Book Reviews

Author: Stephanie Land Reviewer: Tanilla McDaniel, Librarian, Moore Public Library

“I’ve learned that making a living is not the same as making a life.” - Maya Angelou

What would you do to take care of your family and ensure a better life? The subtitle to Stephanie Land’s memoir, Maid, aptly describes her journey from a homeless shelter to published journalist in The New

York Times: Hard Work,

Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive.

In this poignant memoir, Stephanie Land reveals a view of our society that remains mostly invisible and ruled by scarcity. She describes her dreams of becoming a writer, her choices, and her decisions that ultimately took her on a detour for several years. Using journal entries, blogs, and social media posts the author pieces together a story of the choices she made, their consequences, and how hard she was willing to work to emerge from poor relationships and a system described as broken. In a chapter entitled “Seven Different Kinds of Government Assistance”, the author shares her experience navigating the social service system as well as her experiences in public, enduring the antagonism and class prejudice weighing heavy on her from strangers and friends alike, while simply trying to keep her daughter fed and finding any kind of paying work.

As the holiday season approaches, and despite the continuing economic effects of the ongoing pandemic, let’s take a moment to evaluate: are we making a living, or making a life? For those of us who have made a life, what small kindness can we share to empower others who are still on the journey?

Stephanie Land has been featured in The Washington Post, The Guardian, Vox, and other outlets. She is also a writing fellow with the Economic Hardship Reporting Project founded by Barbara Ehrenreich, who provided the forward to this book. Barbara Ehrenreich is the author of fourteen books, including the bestsellers Nickel and Dimed and Bait and Switch.

For more information on this book and other great books, audiobooks, digital resources, library events, and more please visit www. pioneerlibrarysystem.org or download the PLS Connect App.

Author/Illustrator: Matthew Gray Gubler · Publisher: Penguin Random House Reviewer: Tania Lebron, Children’s Library Associate, SW OKC Library

Have you ever felt like you did not fit in? If so, Rumple knows exactly how you feel. He lives alone underground with his only friend Candy Corn Carl, a character he created out of candy and garbage. Rumple is insecure in how he looks and believes he is just plain weird. He braves coming above ground once a year for the town parade, but only with a disguise. One year he can’t find his usual banana peel disguise and fears he’ll miss out on the parade. Just as he resolves himself to that fact, he hears someone calling down to him through the rain gutter. When he explains his worries about being seen, he learns that everyone has something about themselves they think is weird.

Written by Emmy award winning actor Matthew Gray Gubler, this illustrated children’s fiction is a must read. Children will enjoy this short story with fun art on every page. This is an inspiring story of a weird monster who learns to love himself. Its message is clear, we’re all a little different, but that’s what makes us unique and it’s ok!

Rumple Buttercup is geared toward children grades 2-3 with an Accelerated Reader level of 3.8 and is worth .5 AR points. You may find Rumple Buttercup and more children’s fiction titles in the children’s department of your local library. Please feel free to visit the Children’s Desk or call us at 405-979-2200 with any questions. For other library events and information visit www.pioneerlibrarysystem.org