Every week or so, my ten-year-old daughter asks me, “Mama, can you tell me again about some famous people who were dyslexic?”
It’s hard…feeling the “different” kid in a big family. It’s hard watching your younger siblings excel at things you’re struggling with. Even when you have so many things you’re brilliant at. Even when you have daily reminders that everyone is different in one way or another, because that’s part of the beauty of God’s plan for human nature. So hearing about people who were different in the same way you are can be a big comfort. Hans Christian Anderson, Agatha Christie, Bobby Flay, Avi, Patricia Polacco... The list of famous people whose brains were wired like my daughter’s is not a short one. But I’m still excited when I discover another name to add to the list, and today that name is Taylor Tyng, author of Clara Poole and the Long Way Round. If Roald Dahl and Jules Verne got together and collaborated on a book, it would look a lot like Clara Poole and the Long Way Round. Quirky characters and madcap situations; exciting round-the-world adventures; little pockets of unexpected pathos that make you tear up despite yourself... It’s hard to imagine a kid who wouldn’t enjoy reading a story like this one. I can’t wait to share it with my own kids (I didn’t have a chance just yet, but I will report back in the comments with their thoughts). But first I’m going to share with my daughter this little snippet from Taylor’s website: “I want children with dyslexia to express themselves without worrying about the words. It's not spelling that makes you intelligent — it's your ideas. Don't hide behind it. Don't feel ashamed. Know that you are one of millions who, like you, see the world differently. That difference in perspective can be a huge asset to you and everyone around you... I am dyslexic. I am also a righter... well, you get the point, and that's all that matters.” (Here’s the source, and the whole page is amazing.) Speaking of tearing up despite oneself...man. Ok, enough from me. Here’s the publisher’s description of Clara Poole: Mr. Lemoncello meets the Amazing Race in this quirky high-octane middle grade around-the-world adventure. When an unintended flight over Michigan in her class science project—a lawn chair held aloft by balloons—brings her instant celebrity, Clara Poole is invited to be the spokesperson for a round-the-world hot air balloon race. But when her overprotective father, still mourning the death of his wife, refuses, in a moment of brash defiance, Clara forges his signature and runs away to Paris to take her place in the skies. If only she’d read the fine print first. Partnered with a veteran aeronaut who wants nothing to do with her, Clara faces down ten treacherous stages in a race around the world—capturing flags in the perilous mountains of Tibet; being a guest of honor at a maybe-wedding in the Saharan desert; flying through rings of fire in Hong Kong—all while learning the ropes alongside a colorful cast of international competitors. But there are more dangers than those planned as part of the contest. Someone is trying to sabotage the competition. And surviving this race means Clara must come to terms with the tragedy that set her rashly escaping to the skies in the first place, and accepting that forgiving herself isn’t a process she has to undertake alone. Gorgeous prose and winning characters combine in this quirky, often-hilarious, sometimes heart-breaking, and thoroughly captivating middle grade adventure series starter from an incredible new talent. To find more Marvelous Middle Grade Monday recommendations, be sure to check out Always in the Middle!
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Hello, friends! Please welcome Carolyn Leiloglou, author of Beneath the Swirling Sky, Book One of The Restorationists series. Besides being a fellow author and art-lover, Carolyn is a homeschooling mom; I discovered throughout this interview that we have a lot in common! As I write my interview questions and read responses, I like to imagine that the author and I are enjoying a cup of tea together at my kitchen table… In this case, it's probably a good thing it was actually over email, because I can guarantee my Restorationist-fan children would be keeping Carolyn busy with lots of questions of their own!
