1. Reading: I really enjoyed Amy Sarig King’s middle grade book, The Year We Fell From Space. I know I’ve been like an A.S. King super-fan lately, but she’s so good at stories for young adults and adolescents. If you’re looking for a great book for adolescents or to read for yourself, or you’re looking for a good mentor text, check this one out. Or just read through King’s entire backlog. It’s worth it. Trust me.
2. Reading + Watching: A couple years ago I read The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy With Autism, by Naoki Higashida. I cried. I laughed. I felt thankful that a book like this existed in the world. And then this summer my kids and I watched the Netflix documentary based on the book. And I cried. And laughed. And I felt thankful that a documentary like this existed in the world. As the mom of a kid on the autism spectrum both the book and the documentary were beautiful inside looks into the minds of young adults with autism. After watching the documentary, my 13-year-old said, “So much more makes sense now.” He understood his brother better—and other people in his life. That’s worth a watch for sure.
3. Reading: “There is nothing stronger than a broken woman who has rebuilt herself.” Ten Steps to Nanette, by Hannah Gadsby, is probably one of the best memoirs I’ve read in a long time. I was introduced to Gadsby probably like most people were—after her Netflix comedy special, “Nanette.” It made me laugh and cry and feel so many things. Her book is the same. It’s a profound look at neurodiversity and LGBTQ+ identity that’s also funny and charming. She reads her own audiobook—well worth the listen.
4. Watching: On the subject of documentaries, another the family and I watched this summer that’s well worth the watch is Youth V Gov on Netflix. It’s about a group of kids who brought a lawsuit against the federal government for actively working to make the climate crisis worse and, in the process, endangering their future health and well being. My kids were inspired by the young advocates and started talking about ways they could work in their own communities to make change.
5. Reading: I guess I was on a memoir/nonfiction kick this month, because I also read Managing Expectations: a Memoir in Essays, by Minnie Driver. It was another entertaining, emotional book, surprisingly accessible though Driver is a celebrity with a completely different life than the one I live. She’s down to earth, wise, and kind and compassionate in her relationships. I read the audiobook, which Driver reads herself (and her accent makes it a lovely read).
