle in the dark. My faith in humanity was hinged at the edge of a precipice. 

I am bringing these all in at the beginning of 2019. Do not mistake this for negativity. It is not. I am doing this to acknowledge three truths: life is not fair; life is hard; deal with it. As much as I want to be hopeful and happy all the time, I cannot.

But this, I know. I am capable of reviving hope. I will revise my dreams. And always, always I will seek my better angels.

Bring it on, 2019!

Looking Back and Looking Ahead (1 of 2)

The Blog's Monthly First Post of 2018

Keeping up with a blogging tradition, here are the blog's first post of every month in 2018.

January: Prayer for the New Year I began 2018 with a photo of the moon and fire works.

February: The NonLibrarians in Our Midst Musings on licensed librarians and the controversial assignment of Dir. Gilbert Adriano as National Library of the Philippines administrative director.

March: Priming Session for Digital Learning Talk at Southville International School A pre-activity for participants of the Reading Congress in Southville International School. I have been using the blog as an online teaching tool to extend learning experiences for my workshops.

April: Art, Music and Storytelling Stuff I do that truly matters to me because it keep me sane. Art! Music! Storytelling!

May: Consortium of the South  Here is where you can read the interview I had with officers of the CoTS or Consortium of the South, a library organization of colleges and schools in the southern district of Metro Manila.

June: Teacher at Center Stage: Ana Bacudio I continue the blog's series on Filipino teachers making a difference and being an inspiration to many. For this post, I interviewed Ana Bacudio who is organizing reading centers in Mindoro.

July: Keynote of Pepper Roxas During the 2017 National Children's Book Day (NCBD) at the CCP is a throwback post and a preparation or PR to the 2018 NCBD.

August: Nostalgia and Hero Worship Every summer, we visit museums. The ones Zoe and I visited were the Vargas Museum and the Bulwagan ng Dangal that are both found in the UP Diliman Campus. We saw Toym Imao's installations and sculptures and viewed the art exhibit by CANVAS.

September: Ino at the MIBF 2018 Of course, I blogged about Ino the Invincible and its availability in the Manila International Book Fair. I heard it had good sales!

October: Pilgrim's Pit Stop: On Midlife Because the blog is also my personal space.

November: Picture Book Month In Retrospect I tried keeping the Picture Book Month alive, but failed. Epic.

December: Mini-Books by Teachers It is always a joy to teach and share with teachers the delights of book making. I always begin in small and simple steps. Hoping that it will grow and develop into a big project in their learning community.

And so, this is the blog's 2018. Let's see what 2019 will give us.

Prayer for the New Year

New Year’s Prayer for the Family

God, thank you for a new year. May everyone in our family be willing to begin anew with a clean slate. We know that you are always ready to forgive us. Help us to be willing to forgive ourselves and to forgive one another.

As we begin a new year, remind us of our truest values and our deepest desires. Help us to live in the goodness that comes from doing what you want us to do. Help us to put aside anxiety about the future and the past, so that we might live in peace with you now, one day at a time.

Amen.