FEH: Welcome, Carolyn, and thank you for agreeing to this interview! Beneath the Swirling Sky was one of my family's favorite reads of 2023 (I reviewed it here). I also want to start out by sharing that Beneath the Swirling Sky is one of my ten-year-old daughter's very favorite books. She is dyslexic, so the act of decoding words is still a challenge for her, but she wanted a hard copy of your book after we listened to the audio version together, so she could go back and re-read her favorite parts whenever she wanted. It's been such a special experience for us to share. We are SO picky about art-themed books in my house, because my husband is a professional artist. So often, artists in literature are surrounded by a strange sort of mystique, overlooking the hard work and practice they put into their works. Your story portrayed art and artists in a way that even this very choosy family could get behind. :) Which leads to my first question: Are you a visual artist yourself? CL: Before I answer, let me just say how encouraging it is for me to hear that your daughter with dyslexia wanted a physical copy of the book! I’ve had a few families with dyslexic kids tell me their kids read and love Beneath the Swirling Sky, and it means a lot to me because two of my own children have dyslexia. I think books with adventure and character depth help pull them in (and I’m sure the illustrations help too in this case)! To answer your question, no, I’m not a visual artist myself. However, I grew up around a lot of art and familiar with artists and artistic concepts. My mom was an art major and taught high school art for several years, and my grandparents were art collectors. In fact, Uncle Leo’s house in Beneath the Swirling Sky is loosely based on theirs! FEH: Of course you cover this thoroughly and poignantly in your story, but what are some of the ways you believe art can influence the world and each individual? Do visual arts have a unique role in that? CL: One of the ways art can influence us is to bring to light beauty. It can also help you see things in a new way. Visual art specifically forces you to slow down to truly experience it, which feels like a rare gift in our hurry-to-the-next-thing culture. FEH: (Yes! I love that and totally agree. The ability art has to help us slow down is often overlooked.) The villains in your story damage art and attempt to pollute it with their evil ideas... but you also mention real-life damage to artwork. What would you say regarding those who risk the destruction of (or actually destroy) masterpieces to magnify their own voices? CL: I wonder if you’re referring to the protesters who have repeatedly assaulted various paintings over the last few years and now have apparently actually damaged one. I certainly don’t think the way for anyone to get a point across would be to harm irreplaceable paintings by some of our world’s greatest artists. It’s misguided, to say the least. But perhaps it had helped some people realize how precious these objects are. Their stunts have sent more people than ever to museums by reminding us of the frailty of art and our inability to truly protect it while also sharing it with the world. FEH: (That's a very encouraging way of looking at it! Anything that helps us to consider the value of artwork isn't a total loss.) From visual arts to word arts... Can you share a little about why you love writing and how you started writing? CL: I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I was making up poems long before I could spell, and I started writing my first novel in the fourth grade. However, somewhere around middle school, much like my main character Vincent, I lost confidence in my art. Tragically, I stopped writing stories until I had kids of my own (though I never totally gave up on poetry). It makes me sad to think about how many years I wasted not writing because I thought I wasn’t good enough. But you can never actually get “good enough” without doing the work. I hope my story inspires kids not to give up on whatever art form they love. FEH: Here is a question from my daughter, Maddie: if you could choose any of the artists you talk about in your book to illustrate it for you, who would it be? CL: Well, it’s hard to beat the amazing art that Vivienne To created! Her illustrations, especially the cover, really blew me away, and I feel so blessed that she chose to take on this project. But if Vincent van Gogh wanted to illustrate my book, who am I to say no? FEH: (We loved Vivienne's illustrations, too! They were the best part of getting a physical copy of the book after having enjoyed it on audio.) If you could host a dinner with one artist and one writer (dead or alive!) who would you choose? CL: This feels like a sneaky way to ask who my favorites are… I think I’d have to pick Vincent van Gogh for the artist because I love so many of his paintings and he had so much to say about art and life in his letters to his brother Theo. (Though I just came across a treasure trove of quotes from Henry Ossawa Tanner while researching book three, so he’s my close second). And how can I not pick C.S. Lewis as the author? I think I’d just sit back and soak in the conversation the two of them would have and just keep refilling their tea cups. FEH: Finally, what is some of the best writing advice you ever received? CL: It’s not the most talented writers who necessarily succeed. Its the most persistent. If you want to be a writer, keep at it! FEH: Thank you so much for joining us, Carolyn, and thank you for writing your beautiful story. We are so looking forward to Book 2!! CL: Thank you for having me! Book 2, Between Flowers and Bones, is up for preorder now! I can’t say how many times I’ve wished for more contemporary books like Hilda van Stockum’s The Mitchells—books with big, Catholic families having fun, doing interesting things, loving one another fiercely, and extending the love they learn at home to their wider community. Specific, much? Maybe a little. But one can hope (and get up early to write that kind of book yourself...).
