Month: April 2024

Rate & Review Books with NCBC

 

Welcome back to Rate & Review Books with NCBC! 

Our April book review comes from a Next Chapter Book Club in Columbus that has been gathering on Saturday mornings since 2011.

Book or series of books: Kira-Kira

Author: Cynthia Kadohata

Please tell our readers a little about your book club.

“It’s awesome!” says Susan, member of this club since it began in 2011. For Susan, book club is a treasured activity that she and her sister Ann share each week. Ann began co-facilitating the Saturday morning group in 2013. After book club, Susan looks for the latest Royal Family news at the bookstore. Then the sisters often head out for lunch.

Nate joined the book club ten years ago. He says, “Book club is a chance to do different activities and talk to people. We talk about many subjects.” Nate knows quite a lot about animals and their habitats, and often shares interesting animal facts with the group.

Mother-daughter team Morag and Christina also joined book club in 2014. Christina says, “I like reading books. Coming here to read helps me read more books at home.”

“We learn new things,” adds Morag, and Christina nods her head. Christina’s outfit is always complete with one of her many plush characters. Sometimes, she can even match her plush doll with the book the club is reading!

As members and co-facilitators file into Barnes & Noble each week, member Ali keeps close track of who is there and who is not. Ali also joined NCBC in 2014. While she waits on others to arrive, Ali likes to stay busy with a word search.

Julian is also a member in this club. He began coming to book club in summer 2023, and the others are always glad to see him when he joins. Julian shares, “I like to socialize and meet new people. Book club is a good program for people to get out and enjoy themselves.”

Hannah has been volunteering as a co-facilitator last fall. On this day, she and co-facilitator Jillian laugh at the lively and clever illustrations in the club’s new book, The Wind in the Willows.

“It’s almost like a family,” Susan says about book club. Others in the club nod their heads and smile.

Six NCBC members at Barnes & Noble smile for the camera

Back row, left to right: Ann, Christina; Front row: Nate, Morag, Hannah, Susan; Not pictured: Ali, Julian, Jillian

What is Kira-Kira about?

“The magic in ordinary things,” Ann says.

In the book, Katie’s older sister Lynn makes the world seem glittering, or kira-kira. When their family moves from a Japanese community in Iowa to Georgia in the 1950’s, Katie’s parents begin working very long hours at a chicken hatchery with other Japanese American families.

“We learned about Japanese language and culture and how Japanese people in America have struggled with racism,” Nate says.

Ali says, “The book is about how Katie, Lynn, Sammy and their mom and dad struggled. There were sad parts.”

Nate agrees. “Yeah, this book was kind of sad.”

This bittersweet story follows Katie and her family as they face terrible loss and find a way to go on and see kira-kira in the world. Kira-Kira is the 2005 winner of the Newbery Medal.

How easy was this book to understand?

Everyone says that the book is easy to understand. Morag adds, “We help each other.”

What did you like about the book?

“I liked seeing how the kids interacted. It was interesting to see how Katie’s responsibilities grew as Lynn got sick,” says Hannah.

“It did offer a realistic view of the world back then,” says Morag. Others agree that the book did a good job describing life in rural Georgia in the 1950’s, where Katie’s family lived and worked.

“I like the name ‘Katie’,” says Susan.

“I liked Uncle Katsuhisa. What a funny character he is,” Jillian says. Uncle Katsuhisa is a talker and prides himself on being a chess champion, even though his niece Lynn beats him at chess regularly. While there are sad parts in this story, there are also very humorous parts, especially when Uncle Katsuhisa is involved.

Were there any parts you didn’t like? If so, what were they?

Everyone quickly agrees that their least favorite part of the book is when Lynn gets sick.

If another Next Chapter Book Club was thinking about reading this book, what would you tell them?

Susan says, “Do it!”

Nate adds, “But warn them there are some sad parts.”

What book or series of books has been your favorite so far? (some of us couldn’t pick just one!)

Please rate this book on a scale from 1 to 5 stars.

This club gave Kira-Kira 4.25 out of 5 stars.

