Book reviews/Favorite Authors

Why I love Ten Thousand Tries

Posted on by Julia Tomiak / 5 Comments

My friend Amy’s latest book, Ten Thousand Tries, launches today! It’s a lovely middle grade contemporary about Golden Maroni. He’s striving to emulate his soccer idol, Lionel Messi, and lead his middle school team to the championship. At the same time, he needs to come to terms with the fact that ALS is stealing his father’s ability to walk, eat, and worst, coach soccer.

Amy and I met years ago via our blogs, and I’m so glad I found her. Amy has four kids; I have four kids. Amy loves running; I love running. Amy loves and coaches soccer; I love and have coached soccer. Amy dabbles in art; I dabble in art. Amy loves to write… you get it.

We check in every Monday to encourage our writing habits as well as commiserate and consult about parenting, middle age, faith, and staying positive. I’m so thankful for this friendship. We’ve never met in person, but one day I hope to do a book promotion tour with her. Until then, let me tell you about her latest book. She’s given me some thoughtful insight into the characters and story of Ten Thousand Tries.

Cover of Ten Thousand Tries
I LOVE this cover!

My review of Ten Thousand Tries

Warm and witty, Ten Thousand Tries tackles difficult subjects- ALS, loss, middle school- with just the right blend of humor, silliness, and sentiment. It’s a great book for helping middle grade readers of all ages think about how to handle disappointment and that annoying kid on your soccer team who always kicks your ball away.

Golden, the main character, is funny and realistic. He has a great voice, makes some big mistakes, and learns from them. I could relate to him on many levels, but especially because when I was Golden’s age, my mother was in a wheelchair too. The struggles Golden’s family tackles as it manages an ALS diagnosis are presented accurately and thoughtfully. If you like books about friendship, family, soccer/sports, and the challenges of growing up, you will love TEN THOUSAND TRIES.

Interview with the author, Amy Makechnie

Me: In your acknowledgements, you say Golden is inspired by your son, Nelson, who was obsessed with Messi in middle school. (And rightly so!) How much of you is in Golden’s mom?

Amy: Ha! You are totally on to me. Coach/Mom aka “the Hulk” was definitely a character inspired by my experiences coaching the 7th and 8th grade middle school team where all four of my children have now played on. It was very easy to get into Coach’s head on the field and in the car and on those long bus rides (yippee!). It was harder as the wife of a man living with ALS. I could only imagine – and write from what I had witnessed as a friend.

Me: Your depictions of living with ALS felt very real. When I was young, my mother had a different progressive neurological disease, but I experienced a lot of the same emotions that Golden does. How did you create such an accurate depiction of living with chronic debilitating disease? What are you hoping readers will take away from this book?

Amy: My good friend Eric was diagnosed with ALS when our children were in middle school together. I once asked Eric’s wife, Heide, if there were any silver linings to such a terrible disease. She immediately said, “Oh, yes!” I knew what she meant because Eric and Heide didn’t shy away from the world after the diagnosis. They opened up their home and let their friends and family into a very intimate and painful situation – like teaching us how to feed Eric through his stomach after he couldn’t drink through a straw. The end result was a closeness that could not have been experienced any other way. I hope readers walk away feeling that life is precious and in the end, it is their relationships and faith that gets them through this life. I don’t know a better way.

Me: A lot of the names in this book are different and silly – Golden, Lucy Littlehouse, Jaimes (how do you pronounce that, by the way?). Where did you get ideas for these names?

Amy: I’m always on the lookout for a great name. I heard the name “Golden” somewhere and scribbled it down knowing I would HAVE to use it somewhere – what better place than a fictional middle school where you’ll be attacked for such a thing? Jaimes is pronounced “James” like the name typically given to boys; one of my soccer girls was named “Jaimes” and I liked it. “Littlehouse” was also just something I heard once and loved the alliteration! The character Slick? Well, it just suited him! If you’ve got any good ones, send them my way.

