North Woods: A Novel

Weird. Just plain weird is how I describe North Woods: A Novel by Daniel Mason. But, I really liked it, so much so that I want to read another of his books, maybe The Winter Soldier or The Piano Tuner.

Although I was baffled and confused through much of North Woods, I found the writing flowed well and was easy to read. I just kept plowing ahead and usually could figure out what weird, creepy thing had happened. 

Basically the story follows the lives of characters who inhabit a piece of property in Western Massachusetts over the course of time, starting in pre-colonial days and continuing to the present. The author’s extensive knowledge about and obvious enthusiasm for the natural environment of the area make the setting come to life. The unusual characters are all deeply, physically and spiritually, connected to the yellow house and acres of forest surrounding it.

The rich vocabulary stimulated my brain, as I time-traveled through 400+ years of the transforming landscape. I learned what a catamount is and why a picture of one features prominently on the book’s cover. This quote from the last chapter demonstrates the underlying theme. “…the only way to understand the world as something other than a tale of loss is to see it as a tale of change.”

I finished reading last night, and ‘the what in the … WTF’ ending brought everything together in a strange and thought-provoking way. I didn’t want it to end, and I immediately went back to reread the beginning. Here is a bit of foreshadowing from an early chapter. 

“I have come to the opinion, generally, that he who does good to the land shall be protected, while he who trespasses upon her will be met with most violent return.”

Karma.

New York

I want to read New York by Edward Rutherfurd so bad. So bad that I’m writing about it now, instead of doing school work to prepare for our return tomorrow after a too-short winter break! But not bad enough to actually pick up the enormous hardcover copy I snagged years ago from my cousin Ann Marie and her husband Jeff (who live in the state of New York). It sits in my living room book shelf since 2016, taunting me to resume where I left off at chapter 3 (of 32!) 

Some day, when I’m retired, I envision reading it on a beach somewhere Caribbean-y ☀️🌊 

Fun Fact: My new teaching partner this 2021-2022 school year is a good, old friend of Jeff's.

Add this title to a stack of other unread books acquired from my many Massachusetts Historical Society workshops.

               

And, let's not overlook, the colossal, 777-page Frederick Douglass biography by Celeste-Marie Bernier and Andrew Taylor, If I Survive that I won in a MHS raffle!

The Nickel Boys

I love Florida. Actually, let's rephrase that, I love a boy who lives in Florida. Not a boy from Florida and certainly not a boy associated with the horrors in the book The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. This book employs  fictional characters to expose true events that took place, at a real Florida reform school for boys, over the course of several years during the 20th century.

Deeply troubling, this recommendation from Lisa caused me to ponder profound questions about race, discipline, and punishment that I've already been wrestling with as a teacher, as well as to research the actual circumstances the book is based upon.

What's love got to do with it?

Abuse at the hands of those who are supposed to nurture, protect, and TEACH, is somehow worse than regular ole' garden variety abuse because it involves the misuse of power and is delivered sanctimoniously in the form of lessons learned or some sort of misinformed guidance.

The abuse the boys—many of color and from low income families—suffered at the hands of the teachers and administrators at the school was cruel, interminable, and life-changing, but Whitehead weaves together a narrative of redemption and reflection within the backdrop of the school's awful history. News accounts documenting newly discovered unmarked graves on the property are the latest shocking details to emerge regarding this shameful story.

Following a catastrophic storm, a new investigation begins at Florida’s Dozier School for Boys

On a side note, I watched an interesting 60 Minutes episode about Whitehead's writing career. He is the author of The Underground Railroad on which the 2017 series is based. I'm looking forward to reading his 2021 novel, Harlem Shuffle, which is supposedly a follow-up to The Nickel Boys.

And, that boy I know in Florida? He's an old high school friend who I recently reconnected with after our 40th class reunion. He comes from a lot of different places, and I love how he tickles my brain! I wonder if he has read this book.

EDITED to note that the movie version of this book was nominated in 2025 for Academy Awards in the best picture and best adapted screenplay categories. The director chose an unusual and jarring perspective to film the narration that, along with the intensity of the subject matter, makes Nickel Boys difficult to watch. I must admit that the design works to enhance the characterization and impact of a powerful story, and makes the viewing experience worthwhile.

The Night Circus

“The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it, no paper notices on downtown posts and billboards, no mentions or advertisements in local newspapers. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.”

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is a fantastical love story set during the turn of the century. Historical fiction with a magical twist! I successfully completed reading it with five days to spare on my CLAMS rental! Gotta love Christmas break! Although slow in the beginning, the beautiful writing style and unusual storyline held my interest. Once the love story kicked in, I was hooked.

Is it so bad that my life is so dreadful that all I want to do is get lost in the pages of a good book? I definitely identified with the elements of longing for a connection between the main characters in this book and the sense of melancholy woven throughout.

”He longs to reach over and touch her, but he resists, fearful of destroying the delicate camaraderie they are building. He steals glances instead, watching the way the light falls over her skin. Several times he catches her regarding him in a similar manner, and the moments when she holds his eyes with hers are sublime.”

Do moments like these actually exist in real life or are they just in our imaginations?

Night of the Twisters

LEXILE 790 ages 9-12

Ah, more scintillating fifth grade curriculum connections. Having just finished our weather unit in science we're supplementing our studies with a dramatic read aloud of Night of the Twisters by Ivy Ruckman. Here is the Lexile Framework summary, "A fictional account of the night freakish and devastating tornadoes hit Grand Island, Nebraska, as experienced by a twelve-year-old, his family, and friends."

I found the writing a bit awkward, but that probably had more to do with the decade (1986) it was written than the writer's style. It certainly lent itself to a very satisfying read aloud. Our students were enthralled during Mrs. Sullivan's animated reading of the book during snack time every day leading up to our winter break. The experience culminated with a viewing of the DVD on December 23 which I regrettably missed due to a nasty migraine headache.