 

Congratulations Colin!

Colin Batten is the recipient of the 2024 Clancy Isaac Award that Block O gives out at the end of each school year!

Here is what those who nominated him had to say,  “This award is given to the Block O member that shows the most leadership, dedication, and spirit…It is because of members like you that our organization is able to thrive, and we thank you deeply for the commitment you have given Block O.”

Great work Colin!

Thanks SHARE!

TOPS has had the privilege of creating a partnership with SHARE (Sexual Health and Reproductive Education) to teach students comprehensive sexual education.

For more information about SHARE, check out their website with the following link.

Autism Acceptance Month

April is Autism Acceptance Month! In celebration, we would like to highlight our community partner OCALI and the many resources offered on their website. Check out this page for current “Staff Picks” of resources developed and/or curated by OCALI staff. Included are podcast episodes, local event suggestions, featured articles, and a host of online training modules.

Additionally, this month OCALI reminds us that A + B = C, or

Access + Belonging = Community.

According to OCALI, “The concepts of access and belonging are central to everything we do.” So, what exactly do we mean by access and belonging?

When something is accessible, it means that it is easy to find and use and understand. For example, websites are accessible when they are easy to navigate and offer multiple ways for users to take in the information. Buildings are accessible when everyone can not only enter the front door but use all parts of the space. Conversations are accessible when we use clear language, avoid (or define) acronyms and jargon, and vary the style of our questions. When we think about the diversity of needs among humans and then design projects, products and spaces to embrace that diversity, we can create more welcoming and inclusive environments for all.

Belonging is a human need. In fact, some argue that belonging is a human right. In some way, shape, or form, each of us needs to feel like we belong. We need to feel that we are welcomed and accepted for who we are. This can happen in our families, friend groups, classrooms, places of worship, places of employment, or another social group. However, we don’t have a space where we feel like we belong – when there is nowhere we feel welcomed, supported, or included – it often has significant negative impacts on our quality of life.

One important distinction highlighted by popular researcher, author, and social worker Dr. Brene Brown is the difference between belonging and fitting in. When trying to fit in, we must often change parts of ourselves to be more like the group. On the other hand, Dr. Brown explains, “True belonging never asks us to change who we are. True belonging requires us to be who we are.” For autistic people who often strive to mask autistic traits, the opportunity to belong, “to be who [they] are” can provide tremendous relief.

It is well established that the quality of our relationships is strongly linked to our overall wellbeing. This is true for people of all abilities, temperaments, and preferences. We all need communities that are easy to reach and supportive of our true selves, whether or wherever we may find ourselves on the autism spectrum. For autistic people and their families, such communities can provide a lifeline of validation and social support. We invite you to join us and our colleagues at OCALI in ensuring access, nurturing belonging, and fostering inclusive communities for all.

Welcome New Staff Members!

Happy April everyone!

TOPS hired two new staff  within the past six months and we wanted to introduce you to them!

1st off, welcome our new Academic Success and Enrichment Specialist, Sydney Rondeau!

If you need to get ahold of her, your best bet is through email at: sydney.rondeau@osumc.edu. She has been working within the field of disability for seven years and has been with TOPS for about six months. Sydney strives to, “coordinate inclusive academic experiences for TOPS students”, and when asked what the best part about working with TOPS is, she said, “The students!” She likes to read in her free time, and her current favorite food is falafel.

Next, is our new Career Services Coordinator, Taylor Breehl-Yugovich!

If you need to reach her, please email her at: taylor.breehl@osumc.edu.  She has only been working in the field of disability for a little over a year and has been with TOPS for about three months. Taylor said that when she is not working with students, she does “a little bit of everything”, but is mainly at a job site assisting a student to meet the expectations of that work environment. She wants her students, “to feel independent and confident in themselves to accomplish the work before them.” She also agrees with Sydney that the best part about working with TOPS is getting to know the students. Taylor also likes to read in her free time, as well as hangout with friends, including her husband, explore different coffee shops, nap, and go hiking!