So wonderful to have you back, Sarah! And what a great list to kick it off with. Curious to know, as a city girl do you find yourself needing to go to cities to “recharge” so to speak?
You know, the answer is yes and no. I have learned to love a lot of things about living in the country, not least of which is a kind of peace that wasn't available to me -- or, more likely, that I didn't know how to access -- earlier in my life. I also work in a city -- it's not a huge one, but it helps me get what I need in that sense, in kind of a living-a-double-life way (that involves an enormous amount of driving).
I've come to really appreciate all the things I grew up with but no longer have, can still access fairly easily, and then turn around and go home where I can see so many stars and hear the coyotes howling...
Yay, welcome back! Have missed you in this space! Also, have to tell you I started the Dory Fantasmagory series with my daughter and she's obsessed! Picking up the third one from the library today :)
I didn’t realize I was missing out on so many city books! Also, hurray for reading The Crossover. LOVE that book! I took some inspiration from that book for some of the poems in my own verse novel.
I mean I assumed it was going to be good, I just had no idea *how* good.
I'm increasingly fascinated by (and reading more and more) novels in verse, especially middle grade. I'd love to hear what other titles inspired you (or that you just love).
I grew up in the suburbs but find myself drawn to the city life. What a great roundup of books! We own several of these but I've checked out others from our library. I think they do give a good peek into what life is like for other kids.
Such a delight to see you in my inbox again. I'm so so glad you took a break (yay breaks!) for you, and also for me, for the reminder of how much I love your newsletter.
Happy to have you back! Glad you got a break, too. My three-month break is coming to an end. How was it three months?! And I’ve definitely been slogging. Your dedication to this excellent newsletter is so inspiring! What a great selection of city books!
Welcome back! It’s so good to see you in my inbox again. Adding Windows to my library list immediately. And I love that you’re reading Dozens of Doughnuts. I can almost recite that book by heart at this point. Such a great one from this newsletter.
I grew up in American suburbia, spent 3 years in San Francisco before relocating to Edinburgh, and am now in the Scottish countryside. There are literal hallmark movies filmed in our village and honestly, after nearly 4 years, I’ve never reconciled myself to it. I’m trying to be less of a pathetic brat about it and I’ve refrained from making a “kid graduates from high school and I can move back” countdown chart, but ugh… I work from home a lot and will just take the bus into the city and work from the cafe/library, and pretend I still live there. But I’m always trying to figure out how to raise a city kid in the country - we practice navigating public transport all the time, how to behave in a busy city, etc.
Nice to see you in my inbox again! Hey, how was Shen Yun? The ads were catching my eye, but then I read the reviews and they weren't selling me on it...
Happy to "see you" in my inbox today :) I don't have any recommendations about cities...just wanted to mutually gush over the beauty that is Shen Yun!!
I loved what you said about windows, and cities. My husband did that for me--moved to a small town, although he was very happy in the city. (I grew up in a tiny town, lived in several cities, and now we live in a tiny town now about half the size of yours.) I loved hearing you talk about it, thanks for sharing that piece. It can get pretty complicated! I'm such a fan of the Mixed up files of Mrs. Basil E. I still love that book in my fifties. Have you read The Little Witch by Margaret Mahy? The city is a wonderful character in it.
I have NOT and now must get my hands on it ASAP -- thank you!
And yeah, where to live, especially if you are from different places with different life experiences and different needs, is more complicated than it seems.
So wonderful to have you back, Sarah! And what a great list to kick it off with. Curious to know, as a city girl do you find yourself needing to go to cities to “recharge” so to speak?
You know, the answer is yes and no. I have learned to love a lot of things about living in the country, not least of which is a kind of peace that wasn't available to me -- or, more likely, that I didn't know how to access -- earlier in my life. I also work in a city -- it's not a huge one, but it helps me get what I need in that sense, in kind of a living-a-double-life way (that involves an enormous amount of driving).
