Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros

I work in education with many children who come from a similar background as the main character of this book and who also face similar challenges. In my school it is not uncommon for students to leave school in the middle of the school year to visit Mexico. Some of these trips may be in order to reconnect with family but others may be due to a family member being deported.

Efrén is a great big brother who takes care of his sometimes pesky younger siblings. His mom and dad (whom he calls amá and apá respectively) work hard to take care of the family. They have a secret however, they are in the country illegally and the specter of deportation always hangs over them.

One day however, amá goes missing and Efrén's worst fears come true. His father must scramble to fix things and Efrén has to pick up the slack at home with the little ones while also keeping things going at school.  As if this isn't enough, David is running for school president and needs Efrén's help but Efrén isn’t 100% sure he wants to help his pal

It is a basic human desire for parents to want better for their children. Although it may not be the right thing to do legally, all throughout history people have left their country whenever things go awry due to war, conflict or disease.

Cisneros provides a comprehensive glossary of terms in the back of the book as well which is good for those who don't speak Spanish or don't understand it that well (there is much Spanish used in the book).  Books like these are good ways to introduce topics to younger readers who may see topics on the news or on social media but don't understand. A few read alikes to this book are Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan, Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez and The Crossroads by Alexandra Diaz.

Dark Sky Rising: Reconstruction and the Dawn of Jim Crow

I hesitated for a long time before reading this book and it sat on my nightstand for a few days. If you've read many of this blog's posts, you will notice that I read a lot of fiction books. Some, like Courage by Barbara Binns and Front Desk by Kelly Yang deal with weighty issues but others are pretty light. I know that in order to encourage kids to read, oftentimes you must lead with light books that catch their interest.

Dark Sky Rising: Reconstruction and the Dawn of Jim Crow by Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Tonya Bolden is not by any stretch of the imagination, a light book. It deals with heavy, weighty issues that many, even people like myself who are of African descent, sometimes struggle to read. The weight of history, of the struggles of the ancestors and of the cruel and inhumane treatment suffered during slavery is sometimes too hard to process.

But, in the year 2020 when so many things concerning civil rights are in the public consciousness, I decided to read this book not least because I wanted to delve into some of the things that shaped the nation. Things that occur today are as a result of centuries of oppression, state policies and outright bigotry.

Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr and his co-author create a very readable account of a little studied period in American history between 1865 and 1877 called Reconstruction.  It is important to remember that not everyone was happy to see former slaves now given rights such as the right to vote through amendments to the Constitution.

I finished this book and felt a sense of pride for the enduring spirit of those who resisted and fought for the rights to live and prosper and so that their children could have a better future.  This book is, in my humble opinion, a must read for teens and adults.  We must learn from history or be doomed to repeat it.

What I learned as a homeschooling dad...tips for parents who suddenly find themselves in this situation

My son and I spent 18 months at home together during which he attended online school. I won't say the name of the school, but it was a great experience and the entire process was streamlined. We knew what to do, who to call when things didn't work and the school even sent a computer, monitor, headset and other ancillary materials.

The covid-19 virus has forced many school districts to switch to an online model of schooling or to cancel school altogether. If you as a parent or caregiver find yourself suddenly entrusted with the education of your kiddo using technology that you may or may not be familiar with, read on for my top 10 takeaways. Hopefully this can help some parents who find themselves at home.


1. Don't let the new math get you down! Different state standards and other regulations call for students to show their work as they do their math problems. As a parent of a 4th grader I myself have had to learn new ways of long division and multiplication. Look for online resources to help you

2. Your young ones will follow your lead. If you find yourself getting frustrated, take a break and come back to a topic later. It helps no one if schooling turns into shouting and griping.

3. Take advantage if your school district offers take home tech such as chromebooks. Tech fails will frustrate both you and your kiddo so if you are not sure if the old laptop you have at home will be good for this new endeavor, make full use of school devices.

4. Let kids explore. Kids learn by doing and in regular school, children sometimes work on group projects which enable them to show what they learned. If children want to do some projects that are not necessarily academically inclined, let them do it.

5. Any type of materials can be used for projects. If you have old items that you were going to throw out, let your young ones open up and see the wiring or parts inside. Learning is not only abc and 123, not all kids will grow up to be professionals, some children will work with their hands so expose them from young to all types of learning.

6. Reach out to a fellow parent or one of your child's best friends and organize an online study session using Zoom, Skype, Google Hangout, Messenger or other meeting software. The kids can still experience some of the community aspect of school and can maybe help each other and encourage each other.

7. Do not be afraid to reach out to your child's teacher. They should be available to assist with all areas of the curriculum and are vested in your child's educational well-being.

8. Let your child lead the way. There will be some things tech wise that your child will be more versed in than you are. Accept it and let them teach you as the situation arises, it gives them a sense of ownership and of accomplishment.