Me: I was glad that Golden’s dad’s death wasn’t a big scene in the book. Golden just talks about “Dad’s last day”. Why did you choose to keep Dad’s death small?

Amy: I struggled with this one, but usually it just lands better to say a lot with a little. The reader didn’t need to see it or read it – they knew it was coming. What I wanted to focus on was the time Golden had with his dad, esp the happy, funny, poignant moments. 

Me: Ten Thousand Tries deals with a heavy subject – ALS and loss- yet the book has a lot of humor and doesn’t feel depressing. How did you find that balance?

Amy: I’m glad to hear that! I absolutely did NOT want to write a depressing story. Here’s what I know about kids: they deal with a lot but they’re also my favorite humans to be around. They’re funny, hopeful, resilient, and always make me laugh. Middle school is hard on so many levels, but I guess I’m like Golden – an optimist. Everything tends to work out okay.

Don’t you love Amy’s outlook? If so, I think you will also love this book. Give Ten Thousand Tries a try. 😉

What you need to know about Ten Thousand Tries

“A heart-tugging and uplifting story about never giving up—on the soccer field, on loved ones, and on life.”

– Kirkus Reviews – starred review, June 2021

“A touching tale about family, love, and grief….Whether or not they are a fan of soccer, this title is sure to make readers laugh and cry. An excellent read-alike for Gary D. Schmidt’s Pay Attention, Carter Jones, 2019.”

Booklist – starred review, June 1, 2021

“A warm-hearted sports story about a kid learning to accept the painful limitations and also unexpected glories of passionate determination.”

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, July 2021

Named a “Best Book of the Month” on Amazon, July 2021

Find more info on Ten Thousand Tries and purchase a copy here

Learn more about Amy here: Newsletter l Website l Instagram l Twitter

(P.S. Amy’s Insta feed is really fun).

Giveaway!

I will give a copy of Ten Thousand Tries to one person who comments here or on my social media profiles. Let me know if you plan to read this awesome book!

Have you read Amy’s other book, The Unforgettable Guinevere St. Claire? Can you recommend other great middle grade fiction?

Thanks for letting me gush about this book!

Improving vocabulary

What is phrenology? Ruling on swim caps sparks controversy

Posted on by Julia Tomiak / 5 Comments

Recently, the International Swimming Federation (FINA) rejected an application to officially recognize swim caps designed to accommodate thick, curly natural black hair. Soul Cap, a British company, filed the application. It hoped that swim caps designed specifically for the needs of black swimmers would make the sport more accessible to them. However, thanks to FINA’s ruling, black athletes cannot use Soul Cap products at this summer’s Olympic games, or in any other swimming competitions.

Soul Cap told the BBC that FINA rejected the application because the caps “do not conform to the shape of the head.” This prompted Molly Wood, a host of one of my favorite Podcasts, Make Me Smart, to claim the rejection was based on “phrenology”.

In the midst of my concern about a ruling that so clearly inhibits black swimmers, I was also disappointed I didn’t know what phrenology meant. Enter Merriam-Webster.

What is phrenology?

phrenology, derived from the Greek Greek phren-, phrḗn “seat of the passions, mind, wits” + o + logy; the study of the conformation and especially the contours of the skull based on the former belief that they are indicative of mental faculties and character

Bias against black swimmers

Yikes. I’m not sure FINA made its decision based on phrenology, but I am concerned this ruling will continue to limit black access to the sport. My daughter swam for years with a USA swimming team, and, the sport, at least in Virginia, is decidedly white. With a smattering of Asians.

