Tiffany Painter

If you don’t like castles, do not go to Edinburgh. There is a large one sitting on a hill in the center of everything. If you drive around the rest of the country, you will bump into a few more as well. And that doesn’t even include all the partial ruins of castles dotting the landscape. I think it’s part of being in a place with way more history than my little country over here getting ready to celebrate 250 years of existence. What I learned from these castles is humans have always wanted more. More land, more rights, more wealth, more of everything that isn’t theirs. Walking around Edinburgh Castle with all of its displays recognizing past wars and battles when kings and queens wanted to conquer lands and people, it really made it clear the problems we see today are not new. There is history of rulers plotting ways to increase their power and control over others. Yes, there have been some less domineering leaders, but they are not the norm. My little baby country has its own records of greed and corruption. With social media and on-line news available at every moment, we don’t have to wait for historians to report on the missteps. This constant reporting makes everything more intense and worrisome because we get information as it’s happening without the comfort of knowing the end results. East sides of our “castles” are being reduced to ruin for the nightly news by leaders living out their destiny of corruption. Historical landmarks are bing changed in ways that do not reflect the stories being preserved. Seeing history up close in a much older country did bring me hope. The world has seen greed played out for centuries by leaders across the globe, and yet somehow beauty and wonder still survive. There are people who will still reach out to save a stranger from a speeding tour bus coming from the wrong direction (for a silly American), gardens created across an ocean to cultivate nature from other regions, bookstores opened on cobblestone paths filled with the words of local authors, and warm pastries and tea waiting for me. Leaders may alter things for their own good, but the people will always work towards peace with each other.

Reading News: I managed to visit five bookstores in Edinburgh: Toppings & Co, Ginger & Pickles Children’s Bookshop, Golden Hare Books, Rare Birds Book Shop, and Waterstones. It was very difficult to keep my purchases down to just five books. Since I had no room to carry any of them home, I had to be happy with what my husband was willing to pack in his bag for me.

I’m still working towards my yearly reading goals. I will need to up my middle grade reading this month because I have fallen a couple of days behind schedule.

Kid Lit:

The Girls of Skylark Lane by Robin Benway: This was a cute story about twin sisters who have to figure out how to be themselves in a new city. Middle school is hard enough when you don’t have to deal with starting a new school and navigating the path to figuring out who you are separate from your twin.

Confessions of a Mango by Kate Lumsden and Nate Pieplow: A book is always so much sweeter when you get to hear the local authors share their journey of creating it. Ruby will stay with me for a while. This is another twin story (I’m doing research for a manuscript) but this time about a brother and sister starting a new school. This story is told from the sister’s point of view.

The Children of Castle Rock by Natasha Farrant (a Scotland find): Alice is sent off to boarding school after her aunt sells their family home because she wants Alice to start living the adventures she always writes about. Lots of fun across the Scottish landscape.

Adult Lit:

Judy Blume: A Life by Mark Oppenheimer: Listened to the audio read my Molly Ringwald. Blume had an interesting life that resulted in some wonderful books for children and adults. This book did not try to hide any potential flaws with the woman and lets us love every part of her.

Yesteryear by Carl Claire Burke: This was not what I was expecting and I still can’t decide how I feel about it. There are many layers to the story and how they connect at the end is somewhat unexpected.

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi: It was easy to get lost in the melody of the story. I wish Theo was real and I could know him.

The Art of Starting Over by Heidi McLaughlin: This was one of those free Kindle books I picked up and found for a long flight over an ocean. The story was fine, but it was too similar to the movie Hope Floats. A woman gets scandalized by her cheating husband and best friend and flees to her small town home with her daughter where she must mend fences with her parent and learn this safe haven may be the best place for her after all.

You Better Be Lightning by Andrea Gibson: This book of poetry should be read slowly and savored. In a collection of poems, not all of them will speak to you, but the ones that do will grab hold of your soul.

6/6

thousands of miles
to places filled with castles
this cat caught my eye

6/7

is it wrong that my
favorite part of garden
looks a lot like home

Words are powerful. This week one sentence has created an uproar in the kid lit world. The sentence at the center of the fire is this: “Maybe more like 94.7 percent of kids’ books are crud.” The author of this statement is Mac Barnett, the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Let’s break this down to see why this is offensive to so many people.

