It’s Children’s Book Week!

Thanks to Nari over at The Novel World, I realized that the week of May 11-17 is Children’s Book Week, courtesy of the Children’s Book Council.

In a quote from their website:

“Since 1919, Children’s Book Week has been celebrated nationally in schools, libraries, bookstores, clubs, private homes-any place where there are children and books. Educators, librarians, booksellers, and families have celebrated children’s books and the love of reading with storytelling, parties, author and illustrator appearances, and other book related events.”

I’ll be doing a guest post on The Novel World this coming Wednesday the 13th about my experiences with reading as a child, and how that translates to reading as an adult and with my son.

In my opinion, there is nothing more important to a young child than access to books, and being read to. This week, make the time to do something bookish for a child. Read to your own child, re-read a children’s book you once loved, donate new and gently used books to a shelter, or donate money or time to a local library.

“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” – Emily Buchwald

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Texas Government

Is confusing. If you know anything about it, which I’m sure most people don’t, one aspect of the government is the Sunset Advisory Commission. This makes me think of nursing home for some reason. But in reality, this Commission is in charge of reviewing government agencies and boards, on a 12 year cycle, and deciding if they should be allowed to continue.

12 year cycle? Holy crap. That is just ridiculous. 12 years ago, I was in elementary school. Now I’m graduated, in college, married, and have a son. 12 years seems like way too long between reviews to me. I don’t know how they came up with this arbitrary number, but I think we need a recount.

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Sadness

The confusion and anger that this terrible event has filled me with is indescribable. The cold and calculated murder of 32 people by one person is just unbelievable. I literally cannot fathom what drove this maniac to kill two people, then decide that wasn’t enough for him and go on to kill 30 more and wound 25 others.

There is nothing anyone can say that will really be of comfort to those directly affected. There is nothing that can be said to those watching on TV to really describe how it must have felt to be hunted by a madman. That man could not have died enough times to make up for what he did. And it is unfortunate that he took the ultimate coward’s way out of his responsibility.

There is nothing I can say that will express my sorrow and compassion for the campus of Virginia Tech. I can only say that I am sorry for their losses.

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