Fact Friday: A Meerkat Diary: My Journey into the Wild World of a Meerkat Mob by Suzi Eszterhas

Image: Owlkids

A Meerkat Diary: My Journey into the Wild World of a Meerkat Mob by Suzi Eszterhas. 40 p. Owlkids, October, 2024. 9781771476386. Review of finished copy borrowed from public library.

Fact Friday features A Meerkat Diary: My Journey into the Wild World of a Meerkat Mob by Suzi Eszterhas. Whenever I hear that Ms. Eszterhas has a new book out, I make sure to read it and usually buy it for TMS' collection. She is a renowned photographer who travels the world documenting wildlife. In this book, she travels to the Kalahari Desert in Botswana with her zoologist assistent to spend two weeks with meerkats and the naturalists who observe the meerkats and accustom the mob to the presence of humans.

Readers will learn about the region and fun meerkat facts as well as facts about other animals that share the ecosystem with these curious and inventive furry creatures. As usual, the photographs are the stars of the show as Ms. Eszterhas manages to get up close and personal. If you're a reader who loves wildlife, this is the book for you. If you're a facthound who laps up information, this is the book for you. If you don't care a fig about nature or meerkats, read this book and you will.

#tbt: Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Image: Penguin Random House 

Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan. 384 p. Dial Books for Young Readers/ Penguin Young Readers, August, 2013. 

Today was the first day back from break for TMS students. I dropped my laptop, swipe card and keys off early this morning and went to yoga! Now that I'm retired, I hope to have the time and energy to do what I love best! Talking/ blogging about books for young people! Honestly, my job evolved from librarian to LA teacher as my flexible schedule gave way to a packed schedule, leaving little time for my super-power, Reader's Advisory and little energy after grading, to keep up with my reading.

I will start today with #tbt, which features Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan. Twelve-year-old Willow Chase is rather matter-of-fact about the fact that she doesn't fit in, like anywhere, except in her adoptive home with her "oh so white" adoptive parents. She's a genius with rather specific interests. This is a rather sad, but uplifting story told from multiple perspectives. Willow's first-person narration shifts to third person narration from those around her whose lives she unknowingly transforms.

Counting by 7s was published in 2013 and was named to both School Library Journal and Booklist "Best Books List." in 2015 it received The Hans Christian Andersen Award for Best Novel for Children 12+. The book has been a TMS favorite consistently over the years. Happy reading!

Happy New Year!

 Well, folks, if anyone is actually left reading my poor, forsaken blog, it certainly has been a minute! 2024 was not terribly kind to me, health wise. I missed about six months of school last year and thought I would need to retire in June. Thankfully, the cause of my terrible fatigue was discovered after much self-advocating, and my energy slowly returned. Over the summer, I actually read and blogged! Once school started though, my energy tanked. I loved being back, but the demands of the school day left little energy for anything but taking care that Boo got enough exercise. I had no energy to practice yoga or do much reading. I pushed the button for retirement effective January 1 on September 30. Once I did so, I felt a great weight release. It was time.

Then, in early October, I ran a fever for five days. Negative for Covid, flu and pneumonia, I was told to just let it run its course, and run its course, it did! Coughing and fatigue for MONTHS! Not fun. 

Yesterday, I posted grades for the final time. My replacement can start grading the assignments she delivers. I'm very happy with the gal who will be the new librarian and wish her the best of luck.

So, today, I am officially retired. I returned to yoga last week and hope to resume my daily practice. I was invited to join a group of retirees who meet the first Monday of each month for lunch. I was asked to join the Library Board in my town. I plan on attending Wednesday bird walks hosted by the Bergen County Audubon Society. And, Boo doesn't have to be alone for nearly eight hours during the school week. I will be busy doing all the things I didn't have time or energy to do. I also hope to resuscitate the blog and post more. I have missed reading and recommending books for young people. Onward and upward.

2024 Audio Books

 January (1)
1. Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim* (1/19)

March (2)
2.The Dragon's Promise by Elizabeth Lim (3/18)
3. Louder Than Hunger by John Schu (3/24)*

April (3)

4. Coyote Lost and Found by Dan Gemeinhart (4/5)

5. Good Dog by Dan Gemeinhart (4/20)

6. James by Percival Everett (4/26)*

May (3)

7. The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh (5/1)*

8. James by Percival Everett (audio reread) (5/14)*

9. Dust by Dust Bowling (5/28)

June (2)

10. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Moore (6/12)

11. The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko (6/30)

July (3)

12. Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston (7/16)

13. Ferris by Kate DiCamillo (7/21)*

14. Me Before You by JoJo Moyes (7/25)

August (3)

