Sprout + Bean

Lately, I've developed an increasing appreciation for children's literature. Part of me believes this stems from majoring in elementary education, but I certainly think it has to do with my perpetual preference for simplicity over complexity.

I'm currently reading Loser by Jerry Spinelli. I've always loved Spinelli. I first read Stargirl in 8th grade after a boy told me I reminded him of the protagonist (it's still the best compliment I've ever received!). In my senior year of high school, I read the sequel to Stargirl. It wasn't as wonderful as the first, but it was still a delightful novel. I found this book in my bathroom drawer and immediately fell in love. I haven't finished yet, but I needed to gush. And so, I leave you with one of my favorite passages:

"At this time in his life Zinkoff sees no difference between the stars in the sky and the stars in his mother's plastic Baggie. He believes that stars fall from the sky sometimes, and that his mother goes around collecting them like acorns. He believes she has to use heavy gloves and dark sunglasses because the fallen stars are so hot and shiny. She puts them in the freezer for forty-five minutes, and when they come out they are flat and silver and stick on the back and ready for his shirts. This makes him feel close to the unfallen stars left in the sky. He thinks of them as his nightlights. As he grows drowsy in bed, he wonders which is greater: the number of stars in the sky or the number of school days left in his life? It's a wonderful question."