9. Make a sign or have something that signals when school is in session, this will help your kids get into the learning frame of mind as it will serve as a visual cue. Kids have these in school when they go to specials classes and the like and it serves to put them in a learning frame of mind.

10. It is okay to vent. There will be frustrating times. We all should have that one friend, family member or social media platform in which we can express our frustrations. If all else fails, take a snow day, sip an adult beverage and try again tomorrow.

Good luck and be well.

The Oddmire by William Ritter

A good juvenile fantasy is always welcome and this one is very well done I must say. As in any good fantasy there are some tried and true  folklore and fairytale-inspired characters but also a few new ones (hunkypunks are my new favorite fantasy creature and I may even try to dress as one this Halloween).

The story begins with a  bumbling but well-intentioned goblin called Kull who means to restore the balance of an old prophecy that he halfway remembers by stealing a human baby and replacing it with a changeling. Unfortunately, in the midst of the deed he mixes the babies up, panics and then bails leaving the identical babies  in the care of a very confused family.

Years later, the boys grow up and, as these things go, a prophecy is about to come true. Enter Kull, trying to make amends for his earlier error and convinces the boys to enter into a dark forest which to their credit they do despite growing up hearing tales of all the scary folk who live there. On the quest they meet some other forest folk and learn some things about themselves.

One of the central themes of this book is family,  there are secrets, some of which are revealed, but others which will be revealed in future installments of this series. I quite like it and I recommend it for ages 8 and up. Some read alikes are Colin Meloy's Wildwood, Anne Ursu's Breadcrumbs and The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens.

The Last Human by Lee Bacon

I love this book's cover so much...a robot in a Bermuda shirt surrounded by some fierce looking machines. The book's premise is even better. A robot is "born" into a society run by a robot called PRES1DENT. this world is actually very similar to our own but the humans have so damaged the earth that the robots eliminated all human life but continue to tend to the planet.

XR_935 is, like most other robots a dutiful worker who installs solar panels all day before going home to his parent unit bots at night. He has two coworkers called Ceeron and SkD_988. The latter is curiously funny as he communicates via emojis that flash on his screen.

The trio can count on things being the same because robot society is ordered and disciplined. This all changes however when they encounter an unknown life form on the job. The unknown life form turns out to be a kid called Emma who is actually a survivor form a hidden colony. Emma needs help and the robots must decide if to go against the creed of robot kind: "A robot shares everything with the Hive. A robot has nothing to hide."

This is a thought provoking book that deals with issues such as human action on the environment, climate change, friendship, AI, freedom of thought and speech. I recommend it for ages 9 and above. Some read alikes to this are Peter Brown's The Wild Robot, Paul Stewart's Zoid and Tom Angleberger's Fuzzy.

Good Dog by Dan Gemeinhart

It's rare to come across a book with so much heart, friendship and paws so when I did see this book on the shelf I immediately picked it up and devoured it.

Brodie was a good dog and I say "was" because he is now in an in between place where dead animals go to hang out. He senses that his owner, who he calls "his boy" needs him and so he makes the tough decision to go back to the physical realm. He is able to do so but as you might expect there are a few strings attached. His boy is facing some challenges of his own but how will Brodie be able to help his former owner if he can no longer touch him, or anything for that matter?

For a mission of this magnitude, Brodie can't go it alone and along the way he meets Tuck, the faithful friend who is the perfect foil for the more thoughtful, deliberative Brodie. He also meets Patsy, an alley cat who is as streetwise as they come and shows the dogs how to move around now that they are in physical form.

Brodie's boy is in danger from someone he loves and so the trio of animals are in a race against time to save him. There is more danger too with a pack of evil demon dogs who have their own evil motives for hunting Brodie and co.


The question of whether we have souls is a tricky one but I think the ending was handled in a very satisfactory manner. My takeaway from this novel is that bullies come in all shapes and sizes but with a little bit of heart we can stand up to them. I recommend this book for ages 9 and up.

The Unteachables by Gordon Korman

All Mr. Kermit wants to do is wind his teaching career until he can take early retirement. His "career" has long fizzled out after a scandal in his early days sucked all the joy out of him. His nemesis in the district office is not letting him go gently into the night however and orders his principal to give him the worst class out there- The Unteachables.


Mr. Kermit is a veteran however and he spends his days drinking coffee from a humongous mug and doling out worksheets. Then between the dogged persistence of his younger colleague and his students, Mr. Kermit finds the old spark being reignited but will it be too late?

Korman tells the tale from various viewpoints so the reader gets to see the perspective from various characters in the novel and their motivations.  Any student can learn as long as their are caring, willing adults in their school.

As I myself make my return to the school environment this school year I intend to not view any student as an "unteachable" and instead do all in my power to reach them where they are. Some read alikes to this book are Sidetracked by Diana Harmon Asher and The Losers Club by Andrew Clements.