Author Archives: chick

The Determinator

Posted on 12/30/2012 by chick

Dear Livia, It’s amazing how determined you are to have things your own way. It’s normal for kids your age to fight for independence, but you have taken it to a whole new level. You’re not just determined, you’re The … Continue reading →

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What is YA?

Posted on 12/22/2012 by chick

During our departmental lunch earlier this year, I told some coworkers that I hated Stephenie Meyer’s book, Twilight. The subject had come up, so why not voice my opinion? But one of my coworkers, it turned out, was an ardent … Continue reading →

Posted in Reading | 3 Comments

Three Unusual Books

Posted on 12/17/2012 by chick

Summerland by Michael Chabon Grade: B+ What would happen if you combined Native American legend, American folk stories, Norse mythology, and baseball? This book. And it is every bit as odd as you’d expect the resulting blend to be, though … Continue reading →

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Walking Together

Posted on 11/24/2012 by chick

Dear Marshall, I decided a couple of months ago that I needed to get more exercise. It was hard to find the time to walk alone, because I am always either working or taking care of you kids during the … Continue reading →

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That Was Then, This Is Now

Posted on 11/07/2012 by chick

The Way We Talk Now: Commentaries on Language and Culture from NPR’s “Fresh Air” by Geoffrey Nunberg Grade: B The short essays in The Way We Talk Now ought to have been perfect for me, given my interest in language … Continue reading →

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Fall = Love

Posted on 11/05/2012 by chick

Having seen no ticks this year (just tiny tick-like things we now believe to have been mites), I finally decided to brave the woods behind the house. I have been up there many times in the last few weeks. Fall … Continue reading →

Posted in Out and about | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Saturday’s Mail

Posted on 10/26/2012 by chick

I probably shouldn’t like getting mail. I get a lot of bills. But I still eagerly await the mail delivery, sometimes even on Sundays and holidays because I forget which day it is. And sometimes I’m rewarded with good mail, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Fairy Tale

Posted on 10/24/2012 by chick

The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz Grade: B+ The Night Fairy is about a fairy named Flory whose wings get chewed up by a bat. Now flightless and terrified of bats, she decides to try a different lifestyle. She … Continue reading →

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Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Posted on 10/22/2012 by chick

Dear Marshall, Most kids like to have a toy to cuddle at bedtime. Usually it’s a stuffed animal. Livia almost always wants her stuffed poodle and monkey. You, on the other hand, have to have your “car,” which is a … Continue reading →

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Universal Mockery

Posted on 10/20/2012 by chick

I think the Universe may be mocking me, and it is using Three Minute Fiction to do it. Stories for the last round of Three Minute Fiction were supposed to revolve around a U.S. president. In my unfinished story, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | 3 Comments