This is me… I need to be where the people are. My ideal day is a city day - museum, yoga class, cafe, wander the shops.
I've come to really appreciate all the things I grew up with but no longer have, can still access fairly easily, and then turn around and go home where I can see so many stars and hear the coyotes howling...
Yaaayyy! Welcome back! What joy to wake up to this email this morning.
Thank you! I'm so glad.
Yay, welcome back! Have missed you in this space! Also, have to tell you I started the Dory Fantasmagory series with my daughter and she's obsessed! Picking up the third one from the library today :)
So happy to hear this. Anytime I am the reason someone falls in love with Dory, I feel like my work is done here 😂
I didn’t realize I was missing out on so many city books! Also, hurray for reading The Crossover. LOVE that book! I took some inspiration from that book for some of the poems in my own verse novel.
I mean I assumed it was going to be good, I just had no idea *how* good.
I'm increasingly fascinated by (and reading more and more) novels in verse, especially middle grade. I'd love to hear what other titles inspired you (or that you just love).
I grew up in the suburbs but find myself drawn to the city life. What a great roundup of books! We own several of these but I've checked out others from our library. I think they do give a good peek into what life is like for other kids.
Such a delight to see you in my inbox again. I'm so so glad you took a break (yay breaks!) for you, and also for me, for the reminder of how much I love your newsletter.
😘😘
These are fantastic!! So glad to have you back :D That neighborhood mother goose looks absolutely delightful!
It's so good -- I especially love how it has photographs of real kids living in urban environments.
Happy to have you back! Glad you got a break, too. My three-month break is coming to an end. How was it three months?! And I’ve definitely been slogging. Your dedication to this excellent newsletter is so inspiring! What a great selection of city books!
Thanks, Taylor. I had more than one day when I was like, "What is the point of this again? Why am I doing this?" I know you get it.
Welcome back!
Welcome back! It’s so good to see you in my inbox again. Adding Windows to my library list immediately. And I love that you’re reading Dozens of Doughnuts. I can almost recite that book by heart at this point. Such a great one from this newsletter.
It's such a gem 🍩
I grew up in American suburbia, spent 3 years in San Francisco before relocating to Edinburgh, and am now in the Scottish countryside. There are literal hallmark movies filmed in our village and honestly, after nearly 4 years, I’ve never reconciled myself to it. I’m trying to be less of a pathetic brat about it and I’ve refrained from making a “kid graduates from high school and I can move back” countdown chart, but ugh… I work from home a lot and will just take the bus into the city and work from the cafe/library, and pretend I still live there. But I’m always trying to figure out how to raise a city kid in the country - we practice navigating public transport all the time, how to behave in a busy city, etc.
Welcome back, Sarah! Great post (as usual!:)
Thank you, my dear 🩷
Nice to see you in my inbox again! Hey, how was Shen Yun? The ads were catching my eye, but then I read the reviews and they weren't selling me on it...
We like the Big Cities Little Foodies picture book series by Cheryl Yau Chepusova!
Oooh, this is new to me; thank you!
Happy to "see you" in my inbox today :) I don't have any recommendations about cities...just wanted to mutually gush over the beauty that is Shen Yun!!
It was very beautiful. I was also a little underwhelmed by the stories -- I'd rather is just have been two hours of dancing.
I completely agree. The costumes, dancing, movements.... *chefs kiss*
I loved what you said about windows, and cities. My husband did that for me--moved to a small town, although he was very happy in the city. (I grew up in a tiny town, lived in several cities, and now we live in a tiny town now about half the size of yours.) I loved hearing you talk about it, thanks for sharing that piece. It can get pretty complicated! I'm such a fan of the Mixed up files of Mrs. Basil E. I still love that book in my fifties. Have you read The Little Witch by Margaret Mahy? The city is a wonderful character in it.
I have NOT and now must get my hands on it ASAP -- thank you!
And yeah, where to live, especially if you are from different places with different life experiences and different needs, is more complicated than it seems.