Sweden Trip 4

One Time I Wish I Had A Camera...For Proof

Yesterday afternoon, I went with my father-in-law over to the farm to help with the mowing. I'll tell you what--when he said the place needed some mowing, he meant it. And I went along and helped. I couldn't let one of my elders do all the work either, that'd mean he was showing me up, right, and so I'd take the machine over every so often and try my hand at the work (and I mean work because the grass in some places was easily 5, 6 inches high). Boy, was I sore after. But I slept good. Real good. But again, no visual proof of the fact. Next time, which might just be today, I'll make sure to take a camera.

Sweden Trip 3

Most likely fortunately for all involved and my blog readers I didn't have access to my camera today. The family (Tina, Lukas, Mikah, morbro Thomas, and I) went to the A-6, the name for the mall here in Jönköping. We took the bus, which Mikah gets all excited by. He wants to sit way in the back. (I recall a couple of other Saldaña boys opting for that position in the back of the school bus, too.) Anyway, we got to the mall easy, and we went to the regular shops, and I want to buy shoes but I'm putting them all through the Les Reed test: I can hear him every time I pick up a pair of men's shoes: "Man, you went all the way to Sweden and found you some girl shoes, huh?" (substitute clown or bowling or tight rope walking for the girl and you get the idea of the selection this year). Anyway, really this time, we got done with the shopping and we're waiting on the bus to Råslätt, where we'll then transfer to one that'll take us to Barnarp, where the family house is, and Lukas is picking dandelions and blowing them into the wind, and the rest of us, we're just talking away, when I turn to check on Lukas (lest he be abducted by some Swedish gang of kidnappers and sold into slavery for his blonde hair--no wait, for his brown eyes--I forgot for a moment I was in the land of blondes) and I see him standing face to face (or more correctly, face to bark) with a tree, pants around his ankles, peeing in public. Of course, we freak out, though inside I'm thinking, Yeah, another knotch on the things a boy must do before he grows into a man belt. It is, I hear, a very Swedish thing to do, though I think I'll pass.

And Tigy, I suggest you check the local customs book for peeing in public before doing anything similar in Paris. Just in case.

Swedish Trip 2b

A Video

Sweden Trip 2

Pictures, As PromisedAfter what must've felt like 1 billion hours in a plane, Tina and the boys finally arrived in Göteborg (pronounced Gothenberg in English). Here, Mikah is sleeping off an over-nighter.

But who needs sleep when you have flowers to pick? Or your nose?

In this shot, Lukas is eating a bulle, a Swedish pastry from morfar's favorite bakery in Öggestorp (also my favorite bakery).

And if big brother's enjoying a bulle, well, Mikah is sure to do the same. Only he just might eat twice as much.

This is a rock. A really big rock. Historically, it's got some kind of significance or another. Something about the land being covered in ice, and when that other global warming era occured, melting all the ice, these rocks were carried along in the rushing water and eventually left behind for boys to climb centuries later.

Not to be outdone, Mikah must also climb, but he prefers morfar's big blue tractor, spelled traktor in Svenska, that's Swedish for those who didn't quite catch that.

And finally, this is a shot of Mikah and his morbro Thomas at one of the local little parks or squares. Really and truly, Mikah was enjoying the ride, which is a sort of merri-go-round and soccer game combined.

Sweden Trip 1

Those of you interested in reading up on our Sweden trip and who have most likely written me off as some kind of nimwitted yahoo who made the promise to update but who has forgotten because I am too busy or have taken on this European-minded attitude and so I can leave it til later, well, you've got my brother to thank for this. I got an email from him earlier--one short sentence: hey, where's the update?

Here's a portion of my trip: I visited El Paso (Ysleta Elementary, specifically) where I got to meet some very enthusiastic and great writers--go sixth graders! Thanks to Mrs. Hernanadez, Mr. Silva, all the other fine teachers there who are very student-focused and about real literacy. Anyway, I've got no pictures of that visit to upload because I seem to have lost my camera on my last hours there. I recall very clearly taking some great shots of J reading his poem about his friends' noses (what a great revision he put together!), A finishing the reading off with another poem, and everybody else in between. Some nice shots of the mountains. But all gone unless Rich Yañez, magic man, does some kind of mumbo-jumbo and it appears as if out of thin air. So, no pics of my part of the trip. I'll tell you, too, that that Heathrow, if you can avoid it, do so at all costs. I thought some US airports were a hassle, but not compared to this one. Oh, easy enough to figure out, but how many twists and turns can there be in one building to get to the place where you need to be? But the people are nice enough. I did get to Gothenberg safely and mostly on time, so thank God for that. I did get to Sweden down one bag, but that was delivered this afternoon. That's my part of it--Tina has't lost her camera, but she has been having a hard time transferring her pics to my brother-in-law's computer (that is a Swedish set up, so the keys are all over the place and all kinds of others that I have no clue what are: ä§ö¨¤). So give me a sec and I'll try to figure it out.

For my friends in India (Tigy and the rest), the folks in Sweden drive on the right side of the read like we do in the States, they don't have as much traffic on the road, elephants don't have the right of way because you just don't see them, and hardly a Swede uses his car horn to warn other drivers that they're about to create a lane where there isn't one, so no driving videos. Sorry.