15. The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black (8/6)

16. Elf Dog and Owl Head by M.T. Anderson (8/9)

17. Stepping Off by Jordan Sonnenblick (8/17)

September (2)

18. Such Charming Liars by Karen M. McManus (9/2)*

19. Air by Monica Roe (9/10)

October (1)

20. The Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming (10/7)*

21. If He Had Been with Me by Laura Nowlin (10/31)

November (4)

22. Twenty-Four Seconds from Now by Jason Reynolds (11/9)

23. If Only I Had Told Her by Laura Nowlin (11/17)

24. Roll with It by Jamie Sumner (11/20)*

25. Jupiter Rising by Gary D. Schmidt (11/24)*

December (1)

26. Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi (12/12)

2024 Reading

 January (1)
1. Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim* (1/19)

February (1)
2. The Goddess Crown by Shade Lapite (2/11)

March (4)
3. Sunny Parker is Here to Stay by Margaret Finnegan (3/12)
4. The Dragon's Promise by Elizabeth Lim (3/18)
5. Break by Kayla Miller (3/23)
6. Louder Than Hunger by John Schu (3/24)*

April (5)

7. Coyote Lost and Found by Dan Gemeinhart (4/5)

8. Wild Inventions by Sandra Markle (4/10)

9. Huda F Cares by Huda Fahmy (4/14)*

10. Good Dog by Dan Gemeinhart (4/20)

11. James by Percival Everett (4/24)*

May (7)

12. Duel by Jessixa Bailey (5/1)

13. The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh (5/1)*

14. James by Percival Everett (audio reread) (5/14)*

15. The Night Librarian by Christopher Lincoln (5/14)*

16. The One and Only Family by Katherine Applegate (5/19)*

17. Dust by Dust Bowling (5/28)

18. Eddy Eddy buy Kate De Gold (5/31)

June (6)

19. A Walk in the Woods by Nikki Grimes, Brian Pinkney and Jerry Pinkney (6/4)*

20. Milly Fleur's Poison Garden by Christie Mandin (6/4)

21. When Black Girls Dream Big by Tanisia Moore (6/10)

22. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Moore (6/12)

23. The Witching Wind by Natalie Lloyd (6/26)*

24. The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko (6/30)

July (13)

25. The Yellow Bus by Loren Long (7/2)*

26. Coretta: the Autobiography of Mrs. Coretta Scott King by Coretta Scott King with the Reverend Dr. Barbara Reynolds (7/3)*

27. My Lost Freedom: a Japanese American World War II Story by George Takei (7/3)*

28. Snapshots: the Wonders of Monterey Bay by Celeste Davidson Mannis (7/4)

29. Modern Guide to Mudras: Create Balance and Blessings in the Palm of Your Hands by Alexandra Chauran (7/11)

30. Mercy Watson is Missing! by Kate DiCamillo (7/12)*

31. Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston (7/16)

32. Ferris by Kate DiCamillo (7/21)*

33. When We Flew Away: a Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary by Alice Hoffman (7/22)

34. Me Before You by JoJo Moyes (7/25)

35. Sunny Makes Her Case by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm (7/27)*

36. Bookie and Cookie by Blanca Gómez (7/27)

37. Invisible Isabel by Sally J. Play (7/28)

August (4)

38. Road Home by Rex Ogle (8/1)

39. The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black (8/6)

40. Elf Dog and Owl Head by M.T. Anderson (8/9)

41. Stepping Off by Jordan Sonnenblick (8/17)

September (6)

42. Such Charming Liars by Karen M. McManus (9/2)*

43. Hum by William David Thomas (9/5)

44. Air by Monica Roe (9/10)

45. ADHD is Awesome by Penn Holderness (9/24)

46. Remember Us by Jacqueline Woodson (9/25)

47. Gamerville by Johnny Christmas (9/30)

October (4)

48. Diet Soda Club by Chaz Hayden (10/2)

49. The Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming (10/7)*

50. Light Enough to Float by Lauren Seal (10/10)

51. If He Had Been with Me by Lauren Nowlin (10/31)

November (5)

52. Twenty-Four Seconds from Now by Jason Reynolds (11/9)

53. Things in the Basement by Ben Hatke (11/11)*

54. If Only I Had Told Her by Laura Nowlin (11/17)

55. Roll with It by Jamie Sumner (11/20)*

56. Jupiter Rising by Gary D. Schmidt (11/24)*

December (1)

57. Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi (12/12)

58. A Meerkat Diary: My Journey into the Wild World  of a Meerkat Mob by Suzi Eszterhas (12/31)