Swimmer in pool

People with natural black hair must braid it, or use special oil, to get the regular, smaller swim caps on. If their hair gets wet, they must condition it and comb it out, a time consuming process. According to the story on BBC.com, British swim coach Tony Cronin says the FINA decision reveals “misunderstanding and and ignorance. “

CBS.com reported that Soul Cap recently partnered with Alice Dearing, the first black British swimmer to qualify for the Olympics. Dearing said in a Soul Cap sponsored post on Instagram:

{Soul Cap is] always looking for ways to improve their caps, making sizes for all and dispelling the myth that swimming equipment cannot be inclusive. You CAN find a cap which will fit your braids, locs, ‘fro, curly hair in; feels good to be able to say that.

Alice Dearing, Olympic swimmer, team Britain

Dearing co-founded the U.K.’s Black Swimming Association. She has been trying to increase awareness and accessibility to swimming for years. FINA’s ruling has disappointed her and many other black swimmers.

What word from recent news stories has you stumped? And how do you feel about this ruling?

Thanks for getting nerdy with me!

Awesome Young Adult Books/How to encourage reading/Recommended kid lit

Five books to improve perspective

Posted on by Julia Tomiak / 3 Comments

I live in a mostly white town in the mountains of southwest Virginia. In the past year I’ve made an effort to learn more about life from the perspective of people of color, but that’s kinda hard when there aren’t many people of color around me. Enter books!

I’ve read a few non-fiction books to increase my understanding of the complicated issue of race in America, but research shows that reading fiction can also increase empathy and understanding of different people. Here are a few great books I’ve read over the past few months that have helped me broaden my perspective and understanding of people from other racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson

Piecing Me Together (young adult contemporary) tells the story of Jade, a smart and talented artist who specializes in collage. She lives in a “bad neighborhood” of Portland with her mother and uncle and can’t wait to get out. When she earns a scholarship to attend a private, mostly white, high school, she gains access to several opportunities for “at risk” girls. Unfortunately, these opportunities are more demeaning than helpful. Even Jade’s mentor, a black woman who graduated from the same high school, has trouble seeing how her good intentions hurt more than help. Jade’s story is woven together with the motif of collage making that underscores the theme that people are made up of different, mismatching pieces.

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

All American Boys book cover

All American Boys (young adult contemporary) uses two alternating points of view to tell the story of a brutal police arrest and its aftermath. When Rashad, a black teen, accidentally trips over a white woman in a convenience store, he is accused of stealing and resisting arrest and is savagely beaten by the arresting officer. Quinn, a white teen, witnesses the event and recognizes both Rashad as his high school classmate and the arresting officer – who happens to be a man he has looked up to for years – his best friend’s older brother. Reynolds and Kiely do an excellent job of describing different viewpoints of the same event and exploring the assumptions, backgrounds, and personal history that build perspective.

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

The Sun is Also a Star (young adult contemporary) describes a day in the life of Natasha and Daniel. Natasha is a Jamaican born undocumented immigrant trying to prevent her family from deported the next day. Daniel is a Korean American trying to escape a college interview and the plans his parents have for his future (which include Yale and medical school- Daniel wants neither). Daniel, a poet and dreamer, is convinced fate brought Natasha to him, and they are meant to be together. Natasha, a scientist and realist, thinks Daniel is ridiculous. But she can’t deny her attraction to him.

The story balances humor with thoughtful descriptions of family dynamics. It includes deep thoughts about life, fate, and what brings people together and what pushes them apart. It also explores the science of falling in love and how the actions of one person can affect others. At times I found the romance of Daniel and Natasha melodramatic, (similar to Eleanor and Park), but overall I enjoyed the story and its themes. The audio book is well done, with different actors reading for Natasha, Daniel, and the narrator.

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Brown Girl Dreaming is a memoir in verse in which Woodson describes growing up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s. She spent her time split between South Carolina and New York and never felt quite at home in either place. Her poems cover everything from her grandfather and his declining health to her family’s religion (Jehovah Witness) to the Civil Rights Movement. Descriptive and moving, the verses of Brown Girl Dreaming gave me a better understanding of a life so different from my own.

