Best of All Worlds

Little Soldiers:  An American Boy, a Chinese School and the Global Race to Achieve was a super interesting and insightful.  Lenora Chu and her husband have decided to live in China and send their son to a Chinese school.  She has a lot of special insight because she is the daughter of parents who came from China and raised her in the US and now she is raising an American-born son in China.  He husband is from the US.  So there are all kinds of different POVs that figure in here. 
The conclusion that their family comes to is that hybrid of the US and Chinese school systems might be best.  And it just made me think about how good the grey is.  And how much better we all would be if we were willing to blend and mix and combine the best of certain things with the best of other things.  Great book.  It is super readable and so well done!

Parenting

There is this part in Gem and Dixie that I can't remember exactly, but it is so true.  Gem is talking about her parents, who weren't ready to be parents and who weren't shown how to be parents from the way in which they were treated by their parents and, well that's how it ended up that Gem and Dixie didn't have capable parents.  And I was thinking about this young gal who came into the one place where I work and was a very young mom-to-be, not yet 16 and her mom was obviously drunk or under the influence of some kind of drug and also pretty young and I was thinking, this is one of those situations where it would be easy to assign blame and say that that 16 year old is troubled (she was very troubled, I don't mean the pregnant part, I mean there was just A LOT going on there) because of her own mother.  But then, I mean, who is to say what her mother was like?  Or her mother before her?  And back and back and so on.
I know one has to take responsibility but it is also hard to take responsibility when one doesn't know the first thing about what "usual" or what is "needed" or "expected."  Does that make sense?

Here is the thing about Sara Zarr, on goodreads I gave this book a 4, but I would have given it a 4.5, but if it were written by anyone else it would have been a 5+ because Sara Zarr is just. that. awesome. I have been wow'd by all of her books and I was wow'd by this one, just only a wee bit less than previous wows.  Still.  This is wow.

I guess I just really didn't like Dixie at all.  But then I kept trying to remember that she was just 14.  I still highly recommend this book.

Kira-Kira

is one of those books that I have seen on the shelf forever and had no interest in reading.  Just like Hatchet, The Witch of Blackbird Pond and the Bridge to Terabithia.  All three I finally did read and loved.  Now I must read Kira-Kira because Half a World Away was just so excellent.  Cynthia Kadohata wrote them both!  Jaden was adopted by American parents at the age of four from Romania.  I am not sure when the book takes place, but it must be before 2001 because international adoption of Romanian children was banned.   Now if one parent has a Romanian passport but are living in the US, adoptions can proceed.
Jaden is a troubled kid, he remembers his mother and is still wondering why she gave him up.  He doesn't seem to be able to feel love for his parents, he still has social difficulties.  His parents, Penni and Steve are now seeking to adopt a child from Kazakhstan.  They travel to Kazakhstan to bond with the baby.
Some of the most memorable parts of this book are between Jaden and Sam, the man who drives Jaden's family around while their are in Kazakhstan.  He and Jaden bond, Sam calls him out as a hoodlum, but one he likes.  He says this to Jaden, "What have you thought your power would be?  You will find something that makes you fly and then your life will be settled."
This is so so so true.  I have known many young people, and older people who are struggling with what to do with and in their lives.  I was like that, too.  I totally understand.  And what it took me to get settled was indeed, finding what made me fly.  For me it was a deep passion for service.  For me it was wanting to be Christ-like to and serve and uplift  all of the people I meet in a day.  Do I do it all the time?  No.  I fail a lot. A LOT!  But I try, try, try and it is so important to me that it is my passion and service is what makes me fly. This book leaves a lot up in the air, yes, but I do think that Jaden found something that has made him fly. This book is painful and hopeful and wonderful.
This is also on Anderson's Mock Newbery 2015 list and I won't be sad if it is an Honor Book, not sad at all. Still man, The Crossover is THE ONE!

The Hot Pocket Guy

Until I got Sirius/XM Radio, I really didn't pay much attention to stand up comedy.  I happened to hear this joke and oh my gosh...so true...so funny!  Jim Gaffigan is one gifted comic and he doesn't need foul language and sexual content to bring a laugh.  I am not a parent and this whole book is about parenting, but I had a great time listening to it.  It was exceptionally funny and I recommend it highly!