Traveling Life 6b

De Zavala Middle School/Toscha Reeves, Librarian: this was the first of my stops (05/07/08), and the highlight was talking with an honors reading class, where K and others showed they are so far ahead of the literacy ballgame; we talked sci fi/fantasy, poetry, writing, and Sharon Draper, whose Tears of a Tiger they were reading. We talked about the poetry of J. Patrick Lewis, Pat Mora, Naomi Shihab Nye, and Janet Wong, among others, and the art of Christopher Myers, in particular his Jabberwocky. A great way to start the week.

Houston Middle School/Lori Bierschwale, Librarian: Lori has come over from the dark side; she was a math teacher before taking on the awesome duties of a keeper of books, a pusher of reading. I was very happy to see how a ton of her students were carrying around some cool titles. One class had just finished reading Walter Dean Myers' Scorpions and so I had to mention his upcoming Sunrise Over Fallujah, which I'll be reviewing for MultiCultural Review soon.

Later that evening, I met with a group of parents at Austin Middle School for a talk on the responsiblity of Latino parents when it comes to promoting literacy in the home; this was no regular group of students, either: they were folks working on learning the English language in an after-school program, from which they were graduating the following day. Felicidades, padres!

Union Bower/Diana Stephens, Librarian: With apologies to Diana and her wonderful students (05/08/2008)--since starting up my blog, my intention is to take pictures of every place I visit, but I'm still getting used to it; what excuses can I use? It was too early in the day, I was too out of it, the sun got in my eyes. No excuses, really. I just dropped the ball. But what a group of older students. UB is a sort of alternative school, serving students who need to approach education in ways other than traditional. But readers they are. M, you've got to think of what university you'll be going to; I, E, and L, the same to you. Think forward, think successful, then get it done. Thanks for hanging out.

Crockett Middle School/Lisa Cartwright, Librarian: At Crockett I met some more great readers and some wonderful reading and ESL teachers, each of whom is doing a great job getting these kids excited about reading. I got some really solid questions, especially from a young man to my right, T, who I could tell was well-read and headed in just the right direction. A young man I just know will end up a lawyer, a politician, a teacher.

Austin Middle School/Gayle Benage, Librarian: pictured above is what Lori the day before called the pebbled walkway, or something like that. When we asked Gayle about it, or Lisa (one or the other; again, my memory fails), she said, "Yeah, pebbles if you're a giant." I didn't get a pic of the school sign, knowing this path that leads directly to the library by the backway was the only pic I could take. The path to book haven, right. Hey, S, it was the best answer you gave to my question talking before the presentation: Q: So, S, where are you going to college? A: Either Harvard or Yale. The sky's the limit. Shoot for it.

Java Makes Me Jump! night @ Barnes and Noble: Dr. Bailey prepared me in advance about this event at the Irving Mall: "You never know: you might get 50 people in the audience, you might get seven." My thinking is simple: if I get two, but two who are all about reading, then that's all we need. We got more than two, not quite 50. I monopolized the time, talking non-stop just about. I should've quit, though, because I understand some of the students had booktalks ready. Sorry. But I was just so excited. Later we met at this great restaurant, Via Reál located in Las Colinas Plaza, owned by Fran Lively Mathers. And lively she is. I know this because she visited our table, and she said something so interesting: meaning these librarians, "You all are our future." I'd always heard that said about students, but the way she explained it was that educators are the ones in the classroom today, every day, teaching our kids who then become our future. Though I loved the chicken I had, better even were the vegetables. The grilled baby carrots are to die for!

Travis Middle School/Amy Hankamer, Librarian (05/09/08): Amy runs a tight ship, and she knows her readers so well, down to what areas of the library the students visit more often than others. She plans on informally shifting some books she just knows her readers would pick up from where they're shelved to the section titled "short stories." And her own boy, J, is so awesome! A reader and a gamer both. Cool meeting you, J.

Bowie Middle School (trust me, far as the sign is)/Hope Krum, Librarian: Wow! This group was way mixed--sixth, seventh, and eighth graders all represented, ESL students and ELA both. Kudos to the four eighth grade guys who did a readers' theater of a section of my The Whole Sky Full of Stars. Then the questions came. And it was the best that a girl started us off, some guys and girls added theirs, and a girl ended: the final question I wasn't able to address since we ran out of time: Q: Why don't you write about girls? A: I've tried and I got it all wrong, in my opinion. I don't want to disrespect that particular audience, but I've got some ideas, so you'll get your book. Hey, read the following short stories included in Finding Our Way to read a few female heroes I've written: "The Dive," "SylvieSylvieSylvie," "Andy and Ruthie," and "My Self Myself."

Lamar Junior High School/Cindi Rockett, Librarian: What a way to end the week. First things first, though: I hope your boy's doing well, Cindi. Right before heading over, she got a call that her boy'd got a cut in the head and she left me in the quite capable hands of two of the others: Hope and Amy, who joined me in Cindi's absence. There I talked a good bit to a large group of readers and after met with T, A, and F, who I'd met the night before at JAVA at B&N. Too cool you all are.

All I can say is that these middle school librarians've got it together. I told Dr. Lea Bailey that I'd never seen a group this large of educators all focused on the same goal, reading young folks. They are quite the family, and Irving (TX) ISD is so fortunate to have them all at this time in this place. And from what I understand from speaking to each of them, their administrators are so supportive. I so want this group to adopt me as their writer. It was an awesome time.

Traveling Life 6a

I don't have enough time at present to post any detailed information on my trip to Irving ISD's middle school libraries but will do so when I get home this weekend. All I'm saying is this: I'm having the time of my life with the librarians, the students, and parents. What a place!