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Such A Fun Age (adult contemporary) was a Good Reads Choice Award winner for 2020. It tells the story of Emira, a black college grad in her mid 20s trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life. She knows she needs a job with good pay and health benefits, but until she finds one, she’s babysitting for a white, wealthy family in Philadelphia. Emira loves her charge, a thoughtful two year old named Briar, but is wary of her boss, Alix (pronounced Ah-leeks) who asks a lot of questions.

When Emira is accused of kidnapping Briar one night at a gucci grocery store, it sets off a complicated chain of events propelled by race, privilege, and good intentions falling short. Such a Fun Age is an interesting commentary on relationships and relating, and the audio book is well done.

Do you have any other book suggestions that are good for broadening perspective? Please share them in the comments!

Thanks for broadening your mind with me!

Improving vocabulary

Words you should know from politics

Posted on by Julia Tomiak / 3 Comments
Words to know graphic

Politicians often toss around big, multi syllable words. I’m not sure if they do this to sound smart or important or to deliberately confuse, but I thought I’d review a few such politically charged words so we can be smarter consumers of media. 😉

 In a recent editorial that ran in our local paper, US Representative Morgan Griffith (of the 9th   Congressional district of Virginia) criticized China for hiding information about the origin of the virus that causes COVID-19 infections. Griffith is on a congressional committee investigating the issue. In his editorial, Griffith said,  “From the outset, China’s Communist oligarchy covered up the true danger of COVID-19 as well as its extent. The rest of the world paid the price for their fecklessness.”

My son doubted fecklessness was actually a word. “What is feck?” He asked. “What makes something feckless?” Turns out, the dictionary had a clue.

Oligarchy: noun from the Greek oligoi “few” and arkhein “to rule”; definition: government by the few; a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes (more at dictionary.com)

Fecklessness: noun from Scots and northern English dialect feck from effeck, a variant of effect, and less;  definition: weakness, ineffectiveness (from Dictionary.com)

Fecklessness has satisfying “f” and “k” sounds, yet it is cumbersome to say. Can you think of a better word to describe the ineffectiveness Griffith is addressing? Please share it in the comments.

Are there any other politically charged words you’d like to learn more about?

Thanks for getting nerdy with me.

Improving grammar

Do you capitalize Earth?

Posted on by Julia Tomiak / 2 Comments

Inspired by yesterday’s Space X launch of a Dragon spacecraft to deliver supplies to the International Space Station, we are going to examine a grammar question. When, if ever, do you capitalize Earth?

This is also inspired by a Face Time call I received about a month ago from my daughter. She wanted to prove to her boyfriend, who apparently hadn’t realized how seriously we Tomiaks take our grammar, that Earth must be capitalized in certain situations. He doubted her logic. She called me in for back up.

According to Dictionary.com, when you are referring to Earth as a proper noun, as a specific heavenly body, you capitalize it. You also usually omit “the”. For example, “Following an on-time liftoff, the Falcon 9’s first stage will return to Earth.” Proper nouns, which name a specific person, place, or thing, are always capitalized.

However, if you are using earth as a common noun, as in the ground or soil, you keep it lowercase. For example, “The job will be expensive because there is a lot of earth to move on the site.” You can also use lowercase earth when you are referring to it as the planet we live on, e.g. “The earth rotates on an axis.”

So, should you capitalize Earth? Like so many things in life and grammar, it depends on the situation. 😉

And if you haven’t, check out the article about the launch. The SpaceX Dragon carried all kinds of interesting things to the International Space Station, including kidney stones and squid paralarvae!

Thanks for getting nerdy with me!

Who I Am

Weekend Inspiration

Posted on by Julia Tomiak / 0 Comment

I’m still climbing my way out of grief and exhaustion, trying hard to get back to the things that fill my soul. When I hit moments of frustration, I remind myself of this quote. I hope it serves you well too.

For every minute you are angry you lose 60 seconds of joy.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy weekend. 😉