A Bookish Little Life

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Jenny Perinovic

Thinking about Small Space Living (with a toddler!)

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We’ve lived in our Philadelphia apartment for over four years now. I remember walking into the space and thinking – this is it. It just had a good vibe to it. I think Eric thought I was a little crazy, but I whipped out my checkbook on the spot. We’d seen too many other places fall through at the last second, and there were people waiting outside to tour it after us. Sorry, people outside – this place was going to be ours.

In many ways, it isn’t an ideal space, but it checked off three major requirements that we had: 1) it allowed pets, 2) there was a yard for Zoey, and 3) IN-UNIT WASHER-DRYER. Something I hadn’t had at all in my adult life. I was happy to overlook the odd layout, the crooked floors, and the minuscule amount of closet space. We’d make it work.

And we have! We went from a childless married couple and creatures to parents of a newborn (plus creatures). Then parents of a baby. And now, parents of a toddler, plus a dog and two cats. With each of these transitions, our little apartment has seemed smaller. We’ve added stuff. We’ve purged. We’ve added more stuff. We’ve discussed moving a million times, but by now – this apartment is our home. It’s going to take a lot to get me to move out of it. But even I have to admit that these days, life in 1000 square feet is feeling a little claustrophobic. It’s a constant struggle between always editing our belongings and living in a culture that wants you to buy more. And more. And MORE.

So the question is, how much space does a toddler really need? How much stuff do they need? How can we handle the steady stream of gifts from generous and well-intentioned friends and family who love us but who don’t take into consideration how we will actually fit an item into our tiny house?

I don’t have any answers today. But I’d love to hear your ideas – especially if you’ve tackled apartment and city living with littles. Here are a few ideas I’ve come up with to make our space work for the time being:

  1. Purge AGAIN. Especially clothes and shoes.
  2. Rethink our spaces and our furniture. What needs to be in the main living spaces, and what needs to be in the bedrooms? What can we do without?
  3. Freshen up. I’m dreaming of repainting our living room (maybe Sea Salt or Yarmouth Blue or Lavender Heather – what do you think?). I’m hoping a refresh will help us look at the space in a new light.

Hosting an Independent Reading Celebration in the School Library (plus a free packet download for teachers + librarians!)

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The best parts of my job are, hands down, the opportunities I get to collaborate with my amazing colleagues. So when the 6th Grade ELA team had a gap in their schedule between Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks that they wanted to fill with an independent reading unit, I was thrilled. And then the ideas started coming fast and furious. What if I bring a cart of books into the classroom? Oh – let’s teach THEM how to book talk? What about book reviewing? And I know, let’s let the kids pick any book they want! And I have this bulletin board we can fill with the books they’ve read. And what about hot chocolate? We definitely need hot chocolate.

And friends, that is how the 6th Grade READ-A-LATTE CHALLENGE was born!

Now, I’m a librarian in an independent school, where we have a certain degree of freedom to make last-minute changes to our curriculum, so you may have more constraints on you when trying this in your own classes. But it’s a great little unit to implement when you have a small chunk of time. The kids loved it. We loved it. And best of all? Each and every one of the kids met–or exceeded–the goal they set for themselves. Our 61 6th graders read a grand total of 217 books in 21 days.

61 kids. 217 books. 21 days. The only rule was that they couldn’t read a book that they have already read. Their teachers graded them on the book talks and book reviews, which they uploaded to Flipgrid.

Oh, and the hot chocolate? Well, the Middle School Library was turned into a magical winter wonderland for the occasion. First, we settled in for our Read-A-Latte Lightning Round. The kids assembled themselves in two rows, each with a partner. They then had 30 seconds to pitch their books to their partner before the rows rotated. Once they had heard from everyone, we celebrated with hot cocoa (and toppings), winter word searches, and checking out even more books. It was a win-win for everyone!

Read-A-Latte Packet DownloadDownload

Good luck! And let me know if you try this on your own – I’d love to hear how it goes!

Hello, 2020!