1. Ambassadors are people selected to represent one group to another. So, by the title Barnett agreed to carry, he represents the people and work of children’s literature. Writers like words so some other words that can be used in place of ambassador are: advocate, champion, proponent, booster, supporter, backer, upholder. Barnett has failed at all of these when he made a random statement calling the very thing he is supposed to be ambassador of crud.
2. I know he made up the number 94.7%, but when you break it down, it’s kind of ridiculous. A quick internet search shows that approximately 10,000 to 20,000 new children’s books are traditionally published each year in the U.S. I assume he is also including non-traditionally published books. I’ve seen some reports claim there are over 40,000 new children’s titles released worldwide each year. For the sake of argument, let’s just say each year there are 20,000 new kid books put out each year in the country he represents. That means Barnett thinks 18,940 books released last year were crud. How in the world could he even begin to make that assumption? There is no way he could read that many books. Those kind of numbers show what he thinks of the people putting out these books – authors, illustrators, agents, editors, publishers. He is stating that he thinks 94.7% of the people in the industry he champions are crud. I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel supported at all.
3. For a literary person, the use of the word crud seems basic. If we use the definition of crud that states it is information that is inaccurate or nonsense, there are so many better, more creative words. Words that might have hinted that he was just being “glib.” For example, 94.7% are gobbledegook, 94.7% are gibberish, 94.7% are poppycock, 94.7% are twaddle. Which when you think about it, isn’t it okay for kid books to be silly and foolish? Isn’t that where the wonder of imagination lives?
4. His statement is completely subjective. Nobody has the power to unilaterally decide what is crud for everyone when it comes to what people are reading. What is right for one person, is not going to be right for everyone. That is the root of the problem with book banning. I don’t read horror books because I don’t like them, not because they are crud. But I get to make that choice. And clearly, based on Stephen King’s success, a lot of people like them. People need to stop thinking so highly of themselves when it comes to what books should be allowed to be read. If you support book banning then you support letting somebody else tell you they know what is best for you, and this includes children. Barnett’s statement that labels most books as crud is very close to book banning because he puts doubt out there for people who just want to read what they want without being judged. If people feel they can only read the 5.3% of books that Barnett deems respectable, the remaining 94.7% of books have quietly just been banned.

Far more well-spoken people have written responses to this insult, and I have read their words with admiration. As an unpublished author of children’s literature, I know my thoughts are just mine. But I think Barnett is showing where things stand in this country right now. When the very people that have stepped up to represent do so in such a mean-spirited way, where does that leave us? It does not unite, value, or protect the people. His words remind us that we all have a role to play in bettering the lives of those we hold dear. We represent our families, friends, co-workers, and each other when we speak. We must be the examples are leaders so desperately need. Words can be duplicitous and ruthless, but they can also be trustworthy and compassionate. I hope 94.7% of the people can do something that uplifts a fellow human being today.

Reading News: I am still loving my reading challenge for 2026 even though I read less published books last month. I did beta read a middle grade book for a friend, but will wait to list it until it is out in the world for all of you, but I know you’ll love it. My MG book count for the year is up to 19.

Kid Lit:

You Are Now Old Enough to Hear This by Aaron Starmer: There were so many stories within a story that my head was spinning, in a good way. Starmer has a great imagination and I bet he’s fun at a dinner party.

Vanya and the Wild Hunt (book #1) by Sangu Mandanna: I picked this up because it mentioned enchanted libraries and books that talk. The story was much more magical than just that. There were mystical creatures, long lost friends, and family secrets. I do find myself looking at my library shelves wishing the books could talk to me.

Return to Sender by Vera Brosgol: An interesting look at the consequences of wanting too much. It really made me think about the balance of things and how when someone has all the luck, that usually means someone else does not. A very timely book.

The Free State of Jax by Jennifer A. Nielsen: Who hasn’t wanted to just start over in their own country? Jax struggles in his new family and tries to find a place where he can feel safe and allowed to be himself. For him, the only way to do that is declaring an independent state where he is the leader. This is perfect for anyone who feels powerless.

Amari and the Night Brothers (book #1) by B.B. Alston: Had a great line in the book – People assume stuff about you based on things you can’t change about yourself. This is a fantasy book about a girl discovering her magic as she searches for her lost brother. The characters are well developed and have you flipping pages to see what happens.

Brady Mason’s Perfect Fit by Nicole Melleby: When Erin Entrada Kelly tells you you should read a book, you do. This was the kind of book I melt into. Who doesn’t want the poor orphan girl to find her long lost famous mother? Mother-daughter relationships are the basis for many books, this one tweaks it with a sports-oriented orphan who finds herself living with her fashion-famous birth mother as a preteen. What could go wrong?

Adult:

The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick: This is a book about a book in a way. Four woman’s lives are changed when they bond after reading The Feminine Mystique. Several other strong women books are highlighted throughout. It made me realize how different and the same things are today.

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston: A case of mistaken identity changed the lives of everyone who was fooled. A heartwarming read with a geriatric man at the center of it.

Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies by Jenny Elder Moke: Another fun crime-solving romance from Moke. Poor Juliette needs to solve a crime and is determined to do it alone, even when letting others help would probably keep them all out of harms way. There’s even a doctor to distract her along the way.

4/14

my tranquility 
shrinks like lake during a drought
pushed away by life

4/25

I’ve heard of birds who
can’t fly, but I’ve never seen 
one without feathers