Articles and news stories are constantly pushing me to consider something new, broaden my perspective, or change the way I look at an issue. My husband likes to joke that my brain explodes with something new on a daily basis. These articles – and the brain explosions that result from them – are so beneficial for me that I wanted to create a place where I could share them, in case you might want to read them, too. Learn more about Things that Made My Brain Explode – and see past posts – here.

Here’s a recent batch of Things that Made my Brain Explode:

President Trump delivered a Presidential Address on Tuesday evening. Any time a major political figure addresses the public, it’s a great chance to practice critical thinking and media literacy skills. Choose any resource to fact-check Tuesday’s Presidential Address: Politifact, CBS, New York Times, Fox News (text via The Hill; I couldn’t find the direct link online), AP News, NPR, Politico.
“The United States can’t afford librarians, according to a new analysis of federal data.” But, knowing what we do about the power of a qualified, full time school librarian within a school community, I counter… can the United States afford not to have librarians? U.S. Public Schools Have Lost Nearly 20% Of Their Librarians Since 2000.
“Why teach social justice to eighth graders?” This Black Male Educator Teaches a Social Justice Class to Middle Schoolers in West Philly.
“I always tell my daughters they can be anything they want, so long as they don’t make other people feel uncomfortable. They can be as ambitious as they want, so long as they do it in an acceptable manner. They can reach for the stars, which you can see right up there on the ceiling painted to resemble a sky.” Another great satire piece from McSweeney’s: I Don’t Hate Women Candidates, I Just Hated Hillary and Coincidentally I’m Starting to Hate Elizabeth Warren.
“‘Ambitious’ tends to be a compliment for men and a critique of women. That’s partly because a woman’s likability in the workplace (or on the campaign trail) isn’t tied to her knowledge or boldness or ability to lead, studies show. She is rewarded for projecting warmth, but penalized for appearing power-hungry. Men, however, generally aren’t punished for status-climbing. People tend to expect them to reach higher — and assume, perhaps subconsciously, that women are better equipped for the domestic sphere.” Why ambitious men are celebrated and ambitious women are criticized: A 2016 link from within the article above, in case you missed it the first time, like I did. The context is old, but the message is still sharply relevant.
Things Real Bookstores Have that Online Ones Don’t. 🙂
An army trick for falling asleep in two minutes. Do you think it would work? I’m a night worrier, so I was skeptical. I’ve been trying it out this week, and I think it’s making a difference.
A friend sent me this list of Buzzfeed’s favorite queer lit from 2018 (thanks, Ronda!). I’ve only read six of these – some of them I haven’t even heard of! Looks like my TBR pile is growing.
Have you read Marie Kondo’s book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up? It inspired a show on Netflix, and apparently watching people’s homes get organized is both addictive and inspirational. People Are Starting to Tidy Up Their Lives After Watching Marie Kondo’s Netflix Show.
In Oregon, a school superintendent had a strong message to her district’s teachers: PPS District Administration Letter ot Teachers: Keep Quiet About Opt Out.
2018 Proved Black Kids Read (And White Kids Read Books with Black Leads). I think I’ve shared this before, but it’s so good, I don’t even care.
A Pediatrician Just Laid Out How to Protect Your Child from Sexual Abuse – and She’s Begging You to Listen. I’m sure being a parent is so wonderful for so many reasons – but it also seems terrifying. How do you all even let your children out of the house everyday?!
This book looks absolutely stunning: A Velocity of Being: Illustrated Letters to Children about Why We Read by 121 of the Most Inspiring Humans in Our World.
I know nothing about movies, but even I’ve been surprised about the wide range of reviews about the movie Green Book. Here’s a take from Huffington Post: ‘Green Book’ Is As Disappointing As It Is Tone-Deaf On Race.
A sweet story of Broadway Fairy God-Fathers: Lin-Manuel Miranda and Friends Purchase Drama Book Shop.
Lee and Low, an American publisher that focuses on diversity in children’s literature, is dedicated to helping teachers and librarians diversify their literary collections so all children feel represented and inspired. Their blog is absolutely worth a follow, but I especially wanted to share this post: How to Build a More Diverse Classroom Library. (I know what you’re thinking – how many links like this are you going to share?! Answer: Approximately twenty gazillion. Scientifically.)
Have you ever listened to The Daily, the podcast from the New York Times? This morning, they spoke to a Border Sherriff in support of the Border “wall”, and his point of view was thoughtful and logical. I really appreciated hearing it, and I learned something new from his sharing of his perspective. What a Border Sherriff Thinks About the Wall.
How is the Government Shutdown Affecting America? I know I’ve been curious. Some of our friends who work in government have been impacted, and some have not, and it seems so complicated. Here’s one take, from NPR.
I’m looking forward to this webinar next week from Teaching Tolerance: What Is White Privilege, Really?
Need some good news? Our reading community read more than 1,000 books in 10 days. Stay tuned, because I’m thinking that number is going to get much, much higher…!