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Happy 2020, friends! I hope you had a magical December. Eric and I were both on winter break from school and took 10 days to road trip and see family and friends in Ohio and Maryland. It was a long and exhausting trip – especially with a dog and a toddler in tow.

We hit traffic between Dayton and Cincinnati, so Zoey decided it was time for a car selfie.

We spent a lot of really great time together as a family (even with the constant sound of the Octonauts) in the background. We caught up with some of our favorite people. And we had a lot of really great conversations. After all, we spent 20+ hours in the car – Eric and I did a lot of talking.

We spent most of Christmas Day at Eric’s grandparents’ farm – Ellie loved seeing the cows!

One of the topics that seemed to come up again and again was what we were hoping for the coming year. I think it’s natural, at the end of December, to start to look forward. To hope. To plan. This season of life feels uncertain, and dreaming about the future makes me feel like I have some measure of control. Toddlerhood seems to be an ever-evolving series of mysteries and discoveries. The end of Eric’s PhD is on the horizon, even if it isn’t quite in sight yet. The last decade saw moves from Ohio to DC to Philadelphia, four stints at graduate school (three successful), and six jobs between the two of us — not to mention an engagement, marriage, a baby, serious illness, a book, a dog, a year apart, and more. I’ve learned a lot from the last ten years. Most importantly, I’ve learned that the only constant in our life is uncertainty. I’m not sure if that’s the same for everyone else – I’m guessing that it is, on some level.

We talked, too, about what I was hoping to accomplish by relaunching this blog. Again. Honestly, part of it is to get me back in the habit of writing. It’s something I’ve put on the back burner since moving to Philadelphia, and my fingers are itching to put words to paper (er, screen). I am so good at putting my energy into my career as a school librarian. The rest of my life-my writing, my family, my friends– deserve that same level of attention – which is something I used to be very good at.

And thus, my word for 2020 was born.

For the next 12 months, I am going to be intentional about how I spend my time. My energy. My money. My life. I’m going to focus on the things that matter the most to me: my family and friends, my writing, and my mental health. I’m going to spend less time on the things that don’t: namely, endless scrolling on social media. This means more books, less facebook. More green things in our house and less time on Pinterest looking at homes filled with plants. Clearing the clutter at home, not adding to it with cheap toys and clothes and things we don’t need. More time writing and less time thinking about writing (which, I admit, is valuable and all but there comes a point where I am just procrastinating). More face-to-face time with people I love.

So bring it on, 2020. I’m ready for you.

10 Books to Gift to Kids

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When people hear that I am a librarian, they usually have two reactions. One is, Wait people still use libraries? (to which my answer is a resounding YES). The second is, I want to buy a book for someone who’s x old. Can you give me a recommendation? (to which my answer is a resounding YES).

If you fall into the second camp and you’re looking for some great books to gift the young (and young-at heart!) readers in your life, here are 10 books that I love to give:

The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli is one of my daughter’s favorite bedtime stories. It’s perfect for little kids and toddlers, and it’s fun to read, too!

Find it at an Independent Bookstore near you!

Families come in all shapes and sizes. Love Makes A Family is a sweet little board book by Sophie Beer – sturdy enough for little hands and full of wonderful illustrations.

Find it in an Independent Bookstore near you.

Vashti Harrison’s Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History is an amazing collection highlighting 40 black women who changed the world, from Bessie Coleman to Maya Angelou. A must read for every child!

Find it an an Independent Bookstore near you.

I LOVE Mo Willems, so this copy of An Elephant and Piggie BIGGIE (vol 1) was definitely on the must-buy list for the preschoolers in my life. If you’re just going to pick one Elephant & Piggie to gift, I’d recommend The Thank You Book!

Find it in an Independent Bookstore near you.

I LOVE THIS BOOK. The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez is the story of 12-year-old Malú, who is having a hard time adjusting to life at a new school. So she starts a punk-rock band with a bunch of other misfits and fights for her right to express herself. I’m dreaming of one day teaching an elective to my middle schoolers where we read this book and make our own zines.

Find it in an Independent Bookstore near you!