I think I clicked “Buy now” on My Family and Other Skaters, by Fiorella De Maria before I finished reading the description. Big Catholic family—check. Fun and adventures—check. Love at home and love for others—check and double check. Add to that the fact that the family in question is obsessed with figure skating, have a pet alpaca, and start an at-home cafe to feed the parents of their fellow skaters, and you’ve got the recipe for a story that fits right in with Noel Streatfeild and Hilda van Stockum. The first person narrator is Rosaria, the oldest daughter of a British accountant and an immigrant writer from “a sunny island where everyone grew up believing that the British wear bowler hats, drink Earl Grey tea out of little china teacups, and recite Wordsworth poems to each other.” The voice is casual and humorous, which makes it seem decidedly contemporary—I think my personal taste leans toward the classic feel of third person narration as in van Stockum and Streatfeild, but I’m certain there will be some readers (and probably many children) who prefer the immediacy and humor. Much of My Family and Other Skaters takes place during Advent and Christmas, and revolves around the skating pantomime the children perform, making it a perfect choice for a family Advent readaloud. For more Marvelous Middle Grade Monday recommendations, check out Always in the Middle! I've been chatting about kids and art over on Instagram (you can find my posts saved in my story highlights under "Museums+kids," if you're interested), so I decided it would be a good time to resurrect this old blog post from back in 2015. Enjoy! Life's an art, wouldn't you agree? I love the idea of being a living work of art, while participating in the ongoing Creation by creating art of my own. And one of my favorite things about being part of this massive, timeless, glorious artwork is enjoying the work that other creators have put into it. As a mother, this has extended to sharing this joy with my children... ...but I think any of you who have ever actually tried to take a child to an art museum will know that this can be a challenge. As I've tackled it many times, with a general level of success, allow me to share some tips from my experience. TIPS FOR THE UNDER-TWO CROWD 1. Take babies to the museum. Trust me. It may seem like a daunting task, but this is actually the easy part. And if they become comfortable and familiar with museums now, they're more likely to continue to enjoy the experience as they get older. 2. Feed your hungry baby. If you meet your babies' needs, you set the tone for a happy experience. Even though I've been afraid of complaints, I've never had so much as a raised eyebrow when I found a quiet room of the museum in which to nurse my baby. But in case you're worried about any anti-nursing nastiness, you can steal my strategy and choose a quiet bench right under a medieval painting of a nursing Madonna or a Renaissance nude of a Grecian goddess. Go ahead, naysayers: try and complain. 3. Wear your little babies. If you don't absolutely need to bring a stroller into a museum, don't. (That time will come soon enough when you have a runaway toddler AND a baby.) You'll be cursing the unwieldiness and frustration of finding elevators in no time. Just make sure you have a sling or a front carrier, as most museums don't allow back carriers. 4. Let your toddlers toddle. You'd be surprised how engaging those long galleries are to little legs and minds. Just hold hands or stay close, because a museum chase is not something you want to add to your life experiences. 5. Look at the (painted) babies. Babies like nothing so much as other babies. Which is convenient, because most art museums are full of images of babies. 9 out of 10 times, as soon as I take a just-fidgety baby over to a painting of the Infant Jesus, she's all smiles and cooing. TIPS FOR THE TWO TO FIVE CROWD 1. Have reasonable expectations. You know what kids' attention spans are like. Don't expect a full-length museum trip with a three-year-old, because you are likely to be disappointed. Depending on my child, I like to frequent free or low-cost museums at this point (most libraries have tons of passes, which is an excellent option), so that you don't feel cheated when you only end up staying half an hour. I figure anything past that 30 minute mark is a bonus. 2. Make even limited museum time always fun. It's important to keep the museum experience a happy one so children never associate it with being bored or tired. With some guidance, and a firm set of rules, let your child wander from painting to painting that holds his or her interest. Ask lots of questions about the stories behind the paintings. Ask them to point out the colors they know. See if they can play detective and find paintings that look similar. Make it a game. 3. Speaking of games...really, make a game. My very best museum trick is this: make a treasure hunt list for your child. I draw simple pictures for my pre-readers, and create a list of items they'll be sure to encounter in the museum. This generally keeps them engaged for well over an hour. Here are some sure-fire choices for pretty much any museum with traditional artwork, but you can adapt to your needs: -a peach -a bird -a white flower -a pink flower -a blue dress -a baby -a dog -a fancy hat -a golden necklace -an apple -a red dress -a saint -a tree -clouds -the sea -a boat a mountain -a vase of flowers -a bowl -a cup -a window -a castle, or fancy house -a horse -a fish -a crown Also fun is printing out small images of actual paintings for them to find--just make sure you check in advance to make sure all the artwork is currently on view. TIPS FOR FIVE- TO TEN-YEAR-OLDS 1. Do some advance research. A. Study one or two artists whose work you know you will find in the museum. There's something so exciting about walking into a room and recognizing the work of a great artist. When you're studying, talk about the stories you see in the paintings as well as limited technical elements like which colors you see, the level of detail with which the artist paints (impressionistic versus realistic, for example), and general thematic elements in the paintings. There are super, super, super picture books about many artists that are an excellent place to begin. B. Read the stories behind some of the paintings you will see. Greek myths, bible