April 2025
Some of my fondest childhood memories are of learning to read upon my mother’s lap. Besides that of homemaker, she helped run our small farm. I can still picture her driving the tractor pulling our baler through the field as we children “helped” dad stack the hay. Mom also worked during the week at a full-time city job.
Last year I talked briefly with another such mom. She raises vegetables for sale at stands, while also working as a local cook. Her daughter brought home a book from the elementary school library, but knew not to read it until Mom checked it out. I looked at a picture of the cover and agreed that any young child might see it as as good book to read. The title, “A Good Kind of Trouble” doesn’t seem sinister in context with the blurb below, “Full of Heart and Truth.” At first glance, the cover illustration looks innocent too. A well dressed young school girl facing away. Hanging from her shoulder is a prominent pink backpack covered with some stickers. A star, a flower, a winged athletic shoe, an ice cream cone and a heart seem tame as well; even the rainbow “peace” symbol might be. Yet, right in the center? A clenched black fist! It definitely looks out of place. That mom scanned through the book and I agreed with her on the content — such a b ...