This middle-grade gem is a book I wish I had found when I was twelve. The main character, Finley, suffers from anxiety and depression, but doesn’t know how to name those feelings. Her only escape is writing, and she is stunned when she realizes that the forest behind her grandmother’s house resembles the one in her stories. But when a darkness threatens to envelop the forest, Finley has to find a way to save it – by saving herself.

Find it in an Independent Bookstore near you!

Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs is a perennial favorite with my middle schoolers. It’s the story of a 12 year old detective, a murdered hippopotamus, and a zoo-driven conspiracy that threatens everything. Definitely a must-read for any kid who loves animals, mysteries, or humor.

Find it in an Independent Bookstore near you!

Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in 10 Blocks is a collection of connected short stories by one of my absolute favorite authors, Jason Reynolds. Middle school students will love it!

Find it in an Independent Bookstore near you!

The Grace Year by Kim Ligett is a book that I read in one sitting. I can’t stop thinking about this feminist, Lord of the Flies-esque story of a group of girls exiled into the wilderness for the year they turn 16 – a year they may not survive. Perfect for high schoolers on your list! (read my full review here)

Find it in an Independent Bookstore near you!

I’m not a huge graphic novel fan (personally!) but I know so many kids are – I can barely keep graphic novels of any kind on my library shelves. This poignant and devastating graphic memoir, Hey Kiddo, is an exceptional look at growing up with addicted parents – a reality that all too many kids are

Book Review: The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

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Sometimes I feel like we might burn down the world to cindery bits, with our love, our rage, and everything in between

Kim Liggett, The Grace Year

About the Book

From the Publisher:

Survive the Year.

No one speaks of the grace year. It’s forbidden.

In Garner County, girls are told they have the power to lure grown men from their beds, to drive women mad with jealousy. They believe their very skin emits a powerful aphrodisiac, the potent essence of youth, of a girl on the edge of womanhood. That’s why they’re banished for their sixteenth year, to release their magic into the wild so they can return purified and ready for marriage. But not all of them will make it home alive.

Sixteen-year-old Tierney James dreams of a better life—a society that doesn’t pit friend against friend or woman against woman, but as her own grace year draws near, she quickly realizes that it’s not just the brutal elements they must fear. It’s not even the poachers in the woods, men who are waiting for a chance to grab one of the girls in order to make a fortune on the black market. Their greatest threat may very well be each other.

Find it in an Independent Bookstore Near You
Kim Liggett’s Website

I read this book on my flight to the AASL Conference in Kentucky last month, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. It’s a brutal and unflinching look at a dystopian patriarchy that has eerie echoes of our own world mixed with a healthy dose of The Hunger Games, Lord of the Flies and The Handmaid’s Tale.

I loved the character of Tierney right away. I loved her anger. I loved her skepticism. And I loved, loved, loved the journey she found herself on–both the actual, literal journey, and the inner journey she took, too, as she considered the role of the girls around her on their Grace Year and the women they left at home.

Now, listen – I’ve read more than my fair share of YA. It’s the category I love best. When I write, I write YA. When I read, chances are I read YA. I’m a middle school librarian – kidlit is my thing. And yet, it feels like this book–like Tierney–is something I’ve been waiting for. It’s a no-holds barred exploration of the power of the teenage girl. Girls are banished from Garner Valley the year they turn 16 – the year they are told that their magic comes in. They are hunted for their skin, their blood, for their very essence–and yet, their essence, their magic, is feared above all else. This is a book I would have devoured as a teenage girl, because I would have felt seen. Even though I didn’t live in Garner Valley, and I wasn’t banished for a magic I may or may not have possessed, I understood Tierney. I understood her anger. I understood her fear.

There’s so much about this book that’s wonderful: the world-building, the relationships, the anger. Nothing felt rushed, and even though I saw the twist coming from a mile away, I didn’t mind at all. Give it a shot. I think you’ll love it, too.

Also Check Out:

Wilder Girls by Rory Power
Heroine by Mindy McGinness
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

An advanced copy of the Grace Year was provided free for review from the publisher.