stories, and Shakespearean plays have been beautifully represented in thousands of paintings over the centuries. Before visiting a museum, we like to brush up on these classics with some good "kid editions." Kids at this age will be thrilled to see a story they know "illustrated" on canvas--the story is more important to them than who painted it or what style it represents. Knowing the stories and recognizing the characters will help them realize that art is for them, too, not just for grown-ups. Some of our favorite books for this purpose are: Classic Myths to Read Aloud, by William F. Russell New Catholic Picture Bible (or any picture Bible… We've found each has its pluses and minuses and are still looking for a truly great one…) Tales from Shakespeare, by Charles and Mary Lamb 2. Allow them to help plan the visit. I want my children at this age to feel they "own" the experience of visiting a museum and aren't just being dragged around. I prevent that latter tragedy by allowing them to help me plan the trip and decide which parts of the museum (in a large museum such as the Met, at least) they want to see. They look at maps with me, help me develop itineraries, and even problem solve what they'll do when their little siblings get antsy. 3. Plan a longer visit, but schedule in breaks. My big little kids really want to spend a whole day at the museum, but (especially if we're visiting with younger siblings), they can't take it all in one stretch. It's easiest in the summer when you can hop outside--have you ever noticed that most museums have beautiful gardens and outdoor areas where little ones can run around or have a picnic?--but even in the winter you can run to the parking lot and have a snack in the car. 4. Bring a sketch book and pencil. Allow your children to actively participate in their study of and appreciation for art by inviting them to copy one of their favorite paintings. Make sure to remind them that you're not hoping for perfection--but that greatness depends on practice and lots of hard work. In our experience, it's best to start with something simple like a fruit or flower still life, as it will generally be easier to come up with a sketch that satisfies rather than disheartens. Even though this activity demands more patience and stillness and work from our kids than any other part of the day, it's absolutely their favorite. TIPS FOR A LARGE FAMILY WITH LOTS OF LITTLES One tip only: don't go alone. Definitely enlist your spouse's help. But also bring your little sister, your best friend, or your mom. Pay for their admission, if there's a cost...buy them lunch...promise them cookies...because you can't put a price on an extra pair of hands. Anyway, don't you want to share the fun? Do you have any expert museum-going advice? Any questions you'd like me to answer? There are a few topics in books that get me so bristly I turn into a book reading porcupine. Homeschooling and Catholicism may seem like obvious bristle-inducing topics for me, but another that will bring out every bit of sharpness I possess is ART. Let’s just say I have strong feelings about it. And some pretty firm opinions. My husband is an artist; we talk about art all the time; we view and study and create art on a daily basis in my home. And the number one thing I can’t stand about so many books about art and artists is the way they are described as some sort of mystical, untenable, unapproachable things. Writers, of all people, should know that masterpieces are created by hard work, skill formed by hours of practice, and perseverance in the face of discouragement, difficulty, and distraction.
The first book in Carolyn Leiloglou’s new Restorationists series, Beneath the Swirling Sky, made my prickly, picky-about-art-books self want to cheer. And here’s the funny thing: in her story, art actually IS mystical and magical. Vincent comes from a long line of secretly magical art “Restorationists,” who use their skill to preserve, protect, and restore art that has been damaged by the evil Distortionists, who distort masterpieces of art to push their own agenda of eliminating truth and beauty. And yet, within that context, the author portrayed so perfectly the reality of art: it does have power. Artists are called. But they also work really really hard. Her story reminds those of us in the real world that the power Vincent possesses to create art that change the world is a power available to each one of us who chooses to work hard, develop skill, and be open to calling from a Creator who is greater than we are. Now that my inner porcupine has finished its cheering, here’s a little more about the actual plot of the story. From the publisher’s description: “After an experience he’d rather forget, Vincent is determined to be done with art. So when he and his little sister, Lili, spend spring break with their art conservator great-uncle, Vincent's plan is to stay glued to his phone. That is, until Lili disappears into one of the world's most famous paintings and Vincent learns his parents have been hiding something from Their family is the last of The Restorationists, a secret society with the power to travel through paintings—and a duty to protect them from evil forces. With Lili’s safety on the line, leaving art behind is no longer an option. Vincent must team up with his know-it-all second-cousin Georgia, wrestle with why his parents lied to him, and confront both his past and a future he never wanted. Young readers are invited into a captivating universe where paintings become a portal—and adventure and danger lurk beyond every canvas.” If you’re not already entirely hooked, allow me to share this endorsement from my ten-year-old daughter: “Beneath the Swirling Sky is one of my favorite books! I got so excited about it that almost all my siblings decided to read it, too. I really like drawing and might want to be an artist someday, so it was extra fun to read about a character who is an artist. Sometimes Vincent felt like he wasn’t a good enough artist, and I know how that feels. Reading this book made me want to keep trying even when it’s hard.” So, yeah, if you were wondering if kids would like this book... Yes, they absolutely love it. We can’t wait for Book 2! |
About meHi! I'm Faith. I blog about books and creativity, family and faith. Welcome! Archives
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